On Wednesday , 20 July 2022 , apple orchard growers in upper Shimla towns of Lonu , Rohru , Theog , Rampur , Kotkhai , Narkanda , Nirmand and Kinnaur etc . staged a massive protest against the government . Various growers ’ organisations came under the banner of “ Sayukta Kisan Manch ” to hold demonstrations and seek redressal for their problems . The leaders said that this time more farmers have joined the movement than previously and that the movement has spread to new areas . They made the following demands i ) Withdrawal hike in the GST on cartons from 12 to 18 %. ii ) Subsidize Fertilizers and packing materials . iii ) Introduce Market Intervention Scheme ( MIS ) similar to that in Kashmir . iv ) Clear dues by HPMC and Himfed . v ) Implement APMC Act strictly . vi ) Stop collecting charges at Shoghi barrier . The leaders of Apple Farmers ’ Federation of India ( AFFI ) mainly comprising of growers across three states of J & K , Himachal and Uttarakhand , explained the reasons that led to this movement in a press conference held in Delhi on July 26 , 2022 . The leadership of this federation , which was formed in Srinagar in June , came to Delhi to meet the Union Agriculture Minister to discuss the solution to the problems . They informed that as per last year statistics , out of the marketable produce of 18MT apple valued at Rs . 14000 crore , farmers get only Rs . 4000 crore and the remaining 10,000 crores is stolen by middlemen and big corporate companies . Quality Apples are sold at Rs . 290 per kg to the consumer while the producer is receiving only
26
The Struggles of Himachal Pradesh Apple Orchard Growers
24 rupees per kg , and all this is happening under the eye of government . The prices of fertilizers , pesticides and equipment used for apple orchards have doubled in these two years . A bag of potassium available for 800 rupees has become 1700 rupees . In this situation , the farmers are very worried that the crop yield will fall this season . Hence farmers are agitating for the government to support them . In the press conference , the federation leaders told that they will put forward a charter of demands :
The government should provide affordable prices , waive off loans , announce special financial assistance , restore subsidies , and impose 100 percent excise duty on apples imported from abroad , support the formation of producers cooperatives , provide research results to the growers , provide complete insurance facility and bring apple cultivation under the MGMRGEA scheme .
After meeting the farmers on 28 th July , the Himachal CM has ordered to constitute a committee to look into their grievances and check the ‘ exploitation ’ of horticulturalists by traders , private CA store owners and others at various levels . He also said that 6 % subsidy would be given instead of removing the newly added 6 % GST but only on the purchase of cartons from HPMC . HPMC sells less than one per cent of the total cartons sold in a season . So farmers want this benefit to be extended to all .
Even though they welcomed the decision to constitute the committee they have decided to carry on their planned huge demonstration on 5 th August 2022 in front of the Secretariat in Shimla as the committee has one week time .
Across the country we see farmers up in arms against the vicious corporate and comprador policies of the ruling parties . These policies deprived farmers the support price for their produce discouraging them from doing cultivation . They are lured with subsidies initially to take up horticultural crops as alternative to water intensive food crops , paddy and wheat , but they found themselves ended up producing profits for the corporates . 5 to 10 percent GST is levied on many staple food items including rice and wheat . There is only one reason why taxes are not reduced on petrol and GST is also imposed on rice : to reduce the domestic production of food items and fruits and make us a dependent food importing nation . Governments are hiding the fact that all these policies and measures are the dictates of foreign financial institutions for providing loans . Understanding these facts , farmers , workers and people of different classes whose living standards are degrading day by day while exploitation is increasing , are rising in anger . In the coming days these struggles will intense further and lead to a united formidable force of workers and peasants . �
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Class Struggle