India eyes China’s 630-million dollar grape market

Export of Indian grapes to China almost doubled from $3.5 million in 2016 to $6.7 million last year.

However, this is just one per cent of total grapes imports in China of around$630 million and two per cent of India’s total exports of the fruit of $300 million, an Indian Embassy statement said on Tuesday.

In order to tap this huge market, the Indian Embassy in Beijing and its consulates in Guangzhou and Shanghai have taken steps to promote Indian grapes there, including organising a buyer-seller meet with support from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

Around 23 importers from China and over 100 Indian exporters participated in the buyer-seller meet which also showcased products by the exporters, the statement said.

The APEDA will also take Chinese exporters to Nashik, also known as grapes capital of India, contributing to almost half of the country’s grapes export.

The agriculture produce trade between India and China has witnessed a renewed focus with Chinese authorities clearing access to Indian non-basmati rice in June and rapeseed meal in September, it said.

Following the Wuhan summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in April, India and China are exploring opportunities to step up Indian exports to China to address a trade deficit of over$51 billion.

Two Chinese teams will be visiting India next month for inspection of pomegranate and soyabean meals. It is expected that these two products will be cleared for imports by the Chinese authorities at the earliest, it said.

India has also pitched for access to various other products such as soyabean, okra, banana, sapota, papaya, maize and sorghum.

Recently, during a bilateral meeting with China’s Vice-Minister of MOFCOM Wang Shouwen, Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan emphasised that India can emerge a major source for many of the agriculture products needs for China, the release said