Ecostani: Indian apple growers brace for impact of trade agreements

IN the number one hebdomad of feb, an malus pumila grower from Himachal Pradesh, Rati pound Chauhan, was trying to sell his produce, kept in cold storage since October 2025, at the fruit wholesale market of Chandigarh. Despite negotiating for four days, he failed to find any buyer willing to offer a reasonable price for his apples.Chauhan, and other growers like him, say the news of impending free trade agreements with New Zealand and the United States has queered the pitch -- buyers were not willing to pay even the price he was getting for his produce in October.“I had no option but to get the product repackaged and transport it to Bihar. I don’t know if I will recover the cost of cold storage, repacking, and transportation now. It is a huge loss,” he said.To be sure, cheaper apples with lower customs duty from New Zealand and the US are yet to reach Indian markets.As per the agreement with New Zealand announced on December 22, 2025, import duty of 25% will be levied on a quota of apples to be imported between April 1 and August 31, as against the prevalent rate of 50%.New Zealand will also provide an “action plan” for apple growers and open the Centre of Excellence for improving plant qualities. The agreement will be implemented after ratification by New Zealand and notification of new customs duties by the Indian government.New Delhi and Washington issued a joint statement on January 7, 2026, on the framework of the new trade deal, which provides for zero tariff on “animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruits, soybean oil, wine and spirits, among other products.”Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India has provided a quota-based import duty of 25% to protect domestic apple growers at a minimum import price of ₹80 per kilogram. The earlier duty was 50% with a minimum import price of ₹50 per kilogram. There is no definite time frame as to when the deal will be implemented.But the initial announcements of the trade deals came at a time when the apple growers from Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand were beginning to sell their stored apple produce. Expectations of imported apples hitting the markets have already begun impacting prices.Farmers claim that the price being offered is 30-40% less than the usual market rate for this time of the year.The apple wholesale market works on several dynamics, such as the crop output in the apple-growing states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand, the demand for produce, and weather conditions during harvest season.According to apple traders, the outlook for the 2026 apple season would depend on the estimated crop, fruit quality, and size, and whether more imported apples reach during the harvest season between August and November.They added that market pricing will also depend on the concession import duty quota provided to America and New Zealand. India imports about six lakh tonnes of apples every year, and the traders say that if the imports increase, it would have a de-railing impact on the prices.