The Union Budget has reportedly left a bitter taste in the mouth of apple growers in Himachal Pradesh. With their profits sliding year after year due to a volatile market, sharp rise in input costs, and heavy import of apple from other countries, the growers feel the Budget has failed to address any of their concerns.

The 18-28% GST on packaging materials, agricultural tools, pesticides, fungicides, drip irrigation, and poly buildings has not been cut, which has angered apple growers. Also, there is no discussion of raising the import duty on apples. Harish Chauhan, president of the Fruit Vegetable Flower Growers Association said.

According to apple growers organisations, the apple industry in Himachal generates 5000 crores of rupees in revenue and directly supports 2.5 lakh families. The increase in funding for the horticultural mission from Rs 1,900 crore in the previous budget to Rs 2,200 crore in the current budget is minimal and could have been increased to at least Rs 4,000–5000 crores.

"We had high hopes for the budget and had informed the Union Finance Minister about our demands during the pre-budget discussions, but nothing concrete has emerged," he said, adding that even the Kisan Samman Nidhi (Rs 6,000 per year) had not been increased and that, instead, the agri sector had been taxed to counteract the advantages of Samman Nidhi.

We do not require loans and demand waiving debts/interest in a one-time settlement to release the farmers from the financial burden, he said, despite the fact that the budget has made loans worth Rs 20 lakh crores available to farmers He said.

However, he appreciated the digital crop planning programme and the Shree Anna Yojna, a global hub for millets.

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