After a long period of kiwifruit from Iran being banned in India, it seems new protocols will be put in place. This means Iranian kiwifruit could soon be exported to India once again, which would have an impact on the Italian and Greek export of kiwifruit to this region. Although there has been no official confirmation of the news, several exporters in Iran are stating they’re indeed able to resume exports.
One importer from India stated that after asking around with his Iranian contacts, he’s learned only some companies are allowed and able to export their kiwifruit to India as of now. An exporter from Iran has stated that only some of the cold houses that have been approved before by Indian government can export their kiwifruit to India, not just everyone. On top of that, there are lots of rules and regulations in place for these exports.
The documentation of these protocols is also in FreshPlaza's possession. Part of it can be seen below:
Christina Manossis, of Greek kiwi exporter Zeus confirmed the existence of these protocols. She feels this will result in Greek kiwis being kicked out from the market:
"The decision is already official. Now that the Iranian kiwifruit has received the green light to enter the Indian market, it means that European and more specifically Greek kiwifruit will be kicked out of the market. It is really absurd for Iranian kiwifruit to have the same import rules to India as the European kiwifruit."
"I feel it's really unfair, as European growing rules can't be compared with Iranian growing practices. European growing practices and rules are all about sustainability and low inputs. There is a robust monitoring and pest control procedure, which all state members follow. As a result, Greek kiwifruit will face unfair competition, to which Zeus is not willing to get involved. We believe that Greek kiwifruit has an added value in respect to Iranian kiwifruit," she concludes.