14 Tons of Indian pomegranates exported from Ahilyanagar in Maharashtra to New York, USA.
In a historic initiative towards introducing Indian Pomegranates to distant markets, a landmark commercial sea shipment of the prized Indian Bhagwa variety of Pomegranate has successfully arrived in New York, marking a significant milestone for India’s Fresh Fruits exports. With growing international demand for premium quality of Fresh Fruits, the arrival of this shipment heralds the potential of Indian Pomegranates becoming a preferred choice in the competitive U.S. market.
The Pomegranate season, which traditionally saw air freight as the primary mode of transportation, shifted gears in recent weeks to embrace the cost-effective and sustainable sea freight mode.
After India had been granted market access by USA for Pomegranates, during the season in 2023, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in collaboration with United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO – India) and National Research Centre for Pomegranate, Solapur (NRCP) successfully conducted the trial shipment of Pomegranate to USA by air.
Owing to the success of the static trial to enhance the shelf life of Pomegranates for up to 60 days by APEDA in collaboration with ICAR-National Research Centre for Pomegranate, India had successfully flagged off its first trial commercial sea shipment of Pomegranates comprising of 4200 boxes i.e. 12.6 tons to the U.S. in collaboration with InI Farms from Irradiation Facility Center (IFC), Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB), Vashi, Navi Mumbai in February, 2024.
APEDA facilitated the USDA pre-clearance program for Pomegranates in December, 2024 which played a pivotal role in easing the logistical and regulatory hurdles for Indian agriculture exporters and enabled them to enter the U.S. market. APEDA’s proactive approach in inviting the USDA inspectors for the pre-clearance process three months in advance ensured the smooth and timely arrival of the shipment.
The inaugural sea shipment of 4,620 boxes of Indian Pomegranates, weighing approximately 14 tons reached the U.S. East Coast in the second week of March, well within five weeks of the point of departure. The shipment was met with exceptional enthusiasm in New York. The arrival quality was reported as “excellent” and customers were captivated by the remarkable visual appeal and the superior eating quality of the Indian Bhagwa variety of Pomegranates.
Chairman, APEDA, Abhishek Dev remarked, “Government of India has been at the forefront in promoting Indian fresh fruits for the global market. APEDA has been supporting the export of Indian fruits like Mangoes and Pomegranates to USA by funding the pre-clearance program. Indian farmers will achieve better realisation when their fruit gets exported to premium international markets like USA. Indian mangoes have already reached annual exports of around 3500 tons and we hope that Pomegranates will also reach such strong numbers in the years to come”.
This consignment was sent by Kay Bee Exports, a leading exporter of fruits and vegetables from Mumbai and a registered exporter with APEDA. The Pomegranates in this consignment were directly sourced from the farms of Kay Bee Exports, ensuring that the benefits of this export reach Indian farmers at the grassroots level.
“We are thankful to APEDA for facilitating exports of Indian Pomegranates to USA. APEDA’s efforts have ranged from securing market access to setting up export protocols, co-ordinating with multiple stakeholders and organising the pre-clearance program in conjunction with USDA. Kay Bee is specialised in Pomegranates and hope to offer the best fruit that India has to offer. Our customers expect the best fruit quality, and we always strive to do so” said Kaushal Khakhar, CEO, Kay Bee Exports on the successful shipment.
