According to Amit Kalya, managing director of Indian grape exporter Kalya Exports, their grape season will get going around mid-November, and about a month later the export to European markets will start: “We will start to harvest and export grapes, Thomson Seedless, for EU and UK approximately by the end of December. We usually harvest and export on week 52. As for black seedless grapes, Jumbo and Sharad, we harvest and export by week 47-48 to China, South East Asian (SEA) and the Middle East. For the Russian market, we’ll start around mid-November, however we are yet to understand how the logistics will work for this market. And week 3 and onwards packing will be start for the European market. The weather conditions aren’t stable for the current season, therefore this year we expect similar or less volumes compared to last year.”
Kalya expects more volumes towards the Chinese market this year, not just for his company but for Indian grape exporters in general. “In the past season, the Indian grapes SPS protocol related issue in China got resolved. In the upcoming season it is expected that Indian exporters will be shipping more containers to China as a result. Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, logistical issues are present, but they seem to slowly improve. We expect containers will start moving towards Russian ports by the end of November. Indian grape exporters will be in the right direction to EU, UK and South East Asia and Middle East Also, a Free Trade Agreement is about to signed between UK and India, which will boost Indian grapes exports to UK market as well.”
As weather conditions are troubling in India, prices of the early grapes could be higher than usual, Kalya explains. “At this point in time, unexpected rains hit Indian vineyards productions. It may effect product quantity and cause a shortage of availability, so naturally the prices of Indian early season grapes might be on the higher side. Some markets like Peru witnessed increased volumes in terms of their production, but others remain weak, like South Africa. India has strong grape growers and we believe to have a good early season in the coming months. We do post-harvest-handling of grapes in our certified pack houses, located in Nashik, close to the farms.”
Kalya Exports will be an exhibitor during Asia Fruit Logistica in Thailand. “Since 2020, the SEA market has witnessed growth in terms of demand for Indian grapes, specifically Black and Sonaka grapes. We’re focusing on increasing our reach in SEA, China and the Middle East, through our presence during Asia Fruit Logistica 2022. Our stall is L-41. We do have various vegetables like chilli, corn, okra, tomatoes and onions. We invite everyone to come visit us, we’d be happy to discuss what we can do for you!”
For more information:
Amit Kalya
Kalya Exports
Tel: +91 9890673321
Email: amit@kalyaexports.com
www.kalyaexports.com