Canada has granted market access for the Indian fresh grapes. This follows the recent Indo-Canadian bilateral discussions held in New Delhi.
However, the Indian exporters will be able to take advantage of this development only from the next season as shipments for 2015 have almost ended.
Canada will open a new market for the Indian exporters, who have been mainly shipping the fresh grapes to European countries.
The Netherlands is the largest buyer of Indian fresh grapes, accounting for more than half of the exports, followed by the United Kingdom and Germany.
Exports down
The Indian fresh grape exports for the recently-ended 2015 season were down by 36 per cent, with multiple spells of hailstorms and unseasonal rains impacting the output in the key growing regions of Maharashtra.
According to GrapeNet, the Indian shipments for the 2015 season were down at 3,288 containers against 5,108 containers in the corresponding previous year. In terms of volumes, the exports this year were estimated at 41,783 tonnes against last year’s 65,611 tonnes.
Trial period
Commenting on the green signal from the North American nation, in an advisory to exporters, Officials at the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority said, “The Canadian side has communicated that India can export fresh grapes subject to a trial period during which the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will inspect up to 100 per cent of the consignments entering Canada to verify compliance.”
Further Canada has imposed conditions that exporters have to register the vineyards and pack houses, and maintain traceability.
“Canada will open up a new opportunity for Indian grapes,” said Vikram Puri, CEO of Mahindra Shubhlabh Services Ltd, the country’s largest exporter. The Canadian grape imports are estimated at 1,70,000 tonnes annually and are mainly sourced from Peru, Chile, South Africa, Egypt and even US.
