Saturday 19 April 2025
First-Ever Sea Shipments of Indian Pomegranates to Australia
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The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) successfully completed India’s first-ever commercial trial shipments of premium Sangola and Bhagwa pomegranates to Australia via sea. This exemplary trial was, respectively, for these two varieties of Indian Pomegranates in collaboration with AgroStar and Kay Bee Exports.
This marks a breakthrough in expanding market access for Indian fresh produce. After getting market access for export of Indian pomegranates to Australia, a work plan and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the export of pomegranates to Australia were signed in February 2024.
First Air Shipment
The first air shipment took place in July 2024, following the successful market access facilitation byAPEDAand National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO). The air shipment helped assess market demand, which led to follow-up sea shipments to optimize cost efficiency. The first-ever sea-freight shipment departed from India on December 6, 2024, and arrived in Sydney on January 13, 2025 with 5.7 metric tons (MT) of pomegranates sourced from the Solapur region of Maharashtra, packed into 1,900 boxes, each containing 3 kg of premium fruit.
Another commercial sea shipment carrying 1,872 boxes (6.56 tons) of Bhagwa variety arrived in Brisbane,Australia, on January 6, 2025. The use of bulk sea shipment ensured competitive pricing, benefiting farmers and creating sustainable trade opportunities.
Upon arrival, the pomegranates received an overwhelmingly positive response in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. The strong demand has already led to immediate requests for additional shipments, showcasing the growing potential for a profitable and sustainable trade relationship between India and Australia.
Chairman APEDA, Abhishek Dev emphasized Indias agricultural export landscape is growing at an unprecedented pace, with fresh fruit exports surging by 29% year-on-year. Pomegranates alone have seen a 20% growth, demonstrating the immense potential of this segment. The successful shipments of premium pomegranates to Australia marks Indias ability to supply high-quality fresh produce to discerning international markets.
Through advanced traceability systems like ANARNET, we ensure that Indian agricultural products meet the highest global standards, enhancing consumer trust worldwide. He also emphasized APEDAs role in securing and facilitating market access for Indian farmers. This success story paves the way for further collaborations and increased export volumes in the future.
This ensures a steady supply of Indian pomegranates to Australia. This development reaffirms Indias position as a global leader in agricultural exports and strengthens bilateral trade ties with Australia.
APEDA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India which plays a crucial role in facilitating agricultural and processed food exports. It supports Indian farmers and agri-businesses by promoting market development, infrastructure expansion and export promotion through traceability systems like ANARNET.
Indias agricultural exports, including fresh fruits, vegetables, basmati rice and processed foods, continue to see robust growth, reinforcing the countrys position in the global agri-trade sector.
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