Increase import duty on apple juice concentrate: Himachal

Himachal Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta Saturday met Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma in New Delhi and apprised him of the threats to this sector from Chinese companies, a state government statement said.

"China is supplying apple juice concentrate at much lower rates to Indian markets. To save the domestic apple juice industry, the import duty on Chinese juice concentrate should be increased to 75 percent from 37.5 percent," it added.

The cost of Indian apple juice concentrate is around Rs.75 per kilogram, whereas China is supplying it at about Rs.40 per kg.

Bragta also urged the central government to set up cold chains for storing fruits and establish fruit-based industries in the hill state to promote horticultural activities.

Sharma, who was here last month, said the central government would explore possibilities to set up fruit-based industries like processing units in the state.

Himachal Pradesh is one of India's major apple-producing regions, with more than 200,000 families engaged in the cultivation of the fruit.

The state produced 25.5 million crates of apples in 2007-08 after recording the maximum output of 28.6 million in 2006-07.

Besides apples, other fruits like cherries, pears, peaches, apricots, kiwi, strawberry, olive, almonds and plums are the major commercial crops of the state.

The state's fruit industry is worth about Rs.2,000 crore annually.

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( 252 Words)

2009-07-04-20:07:42 (IANS)

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