Budget 2024: AFFI demands 100% duty on Apple imports

The Apple Farmers' Federation of India (AFFI) has called for a 100 per cent import duty on apples to protect local farmers. The government must decide on a minimum rate for apple sales, with the help of the much-needed Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), fruit growers associations have said. Following a national convention of apple farmers in Kulgam district, CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami addressed reporters, urging the government to halt the corporatization of the apple industry and implement a high import duty. Tarigami stated that the convention passed a resolution demanding that 50 per cent of the retail price be paid as a minimum procurement price to support local apple farmers.

Market intervention scheme 

The government must decide on a minimum rate for apple sales, with the help of the much-needed Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), fruit growers associations have said. As per growers, MIS is presently applicable on 16 crops including apples, adding that apple-growing farmers.  “In Himachal Pradesh, C-grade apples at government-owned collection centres fetch Rs 12 per kilogramme. In Kashmir valley, where MIS was introduced in 2019 during COVID-19, rates for A-grade apple was fixed at Rs 60 per kg, B-grade at Rs 44 and C-grade Rs 24 per kg through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED),” said a Himachal based grower.  

The fruit growers of Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Uttarakhand are in favour of a “healthy competition” they have faced from imported apples, especially supplies of “Washington apple”, sais the growers. However, lowering of import duty on Washington apple supplies, from 70 per cent last year to 50 per cent now, has pinched the local growers, say growers.   

(With PTI inputs)