Apple farmers fill boxes with apples after picking from an orchard in Pulwama district, South Kashmir
| Photo Credit:
IMRAN NISSAR
The decision by traders across the country to boycott imported apples from Türkiye has lifted the spirits of apple cultivators and traders in the Kashmir Valley, who believe the move will help boost prices for local produce.
Türkiye’s military support to Pakistan has sparked growing calls across India to boycott the country and its products.
Several wholesale markets, including Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi, Asia’s largest fruit and vegetable market, have decided to stop trading with Türkiye.
Bashir Ahmad Bashir, president of the Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers and Dealers Union, welcomed the move, saying that if sustained, it would benefit lakhs of apple growers in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have long protested the influx of cheaper imports from countries like Türkiye and Iran,” Bashir said.
“We fully support the boycott. The ban will benefit all apple-producing states of India.”
In 2023–2024, India imported 11.76 lakh tonnes of apples from Türkiye, creating direct competition for domestically grown produce. Growers say Turkish apples, often sold at lower prices, have undercut the market and driven down the value of local harvests.
“The ban on Turkish produce could significantly push up the prices of domestic apples,” said Tariq Ahmad, an apple grower from South Kashmir.
Apple growers in the Valley have repeatedly called for a 100 per cent import duty on apples from countries such as the United States, Iran, Türkiye, and Afghanistan, arguing that cheaper imports severely impact the prices of local produce. Their concerns intensified in 2023 when India removed a 20 per cent retaliatory duty on Washington apples, prompting renewed demands for stronger protective tariffs.
Recent reports that India is considering eliminating import levies on US apples as part of the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs have raised further alarm among growers, who fear being priced out of the domestic market.
Jammu and Kashmir produces over 20 lakh tonnes of apples annually and supports nearly seven lakh families, making it a key player in India’s horticultural economy.
Calls from Himachal
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for curbs on apple imports from Turkey. He said the influx of Turkish apples was harming growers not only in Jammu and Kashmir but also in Himachal Pradesh.
Published on May 19, 2025