Import-export company Scion Agricos says it has taken this season’s first shipments to India, two weeks earlier than previous years
Scion Agricos says it has become the first company to bring premium Polish Royal Gala apples into India this season.
The import-export company received its first containers on 26 October, two weeks earlier than previous years, according to Chiranjeevi Allalasandra (A) Rajanna, founder and MD of Scion Agricos.
“We are thrilled to be the first to introduce Poland’s finest Royal Gala apples to Indian consumers this season,” A Rajanna told Fruitnet. “This early arrival reflects Scion Agricos’ dedication to offering Indian consumers high-quality, internationally sourced produce and diversifying the options available in the market.”
Scion Agricos says it focuses on sourcing a specific type of Royal Gala – the Brookfield Shinga strain – exclusively for the Indian market. It partners with Poland’s top-tier apple suppliers and utilises one packhouse which packs solely for Scion Agricos to maintain quality standards and provide an end-to-end control system.
Polish apples are known for their vibrant red colour and crisp, sweet flavour, the company said, noting that their early arrival is expected to make a strong impact in India’s competitive apple market.
Scion Agricos expects to receive another four containers from Poland this week and a further 15 containers by the end of the year.
A Rajanna said that while overall movement of apples is not particularly strong at present in India, the market is responding well and is “profitable for importers”.
He said the outlook for apple import arrivals was uncertain right now, especially around imports from Iran, which is India’s largest supplier of imported apples. Ongoing international conflicts, and recent tensions between India and Iran, could impact trade.
“It’s hard to predict but even with regular volumes [from Iran], last year was one of the good years for imports of apples and we believe it would be the same this year too,” A Rajanna told Fruitnet.
“The most important thing to note for apple exporting countries and regions is that India is not a market for second- or third-grade quality. If the quality remains good, the market will be able to consume it at reasonable levels.”
While Iran caters to the mass market in India and the US, New Zealand and Italy are positioned as premium suppliers, Poland is regarded as a midscale supplier, according to A Rajanna.
Overall availability from Poland is “not high” this year, he noted, largely due to climatic conditions.
“The market in Europe is good for apples too at the moment,” he said. “So we anticipate a good market this season for Polish apples.”
Scion Agricos has been bringing its Polish apples to India via Hamburg, Germany, but it is now shifting the base to Antwerp, Belgium, due to some changes at Hamburg port. This will cut the transit time from 40-45 days to 34-36 days, according to A Rajanna.
Scion Agricos specialises in cross-country trading of products including Indian grapes, coconuts and figs, as well as limes from Brazil and Mexico, ginger from China, and various lines from Africa and regions worldwide.
