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Apple growers take to streets against spiraling input costs in Himachal
Fruit growers in the hill state, who are reeling from a three-month long dry spell, arid weather conditions, unprecedented hike in cost of packaging material and spiraling input costs, staged simultaneous demonstrations at Theog and Rohru in Shimla district
In poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, where the BJP-led state government has set its sights on Mission Repeat, disgruntled apple growers took to the streets on Monday over the government’s “callous approach” to their long-pending demands.
Fruit growers in the hill state, who are reeling from a three-month long dry spell, arid weather conditions, unprecedented hike in cost of packaging material and spiraling input costs, staged simultaneous demonstrations at Theog and Rohru in Shimla district under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Manch, an apolitical farmers’ association.
The farmers body, a coalition of 14 fruit and vegetable growers unions, has threatened to intensify their stir, if their demands are not met.
“Arid climatic conditions have also adversely impacted the size of the fruits apart from lowering the quality. Many middle belts and high-altitude apple-growing regions were pounded by hails resulting in crop loss,” protesters said.
18% GST on packaging pinching growers’ pockets
With the government levying 18% Goods and Services Tax on corrugated cartons and trays used for packaging apples, apple growers are paying up to ₹20 per tray and ₹200 per bundle. Orchardists are also feeling the pinch of the rising prices of insecticides and fungicides. “The input cost for agriculture and horticulture has increased manifold. There has been a 70-100% increase in the price of insecticides and fungicides alone,” said MLA Rakesh Singha.
The MLA, while addressing the protesters, said, “The open market system is only benefiting big corporations, while the farmers are suffering. Farmers are still getting the same price for fruit as they received two decades ago. The Modi government has almost ended subsidy on products required for agriculture and horticulture, while other countries like the United States of America are increasing grants to make agriculture profitable.”
“The cost of transporting 20 to 25kg boxes of cartons, pulverising, grading, packing, and freighting them to mandis comes to ₹300- ₹400. Last year, during the apple season, the price of diesel was ₹90. This year, the price of diesel has increased to ₹83, but the government has not announced any relief,” he said.
Singha also flayed government undertakings of collecting money from fruit growers. “The Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) is robbing apple growers by putting up barriers in Shimla, Kinnaur and Shoghi,” he said.
Brace for a prolonged fight: Sanjay Chauhan to farmers
In Rohru, co-convener of the Samyukt Kisan Manch, Sanjay Chauhan asked farmers to brace for a prolonged fight for their rights, and lambasted the government for not fulfilling growers’ long pending demands.
Progressive Grower Association president Lokinder Singh Bisht accused the Modi government of making tall pre-poll promises, but leaving farmers to suffer afterwards.
Incidentally, Theogh and Kotkhai were also the epicentre of the violent protests in apple growing areas of Shimla, Kullu, and Mandi over low support prices in 1990. Apple, which contributes 13.5 %to the hill state’s Gross Domestic Product , is grown in almost five districts of the state, including Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Kinnaur, and Sirmaur and also in a few pockets of Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba. Himachal boasts of a ₹6, 000 crore apple economy, which sustains 1.75 lakh families.
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