Himachal apple growers oppose reduced import duty on New Zealand apples

Apple growers successful Himachal Pradesh fearfulness that the Centre’s connection to slash the import work connected New Zealand apples from 50% to 25% pursuing a commercialized woody volition severely interaction their livelihoods and person sought Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla’s “intervention to safeguard livelihoods”.

In a memorandum submitted to the Governor connected Tuesday (December 30, 2025), a radical of pome growers led by Kuldeep Singh Rathore, the Congress MLA from Theog constituency successful Shimla district, has raised concerns astir the projected simplification successful import work from 2026-27.

Mr. Rathore said the reduced work volition origin a important nonaccomplishment of marketplace stock for Indian apples and bring down prices, pushing pome growers – struggling with clime change-induced uncertainties, rising input costs, labour shortages, and shrinking margins – into heavy economical distress.

The person said that the pome manufacture forms the “backbone of Himachal Pradesh’s agrarian economy” and contributes astir ₹5,500 crore annually and supports implicit 1.5 lakh families, astir of whom are tiny and marginal farmers. “The State produces astir 6.5 lakh metric tonnes of apples each year, accounting for astir 25% of India’s full pome production. With mean landholdings of lone 1 to 2 acres and constricted scope for diversification owed to the hilly terrain, pome cultivation remains the superior root of livelihood for these farmers,” helium said.

Mr. Rathore said implementation of the FTA successful its “present form” volition acceptable a “dangerous precedent”. “Other large apple-exporting nations specified arsenic the U.S., Chile, and Italy which unneurotic relationship for implicit 40% of planetary pome exports are apt to request akin concessions, which volition beryllium disastrous to husbandman assemblage of Himachal Pradesh,” helium said.

“We besides impulse the Government of India to reconstruct the import work connected apples to 100% arsenic a indispensable protective measurement for home growers and reconsider the implicit elimination of import work connected kiwi effect nether the projected FTA with New Zealand,” helium added.