The district of Nashik has initiated its grape export season to Europe with a shipment of over 1,000 tons. The district's Agriculture Department reports that this initial consignment, consisting of approximately 76 containers of grapes, has been dispatched to the Netherlands and Romania.
Kailas Bhosle, vice-president of Maharashtra Rajya Draksha Bagayatdar Sangh (MRDB), anticipates that the export process will accelerate post-January 15. He clarified that the current adverse weather conditions are causing a delay in the grape harvest. However, he expects the harvest and subsequent exports to increase in late January, with February being the peak month for grape exports.
During the previous grape season (2022-23), Nashik exported 127,000 tons of grapes, with a significant portion (92,000 tons) going to European nations. Grape exporters predict an export figure of around 120,000 tons for this year. To export grapes, farmers are required to register their vineyards with the state agriculture department. For the 2023-24 grape season, over 28,000 farmers have registered approximately 18,600 hectares of vineyards in Nashik district for grape export.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com