Iranian apple steals Kashmir’s market in Delhi, traders appeal to Kejriwal to ban ‘illegal sale’

Iranian apple steals Kashmir’s market in Delhi, traders appeal to Kejriwal to ban ‘illegal sale’

Shopian: Illegal import of Iranian apple is heavily affecting the selling rates of Kashmiri apple in Indian markets, so much so that the fruit growers and traders’ union in Kashmir has sent an SOS to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, requesting a ban on the illegal entry of the Iranian apple in Delhi’s wholesale markets.
Fruit growers in Kashmir say that they have no problems if the government allows the import of Iranian apple legally and after levying customs and duties. They said that the rates of apples sent from Kashmir to Delhi have been badly hit by this illegal trade.
Abdul Hameed Wani, president of the J&K fruit growers’ association, told Kashmir Reader that the fruit industry of Kashmir is being hurt at a time when the valley is facing one of its worst phases economically. “Despite being better in quality, the Kashmir apple is selling at lower rates than the Iranian apple. We request the union government to stop the illegal import of this Iranian apple,” he said.
Fruit traders said that they are being forced to keep their produce in cold stores with the hope of getting better rates in the future. “We pay transportation charges, cold storage charges, and most importantly, we have to bear the risks caused by highway closures, and now the illegal import of a sub-standard apple is damaging our market,” said Muhammad Subhan, a trader from Pulwama.
The chief executive officer of a leading fruit trading company in Kashmir said that the Iranian apples are being packed in Pakistan but the name of Afghanistan is being dragged into the trade because there is a free trade agreement between India and Afghanistan.
“In Pakistan, the label of Afghanistan is being put on the apple boxes, but neither is Afghanistan exporting the apples nor does it have such apple production,” he said.
Another trader said that in markets outside Kashmir, people don’t know which apple is from Kashmir and which from Iran. “The illegal importers sometimes sell the Iranian apple with the tag of Kashmir, which also damages the reputation of the Kashmir apple,” he said.
A Kashmiri trader based in Delhi said on Wednesday that in the past two days only 20 to 30 truckloads of Kashmiri apple were sold in the Delhi mandis, but there were almost 200 truckloads of Iranian apple that were sold in the same period.
“This illegal import is going on for two months now, but nobody takes any measure to stop it,” he said, adding that the Iranian apple finds no market elsewhere, which is why it is being sent to India as a way of dumping it.
Basheer Ahmad Basheer, president of the fruit growers and traders’ union in Kashmir, said that the Iranian apple is being sold so cheap because no taxes or duties have been charged on it. “The rates of Kashmir apple are down by Rs 300 to Rs 500 per box due to this illegal import,” Basheer said.
In Kashmir, growers and traders have stored more than 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of apple in cold stores to get satisfactory rates. According to them, they have done so to balance the demand and supply equation in Indian markets.
Kashmir last year produced about 16 lakh metric tonnes of apple. Half of the population in Kashmir is directly dependent on the horticulture sector, in which apple is the primary produce.
About 3.4 lakh hectares of land in Kashmir is under horticulture cultivation.
Director of Horticulture, Kashmir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat told Kashmir Reader that they are taking up this matter with higher authorities. “The traders and growers published their complaint in newspapers but didn’t bring it to my notice. In spite of this I will write to the principal secretary and the matter will also be taken up with the Delhi government,” he said.
The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers cum Dealers Union recently published a public complaint in newspapers saying that apples from Iran arrive in the country via Afghanistan illegally and are then auctioned at the sheds of New Sabzi Mandi Azadpur, Delhi.
“The illegal sale of proxy/ imported apple in New Fruit Market Delhi badly hampers the Valley based produced apple and from other parts of the country, causing heavy losses to Fruit Growers/ Dealers. The import and sale of proxy fruits in APMC Mandis of the Country are not allowed under the provisions of law,” the farmers and dealers in their public complaint said.
They also sought a ban on the import and sale of the Iranian apple by the Delhi government.
“Imposition of ban to restrict entry and sale of proxy fruits (imported apple from Iran) and sale thereof is, therefore, very necessary. The imposition of ban on entry of imported Apple from Iran via Afghanistan and sale thereof at New Sabzi Mandi Azadpur Delhi will be fruitful and beneficial for the fruit growers of our country,” they said in the letter.

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