The Turkish and Indian governments have come to an agreement on the GMO certificates required to ship GMO apples to India. Indian importers were putting pressure on the Turkish traders, but it seems all problems are now resolved. According to one exporter it’s been a great season, with export volumes having increased by 35% compared to the previous apple season.
Demir Fresh Fruits has had a great apple season, says the owner of the company Alper Kerim. Export volumes have increased and according to him, the quality of the apples has improved a lot: “At the moment we’re still exporting our apples in full swing. The expectation is that we’ll be able to supply apples until the end of May 2021. This year, our export volumes have increased by 35% compared to last year. This is due to newly implemented methods to our packing system and it has increased our quality by a lot. Both the quality of the product as well as the amount of orders have significantly improved. We’re currently at a stage where we politely reject some of the orders, simply because of our full program.”
The Indian and Turkish government have had to come to an agreement for the certificate requirements for GMO apples, Kerim explains. The problems have now been resolved. “The highest demand this year came from India, as per usual. The Indian government requested GMO certificates for the apples of Turkish origin, which were scheduled to depart on the 1st of March. Unfortunately, none of the Turkish authorities could provide these certificates, so Indian importers started slamming Turkey, wanting them to load the produce before the 1st of March. However, last Tuesday the Turkish and Indian governments reached an agreement and the documents will be provided to the Indian FSSAI authority. This means we can continue our shipments with a GMO certificate and all problems are solved.”
Preparations for the new season have already begun: “The most popular variety is Red Delicious, as always. About 80 per cent of our stock is Red Delicious. Given the popularity of the variety, we’re already starting to negotiate with our customers for the new season. The quality of our apples this season has left a good impression, so next season we’ll have to work even harder!” Kerim concludes.
For more information:
Alper Kerim
Demir Fresh Fruits
Tel: +90 532 514 2080
Email: alper@dff.com.tr
www.dff.com.tr