The Uttarakhand government has first exported 1.2 MT of apple to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Pauri Garhwal. Along with this, it is also planned to send 8 MT of marine shipment. Till now apple exports have been mainly from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, but this time Uttarakhand has entered the global market with its ‘King Root’ type grade-e apples.
APEDA officials said that this export was a trial shipment to test commercial possibilities and viability in the international market. Also, a marine shipment of 8,000 kg of apple is also being prepared from Harsil, which will benefit the farmers, as the varieties here are high.
This trial shipment was possible with the help of APEDA under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Officials say that this experience will help in further improving cold chain management, post-office handling and logistic system. There is a possibility of extending export destination to South-East Asia and Europe later.
Describing it a moment of pride, Garhwal MP Anil Baluni said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is not only giving farmers a fair price for their produce but also opening the doors of global markets, which will increase the income of farmers. Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Sunil Barthwal also said that it is very important to diverse India’s Agri-Xport baskets and reach field-specific products such as Garhwali apples to international consumers.
APEDA is also providing organic certification and GI tagging facilities for specific products of the state, which will further strengthen their identification and competition capacity in the global market. Recently an MoU has also been signed with Lulu Group, under which Uttarakhand products will be exported to an international retail chain.
In the financial year 2024–25, the export of APEDA-scheduled products from India was Rs 2.43 lakh crore, of which Uttarakhand contributed Rs 201 crore. Till now the state has been exporting products mainly like jaggery, confectionery and guar gum.
However, Uttarakhand is far behind Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh in the field of production and farming. While Jammu and Kashmir produces 17 lakh metric tonnes of apples and the area is 1.67 lakh hectares, Himachal produces 6.4 lakh metric tonnes in an area of 1.1 lakh hectares. Uttarakhand is currently produced by only 65,000 metric tonnes, which is done in an area of 26,000 hectares.
The King Raut variety of Uttarakhand is known for its crisp taste, sweetness and texture, but experts say that in the international market, this variety faces strict competition from varieties from the US, New Zealand, Australia and Europe. According to horticulture experts, there is also a problem of pollination in the state, as the ratio of pollination plants in most gardens is much less than 33.33% recommended, which affects production and quality.
