Why India Imports Apples Despite Record Production, and How to Fix It

A kilo of apples can cost ₹80 in September and ₹220 by January, even in a year when India produces a record crop. Jammu and Kashmir, which grows roughly three-quarters of India’s apples, harvested more than 21 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. Yet India imported close to 5.6 lakh tonnes of apples, equal to a fifth of India’s domestic production, during the same period for an import bill of $418 million.