Himachal growers are hopeful that the federal budget will include special provisions to boost the trade of Himachali apples. They expect Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to give more clarity on import duty on apple or bringing apple under a special category in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The growers expect the Central Government to grant subsidy on fertilizers and MSP for apples on par with the arrangements for Jammu and Kashmir.
One grower said: “We are hopeful that the Budget will have special budgetary provisions for us. Inflation has hit everyone in the country and the cost of production is going up. There is an urgent need to provide subsidy on fertilizers and pesticides for apple cultivation. We are also looking for more clarity from the Finance Ministry on the imposition the 100 per cent import duty on apple, especially from China and Iran, which arrive during the peak season and the prices of our produce goes down.”
Source: tribuneindia.com