The exports of fresh grapes are off to a good start for the 2013 season on strong demand from traditional markets in the European Union.
Shipments to European Union, so far, have almost doubled to over 3,755 tonnes against corresponding last year’s 1,906 tonnes, according to data from GrapeNet under the Agricultural and Processed Foods Exports Development Authority (Apeda).
GrapeNet is an online pesticide residue traceability software system for monitoring fresh grape exports from the Indian farms to the retail shelves in the EU.
Volumes to sustain
However, the total export volumes so far, are expected to be much higher if the shipments to Bangladesh and Nepal were considered.
Officials at Apeda said the season has started strong and progressing well. “It appears that the last year’s export volumes would be sustained,” they said. Last year India exported 1.085 lakh tonnes of fresh grapes valued at Rs 602.86 crore.
“It has been a good beginning and the export demand is better than last year. Even the export realisations are good this year, up by Rs 15-20 a kg,” said Ashok Gaekwad, President of Maharashtra Grape Growers Association. Last year, the realisations ranged between Rs 40 and Rs 45 a kg.
Normal output
The drought last year in parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka doesn’t seem to have had any impact on exports. Though some areas in Nashik, Solapur and even Sangli faced scanty rains, growers had taken enough care to irrigate the grapevines, Gaekwad said.
The output this year seems normal, despite scanty rains, said a senior scientist at the National Research Centre for Grapes in Pune. However, the drought has increased the cultivation costs as farmers were forced to buy water in tankers to irrigate their vineyards.
Bulk of the shipments, so far, has been to the Netherlands at 1,764 tonnes, the United Kingdom at 1,302 tonnes and Sweden 508 tonnes. The Netherlands is the largest importer of Indian fresh grapes in value terms, while Bangladesh tops the chart in volume terms.
Water scarcity
The harvest of grapes is currently on and will go on till April-May. However, the big worry faced by the growers is the scarcity of water in summer months that would hurt the output next year, Gaekwad said.
Vishwanath.kulkarni@thehindu.co.in