Skip to main content

Excessive imports prompt Himalayan apple growers to 'unite, protect domestic'

By Bharat Dogra* 

Apple orchards have become a very important part of the economy of several parts of the Himalayan region in India. This is particularly true of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, and to a lesser extent Uttarakhand.
However, in recent times the orchard owners and local apple traders have become increasingly worried about the increasing imports of cheaper apples from Iran. These are reported to be of lesser quality but being cheaper can dominate an important segment of the market.
This is not the first time of course that the domestic apple market has been threatened by an excessive presence of imported produce. At one stage the bigger threat was from USA apples and then there was the threat from Chinese apples. As both the USA and the Chinese farm exports are known to be heavily supported by their governments, there was understandable concern regarding the harm the domination of imports from these sources may cause to our domestic producers.
An additional concern related to contamination by new insects and other contaminants which it has been reported have come with some import consignments and fears have been expressed that these may make a more permanent presence in Indian orchards. Such concerns have been expressed regarding imports from Iran as well.
There is a concern that the Iran crop has found it difficult to find its more common markets due to sanctions or hostilities and hence maybe marketed at extra low price and lower margins in India, increasing the threat to domestic producers.
In a welcome development the orchard owners and traders in Kashmir, Himachal and Uttarakhand have been establishing more mutual contacts and it is good to see that they are speaking with one voice on the need to protect their domestic market.
Of course India has no hostility towards Iran at all and would not mind a limited amount of their apples coming in, but of course the first right over the indian market is that of local producers and we should protect their interests.
Representatives of local producers and traders have been issuing statements pointing out that the union government at a high level has gone back on its earlier promises of imposing higher tariffs on apple imports.
This has also taken a political turn. On February 8 a leading Congress leader of Himachal Pradesh issued a statement indicting the union government for neglecting the interests of apple growers and failing to either fulfill its promise to increase import tariffs on apple or to make available a fair price to apple growers. This statement has been highlighted in several newspapers.
It may be recalled here that at the time of apple procurement crisis a crisis situation had arisen for some time when the price suddenly decreased and the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh asked for postponing plucking of fruit for some time. This had spread resentment among orchard owners. Some apple growers and local traders also pointed fingers at the role of a leading business house in the fall of price.
As those were days of the farmers’ movement being in full swing at a wider level and as issues raised there were similar of corporate domination, this allegation got much attention and senior farmer leaders like Rakesh Tikait visited Himachal Pradesh, resulting in some initial efforts to strengthen the farmers’ movement in the hilly areas as well.
It is good that now representatives of apple growers and traders in three hill ststes have started getting together and it is hoped that this will enable them to raise their demands, particularly in the context of avoiding unfair competition from imports, in a more effective way. This growing unity will also be helpful later in protecting their interests from big business houses.
However in addition apple growers should also give more attention to protecting the environmental base of orchards, which has been harmed in some places by indiscriminate sprays of pesticides and even growth regulators, harm to natural pollinators, indiscriminate import of planting material and other factors. There should be more emphasis on ecologically protective practices.
The trend towards converting more of the apple crop into wine, turning a high nutrition fruit into intoxicant and then selling this wine along with nutritious fruit products seen at some places has been harmful and will prove to be even more harmful in future. Instead of such harmful processing encouragement of self-help groups of women to produce apple jam and other similar produce is needed. In this way the lower-end or less attractive looking fruit can also be utilised properly.
Apples should also be procured by the government to supply in mid-day meals in anganwadis, either as raw fruit or as freshly prepared jam or in the form of other local cooked dishes. This would be a good way of ensuring that the poorest among the local people also get the nutrition benefits of this popular fruit.
---
*Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now, recent books include “Man Over Machine” and “Protecting Earth for Children"

Comments

TRENDING

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra*  The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas*  In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates. 

Urgency for next pandemic? But Mr Health Secretary, you're barking up wrong tree

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD*  The Union Health Secretary, Mr Rajesh Bhushan addressing the Health Working Group of G20 India, at Hyderabad on 05 June 2023, cautioned that the next pandemic would not wait for us to make global treaties and called on countries to work together.

Religious divide 'kept alive' with low intensity communalism in Gujarat's cultural capital

By Rajiv Shah  A fact-finding report, prepared by the Mumbai-based non-profit, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), has cited the Vadodara Ram Navami violence of March 30 as yet another example of how, after the BJP consolidating its hold on political power in Gujarat post-2002 riots and at the Centre in 2014, the nature of communal riots has changed, underlining, as opposed to high-intensity violence earlier, now riots have become “more sub-radar and at a smaller scale, more localized”.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Why continued obsession with adding more 'water guzzling' coal, nuclear power plants?

By Shankar Sharma*  The true concerns over water inefficiency in coal power plants have been known and have been highlighted many times in the past. A highly relevant study report by Prayas Energy Group had highlighted this fast looming threat to our society many years ago. But our authorities have been acting as though there can be no issue with water supply, and that additional coal power plants can be added indefinitely; even without any true relevance to climate change.

Generative AI as 'potent weapon and shield' in battle of political misinformation

By Haziq Jeelani*  In the pulsating heart of the digital era, the political arena is ceaselessly molded by the swift and relentless flow of information. The line between fact and fiction often blurs, creating a nebulous landscape where truth and deceit intertwine. 

Kailash Satyarthi NGO rescues 12 child workers from high profile Gujarat private varsity

By Our Representative  In a rather grim reflection of the state of child labour in Gujarat, 12 child labourers, most of whom belong to Rajasthan tribal communities, have been rescued from the campus of a high profile private university in Rajkot by a team of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Labour Department, Centre for Labour Research and Action, and the Police.