Indian exporters are hoping to boost their credibility in the UK with a new variety of grape.

According to KS Money, chairman of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) the soft skinned long seedless Sonaka variety will make a popular addition to India's grape offerings.

Money and his associates were promoting the grapes at IFE05 this week.

He said: "Thomson Seedless grapes are already well accepted but we have another variety which is equally good and consumers will like it so we thought of testing it here to get market acceptability."

Also on show were mangoes, and pomegranates which will be APEDA's focus following the success of Indian grapes, Money added.

With less than one per cent of India's total produce being exported to the UK, Indian exporters recognise a huge potential to increase their share of the market.

Sunil Borade, export advisor to the Maharastra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) agreed.

He said: We have ample produce. We can get 50,000 hectares of Alphonso mangoes in one crop. In years to come we will have surplus production so we need to find a market and we are looking at Europe."

Borade said the Maharastra region's shiny, smooth-skinned pomegrantes had been very well-received and MSMAB would be looking at the possibility of marketing India's rather pungent onions in the future.

Money said APEDA has had great success in helping India's many small producers reach the necessary specifications for European markets. And he was hoping IFE would provide an ideal forum to alert importers to the improved links in India's supply chain.

But he believes marketing the particular appeal of Indian fruit still needs more attention to attract British consumers.

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