Ukrainian apple producers may begin regular exports to India following a successful trial shipment, ProAgro Group reports.
According to Serhii Tkachuk, Head of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the test batch of Ukrainian apples confirmed compliance with the requirements of the Indian market, allowing producers to move toward signing commercial contracts.
According to Volodymyr Pechko, head of Ukrsadvinprom, Ukraine has significant potential for supplying apples to India.
“Realistically, we could supply around 500 containers of apples to India per year. This corresponds to a total volume worth about half a billion hryvnias,” Pechko said.
Currently, Ukrainian growers have approximately 1,000 containers of export-oriented apples, but these volumes are distributed among several markets, including Middle Eastern and European countries.
India is one of the largest consumer markets in the world, but also one of the most challenging in terms of logistics. Delivery of apples to India takes around two months, making shipments toward the end of the season more risky.
Nevertheless, access to the Indian market could help Ukrainian fruit growers diversify exports and reduce dependence on traditional markets.
Earlier it was reported that despite wartime risks, the horticulture sector in Ukraine continues to develop. Producers are investing in energy independence and updating orchard varieties, while recent investments by foreign companies confirm international interest in Ukraine’s fruit industry.
Source: Delo.ua
