Himachal Seeks Import Duty Hike on Apples

The state government on August 3, 2011 requested the Centre to hike the import duty on apples to safeguard the interests of fruit growers of Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states.

State Horticulture minister Narinder Bragta met Union Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma and drew his attention to the increasing import of apples from China, resulting in the crash of the apple market, directly hitting Himachal Pradesh fruit growers — who had already suffered a loss of around Rs 100 crore during the current apple season.

He added that during the NDA regime, the import duty on apples was raised to 50 per cent in 2000-2001 but the current onslaught of imported apples has created an alarming situation which needs to be tackled on an emergency basis.

Bragta requested the Centre to designate the apple as a "special product" to protect the interests of apple growers.