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| Now, fruit traders seek industry status | | | Early Times Reporter
Srinagar | Oct 17
Demanding an industrial status to valley's Rs 1,800 crore fruit crop trade, the fruit growers of Kashmir have condemned the recent government's decision in which industries have got an extended ten year tax break.
"Our genuine demand of granting an industrial status of fruit trade has received cold response from government. They are refusing our pleas," said President Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, GM Bhat.
The industrial status will give the fruit growers all the facilities enjoyed by any industrial unit, which will include subsidy as well as tax concessions on fertilizers and pesticides. "This will upgrade fruit industry and will help our farmers to prevent market losses. This in-turn would give state a benefit," Bhat said.
The annual fruit produce of world is 6 crore metric tonnes in total. Out of which Valley contributes 13 lakh metric tonnes of fresh fruit and 1.10 lakh of dry fruit.
And to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, valley fruit crops as per data available with horticulture department contributes more than 20 per cent of the GDP; as the annual turnover of fresh fruit in the valley is 1,800 crore and that of dry fruit 300 crore. Besides six lakh families are dependent on the trade.
"These figures corroborate validity of our demand," Bhat said.
He said if the fruit trade here is given industrial status, it will give impetus to the export of the fruit as well. "Once given an industrial status, fruit exports will increase and the crop will turn into a major industry in the valley," he added.
Meanwhile, fruit growers of valley alleged that state government has failed to keep its promises of giving packages and schemes to growers and added that whatever package was announced did not reach them.
"The government packages for the growers could not trickle down to the farmers. The fertilizers and pesticides worth of crores of rupees were embezzled by the officials. Only a little proportion was supplied to farmers on subsidized rates," Bhat said. "This left the fruit trade in ruins," he added.
Minister of State for Horticulture, Aijaz Ahmad Khan said that the case of giving industrial status to farmers has been examined by government and found that growers can not be given certain facilities which are being given to industries.
He added that government has to see both industrial policy and agriculture policy before taking any decision and added that common grower can't get any benefit out of it. "I don't think that there is any benefit to common grower, if industrial status is given to fruit trade," he added. |
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