By Gulzar Bhat
Srinagar: On July 16, when Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami addressed the first national conference of the Apple Farmers’ Federation of India (AFFI) organised in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Kisaan Tehreek, a hard rain descended on south Kashmir’s Shopian town, the venue of the conference. However, hundreds of apple farmers sitting under a shaky canopy did not move an inch until the Marxist leader completed his speech.
Tarigami urged the government to halt the import of apples from the US and other countries, as such imports substantially contribute to the decline in prices of domestic produce. Barely two days later, on July 19, reports emerged that the Union government had decided to remove the extra tariff duty on Washington apples. On September 5, the Union finance minister issued an order waiving the 20% additional retaliatory duty levied on premium Washington apples in 2019.
The order came on the close heels of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi. Tarigami issued a statement terming the removal of additional duty as Modi’s G20 gift to the US.
The newly minted AFFI held conferences in both south and central Kashmir to mount pressure on the government. The federation also put forth a charter of demands before the government.
“In September, we met with the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and presented him a memorandum of demands concerning apple farmers,” said Zahoor Ahamd Rather, president of AFFI (J&K). He added that restrictions and 100% import duty on apples imported from the US and other countries could save the apple farmers.
“Such imports are bound to affect the produce from J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand,” said Rather.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here .