New rules allow cold treatment to be carried out during transit
India has streamlined its import regulations for Spanish citrus. Under the new protocol, shipments of oranges will be permitted to undergo cold treatment during transit rather than prior to departure as before.
The decision comes four years after Spain’s Citrus Management Committee (CGC) carried out a pilot shipment of 243 tonnes of Valencia oranges to India under the new protocol. The fruit arrived in good condition and the cold treatment applied during the journey proved to be effective against Mediterranean fruit fly.
CGC president Inmaculada Sanfeliu said the move put India’s protocol in line with that of other major citrus markets such as the US, China, Australia and South Korea.
“Opening third markets outside the EU is a complicated task that requires the special commitment of the government. Now the challenge will be for our citrus to make a place for itself in a destination as promising but as far away and complicated as India, the most populated country,” she said.
India is the world’s third biggest citrus producer, surpassing 16mn tonnes in 2023/24. Almost all its production is sold domestically, with small quantities exported to nearby Asian markets.
While still limited, citrus imports – particularly oranges – are projected to grow thanks to the country’s rapidly expanding middle class. In 2009 the country imported 10,000 tonnes of citrus, while in 2023 this had risen to more than 154,000 tonnes.
Egypt is by far the largest supplier, accounting for around 82 per cent of imports. It is followed by South Africa and Australia. Spain has high hopes for the market, although the 30 per cent import tariff imposed on fresh citrus remains a barrier to growth.
Last week, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen announced during a meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi that Brussels would like to have a free trade agreement in place with India by the end of this year.
