Pune Traders Boycott Turkish Dry Fruits and Apples Over Türkiye’s Support for Pakistan
Pune, Maharashtra — In a strong show of protest against Türkiye’s recent support for Pakistan amidst ongoing tensions with India, the Spice and Dry Fruits Association of Pune has declared a complete boycott of Turkish imports, particularly apricots, hazelnuts, and apples. The decision marks a significant economic stance by local traders to prioritize national interest over foreign trade.
Navin Goyal, Committee Member of the Spice and Dry Fruits Association and Director of The Poona Merchants Chambers, confirmed the move. “Under the present circumstances, Turkey has openly supported Pakistan. This is not in the interest of our country. We oppose this,” Goyal said. “We used to import a few dry fruit items from Turkey…We completely boycott it now. We also request the importers not to import any such items. We also urge the consumers not to consume any such items hereon.”
Goyal highlighted the economic scale of Turkish imports, revealing that Pune alone witnessed monthly transactions worth over ₹100–200 crore involving Turkish dry fruits. This figure, he said, rises to ₹1000–2000 crore across Maharashtra, and an estimated ₹10,000–20,000 crore across India. “If all of this is boycotted, Turkey will suffer a major impact and face economic losses because India is a huge consumer market,” he added.
In a parallel move, apple traders in Pune have also decided to stop importing Turkish apples. “This business is worth ₹1200–1500 crore,” one trader stated, calling it a “solid response” to Türkiye’s diplomatic stance.
This is not the first boycott of Turkish products by Pune traders. Fruit Market vendors at Market Yard had earlier imposed a ban on Turkish apples for similar reasons. These actions reflect a growing trend among Indian traders and consumers to reject foreign goods perceived to be aligned against Indian interests.
The traders’ association emphasized that the boycott is intended as a show of solidarity with India’s national position and an encouragement to support local products. “There is a vast amount of its substitutes available in India,” Goyal noted, reinforcing the call to promote Indian-made goods.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: Following Türkiye's support for Pakistan amid recent tensions with India, the Spice and Dry Fruits Association of Pune has decided to boycott imports of apricots and hazelnuts from Türkiye. pic.twitter.com/faqr6OGa4i
— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2025
The decision has found widespread backing on social media, where users are circulating videos and messages championing the “Made in India” movement. Consumers are being urged to choose indigenous products and boycott Turkish goods until the geopolitical situation improves.
Market experts suggest that this unified response could potentially boost demand for Indian dry fruits and apples, thereby strengthening the domestic agricultural and trading ecosystem. While the long-term trade implications remain uncertain, the sentiment across Maharashtra’s trading circles is clear: National interest comes first.
