US trade deal will ruin IIOJK’s fruit industry: Omar Abdullah
Srinagar: Chief Minister of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah has expressed serious concerns over the proposed trade agreement with the United States, warning that it could spell disaster for the horticulture sector of the territory if left unaddressed.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Omar Abdullah speaking on the sidelines of the Kisan Mela, said the duty-free import of American agricultural products poses a direct threat to local fruit growers, who have invested heavily in improving quality and productivity over the years.
“If we have to compete with countries like the US, and it seems their agricultural produce will start coming here after this trade deal—especially horticulture products like fruits, nuts, walnuts, and almonds—we have to improve our production, productivity, and quality,” he said.
He argued that the arrangement would create an uneven playing field, with better-quality imports dominating the market while local produce gets devalued. “All the bad fruits will be sold to us, and the good fruits will be sold to them. Our growers have invested a lot in improving their products over the past few years. New varieties have emerged, and high quality has been achieved. Through CA stores, we are able to deliver better products to the market at the right time. Now, if you tell us that good things will come from abroad and low-priced things should be sold from here, that is a big joke with our growers,” he added.
