Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 7: The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union (KVFG) today flagged the exclusion of several long-pending demands in the Budget 2026-27.
It also pressed for the immediate extension of the Crop Insurance Scheme to cherry, plum, peach, pear and babagosha, which has already been extended to apple.
The union said that the scheme must be broadened to cover other major fruit varieties to provide comprehensive protection against climate-related risks and crop losses.
“The horticulture sector has been facing increasing vulnerability due to erratic weather patterns. Limiting crop insurance only to apple leaves a large section of growers exposed,” the union said, stressing that inclusion of other fruits was critical for safeguarding livelihoods.
The union also expressed concern that several key and long-pending demands of fruit growers remain unaddressed in the Budget.
These include a comprehensive compensation package of Rs 2,000 crore for losses caused by the devastating floods of 2025, reintroduction of the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), establishment of a separate horticulture estate, subsidy on packaging material and classification of tree spray oil as an agricultural product, subsidy on fertilizers and pesticides.
It also flagged lack of action on the establishment of testing laboratories, enhancement of funds for horticulture accessories, waiver of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans for poor growers, exemption of interest on cash credit limits, and adequate funding for the development of fruit mandis across the Valley.
The union said fruit growers have suffered massive losses in recent years due to untimely rains, hailstorms and snowfall, pushing many orchardists into financial distress.
“Losses are estimated at around Rs 2,000 crore, yet no special relief or compensation package has been provided in the Budget,” it said.
It also raised concern over reduced import duty on foreign apples, stating that lower tariffs have led to a surge in imports, depressing local prices and threatening livelihoods in J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The union warned that further tariff cuts, including zero-duty imports from American and European markets, could push the local horticulture sector towards becoming a “sick industry.”
The union demanded the imposition of over 100 per cent import duty on American and European apples and urged the Government to take up the matter with the Prime Minister and the Union Ministry of Agriculture.
Calling for immediate consultations, the union urged the Government to announce a comprehensive relief and support package, including compensation for weather-related crop losses, pesticide subsidies and KCC loan relief, to sustain the horticulture industry.
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