Moldovan apples debut on the Indian market

Moldovan apples have officially made their debut on the Indian market, marking a significant milestone for the fruit industry in the Republic of Moldova. The first commercial delivery happened on March 19, 2025, following extensive efforts to open the market and collaboration between authorities and the Moldova Fruct Association.

Ms. Ana Taban, Ambassador of Moldova to India, highlighted that the approval of Moldovan apples for the Indian market is a significant achievement and a testament to the strong bilateral ties between Moldova and India: "This is an important step for our agricultural sector and trade. We deeply appreciate the support and cooperation of the Indian authorities in making this possible. I look forward to seeing Moldovan apples enjoyed by Indian consumers."

"Until recently, it seemed impossible to get our apples so far, but here we have the first producer and the first commercial batch of apples ready for the road. It was certainly not easy, but we succeeded together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Moldovan Embassy in India, the National Food Safety Agency, the Moldova Fruct Association, and our producers – they all contributed to this success. India is a new market, but a huge opportunity for the horticultural sector. The more export destinations we have, the less vulnerable we are to crises. New markets mean new customers, new contracts, and, implicitly, higher incomes for producers," said Vasile Șarban, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry.

According to Iurie Fală, executive director of the Moldova Fruct Association, the Indian market, with over one billion consumers, offers a significant opportunity for Moldovan apple producers, due to the high demand for quality fruits: "The expansion of exports to India diversifies the target markets and contributes to the stability of the horticultural sector. An important advantage for Moldovan apple producers is the possibility to deliver them immediately after harvest. In the long term, maintaining a constant level of quality and increasing exported volumes will be essential for strengthening Moldova's position on the Indian market."

Between 2023 and 2024, Fruct Grup SRL delivered about 260 tons of apples in the trial batch on the Indian market. Iurie Dogotari, director of Fruct Grup SRL, describes the process of exporting their apples to India: "Before taking the road to India, the Moldovan apples of the Red Chief variety, caliber 65+, are washed and stored in 13-14 kg boxes. The boxes are labeled according to the requirements of the country of import with the reference data of the product palletized, and then loaded into the truck. The truck from Bilicenii Vechi in 3-4 days will arrive in Istanbul, Turkey, from where the apples will be loaded onto the ship bound for the port of Mumbai, India. The route will be covered in 30 maximum of 60 days, during which the apples will be kept at a temperature of 1 degree Celsius."

India is a promising market for both the present and the future. Although it is one of the world's largest producing countries, Nicola Zanotelli, an expert on imports into India emphasizes it is also one of the world's largest consumers. "One of Moldova's strengths, compared to other European countries, is the advanced quality of its apples, which favors its success in the Indian market. My advice to Moldovan producers is not to compromise on quality. You can always talk about price, volumes, or varieties, but quality remains indisputable. The Indian market is looking for continuous, stable, and high-quality deliveries over the long term and the basic requirements are high firmness and correct harvesting to ensure the perfect combination of firmness and brix."

"In the 2023-2024 season, India imported more than 460 thousand tons of apples from Turkey, Iran, Poland, Italy, Afghanistan, South Africa and other countries of the world. We are happy that following the joint efforts of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Moldova in India, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the National Food Safety Agency, and the Moldova Fruct Association, the Republic of Moldova was officially approved for the export of apples to India on February 21, 2025," Fală explains. "The decision was preceded by trial deliveries, carried out under the supervision of National Food Safety Agency, during which 340 tons of apples have been exported since 2023, demonstrating the compliance of Moldovan products with Indian phytosanitary regulations."

For more information:
Iurie Fala (CEO)
Moldova Fruct
Tel: +373 222 23 005
Mob: +373 693 66 424
ifala@moldovafruct.md
www.moldovafruct.md