Srinagar, Feb. 21 -- Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately safeguard the interests of Kashmiri horticulture by excluding apples from the proposed Indo-US trade deal. Expressing grave concern over reports of zero-duty American apple imports, Mehbooba warned that such a move would deliver a "death blow" to the orchard economy of Kashmir. She emphasised that horticulture is the backbone of Kashmir's economy, supporting over seven lakh families whose livelihoods, children's education, and healthcare depend entirely on it. "The sector is already bleeding due to low-priced Iranian imports routed through SAFTA, which have depressed market prices and weakened demand for local produce. Flooding our markets with heavily subsidised American apples will trigger a price war we cannot win," she said. Mehbooba highlighted the structural disadvantages faced by local growers including climate uncertainty, weak supply chains, and high transportation costs contrasting it with the massive subsidies enjoyed by American farmers. "Protecting Kashmiri apples is not protectionism; it is about safeguarding livelihoods, heritage, and the dignity of farming," she asserted. She demanded that the government exclude apples from the Indo-US trade list, retain at least 50% import duty to ensure a level playing field, strictly enforce minimum import price, provide targeted subsidies and infrastructure support to local growers....