In a significant move to protect local farmers, former Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president and Theog MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore on Monday escalated his protest against the reduction of import duty on apples. He met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla in Shimla and submitted a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding an immediate withdrawal of the decision to slash the duty from 50% to 25% under the free trade agreement with New Zealand.
Memorandum to PM Highlights Unfulfilled Promise
Rathore, in his memorandum, emphasized the urgent need to shield Himachal Pradesh's vital horticulture sector from the influx of cheaper imported apples. He reminded the Prime Minister of a pre-election promise to actually increase the import duty on apples from 50% to 100%, a commitment that he stated remains unfulfilled. The MLA warned that the current reduction has triggered strong resentment among the state's orchardists, who now fear massive losses to the apple-based economy, which is estimated to be worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore annually.
New Zealand's Gain, India's Pain: Rathore's Warning
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Rathore expressed deep concern that further international pressure could lead to even more duty reductions, catastrophically worsening the crisis for local growers. He cited statements from New Zealand's Prime Minister indicating that the agreement would significantly benefit New Zealand by boosting employment and exports. "The gains will be for New Zealand, while the losses will be borne by Indian farmers," Rathore asserted, highlighting the perceived imbalance in the trade deal's impact.
The Theog MLA also revealed that he had written to all seven Members of Parliament from Himachal Pradesh, requesting them to raise this critical issue with the Prime Minister and the Union Commerce Minister. However, he noted that only Union Minister Anurag Thakur had responded to the appeals. Rathore said the Governor assured him that he would personally convey the matter to the Prime Minister and the Commerce Minister.
Existing Imports and Ignored Appeals Compound Crisis
Rathore further broadened his critique by highlighting the ongoing losses faced by Himachal's farmers due to apple imports from Iran and Turkey, which enter the Indian market via Afghanistan. He lamented that despite repeated appeals from farmer groups and political representatives, their concerns have been consistently ignored by the central government. This new duty reduction, according to him, is the latest blow to an already struggling community.
The memorandum serves as a formal plea to the central leadership to prioritize domestic agriculture over international trade concessions, framing the issue as one of economic survival for thousands of families in the hill state. The outcome of this appeal is now keenly awaited by the horticulture sector of Himachal Pradesh.
