Himachal Pradesh apple farmers call for immediate action to raise Minimum Import Price (MIP) amid crisis

Indian apple farmers are calling on Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan to raise the Minimum Import Price (MIP) for apples to Rs 90 per kilogram. They argue the current MIP of Rs 50 is too low and has led to a surge in the import of inexpensive apples from countries like Iran and Turkey. Additionally, apples from China are illegally entering the Indian market through the United Arab Emirates (UAE), even though apples are not grown in the UAE. India had officially banned the import of Chinese apples in 2017 but they can be seen getting sold in every city. Similarly, a substantial quantity of Iranian apples is entering India via Afghanistan under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), where import duties are not applicable.