Kashmir Pen News Desk
Srinagar, Feb 14: Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah voiced serious concerns over the India–US trade agreement, saying it offers little benefit to the country at large while inflicting direct losses on Jammu and Kashmir’s farming community.
The Chief Minister said that several items being allowed duty-free under the agreement are core produce of Jammu and Kashmir, including almonds, walnuts, apples, and other fresh and dry fruits. He warned that the pact could undercut local growers who have invested years in improving the quality and competitiveness of their produce.
Terming the arrangement unfair, Omar Abdullah said it sends a wrong message that “better products will come from outside while inferior ones will be sold locally,” calling such a notion an affront to the dignity and hard work of the region’s farmers.
He urged the Union Government to revisit the agreement with a view to protecting domestic horticulture and safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers in Jammu and Kashmir, stressing that trade policies must be farmer-centric and sensitive to regional economic realities | Kashmir Pen
