Decision to cut import duty on US apples will harm Himachal farmers

Shimla The Congress on Tuesday condemned the central government's decision to reduce import duty on Washington (American) apples from 70 per cent to 50 per cent and said it would harm the interest of farmers of Himachal Pradesh.

In a statement issued here, All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Rathore, who is also the sitting Congress MLA from Theog assembly seat (apple belt), said that the decision would cause harm to the apple industry of Himachal Pradesh. "The apple growers are already under severe crisis due to an increase in the production cost following a rise in prices of pesticides, fungicides, labour and other packing materials caused due to inflation under the BJP rule," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also failed to keep his promise of increasing import duty on apples up to 100 per cent as promised during the election campaign in Himachal Pradesh in the previous Lok Sabha Election campaign, he said. He demanded that the Union government should immediately withdraw the decision and so as to save the apple industry of Himachal Pradesh which supports the economy of the State. Himachal has an apple economy of Rs 5,000 crore. India decided to remove an additional 20 per cent duty levied on apple imports from the US after an agreement reached with the US during the recent visit of the Prime Minister to Washington and New York. India and the US have also agreed to terminate six trade disputes at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).