Kinnow growers feel the heat as Bangladesh hikes import duty

In a statement, Sahney said the customs duty rate for kinnow import has been increased from ₹33 to ₹98 per kg in Bangladesh. “This steep rise has posed a severe threat to the livelihoods of kinnow farmers and exporters of Punjab,” he added.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Friday said that the decline in exports from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra due to the steep rise in customs duty in Bangladesh has left the farmers in these states in distress. In a statement, Sahney said the customs duty rate for kinnow import has been increased from ₹33 to ₹98 per kg in Bangladesh. “This steep rise has posed a severe threat to the livelihoods of kinnow farmers and exporters of Punjab,” he added. The Rajya Sabha member further said that he had reached out to Union minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal last month to highlight the adverse impact of the Bangladesh government’s decision on the import of kinnow from India. “The minister has communicated that with discussions ongoing in bilateral meetings and the prospect of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on the horizon, this issue will be expedited,” he said.

Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Friday said that the decline in exports from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra due to the steep rise in customs duty in Bangladesh has left the farmers in these states in distress. (HT File Photo)