North Kashmir fruit farmers have asked the government to address the growing cost of transporting and packing apple boxes in Baramulla.
Fruit farmers in North Kashmir have welcomed the Minimum Import Price (MIP) limit on apple imports, but they still face significant challenges with freight and transportation expenses.
To safeguard the interests of fruit producers, who have long called for an end to tax-free apple imports, the federal government recently established a restriction on imports of apples with a CIF (cost, insurance and freight) import price of less than or equal to Rs 50 per kilogramme.
Sopore Fruit Growers Association President Fayaz Ahmad Malik expressed his gratitude for the decision. He emphasised that growing packaging and transportation costs are a major issue for the fruit producers.
Malik argued that the cost of importing apple boxes into India from other countries did not exceed Rs 20 per box when he brought up the huge price difference.
However, during peak season, the price of sending an Apple package to Delhi might rise to almost Rs 140. Fruit farmers have been hit hard by the recent rise in packaging costs, which now average over Rs 90 per box.
In his words, “we have consistently appealed to the state administration to provide subsidies on packaging and transportation,” Malik noted that this was something they had asked for often. Fruit farmers, who have had to adapt to more unpredictable weather patterns, would benefit greatly from such incentives, he said.
Rafiabad fruit farmer Muhammad Sadiq was overjoyed and relieved when the Minimum Import Price (MIP) was finally established for apples. He described it as an essential step that would lessen the burdens on farmers.
He said that fruit farmers had been put through hell since there was no MIP cap on imported apples.
The domestic apple business was seriously threatened by foreign competition, especially from Iran. According to Muhammad Sidiq, “the economic prospects of fruit growers are expected to improve as a result of state government intervention.”
Now that they’ve voiced their concerns, the fruit producers are hoping their issues with rising freightage and packing costs will be resolved. Another Sopore fruit farmer, Shahid Iqbal, echoed this sentiment, saying, “Such support would bolster their efforts to sustain their businesses and contribute to the growth of the fruit industry.”
