Restrictions for the imports of apples into all Indian ports have been lifted following a notification from India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
India’s main ports: Mumbai (Nhava Sheva), Chennai, Kolkatta, Cochin, and Delhi were already open to apple imports, and access by land was unrestricted. However, the move will now allow new and upcoming ports access to the highly traded fruit.
Tarun Arora, director at IG International, said that the change will not significantly impact import trends, as most volumes are coming through the main ports. He told Asiafruit that it’s a good opportunity for volume to be split regionally and grow tier two and three markets with closer port access.
Apples dominate India’s fresh fruit import trade, making up 88 per cent of supply, and increasing by around 21 per cent each year over the past decade.
Ports in Mumbai and Chennai process almost all of the country’s apple imports, but Arora sees potential for areas like Telangana and Gujarat through the respective ports of Krishnapatnam and Mundra or Hazira.
