US trade deal will ruin J&K’s fruit industry: CM Omar Abdullah

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.

He also highlighted the importance of events like the Kisan Mela, now in its 11th year, in disseminating knowledge and innovation among farmers. “In the next few days, hundreds of thousands of people will come to benefit from this festival. This is what we want,” he said.

On Bangladesh

When asked about the political situation in Bangladesh, Abdullah advocated for stability in neighbouring countries. “The more stable the neighbouring country is, the better for us. No one wants fights in the neighbouring country, whether it is Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, or any other country. We want democracy to remain there, democracy should flourish, and the country should remain stable,” he said.

“The people of Bangladesh have chosen their own government. We hope that after the government is formed, the relations between our two countries will improve,” he added.