The district collector of Sangli, Ashok Kakade, has initiated a serious investigation following alarming allegations about the import and repackaging of substandard Chinese raisins into the local market. This action came after the Sangli-Tasgaon Raisin Merchants' Association submitted a formal complaint on Monday, highlighting a practice causing significant financial damage to local farmers and traders.
Core Allegations and Immediate Official Response
The association's complaint centers on a major loophole in import regulations. It alleges that certain cold storage owners in Sangli district exploited an import tax concession by bringing in around 2,000 tonnes of low-quality raisins from China via Afghanistan. Collector Ashok Kakade responded swiftly, directing the taluka agriculture officer and the assistant commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct thorough inspections of all district cold storages and submit a detailed report. "Strict action will be taken against the guilty traders after the investigation," Kakade asserted.
Maruti Chavan, vice-president of the Grape Farmers' Association, provided disturbing details. He claimed that the imported raisins were washed, dried, and then packed into 15kg boxes labeled as Indian produce. "Low-quality raisins are processed and then sold as Indian raisins at a higher price. Why are Indian raisins being defamed in the name of some inferior-quality raisin imported from China via Afghanistan?" Chavan questioned.
Economic Impact and the Duty Evasion Mechanism
Prashant Patil, Director of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Sangli, explained the severe economic implications. While high-quality Indian raisins are currently fetching between Rs 350 to Rs 400 per kilogram, providing good returns to farmers, the imported Chinese variety is available for just Rs 150 to Rs 200 per kg. The crux of the issue lies in the duty structure: a 100% import duty is levied on Chinese raisins imported directly into India, but no duty is charged if they are routed through Afghanistan.
"These imported raisins are being packed in Indian boxes and sold as Indian raisins. This is very serious," Patil emphasized. He confirmed that traders in Tasgaon and Sangli had imported approximately 100 containers (about 2,000 tonnes) using this route. He also called for an investigation into the legality of repackaging the imports as domestic produce, even if the initial import was technically legal.
Broader Crisis for Sangli's Grape Farmers
This scandal compounds an already difficult season for the region's agricultural community. Sangli district, a major grape hub with about 1.5 lakh acres under grape cultivation, has faced multiple challenges this year. Unseasonal rainfall, price volatility, rising costs of pesticides, labour, fertilizers, and electricity have collectively affected nearly 50% of the grape cultivation. Major raisin-producing areas like Miraj, Kavathemahankal, Jat, and parts of Solapur and Bijapur are now facing extreme losses due to this market manipulation with imported raisins.
In response to the growing anger, Mahesh Kharade, the Sangli district president of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, has announced a protest march on January 5. The march will target the cold storages allegedly involved in importing and repackaging the foreign raisins, signaling rising unrest among the farming community.
