India Exports Pomegranates to USA on Pilot Basis Following Lifting of Import Ban
In a landmark development, the Agricultural Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), in collaboration with the National Crop Protection Organization (NPPO), Maharashtra State Board of Agricultural Marketing, Pomegranate Research Centre, Solapur, and INI Farms Pvt., has initiated pomegranate exports to the United States on an experimental basis.
The export venture was inaugurated by Apeda General Manager, Vinita Sudhanshu, at the Irradiation Facility Center in Vashi (Navi Mumbai). Sudhanshu expressed her optimism that this export pilot will open up a significant market in America.
The ban on importing pomegranates from India into the United States was imposed in 2017-18 due to fruit fly infestation in pomegranate seeds. However, after extensive discussions between Apeda, N.P.P.O., and the US Department of Agriculture, the export ban was lifted in 2022 based on agreed-upon standards.
The first consignment of 150 boxes (450 kg) of pomegranates has been air-shipped to New York, USA, from the facility in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, following the prescribed standards for pomegranate fruit, as informed by Deputy General Manager Milind Joshi.
This pilot export project marks a significant step towards reestablishing India’s pomegranate trade with the USA after the prior restrictions. The success of this trial run is anticipated to pave the way for more substantial exports in the future.
