Ajit Pawar Urges Centre to Curb Illegal Import of Substandard Chinese Raisins, Citing Heavy Losses to Indian Farmers

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and State Finance and Planning Minister Ajit Pawar has written to the Central Government demanding immediate intervention to stop the illegal import of low-quality Chinese raisins, which he claims are severely impacting Indian grape farmers and causing significant revenue loss.
In letters addressed to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Pawar raised concerns over the growing influx of substandard raisins allegedly being smuggled into the country from China. These imports, he said, are evading customs duties and taxes, leading to substantial losses to government coffers.
According to Pawar, the illegal entry of these raisins, particularly during the peak season, has led to a sharp fall in the market price of domestically produced raisins — with rates dropping by ₹100 to ₹125 per kilogram. This has placed thousands of grape farmers under severe financial stress.
Calling the situation alarming, Pawar urged the Centre to take immediate corrective steps, including halting the illegal import and sale of such products. He also recommended stricter quality checks and robust tax collection mechanisms at ports, airports, and key trading hubs to ensure compliance and transparency.
Pawar’s appeal comes in response to a recent meeting with the Maharashtra State Grape Growers’ Association in Pune, which brought the issue to his attention. He has also requested that the Centre implement measures to stabilise raisin prices during the harvest season to safeguard farmers’ livelihoods.