Excelsior Correspondent
BANIHAL, Sept 13: The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president, Vikar Rasool Wani has expressed grave concern over the decision of the Modi Govt. to reduce import duty on the American apple, walnut and apricot being imported to India by the United States and said that it will ruin the fruit industry of Jammu and Kashmir and demanded immediate withdrawal of the Government order.
Addressing media persons here today, JKPCC president expressed serious concern over Modi Govt’s decision to reduce import duty on apple, walnuts and apricots being imported from United States of America to India from 70% to 15% and said that it will destroy the economy of apple growers of UT of Jammu and Kashmir who will be worst hit along with the apple fruit growers of Himachal Pradesh.
Wani questioned the decision of Central Govt. at the cost of local orchardists of J&K and Himachal Pradesh. He said that fruit growers in both the fruit growing regions have suffered immensely for different reasons in the recent past and this will spell doom to them. He said that the fruit growers of Jammu and Kashmir have already suffered a lot because of the turmoil and political instability in the past, Covid-19 and other blockade in the recent past and had started picking up and improving from the past setbacks and this order of the Modi Govt. will hit them hard.
Demanding immediate withdrawal of the order JKPCC chief said that this is totally anti-farmer, anti-fruit grower decision of the Modi Govt. and fruit growers of Jammu and Kashmir will suffer huge loss by this decision. The JKPCC strongly opposes this and demands immediate withdrawal of order in the interest of fruit growers, he added.
PCC chief said this kind of huge concession to the exporters of US at the cost of local fruit growers who are dependent upon this crop and trade is highly unfortunate and the Modi Govt should take care of the local farmers and reconsider the decision in interest of fruit growers of J&K and Himachal Pradesh.
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