Shopian: After writing to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Kashmir Fruit Growers cum Dealers Union has now sent a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman to seek a ban on “illegal import” of Iranian apples into New Delhi’s fruit and vegetables mandi at Azadpur.
“Iranian apples via Afghanistan are imported by various traders and illegal sale thereof is made in New Sabzi Mandi Azadpur Delhi, taking the benefit from the fact that there is zero import duty agreement between India and Afghanistan. It is severely hitting our business. This evasive activity to defeat the realisation of taxes has a direct negative impact on apple fruit industry of northern India in general and UT of Jammu and Kashmir in particular. The said evasion needs to be checked in time to uphold the hygiene and transparency in the merchandise,” reads the letter sent to Sitharaman by the union.
It also reads that Kashmir horticulture has been severely affected by the post-August 2019 circumstances, Covid-19 lockdown, and the natural calamity (heavy snowfall) which caused huge losses in November 2019.
In the letter to the finance minister, the union has requested her to personally intervene in the matter and order the illegal entry and sale of Iranian apple to be stopped at Azadpur mandi, so that the indebted horticulture sector in Kashmir can be saved.
“80 per cent of the rural population is directly dependent on horticulture sector in Kashmir,” the letter mentions.
A trader and apple grower from Shopian told Kashmir Reader that on the one hand the union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are beating drums of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Baharat’ (self reliant India) but on the other hand the illegal import of Iranian apple goes on unabated.
“The government should order an immediate end to this illegal trade, or else it will turn into another disaster for the apple industry in Kashmir,” he said.
Director of Horticulture, Kashmir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat had earlier told Kashmir Reader that his office will write to higher authorities about the issue of import of Iranian apple.
Basheer Ahmed Basheer, President of the Kashmir Fruit Growers cum Dealers Union, told Kashmir Reader that this illegal import should be stopped at the earliest. He said that Kashmiri traders have no issues if the import is through proper channels and after paying the due taxes.

Raashid Hassan