Srinagar, Jan 16: In a significant move, the Jammu & Kashmir Government has conveyed the concerns and apprehensions of fruit growers in Kashmir over the free trade agreement signed between India and New Zeeland to the Union Government.
Talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Minister for Rural Development and Horticulture, Javid Ahmad Dar, currently in New Delhi, said that he has personally raised the growers’ apprehensions with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan.
“The Union Minister assured me that farmers’ interests will be protected and remain their top priority,” Dar told KNO.
Dar added that the Omar Abdullah-led government is committed to safeguarding the interests of fruit growers and farmers of J&K.
The Government of India’s decision to lower import tariffs on apples from New Zealand has caused concern among apple growers in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, who fear that cheaper imports could destabilize the prices of apples produced domestically.
Under the newly inked Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and India, tariffs on apple imports from New Zealand have been reduced from 50 per cent to 25 per cent under a quota-based arrangement.
According to the agreement, tariff concessions will apply to a capped volume of 32500 tonnes in the first year. The quota will gradually expand to 45000 tonnes by the sixth year. Imports falling within this limit will be charged a reduced duty of 25 per cent, provided they meet a minimum import price of $ 1.25 per kilogram. Shipments exceeding the quota will continue to attract the existing 50 per cent duty. (KNO)
