SRINAGAR: Congress Working Committee Member (CWC) Ghulam Ahmad Mir stated on Monday that the removal of additional import duties on various American products during the G-20 Summit could lead to economic distress and significant losses for the fruit industry in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
Mir urged the Government of India (GOI) to reconsider this decision in the best interests of the growers.
Commenting on the removal of additional duties on the import of American products such as chickpeas, lentils, and apples, Mir emphasised that this decision would severely impact the fruit industry in J&K and Himachal.
He noted that J&K growers had already suffered significant losses due to unfavorable conditions and climatic emergencies that occurred from time to time.
Mir pointed out that since 2019, the Kashmir fruit industry has faced losses and stressed the need for a special bailout package to help growers overcome the economic crisis. He expressed concern that the decision to lift import duties on American products would only exacerbate problems for the growers and the market.
Mir urged GOI to revisit the decision, emphasising the importance of providing an economic package to the Kashmir fruit industry to help them recover from their economic distress.
