​​​​​​​Iranian apples, blow to Kashmir fruit growers

Apple growers of Kashmir are badly hit by the import of apples from Iran, which are cheaper than the locally grown fruit.

According to reports, over three crore boxes of Iranian apples have been imported and stored in warehouses in the country, leading to a crash in prices of Kashmir apples.

The Kashmir apple growers have written to Prime Minister Modi urging him to ban the import of Iranian apples.

The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union has written to Modi, “Several fruit traders have dumped Iranian apples arriving via Afghanistan and Dubai in the country. This situation has put the whole fruit industry in J&K and Himachal Pradesh in a very precarious situation.” According to the fruit growers, prices of Kashmir apples have dropped by 30 to 40 per cent in the last two months, after the entry of Iranian apples in the markets.