Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 19 (ANI): At a book release event in Chennai, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Member of Parliament (MP), Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, mentioned that people should be united to be uplifted, regardless of any different opinion
“New problems are created, but on caste and religion, all are getting united, and it’s Dravidam. We should take this to the next generation and teach them. We should have an understanding of Dravidism first. We should know who should be taken care of and uplifted, regardless of any different opinion,” said DMK MP Karunanidhi.
Earlier, on June 30, Kanimozhi highlighted the problems faced by mango farmers in the country, especially in Tamil Nadu. She underlined the decrease in demand for mango produce by the beverage manufacturing companies to cut down GST charges.
This comes after a letter, addressed to the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Chirag Paswan, which explained that the mango farmers have been facing consistent losses over the past few years owing to a significant reduction in the quantity of mango pulp used by beverage manufacturers.
According to the data shared in the letter, the use of mango pulp content has dropped to 11% in 2024 compared to 20% in the year 2022. This drastic decline is largely attributed to the current GST structure.
Under the existing tax regime, fruit juices containing more than 10% real fruit content attract a 28% GST, equivalent to the rate imposed on carbonated drinks. Whereas, beverages with less than 10% fruit content fall under an 18% GST slab or even lower, depending on the product’s classification. To avoid paying higher tax, manufacturers have opted to reduce the quantity of mango pulp in their drinks.
Kanimozhi also pointed out that the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2016 mandate a minimum of 10% fruit content to label a product as ‘Fruit Juice’. However, beverage companies have begun to get around these standards by labelling their products as ‘Fruit-Based Beverages’ or ‘Fruit Drink’. These categories are governed by more lenient regulations, which require only 5-10% fruit pulp, depending on the fruit type. This shift in labelling and manufacturing has significantly impacted mango farmers, who are now facing lower demand for their produce. (ANI)
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