The Indian market has a lot of potential for Australian apples; Apple and Pear Australia Limited chief executive, John Dollisson, said the Indian market was the same size as the Chinese market but India didn’t grow anywhere near the same number of apples.
“We have quite a natural affinity between Australia and India, particularly if you start launching the apples around the cricket season,” Mr Dollisson said.
“The reason it comes to mind is that Bravo, one of our new varieties, actually looks like a cricket ball and could be a great one to launch in the Indian market.
“India was a market we had been in significantly but only at the grassroots level, selling to the fresh market, and that really never works. You have to go and find a high end retailer.”
Mr Dollisson said India didn’t have an export protocol but did have some regulations on short cold treatment, which would need to be worked through.
The apple industry is also in the process of establishing an export protocol to China.
“We’re working with the Department of Agriculture justifying our business case as to why we want to export to China. That’s probably three to four years away,” he said.
Source: weeklytimesnow.com.au
