Srinagar, Dec 23: Apple growers in Kashmir have expressed concern over a reduction in import duty on apples from New Zealand under the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, warning that the move could depress prices and further destabilise the Valley’s horticulture-driven economy.
President of the All Kashmir Fruit Growers Dealers Union, Bashir Ahmad Basheer, said growers were already struggling with multiple pressures and could ill-afford another setback.
“We have time and again urged the Government of India to protect the interests of farmers, particularly apple growers in Kashmir, as we are facing a plethora of challenges,” Basheer said. He noted that cheap Apple imports from Iran had already dented the domestic market. “Now this agreement adds to our worries. It is claimed that New Zealand apples will arrive only during the off-season, but with controlled-atmosphere storage, Kashmir apples are available almost round the year. Any additional imports during this period will inevitably hurt local growers,” he added.
Basheer said the growers had sought assurances that trade agreements would not undermine domestic producers. “We have requested the government to ensure that our interests are fully protected while entering into such trade agreements. Farmers in Kashmir cannot be left to absorb repeated shocks,” he added.
Echoing similar concerns, another apple grower from south Kashmir, Ghulam Nabi Wani of Shopian, said the policy shift could directly impact farm incomes. “Apple cultivation is no longer a high-margin activity. Input costs have gone up sharply, while returns are uncertain. If imported apples come cheaper into the market, the burden will fall entirely on growers like us,” Wani said. He added that farmers were not opposed to trade but wanted fairness. “We are not against international agreements, but domestic farmers should not be sacrificed. The government must ensure effective safeguards on the ground, not just on paper,” he said.
Under the FTA, New Zealand will be allowed limited preferential access to the Indian market through a tariff-rate quota, with import duty on apples reduced from 50 per cent to 25 per cent within a specified volume. Imports beyond the quota will continue to attract the full duty, along with a minimum import price. While the Centre has maintained that sensitive sectors have been protected and that imports are largely restricted to the counter-seasonal window, growers in Kashmir remain unconvinced.
Economists and sector experts have also cautioned that even a limited influx of cheaper imports could influence market sentiment and prices. They argue that unless productivity improves, costs are rationalised, and climate risks are addressed, Kashmir’s apple sector may find it increasingly difficult to compete in a more open market environment.
For now, growers are urging the government to reassess the ground realities in Kashmir and put in place strong, enforceable safeguards to protect what remains the backbone of the Valley’s rural economy.