The Indian apple harvest for the 2020/21 (July-June) marketing season is estimated at 2.3 million tonnes. This is 3% below the previous year due to the winter drought in January and February during the flowering period, hail showers during the fruiting period (April and May) and significant fluctuation in temperature. Additionally, outbreaks of fungal diseases (apple scab) have been reported in one growing region, affecting the quality of the apples.
The government of India is investing in initiatives to increase apple yields and rejuvenate orchards in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Most orchards are 30 to 35 years old and mainly contain Red Delicious, Royal Delicious and Rich Red varieties. To stimulate apple cultivation, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has already made 240 hectares of land available in 2020.
Consumption
India is one of the largest apple-growing countries in the world, but the size of its production is insufficient to meet the growing domestic demand, which has increased substantially during the corona pandemic. Apples are the most consumed imported fruit in India, with consistent sales year round. India mainly imports apples from China, Afghanistan and the US.
However, the national lockdown from March to June 2020 has had a negative effect on apple imports due to major disruptions in port handling, logistics and supply chain distribution. Apple consumption will increase by 2% for 2020/21, according to the estimate.
Online wins from store
Major factors driving the demand for apples are India's growing population (including a large population of vegetarians), an increase in disposable income and a growing desire to eat healthier. The corona pandemic resulted in a remarkable shift to e-retail. During the nationwide lockdown, online retailers were able to capitalize on consumer demand as smaller, traditional retailers were unable to purchase products from wholesale markets that traditionally accounted for nearly 80% of apple sales. As a result, traditional retail and market retail accounted for nearly 20% of sales.
In recent years, improved post-harvest infrastructure in the main growth regions has resulted in ample market supply, which was previously exhausted in January / February. However, most Indian apple varieties are of mixed quality, ranging from very good to poor quality. Wealthy consumers are willing to pay more for quality apples, including imported varieties such as Washington Gala and Honeycrisp.
