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Apple import duty may be raised to protect domestic growers

Union agriculture ministry has recommended to the commerce ministry to increase import duty on apple fruit crop to protect the growers' interests.

This has been done on the request of the Himachal Pradesh government, minister of state for horticulture Narinder Bragta said.

''Once the duty is enhanced, it will discourage import of apples under the open general licence list,'' Bragta said and added that the government would try to get the fruit crop deleted from the list.

Taking a dig at the Congress party for raising a ''hue and cry'' on the inclusion of apples in the list and making it an election issue, he said. The crop had in fact been brought under the OGL list during the Congress regime in the state.

UNI

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