Indian grapes may soon gain access to the New Zealand market as positive discussions between the two countries move forward.
A New Zealand delegation is currently visiting Maharashtra to evaluate the prospects of resuming imports, which were previously halted due to biosecurity concerns.
A high-level meeting took place at the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) ofce in Mumbai on 17th February. The meeting was attended by APEDA General Manager Vinita Sudhanshu, Deputy General Manager Prashant Waghmare, Director of Horticulture Dr. Kailash Mote, and Joint Director of the Plant Quarantine Department under the Union Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. S. Gyansabandhan. The New Zealand delegation included Karen Paugh, Lily Brailford, and Adarshna Mistry.
During the meeting, Dr. Kailash Mote provided insights into scientic methods for export-oriented grape production. He highlighted Maharashtra’s significant contribution to grape exports, noting that the state accounts for 94% of the country’s total exports. In the 2023-24 season, India exported over 3.24 lakh tonnes of grapes to several countries, including the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Germany, England, and China.
Dr. Mote emphasized that while New Zealand had previously halted Indian grape imports due to biosecurity concerns, India’s enhanced quality production now warrants a reconsideration. “With improved production standards, we believe New Zealand should resume imports,” he stated.
Karen Paugh, the head of the New Zealand delegation, acknowledged the complexity of agricultural trade approvals but expressed optimism about the progress. “The procedures for initiating agricultural imports and exports are timeconsuming. However, after a physical assessment of orchards in Maharashtra, we will consider allowing trial shipments,” she assured.
