BJP, Congress in a tug of war for credit over backing apple growers’ cause

Shimla, May 11

Congress and BJP are makings claims and counterclaims over having championed the cause of apple growers ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year.

The BJP claims that it had taken up the issues of apple growers with the Central Government. It is engaged in a war of words with the Congress, which says that the only solution to the problems of apple growers is to increase import duty on the fruit.

Kuldeep Rathore, AICC spokesperson and Theog MLA, today said that BJP leaders were terming the fixing of the minimum import price of apple as a historical decision but the reality was that it was against the interests of orchardists.

Raise import duty

Horticulturists are not going to get much relief from the fixing of the minimum import price of apple being sourced from Turkey, Chile, the USA and Poland. It is necessary to raise import duty on apple. —Kuldeep Rathore, Theog MLA

Rs 50/kg condition

The Centre has decided that apple cheaper than Rs 50 per kg will not be imported. The decision will benefit the apple growers of Himachal, as they will not face competition from cheap imported apple. —Suresh Kashyap , Shimla MP

He said that Iran imported barely $ 1.82 million worth of apple while India was importing apple worth about $ 385 million from different countries. “If import duty on apple is not increased, the Rs 5,000 crore apple economy of the state will be ruined,” he added.

On the other hand, Shimla MP Suresh Kashyap said that he had taken up the issue of apple growers with the Central Government several times. “The Centre has decided that apple cheaper than Rs 50 per kg will not be imported. The decision will benefit the apple growers of Himachal, as they will not face a stiff competition from cheap imported apple,” he added.

Rathore said that the BJP had promised horticulturists before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections that on assuming power at the Centre, it would enhance import duty on apple. “The promise remains unfulfilled even after nine years of the BJP’s rule at the Centre. Apple is still being imported from 44 countries and as a result, the growers of Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Uttarakhand do not get good prices for their crops,” he claimed.