“While our (Himachal Pradesh) cost of production is approximately Rs 40 per kg and we sell our best apple in the running market anywhere approximately between Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg,’’ he said. Chauhan further said that 1.10 metric tons of apples were imported from Turkey in 2022, and then it went up to 1.29 metric tons in 2023, but in 2024, the imports from Turkey fell to 1.11 lakh metric tons.”While 79,000 metric tons of apples were imported from Iran in 2022 and 1.16 lakh MT in 2023, the imports fell to 1.07 lakh MT in 2024,” he said, quoting data from DGCIS.Meanwhile, a delegation of the Himalayan Apple Growers Society met Union Commerce and Industries Minister, Piyush Goyal. Citing losses to the apple farmers of the state due to cheap and subsidised imports, the delegation sought an immediate ban on the import of apples from Turkey. A member of the delegation, Chetan Singh Bragta, who is also a BJP leader, said that demanding a ban on the import of apples from Turkey is not just a trade decision but a matter of national pride and protection of apple growers, sending a strong message to countries supporting terrorism.The hoteliers of Manali have demanded the removal of Turkish firm Yüksel Proje from the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh railway survey, citing national security concerns and ecological threats to the fragile mountain region.Talking to the media, Ved Ram Thakur, Chief Adviser to the Hotel Association of Manali, said that the public anger was growing against Turkey, and thus, the involvement of the Turkish company with several village panchayats also voiced opposition to the ongoing survey. On the other hand, Lovely Professional University (LPU) a private university near Jalandhar in Punjab, has terminated all its Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with institutions in Türkiye and Azerbaijan. The university has formally ended six academic collaborations, citing recent geopolitical developments that it considers to be against India’s national interest. The development follows similar decisions taken by other prominent Indian universities. Earlier this week, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) suspended its MoU with Inonu University, citing national security considerations.
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