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Indian grapes win European Nations heart
India
Thursday 29 May 2008
India’s grapes export to Europe is estimated to have jumped by 20% during this season even though countries like Germany and the Netherlands changed the prescribed pesticide residues limit mid-season. “About 3,000 containers have been sent to Europe this year compared to 2,500 containers last year,” said S. Dave, director of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda). As each container carries 15 tons of grapes, the export to EU, which is the main destination for the Indian fruit, in 2007-08 season is estimated to be around 45,000 tons, as against about 37,500 tons last season.
According to sources, the UK changed the maximum residues level (MRL) in December 2007 and issued further clarification in February this year, while Germany and the Netherlands prescribed the amended limits in March, 2008. The EU issued a separate MRL in its update in January. However, Mr Dave said exports were not affected as Apeda also made changes in the MRL after some of the countries changed that. Farmers in the grapes belt of Maharashtra are of the view that the changes to MRL in the mid-season is made by the developed countries to discourage imports and such changes act as non-tariff barriers. Grapes are harvested during February-April, while whatever pesticides are to be sprayed are used 60-100 days before harvest and therefore it is difficult to conform to amended MRL norms in the middle of the season, an expert said. The Apeda director said there was no rejection of consignment till now and he expects that Indian grapes would not fail the quality test as the ‘Grapenet’ software developed by the agency takes care of all the requirements in the importing countries. Among other objectives, Grapenet software aims to ensure that grapes exported from India to 27 European nations conform to pesticide residue norms. The Maharashtra-based National Research Centre for grapes in March this year had complained to Apeda about frequent changes in the MRL norms by some countries. “Sudden changes in MRL of this kind create lots of inconvenience to the stakeholders (exporters) of the grape industry in the context of MRL compliance,” PG Adsule, director of NRCG, had said in the letter.
According to sources, the UK changed the maximum residues level (MRL) in December 2007 and issued further clarification in February this year, while Germany and the Netherlands prescribed the amended limits in March, 2008. The EU issued a separate MRL in its update in January. However, Mr Dave said exports were not affected as Apeda also made changes in the MRL after some of the countries changed that. Farmers in the grapes belt of Maharashtra are of the view that the changes to MRL in the mid-season is made by the developed countries to discourage imports and such changes act as non-tariff barriers. Grapes are harvested during February-April, while whatever pesticides are to be sprayed are used 60-100 days before harvest and therefore it is difficult to conform to amended MRL norms in the middle of the season, an expert said. The Apeda director said there was no rejection of consignment till now and he expects that Indian grapes would not fail the quality test as the ‘Grapenet’ software developed by the agency takes care of all the requirements in the importing countries. Among other objectives, Grapenet software aims to ensure that grapes exported from India to 27 European nations conform to pesticide residue norms. The Maharashtra-based National Research Centre for grapes in March this year had complained to Apeda about frequent changes in the MRL norms by some countries. “Sudden changes in MRL of this kind create lots of inconvenience to the stakeholders (exporters) of the grape industry in the context of MRL compliance,” PG Adsule, director of NRCG, had said in the letter.
