*Stresses on preventing corporatization of apple industry
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 21: The two-day National coordination committee meeting of Apple Farmers Federation of India (AFFI) successfully concluded at Chawalgam, Kulgam today.
The meeting was presided over by Rakesh Singha, National co-coordinator and former MLA from Himachal Pradesh. Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, National coordinator placed the Report. Members from Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand attended the meeting.
The Report adopted in the meeting demanded immediate as well as policy solutions to prevent corporatization of apple industry and protect apple farmers by reducing cost of production and ensure remunerative price.
Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami while addressing the public meeting accused the J&K Administration for not preventing spurious pesticides and fertilizers and allowing huge profiteering by hiking the price of such inputs. He also flayed the Union Government for giving Controlled Atmosphere Stores (CAS) on rent to corporate companies and demanded to provide storage facility at subsidized rate directly to farmers.
Rakesh Singha accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi for signing agreement with US President Biden to reduce the import duty from 70% to 50% thus facilitating import of apple. He said Modi Government has been pauperizing the farmers by increasing cost of production and denying remunerative procurement price and facilitating corporatization of apple industry. He demanded a price policy to ensure 50% of the retail price as the procurement price for farmers.
P Krishnaprasad, AIKS finance secretary and former MLA from Kerala appealed apple farmers to build vibrant farmers federation in all villages since farmers can fight and win their rights if they are united based on their burning issues.
Zahor Ahmad Rather, president of J&K Apple Farmers Federation demanded full cover insurance in the Public Sector for apple farmers. He also demanded to quarantine the hybrid plants to prevent diseases in the domestic plantation.
The meeting decided to submit memorandum to the Prime Minister and Union Minister of Agriculture through Members of Parliament and to the respective Chief Ministers and to the Lieutenant Governor of J&K to resolve the immediate and policy demands of apple farmers.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
