by Mohammad Younis

SRINAGAR: A group of fruit traders in Sopore Mandi put up a protest against, what they said, the “illegal sale of Iranian apples in India.” They said the Iran apple is getting into India in the name of Afghanistan which has started impacting the Kashmir apple.

A group of fruit traders in Sopore Mandi put up a protest against “illegal sale of Iranian apples in India on December 31,2021. KL Image by Mohammad Younis

“Our fruit has suffered a lot in last one month due to illegal sale of Iranian apple that comes through Wagah border in the name of Afghanistan,” Mudasir Ahmad Bhat, who heads the Fruit Buyers and Forwarding Agents Union said.

Bhat said that Iranian apple is being sold without tax at Rs 40 per Kg. The Kashmir apple that pays all taxes is reaching the main markets at Rs 60 per kg. “This has started hitting our crop,” he said, insisting they had approached the government but have not got an adequate response.

“The rate variation has created a situation that we are losing one to two lakh rupees for every truckload, right now,” Bhat claimed.

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