Himachal Apple Import Duty: Why Farmers Want 100% Protection

Himachal Apple Import Duty Latest News

• Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister has urged the Centre to raise import duty on foreign apples from 50% to 100% and impose a seasonal ban on imports from July to November to protect about 2.5 lakh apple farmers. Apples account for nearly 80% of the state’s fruit output. 
• The demand follows the Centre’s decision to cut import duty on New Zealand apples to 25% for April–August under the India–New Zealand FTA. 
• Jammu and Kashmir has echoed similar concerns, warning that rising imports add to existing challenges faced by domestic apple growers.

India Cuts Import Duty on New Zealand Apples Under FTA

• Under the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, India has reduced import duty on New Zealand apples from 50% to 25% under a quota system. 
• The quota starts at 32,500 tonnes in the first year and rises to 45,000 MT by the sixth year. 
• Imports must meet a minimum import price of $1.25 (₹113.6) per kg, while shipments beyond the quota will continue to attract the higher 50% duty.

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Apple Production in India: J&K and Himachal at the Core

• India produces around 28 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of apples annually. 
• Jammu & Kashmir dominates output with about 20 LMT, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 5–6 LMT. 
• The remaining production comes from Uttarakhand and a few north-eastern states, where cultivation is still nascent.
• The apple economy is valued at roughly ₹12,000 crore in J&K and ₹4,500 crore in Himachal Pradesh, making growers in these two states the most vulnerable to increased imports and tariff concessions.

Farmers’ Concerns Over Cheaper Imports

• Apple growers are worried about the overlap between New Zealand’s export window and India’s off-season market. 
• In India, apples are harvested between July and November, while off-season sales depend on cold storage and Controlled Atmosphere (CA) facilities. 
• New Zealand, however, harvests apples between January/February and May, allowing it to supply fresh apples when Indian farmers sell stored produce.

Impact on Domestic Prices and Sales

• Farmers warn that lower import duties will make foreign apples cheaper than domestic produce, directly affecting sales. 
• In Jammu & Kashmir, high-density varieties like Gala arrive in June, while Royal Delicious reaches markets by September. 
• Since the duty cut applies from April to August, growers fear significant losses during peak marketing periods.

Threat to Market Share

• Orchardists from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir argue that cheaper imports will depress domestic prices, reduce market share.
• It will hit farmers hardest during the off-season, undermining incomes in India’s key apple-producing regions.

Challenges Beyond Import Competition

• Climate Stress and Falling Yields – Apple production in HP and J&K has been hit hard by climate change, erratic weather, reduced snowfall, prolonged dry spells, floods, cloudbursts and landslides. 
  • These factors have weakened orchards and lowered productivity.
• Rising Disease Burden – Changing climatic conditions have led to a surge in plant diseases such as fire blight, apple scab, powdery mildew, sooty blotch and bitter rot. 
  • Reduced snowfall and higher temperatures have worsened water scarcity, increasing disease vulnerability during dry seasons.
• Production Losses and Quality Decline – In 2023, Himachal’s apple output fell to 4.84 LMT, nearly 28% lower than 2022, following devastating floods. 
  • Although production recovered to 6.87 LMT in 2025, excessive rainfall and disasters caused quality deterioration, with nearly 1 LMT rejected for poor size and quality.
• Infrastructure and Transport Bottlenecks – Logistical disruptions have compounded farmers’ problems. 
  • The prolonged closure of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) due to landslides last year stranded hundreds of trucks during peak harvest, delaying market access and causing losses.

Farmers’ Demands for Protection

• Given these cumulative pressures, farmers’ groups have demanded 100% import duty on foreign apples, a July–November import ban, special category protection, and higher subsidies. 
• They argue that unlike countries such as New Zealand, where apple farming is heavily subsidised and insured, Indian growers receive limited direct support.
• Farmer leaders stress that instead of increasing exposure to foreign competition, the government should focus on targeted support, productivity enhancement, and resilience-building for domestic apple growers.

Source: IE