Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has written to the Central Government seeking urgent intervention to stop the illegal import of substandard raisins from China.
These imports, which are allegedly bypassing customs duties and taxes, are causing severe financial losses to both grape farmers and the national exchequer, he said.
In his letters addressed to Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Pawar, who is also Maharashtra’s Finance and Planning Minister, highlighted the adverse impact of these imports on raisin prices in India, especially during the peak marketing season.
According to the representation submitted by the Maharashtra State Grape Growers Association, Pune, there has been a significant influx of substandard Chinese raisins into the Indian market.
These are reportedly being imported illegally, without proper duty payments. As a result, the prices of domestically produced raisins have plummeted by Rs 100 to Rs 125 per kilogram, directly affecting the income of grape farmers.
Pawar pointed out that this situation not only disrupts fair market conditions but also leads to substantial loss of revenue to the central government due to tax evasion.
To address this, the Deputy Chief Minister has urged the Union Ministers to implement immediate and stringent action to curb illegal imports of raisins; strengthen quality inspection mechanisms at ports, airports, and markets; ensure proper enforcement of import tax collection; take urgent steps to stabilize raisin prices during the season, thereby safeguarding farmer interests.
These concerns were brought to the attention of the Deputy Chief Minister by the Maharashtra State Grape Growers Association, prompting this official communication to the Centre.