Indian table grape exporters are counting the costs of one of their worst seasons on record, according to Kailas Bhosale, chairman of the Maharashtra State Grape Growers Association.
Speaking with the Asian Age, Bhosale said that after a promising start to the season, production issues and the fall of currencies in key markets had decimated sales programmes.
“This was the worst season of my life,” Bhosale explained. “Overall, the grape farmer has been severely affected by nature, politics and economics. Last year we exported about 10,000 shipping containers or 1,92,000 tonnes to European markets. This year, until now, we have exported 35,000 tonnes. We have also had to cope with the fall in the prices of Euro and Rouble. This fall in currency contributed to nearly 30 per cent loss in prices.”
Jagannath Khapare, president of Grape Exporters Association of India, echoed Bhosale claims, saying that there had been no exports sent from the key Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka production regions this season. In January Khapare forecast an export crop of around 2,00,000 tonnes, however, hailstorms across the country had a devastating effect on later season fruit, with plantations on the brink of harvest loosing everything.
