On Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir Apple Farmers Federation staged protests across the Union Territory, demanding a 100 per cent duty on apples imported from the United States.
"We appeal to Prime Minister Modi not to give in to American pressure and to impose a 100 per cent duty on Washington apples and other imports to safeguard the interests of domestic apple farmers," Federation president Zahoor Ahmad Rather said during a protest rally in Kulgam district.
Farmers from across the district joined the demonstration, also calling for a comprehensive insurance scheme to protect small-scale producers from losses due to natural calamities, pests, and other risks. Rather said growers were facing heavy debts caused by repeated crop losses and "anti-farmer" policies of the Central government. "It has been our long-standing demand to grant a waiver on loans taken under the Kisan Credit Card scheme," he added.
The Federation also urged the government to revive the Market Intervention Scheme to stabilise prices. Criticising the recent rise in power tariffs, Rather said poor consumers were unable to pay electricity bills. "The government has raised tariffs instead of providing free electricity as it had promised," he stated.
Similar protests took place in Shopian and parts of Jammu in support of the Federation's demands. A memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner in Kulgam called for incentives for high-density apple cultivation, increased budgetary support for horticulture schemes, universal crop insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, revival of the Market Intervention Scheme, higher import duties on foreign apples, and a rollback of the recent electricity tariff hike.
Source: Greater Kashmir