India’s IG International has set the ambitious goal of importing 20,000 tonnes of apples over the 2018/19 season.
This import mix will include no fewer than seven varieties from leading US grower-packer-exporter Stemilt Growers.
To mark the start of the Mumbai-headquartered company’s new season apple import campaign, Stemilt Growers’ president West Mathison and export account manager William Young recently travelled to India. Touring IG International’s distribution facilities in Mumbai, Bangalore and Cochin, the visit celebrated a strong and successful partnership forged over the past decade.
“We have been associated with IG International for 10 years now and it gives us immense pleasure to have contributed to their growth journey,” said West Mathison, president of Stemilt Growers.
“The Indian market has always been lucrative to us in terms of business as we only offer superior-quality, fresh and great-tasting fruits which find ready acceptance with discerning Indian consumers. With the start of this new season, we look forward to serving more Indian customers with the choicest and freshest fruit varieties.”
While apples are a big-ticket item in India year-round, IG International director Tarun Arora said consumption peaks over the winter period, hence the need for high-quality imports.
“Over the last few years, India’s consumption of international varieties of apples has risen significantly,” Arora explained. “Especially, in winters, we witness a drastic increase in the demand for apples in the country.
“Considering the nutritional properties it contains, the fruit has always been on the recommendation list of health experts. With this in mind, we decided to import as many as seven varieties of apples from Stemilt Growers to India.”
