With the picturesque apple orchards of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh under threat, India has banned the import of fruit priced below Rs 50 per kg.

Import remains duty-free if the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) price of the apple is more than Rs 50.

Besides, the minimum import price will not apply for the fruit from Bhutan, the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

The ban is meant to protect growers in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh as their produce is facing stiff competition from Iran and Turkey.

Over the last two years, the price of Iranian apples has hit the levels of the fruit from Kashmir.

The falling prices are reportedly forcing the growers from the two northern states to use their land for non-agriculture activities.

Jammu and Kashmir contribute approximately 70 per cent to domestic apple production, while Himachal’s share is at around 20 per cent, with Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Sikkim making up the rest.

The New Delhi office of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has forecast India’s apple production at 2.35 million tonnes (mt) for 2022-23 (market year from July to June), unchanged from 2021-22.

It said the 2022 monsoon provided sufficient rainfall during the flowering and fruit-setting period, resulting in a favourable harvest.

India’s commerce ministry data showed Turkey and Iran contribute about 50 per cent of the apples imported by the country. The share of US-origin apples has come down to less than 5 per cent from 20 per cent in 2019.

In 2022-23, India imported apples worth $260 million from April to February compared with $385 million in 2021-22.