Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Mar 30: The Government on Monday said that apple imports from New Zealand under the India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) have a minimal impact on the domestic apple industry, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, where horticulture remains the backbone of the economy.
Replying to a question by MLA Shabir Ahmad Kullay, Agriculture Production Minister Javed Dar as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) informed the House that a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) has been introduced under the agreement, allowing concessional import duty on a limited quantity of apples from New Zealand.
He said that while apples imported into India currently attract a 50 percent customs duty, a reduced duty of 25 percent will apply only within a specified quota—starting at 32,500 metric tonnes (MT) in the first year and gradually increasing to 45,000 MT by the sixth year. Imports beyond this quota will continue to attract the full duty.
The Minister emphasized that the volume of apple imports from New Zealand remains negligible when compared to the production in Jammu and Kashmir as well as at the national level. He said that such imports accounted for just 0.97 percent of J&K’s apple production in 2023-24 and 1.46 percent in 2024-25. Similarly, at the national level, imports constituted only 0.77 percent and 1.17 percent of total production during the same period.
“No specific study has so far been conducted to assess the impact of New Zealand apple imports on local production, prices, sales, or employment in Jammu and Kashmir,” Dar said, adding that the government continues to monitor the situation closely.
The Minister said the apple industry is a major source of income and employment in the Union Territory. Apple production in J&K has shown a steady rise over the past three years, increasing from 20.40 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) in 2022-23 to 21.10 LMT in 2024-25. However, exports have seen a decline from 18.14 LMT to 13.34 LMT during the same period.
To safeguard the interests of local orchardists and boost the sector, the government has rolled out a series of initiatives aimed at improving productivity, strengthening infrastructure, and enhancing market access.
These include the promotion of high-density plantations under various schemes, with 128 hectares covered during 2025-26 so far. The government has also established 67 Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage facilities with a total capacity of 2.92 lakh MT to improve shelf life and reduce distress sales.
In addition, 26 reefer vans have been deployed to strengthen cold chain logistics, while financial assistance has been extended for setting up food processing units, grading, and packaging facilities.
The Minister said that a network of 24 fruit and vegetable mandis has been established across the Union Territory, with 13 more under development. To modernize trading, 17 mandis have been integrated with the e-NAM (National Agricultural Market) platform, enabling electronic trading.
As of February 2026, over 55,000 farmers, traders, and stakeholders have registered on the platform. The cumulative trade volume has reached 29.30 lakh quintals, valued at Rs 1,736.25 crore.
The government is also organizing buyer-seller meets to strengthen market linkages and improve price discovery, while issuing unified licenses to facilitate seamless trading across mandis.
Under various centrally sponsored schemes such as the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), financial assistance and subsidies are being provided for orchard development, irrigation, organic farming, processing, and marketing.
Furthermore, two Agri Business Centres (ABCs), one each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions, are nearing completion and are expected to become operational in the next financial year. These centres aim to enhance branding, improve market access, and promote J&K’s horticultural produce at national and international levels.
The Minister reiterated that decisions regarding import duties fall under the purview of the Government of India, but assured that the UT administration remains committed to protecting the livelihood of orchardists and ensuring the sustainable growth of the horticulture sector.
She explained that these individuals were engaged on a minimum honorarium basis to provide essential technical and support services in hospitals, primarily to address immediate staff shortages and ensure uninterrupted functioning of healthcare institutions. “These engagements were purely temporary in nature and were made to meet urgent functional requirements where regular staff was not readily available. They do not confer any right or claim for regular appointment,” the Minister said.
Refuting concerns about discontinuation, Itoo stated that it is not correct to say that such pre-2015 engagements have been terminated, adversely affecting hospital functioning. “The HDF workers are continuously serving in health institutions across Jammu and Kashmir,” she informed the House.
However, the Minister made it clear that the department currently has no policy to initiate similar engagements going forward. “At present, there is no proposal under consideration to make fresh engagements under the HDF in health institutions,” she said.
Additionally, Itoo said that there is no plan to delegate powers to Medical Superintendents for hiring Junior Resident Doctors or paramedical staff on an ad hoc basis, as is practiced in some other states and Union Territories like Delhi—(KNO)
