SRINAGAR, Feb 20: Emphasising that the interim Indo-US trade deal would take a toll on the nation’s farmers and fruit growers, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revisit the deal and implement a 50 per cent import duty on apples to protect Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture industry.
“The farmers of our country had certain safeguards before this Indo-US trade deal, but now those protections are gone. This will affect farmers across the country, making it difficult to assess the impact on Jammu and Kashmir, especially for our fruit, apple, and dry fruit growers,” Mufti told reporters here.
She highlighted that the horticulture sector in Jammu and Kashmir not only sustains livelihoods but also supports the education of children and other responsibilities.
“The youth earn their livelihoods through horticulture. With this deal, we will become economically vulnerable, and unemployment will likely increase. We lack industrialisation in J-K, and our tourism industry also depends on stability in the region,” she stated.
The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir expressed that there is significant concern among the people regarding the interim deal.
“First, the Iranian apples entered the market and wreaked havoc, and now, our apples cannot compete with US apples, as farmers there receive subsidies ranging from around USD 30000-40000. We have minimal subsidies here, and our transportation costs are high; we also have to purchase fertilisers ourselves,” she added.
Mufti said after 2019, when the Centre abrogated Article 370, the people of J-K “exercised great restraint” even in the face of many adversities.
“I appeal to the prime minister to consider that the people of J-K have faced various difficulties. If you take away our livelihoods, employment opportunities, and the education of our children, what will these people do? Where will the countless youths dependent on horticulture go?”
She insisted that the prime minister should reconsider the agreement and at least establish a 50 per cent import duty on apples. “I also request the government here to think about crop insurance, increasing CA stores, and also the national highway, which often closes,” she said.
The PDP president stressed that the interim trade deal would have a significant impact, not only economically but also socially.
“The drug addiction due to unemployment here will increase. Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive state, and the prime minister is aware of the measures taken to normalise the situation here. If there is an attack on our fruit industry, which is our backbone, the consequences could be dire,” she asserted.
She reiterated her appeal to Modi to take action to protect Jammu and Kashmir’s fruit industry.
