Ten containers of apples were sent to various locations in the middle and South of India and Marek said that a majority of the test shipments were successful, with the exception of two containers of Royal Gala, which the company is investigating to discover exactly what went wrong.
"I think that the issues with the two failed containers highlights transportation issues with India which still need to be worked out. Transport between Poland and India isn't very well established which means it can sometimes take a week before a container is available, in addition to the 5 weeks (give or take) average transport time. This is why we have started to wait until the start of the coming season to send our next shipments to minimise the chance of losses." said Marek.
Of course, with the recent frost and bad weather, apple producers in Poland are still waiting to see what this next season will bring. Marek said that he believes that production levels will still be at the same level, if not more than last season, but they won't know for sure until after Santa Sofia (15 May) to see what the weather will bring.
The two varieties being send to India are Royal Gala and Ida Red and Marek said that they are still working on getting the Indian market more familiar with bi-colored apples, since the market is more familiar with red colored apples. US producers have been sending their red apples to India for years, so it is important to educate them about the different flavours and textures that bi-colored apples can offer.
"I think that our Polish varieties have a lot of potential on the Indian market and we should try to promote the bi-colored apples and get them acquainted with the taste. India is such a huge market and very different in terms of price and quality level requirements. I think that we need to look into organising a good event on the B2B level in Poland to invite potential customers from India so they can see our orchards and taste our apples for themselves. I am currently speaking to some friends who are also in the business about joining forces to arrange visits before the start of the new season." concludes Marek.
F
or more information:Marec Marzec
Ewa-Bis Sp. z o.o.
Tel: +48 22 343 98 00
Fax: +48 22 343 98 10
Email: marek.marzec@ewabis.com.pl
www.ewabis.com.pl