India’s apple production has been 30 to 40 per cent lower this season. Prashant Gidwani, director at Indian fruit trader Fresh Fruit Alliances Pvt. Ltd., states that the weather has caused most of the issues. “Apple is a climacteric fruit that needs the correct physiological maturity. The abnormal warm winters and impertinent rains have together been a reason affecting the overall production of apples in India. The crop is nearly 30-40% down compared to the normal yield.”
The lower apple production has caused imports to start significantly earlier than normal, Gidwani explains. “The supply gap in the domestic apple market, due to the shortfall, has led to an upsurge in the demand for imported apples in the early months. This year, the imports of apples began much earlier, around October, when it would usually be around January. Most of the demand is being met mainly from Turkey, Poland and Iran. Serbian apples are expanding their trade with India, although they need a couple of years to understand market dynamics and make a place for themselves in the Indian fruit market.”
The current situation means that consumers in India will have to pay more for their apples. Gidwani expects the apple to remain in demand: “Despite the higher cost of apples, they remain a nutritious and healthy food option, with various health benefits that can support overall well-being. Apples still continue to be the most consumed fruit among all the other fruits. The recent floods in Himachal have upturned the supply-demand situation. Usually, the domestic apples are available until April, but with a short crop this season there is less fruit in the Controlled Atmosphere rooms. It’s expected that the domestic apples will see a shorter season, with high prices. On the other hand, the import of apples shall foresee good volumes with an early and a longer season.”
Gidwani does emphasize that price levels could reach never before seen heights this year. “Prices of apples in India are set to touch a historic high this year, which can be attributed mainly to the shortfall of the domestic apples, due to the floods in northern India earlier this year. This shortage of domestic crop will be covered by apples from other countries which will be available for Indian consumers at slightly higher prices compared to last year.”
There’s currently a bit of a slowdown for the import of apples, as there’s now plenty of arrivals from various origins, Gidwani explains: “Imported apples come with a high-quality standard, that sets them apart from the local supply. Despite the higher price, the demand has remained intact. The current market has seen plenty of apple arrivals from Italy, Poland, Turkey and Iran in addition to the domestic apples, resulting in a temporary slowdown. We recognize the fragility of the market and our cautious approach helps us avoid any rapid escalation that could lead to market instability. Our main focus lies on maintaining a stable supply for our consumers.”
“In spite of this slow market, we at Fresh Fruit Alliances continue to grow our market share and maintain undisrupted imports from across the globe to cater our customer base spread across 500 cities in India,” Gidwani concludes.
For more information:
Prashant Gidwani
Fresh Fruit Alliances Pvt. Ltd.
Email: [email protected]
www.freshfruitalliances.com