NC concerned over losses incurred by apple growers 

Srinagar, 5 Apr: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Friday expressed concern over the plight of horticulturalists, who are counting losses amid a dip in the price of apples. 

Echoing the woes of apple growers, the party’s State Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said that the growers are facing huge financial setbacks due to the notable dip in the price of the apples. “The anticipation for increased demand in the spring season has led growers and buyers to store apples in cold storage. However, the expected surge in demand did not materialize, resulting in substantial financial losses. Currently, Kulu boxes are being sold for around Rs 1,000 per box, while Delicious apples fetch only about Rs 800,” he said. 

Attributing the drop in prices to several reasons including the lifting of import duty on apples from other countries and the influx of the crop from Middle Eastern countries including Iran, Imran implored upon the government to rationalize the influx of apple imports from various central Asian countries by enforcing strong protectionist measures in terms of regulating import tariffs, quotas, and tax cuts or subsidies. 

Taking a strong stance against big corporate players, Imran called for stringent action against them for malpractices in apple pricing. “These corporate houses have been manipulating apple prices by causing a slump in the prices thus making them liable for legal action under market malpractices and violations of the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act,” he said.

Casting apprehensions on the much-touted Horticulture Policy proclaimed by the JK govt to tackle upcoming marketing challenges and increase the production manifold, Imran said, “The policy has been a non-starter. The policy has failed to address the genuine stakeholders of the horticulture industry of Kashmir.”