Shimla, Dec. 27 -- Himachal Pradesh Kisaan Congress Secretary Kanwar Ravinder Singh condemned the union government's decision to cut import duty on apples from from 50 pc to 25 pc under a free trade agreement sighned with New Zealand, terming it a grave betrayal of Himachal Pradesh's farmers and horticulturists.
In a press statement issued here, Singh said apples form the backbone of Himachal Pradesh's hill economy, contributing nearly Rs 5,000 Cr. annually and sustaining livelihoods through employment, trade, and allied activities.
He warned that lowering import duties would depress prices of locally grown apples in domestic markets, directly hurting growers' incomes and destabilising the state's horticulture sector.
Singh noted that im...