A collaboration between Indian and New Zealand researchers and apple growers is being developed, with industry representatives from both countries expecting benefits.
Steve Ainsworth, divisional manager for bilateral relations and trade at the Ministry for Primary Industries, said that in September, New Zealand High Commissioner Patrick Rata and a delegation from the New Zealand apple sector met with Sukhvinder Singh, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, to discuss apple industry cooperation.
"Details including the type of collaboration and how it could work in practice are currently being discussed with India's state and federal governments, and we expect there to be significant benefits for both countries," Ainsworth said.
Karen Morrish, chief executive of NZ Apples and Pears, said New Zealand growers see potential to support India's transition from traditional low-density orchards to high-density, technology-enabled systems. She noted that New Zealand growers have undergone this transformation over the past two decades.
According to Morrish, there is also an opportunity to introduce new apple and pear varieties and rootstocks in India, supported by New Zealand's breeding and commercialisation companies Prevar and VentureFruit.
"New Zealand is a small but innovative apple producer, while India is a global powerhouse. The two countries complement each other, with New Zealand supplying low volumes of apples during India's off-season, supplementing rather than competing with India's impressive local production. Collaboration between the two nations began in the 1990s. Recently, New Zealand consultants and scientists have partnered with Indian universities, extension specialists, and researchers to improve yields and returns for Indian growers," Morrish said.
Source: FarmersWeekly
