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Deputy CM Ajit Pawar seeks central action against illegal raisin imports from China.
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Calls for price stabilization to protect grape farmers from major financial loss.
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Letters sent to Union Ministers Chouhan and Goyal highlight revenue loss and quality concerns.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 16th July: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar has written to the central government, demanding urgent action to stop the illegal and duty-evading import of low-quality raisins from China. Pawar expressed concern that such imports are severely impacting India’s grape farmers and causing substantial losses to the national exchequer.
In letters addressed to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Pawar highlighted how the influx of substandard Chinese raisins—brought in without paying appropriate customs duties—is undermining the domestic raisin market. “This illegal trade is not only harming grape-growing farmers in Maharashtra and across India but also depleting national revenue,” he wrote.
Due to the glut of low-cost Chinese raisins, domestic prices have reportedly plummeted by ₹100–₹125 per kg, especially during the peak market season, leading to significant financial distress among farmers.
Ajit Pawar called for immediate intervention from the Centre, urging the implementation of strict monitoring and enforcement at ports, airports, and market hubs to curb tax evasion and ensure the quality of imported raisins. He also pressed for measures to stabilize domestic raisin prices during harvest seasons to protect farmers from further losses.
The issue was brought to the Deputy CM’s attention by the Maharashtra State Grape Growers Association during a recent meeting in Pune, prompting his appeal to the central ministries.
