Import duty, MIS top demands of Himachal apple growers

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, April May 1

Raising import duty to 100 per cent, restoration of the proper budget for Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) and the abolition of GST on farm equipment, inputs and packaging material are some of the major demands that apple growers will raise in the run up to the voting in the state on June 1.

“The apple growers will seek commitment from the Lok Sabha candidates on these issues when they will approach us to support then,” said Sanjay Chauhan, co-convener of the Sanyukt Kisan Manch, an umbrella body for over 25 apple growing associations.

Raise import duty to 100 per cent

• The growers have been urging the government to raise the import duty on apple and stone fruits for a while
• As per the growers, cheaper apple, particularly from Iran and Turkey, has hit the domestic growers hard
• “Unless the import duty is raised to 100 per cent, it will be difficult to keep apple cultivation sustainable,” says convener of the Sanyukt Kisan Manch

The growers have been urging the government to raise the import duty on apple and stone fruits for a while now. As per the growers, cheaper apple, particularly from Iran and Turkey, has hit the domestic growers hard. “Unless the import duty is raised to 100 per cent, it will be difficult to keep apple cultivation sustainable,” said Harish Chauhan, convener of the Sanyukt Kisan Manch. Chauhan refuses to buy the argument that raising the import duty could be tough in view of the international trade agreements. “The import duty on tea is 115 per cent. If the import duty on tea could be levied at over 100 per cent, why can’t it be done for apple? It can be done for tea as corporates are involved in tea production, but can’t be done for farmers,” said Chauhan.

The growers are also demanding the restoration of proper budget for the Market Intervention Scheme. From Rs 1,500 crore for 2022-23, the Centre government reduced the budget for the scheme in 2023-24 budget to mere Rs one lakh. “Ample budget was kept for 17 items in several states under the MIS scheme. Now, the government has reduced it to mere Rs 1 lakh. In Himachal alone, the annual MIS bill is anywhere between Rs 70 and Rs 80 crore. Without the help from the Centre, the scheme will suffer,” said Chauhan. Under this scheme, the government procures culled apple and some other fruits from the growers.

Also, the growers are demanding abolition of GST on farm input and equipment in view of the rising cost of production. “Other producers, for example a biscuit company, pass on the GST to the consumers. The farmers don’t have such an option and have to bear it themselves. So, we are seeking the abolition of GST,” Chauhan said.

Lokender Bisht, president of the Progressive Growers Association, feels the minimum import price on apple from countries like Iran has to be fixed at Rs 100. “The government has fixed the price at Rs 50, which is not helping the cause of domestic producers. It needs to be doubled,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deepak Singha, president of Plum Growers Forum, says that the government should fix the minimum import price for all stone fruits and sub-tropical fruits grown in the state. “There’s a talk of making the state a fruit bowl of the country. If the plan has to become a reality, the government must fix a minimum import price for these fruits to save them from cheaper imports,” said Singha.