Bilateral Trade Deals Loom Over Himachal's Apple Industry

In the backdrop of proposed bilateral trade agreements with the United States, Congress MLA and spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Rathore has raised alarms over their potential impact on Himachal Pradesh's apple industry. Rathore described the disparities between Indian and American apple growers, with large-scale U.S. orchards benefiting from government subsidies, as 'structural inequality.'

During a Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly session, Rathore introduced a resolution advocating for a comprehensive policy to safeguard local apple farmers. Highlighting concerns over reduced import duties in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the U.S., EU, and New Zealand, he warned of detrimental effects on over 1.5 lakh apple-growing families.

Rathore emphasized that any reduction in import duties could make local markets vulnerable to subsidized imports, affecting farmers' incomes and straining cold storage and procurement systems. He called for modernizing local orchards, ensuring competitive financial support, and enhancing enforcement against market distortions before entering trade deals.