The Maharashtra government may absorb half the import duty impact levied by Bangladesh on oranges from India, said deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday. The duty hike had drastically brought down the consignment of Nagpur oranges to the eastern neighbour, which is the mainstay export market for growers here.
“A decision on subsidizing 50% of the import duty component borne by farmers will be taken soon,” said Fadnavis while addressing the closing ceremony of Agrovision, a farmers’ expo patronized by Union minister Nitin Gadkari.
Bangladesh began imposing duty on oranges from 2019. Another round of hike this year has taken customs duty to ₹88 a kg for oranges. The hike makes the orange too costly for the Bangladeshi consumers.