From Pune to USA: Pomegranate Export Takes Off on Test Run
Pune, 28th July 2023: In a collaborative effort, the Agricultural Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), National Crop Protection Organization (NPPO), Maharashtra State Board of Agricultural Marketing, Pomegranate Research Centre, Solapur, and INI Farms Pvt. Ltd. initiated the export of pomegranates to the United States on a pilot basis.
The inaugural shipment was flagged off by APEDA’s General Manager, Vinita Sudhanshu, at the Irradiation Facility Center in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. This strategic move is aimed at exploring the American market’s potential and creating new opportunities for pomegranate exporters.
Present during the launch were APEDA President Abhishek Dev, Director Tarun Bajaj, Executive Director of Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board Sanjay Kadam, Dr R. A. Marathe from the National Pomegranate Research Center Solapur, APEDA General Manager UK Vats, Plant Protection Advisor J. P. Singh, and Satish Waghmode, Head of Irradiation Facility Center, among other officials and exporters.
The United States imposed a ban on pomegranate imports from India in 2017-18 due to concerns over fruit fly infestation in pomegranate seeds. After extensive discussions between the Indian government, APEDA, and NPPO, in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture, the export ban was finally lifted in 2022, following the fulfillment of quality standards.
As part of the pilot export, 150 boxes (450 kg) of pomegranates were air-shipped to New York, USA, from the facility at Vashi, Navi Mumbai, adhering strictly to the prescribed pomegranate fruit standards set by the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board’s vegetable processing center.
This experimental venture holds promising prospects for Pune’s pomegranate industry as it aims to tap into the vast American market, presenting new avenues for growth and trade opportunities. APEDA and its partners are optimistic about the success of this initial export, which could pave the way for increased pomegranate exports to the USA in the near future.
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