The Indian pomegranate season has been going pretty well so far. Although the sizes are relatively small compared to other origins, demand is growing. One Indian trader expects to export about 20 per cent more volume compared to last season, despite there being low volumes available during the early season.
“The pomegranate season is going on quite well, as expected. During the early season there will be lower volumes available, thanks to a slower start. However the pace of shipments has been increasing recently,” Amit Kalya, owner of Indian exporting company Kalya Exports says. “We cultivate the ‘Bhagwa’ variety of pomegranates and expect a 20 percent increase in terms of volume that is being exported, compared to last season.”
This year, Kalya exports wants to have more focus on exporting fresh pomegranates, rather than using everything for arils or juices: “Our aim is to decrease the amount of pomegranates used for anything other than fresh export to 40 percent. We mainly ship our pomegranates to traditional markets, like the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia and Europe, specifically the United Kingdom. However we’d like to enter some of the more non-traditional markets in South Asian countries. The pomegranate does need more promotion and global awareness in order to increase the fruits popularity in newer markets like North America, Australia and Japan.” Kalya explains.
According to Kalya, the Indian pomegranates has its advantages compared to the fruits of the competition. “Indian pomegranate comes in a slightly smaller size than those of the other sourcing markets, but it does have thicker arils with soft seed. A mix of the sweet and sour taste of glossy red color arils differentiates itself from the pomegranates of the competition. Also, its thick skin extends the shelf life, which will help exporters to ship to destinations that require a long transit time.”
The entire world is trying to save the planet by removing as much plastic from packaging as possible. Kalya Exports is no exception in this trend. “Our pomegranates are packed in corrugated carton boxes with a plastic tray or paper cutting inside. The use of plastic is already significantly less compared to the packing of other fruits. Still, we are trying to decrease the use of plastic every year to support our initiative of a sustainable environment.” Kalya states.
In one week time, the exhibition Asia Fruit Logistica will kick off. Kalya Exports will attend, although that decision wasn’t taken lightly. “We’ve decided to continue exhibiting during Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong this year, despite the news of the tense situation. The protests mostly take place during weekends and the trade fair is going to take place during weekdays. Also as per the notice published on Hong Kong Airport Authority, they’ve been granted an interim injunction order that provides us some assurance and relief against any bad experience in Hong Kong.”
