Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced he will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the reduction of import duty on New Zealand apples. The recent India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement lowered the duty from 50% to 25%, causing concern among local apple growers who fear competition from cheaper imports. Farmers' groups have called the agreement a "death warrant" and urged the central government to reconsider, citing existing challenges from imports from countries like Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan.