IG International, one of India’s leading fresh fruit importers, has entered into a joint venture with Engin Tarim, the largest private apple grower in Europe and leading exporter of the fruit to India, to cultivate five of the best varieties of apples in the country.

This joint venture, IG-EnginTarim, will become one of the main planters of apple varieties in India, a statement from both the firms said. 

The partnership hopes to nurture and cultivate 50,000 tonnes of the five varieties over the next three years. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be the home for the production of these apples. This is because these locations will provide a suitable climate for cultivating the superior varieties.

Engin Tarim has established itself as a leader in the apple business in Europe. The Turkish apple producer’s objective is to be environmental-friendly, technologically capable, and at the same time, modern. 

It has a capacity to produce 55,000 tonnes of top-grade apples and a depot that can stock 17,800 tonnes coupled with novel protective cultivation methods. This has earned the Turkish firm a Global GAP and Good Agriculture Certification.

IG International has been in the fruits business for over 50 years and imports best-of-breed fruits from 22 different countries.

New abode

Tarun Arora, Director–Single family office of IG International, said: “This partnership will bring scalable production, expertise, network, and quality assurance to all our customers. The IG-EngimTarim will be the new abode for the juiciest and top-notch apples in India.” 

Seyda Ertug, Chairman of Engin Tarim, said: “We believe that this new partnership will bring a fresh breath to the global fruit and vegetable industry and, hopefully, serve as an inspiration to many others. We are just getting started and have a lot to do.”