The Maharashtra State Grape Growers Association is to import 16 South African table grape varieties deemed easier to grow and more suitable for exporting than those currently in production, the Times of India has reported.
The red, white and black varieties have a higher tolerance of disease and will subsequently require less pesticide use, the newspaper reported. They will also mature more quickly and therefore be less affected by India’s monsoonal weather patterns.
The growers’ association has applied to the country’s patent department to have grapes listed under the Patent Act, as currently there is no law governing the intellectual property rights of grape varieties in India. According to the Times of India, grapes will be included in the act by March of next year.
