Himachal Apple Farmers Seek Higher Import Prices Amid Crisis

Himachal Pradesh's apple industry is facing a severe crisis due to cheap, illegally imported apples. Farmers urge Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan to raise the Minimum Import Price (MIP) to Rs 90 per kilogram from the current Rs 50 to protect domestic producers from economic damage.

SHIMLA, Himachal Pradesh – The apple industry, a key pillar of Himachal Pradesh's economy, is under severe threat as local farmers face an unprecedented crisis due to cheap and illegally imported apples from Iran, Turkey, and the UAE.

Esteemed for their premium apples, farmers in the region have appealed to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan to raise the Minimum Import Price (MIP) to Rs 90 per kilogram. They argue that the current MIP of Rs 50 is too low, leading to an influx of low-cost apples from these countries and threatening local livelihoods. Reports indicate that Chinese apples, despite a 2017 ban, enter the Indian market through the UAE, while Iranian apples exploit the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) to bypass import duties via Afghanistan.

In a letter dated September 5, 2024, the Progressive Growers Association highlighted the crisis, with President Lokinder Bisht expressing that apples from Iran are sold at Rs 60 to Rs 70 per kg due to the low MIP. This undercuts local farmers who face production costs of Rs 55 to Rs 60 per kg. The association urged the government to raise the MIP to prevent further damage to the domestic industry, already burdened by rising input costs.

(With inputs from agencies.)