SRINAGAR: In response to growing demands for protection against cheaper imports, the Government of India has clarified that there is no proposal currently under consideration to increase import duties on apples. This comes amid apprehensions from farmers in apple-growing states, including Jammu and Kashmir, about price crashes triggered by foreign produce entering Indian markets.
According to reports appearing in the media, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has confirmed that the existing import duty on apples stands at 50 percent. In addition to the tariff, the government has imposed a Minimum Import Price (MIP) of Rs 50 per kg on apples to safeguard domestic producers from being undercut by low-priced imports.
The clarification was given in a written reply by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada in the Rajya Sabha on July 25. The government also stated that the apples imported from Iran, Turkey, and the United States have landed costs well above the Rs 50/kg threshold—Rs 66.16/kg for Turkey, Rs 51.62/kg for Iran, and Rs 82.99/kg for the United States, according to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS) data for 2024–25.
The response comes at a time when apple growers in Kashmir have repeatedly expressed concern over Iranian apples flooding Indian mandis, particularly through Afghan and Wagah borders, sometimes evading customs and undercutting local produce.
Though the reply was in the context of a question specifically concerning apple farmers of Himachal Pradesh, the issue resonates widely across India’s horticulture belts. Kashmir, which produces around 70 per cent of India’s total apple output, has seen periodic agitation over import competition, especially during peak harvest and auction seasons.
In Kashmir, stakeholders have demanded a complete halt to imports during the apple marketing season, which runs from August to November, arguing that the price support measures like MIP are either poorly enforced or easily circumvented through misdeclaration of origin and quality.
While the government maintains that current landed prices of imported apples do not breach the Rs 50/kg limit and therefore do not pose a dumping threat, local growers claim that unofficial channels, mislabelling, and duty evasion undermine the market.
The government’s response also addressed rising input costs. Acknowledging the increase in prices of fertilisers and pesticides, the Ministry said that a Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) policy has been in place since April 2010 for phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers. Under this policy, companies fix Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs) based on market dynamics, while the government provides a fixed subsidy per nutrient to keep prices in check.
While fertiliser companies are responsible for pricing, the government claims to monitor them closely to ensure they remain within reasonable limits.
Still, farmer organisations argue that the MRP control system has not prevented steep hikes, especially in imported inputs, further squeezing margins for apple cultivators who already operate in high-altitude zones with costly logistics.
With no immediate plan to raise import duty and input costs continuing to climb, the government’s reassurance may offer little comfort to apple growers facing stiff competition and seasonal uncertainty.
