Kashmiri Orchardists Request Indian Government to Stop Apple Imports from Iran
Kashmiri orchardists have requested the Indian government to halt apple imports from Iran.
India and Iraq are the largest markets for Iran’s apple exports.
According to the Nicky Asia news agency, the Jammu and Kashmir region is one of the apple production hubs with annual revenue of $1.3 billion, and 3.3 million people earn their livelihood from this sector.
With an annual production of nearly two million tons of apples, this region accounts for 75 percent of the total apple production in India.
However, Kashmiri orchardists say the price of their apples has dropped to half compared to last year, as customers prefer imported apples.
Vijay Talra, Deputy President of the Kashmir Apple Merchants Association, said that Iranian apples are of good quality and color and are offered in the market at low prices, which is detrimental to local orchardists.
Recently, many reports have been published in Iranian media about apple export problems.
Last month, the amount of apple reserves in warehouses and cold storage facilities in West Azerbaijan province, Iran’s apple production hub, was reported to be 700,000 tons, with 1,000 to 1,500 tons exported daily, and a large portion of these products faces the risk of spoilage and destruction.
The report states that Iranian apples illegally enter India under the name of Afghan-produced apples to avoid customs duties, as Afghanistan and India are members of the South Asian Free Trade Area, but Iran is not a member of this group.
Source: Radio Farda
