Australian stone fruit imports are gaining momentum in India now that the South African season has wrapped up, with three airfreight shipments landed, says Mumbai importer Arun Uttamchandani of Pushpbhuj Impex. "We have mainly imported white nectarines and violet peaches so far. The season did not do well till mid-December because South African stone fruits were available at half the price."
South African volumes at competitive prices drew Indian wedding-season caterers through mid-December. "You can't compare the quality between South Africa and Australian though," Uttamchandani opines, noting Australian nectarines and peaches will lead through February-March. He points to Brix levels from 14 to 22. "20 is a very good Brix level for stone fruits, given that Indians prefer anything sweet to the tongue."
© Pushpbhuj Impex
Larger sizes like 16 to 18 count nectarines of 330 to 350 g each for luxury gift hampers remain elusive this season due to weather challenges in Australia. "Hamper markets want one big nectarine in the centre and people paying top dollar on gifting expect the fruit to look premium," Arun explains. "No shipments arrived in November over small sizing, though color and overall quality hold strong at premium pricing levels of around USD 15.5 to 16.6 per kg."
In Arun's case, distribution breaks down to 50% pan-India catering for elite weddings, 30% B2B wholesale like Mumbai's APMC and Bangalore markets, and 20% select retailers. "We have observed volumes rising 10 to 15% yearly, but the Australian dollar forex jumps to 60 to 61 rupees from last year's 52 to 53 rupees have pushed up pricing per kg. The pricing is a challenge since it's very hard for catering companies to increase their basket size for customers," Uttamchandani says, explaining that higher costs limit how much premium fruit they can add to event platters without hiking client prices, with orders on hold during the Kharvas period till mid-January or post Makar Sankranti festival.
© Pushpbhuj Impex
Cherry plums will arrive next week in a very limited Australian window, Arun shares. "Tasmanian cherries will also be brought in for supermarket sampling despite Chilean cherries being available at half the price of USD 39 for 2.5 kg. In the coming months, he looks forward to the US stone fruit season, which will take over from late April to July. "Australia produces something which gives good taste, value for money, and amazing quality. If my customer pays a premium for something, it should be good for their eyes, taste, and pocket," Arun concludes.
For more information:
Arun Uttamchandani
Pushpbhuj Impex
Tel: +91 9892111902
Email: [email protected]
