US trade deal challenging gor J&K’s horticulture sector: CM Omar Abdullah

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 14 (STC): 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, said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while commenting on the India-US trade deal.
He expressed serious concerns over the proposed trade agreement with the United States, warning that it could spell disaster for the Union Territory’s horticulture sector if left unaddressed.
“If we have to compete with countries like the US, and it seems their agricultural produce will start coming to our country after this trade deal—especially horticulture products like fruits, nuts, walnuts, and almonds—we have to improve our production, productivity, and quality,” he said.
The Chief Minister, however, doubted whether the agreement would bring any benefit to Jammu and Kashmir. “We don’t know what the benefits will be in the rest of the country, but we are seeing a loss. The items that are allowed to come into the country duty-free are all our products—almonds, walnuts, apples, and all the fresh and dry fruits. These are the products of Jammu and Kashmir,” he pointed out.
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,” CM Omar said.
The Chief Minister said his government was making all-out efforts to strengthen the rural economy of Jammu and Kashmir through technological interventions and organic farming practices.
“We are trying our best to improve the rural economy of J&K. In the last few days, we have made some announcements regarding the budget. You must have seen that a special focus has been placed on the rural economy,” he said.
He identified several sectors for priority attention, including sericulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, floriculture, and dairy development. Abdullah said agricultural universities like SKUAST are playing a crucial role in this transformation by providing technology-driven solutions to farmers.
“Our agricultural universities are trying to provide technology-driven, organic solutions to our farmers. This will definitely improve the rural economy,” he asserted, expressing confidence in the region’s ability to enhance its agricultural productivity.
It’s worth mentioning that the CM was speaking on the sidelines of the Kisan Mela organised by SKUAST here, today.

(Straight Talk Communications)