Jammu, Feb 10 (JKNS): Bhartiya Janta Party National General Secretary Tarun Chugh strongly reacted to the misleading statements made by Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on international trade agreements and said that creating fear in the name of farmers is irresponsible and politically motivated. He said twisting facts only harms the trust of farmers.
Tarun Chugh as per news agency JKNS said, that India’s annual apple consumption is around 26 lakh tonnes, while domestic production is approximately 21 lakh tonnes. This gap clearly means that India already imports more than 5 lakh tonnes of apples every year to meet Indian consumer demand.
He clarified that out of this existing import requirement, a quota of only 1 lakh tonnes has been allocated to the United States, that too with a Minimum Import Price of Rs. 80 per kg along with an effective import duty of Rs. 25 per kg. He said this pricing structure makes it extremely difficult for imported apples to undercut domestic produce, ensuring that Indian farmers’ interests remain fully protected.
Tarun Chugh added that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Central Government is consistently strengthening the apple and horticulture sectors of Jammu & Kashmir through technology, infrastructure, and global market access. He said BJP has never allowed nor it will allow in future a policy that compromises the income, identity, or future of orchardists in the Union Territory. (JKNS)
