Shopian: After a week’s break, the illegal import of Iranian apple in Delhi’s Azadpur fruit mandi has resumed, according to Kashmiri traders based in Delhi.
A lot of hue and cry was raised by Kashmiri apple traders against what they described as illegal import of Iranian apple that was being brought to Delhi in the name of apple from Afghanistan, a country with which India has a free trade agreement. Delegations of Kashmir fruit traders’ unions met officials in Delhi, wrote letters to Arvind Kejriwal and Nirmala Sitharaman, and issued statements in newspapers. Finally they were assured by officials in Delhi that the illegal import of Iranian apple will be immediately stopped.
However, according to Kashmiri traders, this illegal import started again two days ago.
Muhammad Ashraf, a fruit grower from Shopian who has stored five-thousand apple boxes in cold stores, told Kashmir Reader that Kashmiri apple growers are being forced to throw away their stored produce like garbage due to the Iranian apple. “Everyone in Delhi knows there was low produce (in Kashmir) last year and this year there was widespread scab disease in apple crop. People stored the produce in hope of better prices later in the year but we are being robbed of our market by the Iranian apple,” he said.
According to cold storage owners, over 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of apple were stored last year in cold stores in Kashmir.
Besides the illegal import, the cess which has been imposed on import of apple by the central government from Feb 1 this year, the Iranian apple has been exempted from it, Kashmiri traders say.
The chief executive officer of a leading fruit company told Kashmir Reader that it seems the import of Iranian apple is being done because of some diplomatic pressure, else how can a country allow international trade without charging taxes and duties. “The price of a Kashmiri apple box is down by Rs 300 to 500,” he said.
Gopal Das, chief executive officer of a reputed Delhi based fruit and vegetables firm, called the import of Iranian apple as a direct attack on Kashmiri apple industry.
“It is direct attack on Kashmir’s apple industry. At this time there is no Himachal pradesh apple and the import of Iranian apple is heavily affecting the market of Kashmir apple,” he said.
A Kashmiri trader in Delhi said that money must have changed hands to allow such illegal trade. “Un logo ne khaya piya hoga tabhi phir sai Iranian seb market mai aaya. There are some influential Afghani traders who tag this Iranian apple as Afghanistani,” he said.
Kashmir has around 3.4 lakh hectares of land under horticulture cultivation, most of it dedicated to apple. According to the J&K 2017 economic survey, 34 lakh people comprising seven lakh families are primarily dependent on horticulture in Kashmir.
The apple industry has already sustained heavy losses since abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir, followed by heavy snowfall and the coronavirus lockdown. Many apple traders have gone bankrupt and have even sold their property to bear the losses.

  Kashmir 370

Raashid Hassan