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Quarantine threat to Indian apple imports

15 February 2012

South Africans apple shippers have for long been lobbying for a reduction in import tariffs into India, Now India’s thriving apple import trade is under threat from proposed changes to phytosanitary measures

News agencies report that the Indian government has announced proposed changes to its plant quarantine laws that would effectively halt the country’s burgeoning trade in imported apples.

Fruitnet.com says the draft amendments, outlined in a notification from the Indian Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, add a number of pests for each apple and pear supplying origin that the respective exporting countries must certify are not present in shipments.

According to fruitnet.com the conditions causing greatest concern to the apple trade, are requirements for imports to be fumigated with methyl bromide at 21oC for two hours and to undergo cold treatment prior to shipment. Such measures, which would apply to all apple supplying countries with access to India, would effectively render shipments commercially unviable and shut down the market.

South African apple and pear industry leaders will be very concerned about this turn of events. In recent years delegations have been visiting India with the specific goal of getting the Indian government to relent on its high import duties. The South Africans argue that these tariffs make it uneconomical for them to export to China, particularly because, unlike other supplier countries, South African growers do not get any government support which could help reduce the impact of the tariffs.

Representatives of key apple supplying nations told Asiafruit Magazine it was too risky to subject fruit to methyl bromide fumigation at 21oC for two hours, particularly given the lack of cold chain on arrival in India. “Our fruit would be highly susceptible [to damage] with a 30-40 day transit time,” said one Washington State apple industry source. “This is a non-starter – it’d be like cooking the fruit.”

Fruitnet.com says suppliers of fruit from around the world view India as a key emerging market for global apple suppliers, with imports more than doubling between 2006/07 and 2009/10 to reach almost 100,000 tonnes. The US and China account for the lion’s share of volumes, while Chile and New Zealand are also key suppliers during the Southern Hemisphere season.

Washington apple shipments to India hit a record 3.3m cartons in 2010/11, pushing this up-and-coming export market into third spot for the industry behind Mexico and Canada. With the 2011/12 Washington export campaign moving towards its peak, shippers are anxious about the proposed changes.

Fruitnet.com reports that the proposed regulations are open for comment until 10 March. All countries exporting apples to India are likely to oppose the measures, which are due to take effect on 31 March if approved.

Of particular concern to the US apple industry is the move by Indian authorities to list Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) as a pest concern for shipments from that country.

The USA says India should recognise international plant protection conventions and failure would put India in breach of WTO laws. Indeed, key figures in the New Zealand apple industry, which saw its exports to India almost double last year to reach 650,000 cartons, feel the proposed changes do not comply with WTO requirements. 

With New Zealand and India in the advanced stages of negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA), the proposed laws could present a significant setback, and New Zealand pipfruit industry officials said their government would be urging India to reconsider its proposed changes.

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