Shimla, Dec. 24 -- The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between India and New Zealand has triggered serious concern among apple growers in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir, who fear that cheaper imports would destabilise domestic prices and threaten livelihoods dependent on the fruit economy.
Under the agreement, import duty on New Zealand apples has been reduced from 50 percent to 25 percent under a tariff-rate quota during the April 1 to August 31 period. Growers argue that this window overlaps with the Indian apple marketing season, contrary to claims that domestic apples do not reach markets during these months.
Himachal Pradesh alone has an apple economy valued at around Rs 5,500 crore, supporting more than 3 lak...