The import from Afghanistan has hit Himachal Pradesh’s stone-fruit market adversely throughout the nation. Growers have incurred big losses, with some even failing to get better their enter prices.

In this backdrop, fruit growers have demanded the fixing of a minimal value for the import of stone fruits like apples and growing a hydro cooling system for his or her storage.

Unfavourable climate situations within the February-March interval had resulted within the crop for nearly all stone fruits within the state to drop to just about half of final yr’s produce. The farmers had been anticipating a very good value on account of low yield, however the duty-free import from international international locations is inflicting them big losses.

After the value drop, middlemen on the New Delhi market suggested native growers to not ship their apricot produce. The merchants have imported apricot in bulk from Afghanistan. The fruit is being dropped at the nation’s markets with out an import obligation beneath the South Asian Free Trade Area.

Himcahal’s apricot is being bought between 60 to 70 for a near-800-gm field on the New Delhi market compared to premium high quality apricot from Afghanistan which is being bought for 200 to 300 per field.

Cherry has additionally witnessed a pointy drop in costs. At the start of the season, Himachal’s cherry was being bought at 1,500 to 2,000 per field. Over the final week, nonetheless, its charges have come right down to 200 to 250 per field, with merchants additionally importing cherries from Iran.

The charges of plums have equally come right down to 60 to 100 per field.

Lamenting the losses, the state’s stone-fruit producers are demanding the Center and the state authorities to repair a minimal value for imports of those fruits.

Flagging the issues, Plum Growers Association president Deepak Singha stated the state’s crop isn’t being bought amid falling charges, including, “The growers are also worried due to the steep fall in the prices of cherry.”

“Central and state governments should fix the minimum import price of stone fruits akin to the way it was done for apples so that growers get a reasonable price for their produce,” he stated.

Singha additionally demanded to arrange a hydro-cooling system for stone fruit on the strains of the cupboard space for apples. “With this, the growers will be able to store their crops in case of a fall in the market price and they will be assured of good prices,” he stated.