The Apple Farmers' Federation of India (AFFI) organized the first two-day national conference for apple farmers in Shopian district, south Kashmir. Approximately 200 delegates from various apple-rich regions participated in the conference.
Senior CPI (M) leader, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, addressed a news conference during the event. He mentioned that last year, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and Jammu and Kashmir Kissan Tehreek jointly conducted an apple workshop. This workshop brought together experts from top-tier universities and research institutes to discuss the challenges faced by apple farmers across the country.
During the workshop, it was decided to launch an organized movement to protect the interests of apple farmers. Tarigami emphasized the need for unity among the farmers, stating that a united voice is necessary for their demands to be met, just as the recent farmers' movement against the contentious farm laws showed.
Tarigami criticized the government's decision to eliminate extra import duty on Washington apples, stating that it would adversely affect domestic apple growers. He stressed that the formation of AFFI was supported by AIKS to provide farmers with a platform to fight for their genuine demands.
The president of AIKS, Ashok Dhawale, also addressed the conference and highlighted the major challenges faced by farmers: the high input costs that prevent them from selling their produce at profitable prices. He mentioned that Kashmiri apple growers faced more serious problems, citing an incident where the government halted apple-laden trucks along the National Highway, leading to spoilage of the fruit.
Dhawale accused the present dispensation of trying to disrupt the apple farmers' economy by causing problems on the National Highway. He emphasized the issue of farmer suicides due to crushing debts, which affected over one lakh farmers across the country, including those in Kashmir.
Throughout the conference, unity among farmers was emphasized, and a detailed report, including a charter of demands, was presented by senior Kissan leader, Zahoor Ahmad.
