Assuming normal weather conditions India is set for an average apple crop in 2013. The government’s preliminary estimate pegs 2013 production at 1.84 million metric tons, which is likely to be revised later. In CY 2012 India imported a record 186,000 metric tons of apples valued at USD196 million, a 4-percent increase from the previous year’s imports of 179,000 metric tons.
Despite the fall of the rupee relative to the dollar, with increasing population, growing disposable incomes, improving lifestyle, health awareness, and India’s tradition of vegetarianism, the apple is currently the most heavily consumed imported fruit in India. A continued decline of the rupee against the dollar could affect importer and consumer appetites for imported fruit during 2013.
1. Production background:
India appears to be heading for an average crop in 2012/13 on favorable growing and weather conditions in major growing areas. Assuming normal weather conditions through harvest, Post forecasts 2012/13 production at 1.85 million metric tons as compared to last year’s production of 2.20 million metric tons. The government’s preliminary estimate pegs 2013 production at 1.84 million metric tons, which is likely to be revised later.
India’s apple production had shown a growth trend since 2001-02, but in 2009/2010 production declined from 1.98 to 1.77 million metric tons, due to high temperatures and drought. Whereas India had a record apple crop of 2.89 million metric tons in 2010/11 on prolonged monsoon and
favorable weather conditions in major apple producing areas, poor infrastructure created supply disruptions. Together, these issues continue to exacerbate post-harvest losses and negatively affect many producers.
The presence of private middlemen like Adani, Devbhumi, and others provides an alternate outlet to the state marketing committees and their commission agents, which is creating some price competition. Orchard renovation is slow, despite availability of government subsidies. In Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand apples are sorted and packed in modern 20-kg capacity corrugated cardboard boxes, while in Jammu and Kashmir growers still use wooden boxes.Unfortunately, grading and packaging of the produce are still done on a voluntary basis and commission agents insist on over-packing of apple cartons, with the result that around 1-2 kilograms of fruit per box arrives in urban markets severely damaged.
