In a major boost to the prospects of fruit exports, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which works under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has facilitated the export of the first trial shipment of fresh pomegranate to the United States through air route.
The first export consignment of pomegranate to the US was initiated by APEDA in collaboration with National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of India, the US’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (US-APHIS), Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB), ICAR-National Research Centre on Pomegranate, Solapur (NRC-Solapur) and others.
APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev said that the increase in pomegranate exports to the US would result in higher price realisation and increase in farmers’ income. There has been an encouraging response from the importers of the pomegranate shipment.
The trial shipment of pomegranate was carried out by the APEDA registered ‘INI Farms’, which is amongst the top exporters of fruits and vegetables from India. It has built a value chain of banana and pomegranate by working directly with farmers.
As a part of Agrostar group, complete services from agronomy, agri-inputs and off-take is provided to farmers with the produce exported to over 35 countries across the world. As the long-distance market and high cost was prohibitive in commencing commercial operations, the export of trial shipment of pomegranate would help in building capacities amongst Indian exporters and US importers by ensuring that quality fruits are exported.
Buoyed over the acceptance of Indian mangoes in US markets, exporters are hopeful that pomegranate would also become a successful product in the US. For ensuring traceability in the export value chain of pomegranate, APEDA organises sensitisation programmes on a regular basis in association with state governments to register farms under AnarNet – a system developed by APEDA.