Moldovan apple producers interested in exporting to India

Chisinau, 17 November /MOLDPRES/- India's market offers several export prospects for apple producers in Moldova. To facilitate the use of export opportunities in this regard, the project of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) High Value Agriculture in Moldova organized an online meeting of Moldovan apple producers and exporters with buyers from India.

According to the previous experience of Moldovan exporters, the delivery period of apples to India, which is carried out in sea containers, can vary from 33 to 48 days. The port of destination is Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, where the goods are received and inspected. Here, the competent authority of India verifies the quality of the apple and the issues related to food safety and phytosanitary requirements. The customs and inspection procedures for the release of the goods in port take up to 24 hours, after which the buyer picks up the goods and delivers them to the warehouse. "Also, Moldovan apple exporters are required to present a mandatory certificate for all suppliers of fresh fruit in India, which certifies that no genetically modified propagating material has been used in the production of apples," according to USAID.

The import duty for apples in India is 50%, as for all countries except the USA, and is paid by the buyer, if the parties have not agreed to other delivery conditions.

Payment terms are also negotiable, and the importers who discussed with the Moldovan fruit producers, members of the Moldova Fruct Association, are willing to pay 25% in advance, 30% after receiving the import documents and 45 % within seven days of receipt of the goods. Financial instruments such as the bank letter of credit or the financial guarantee, even if they minimize sellers' risks, are not widely used by fruit importers in India in an attempt to reduce the costs of import operations.

Currently, Moldova is not a fully approved source as a supplier of apples, but India's phytosanitary authorities have allowed the import of ten maritime containers under evaluation. The goods must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the National Food Safety Agency expressly stating the absence of Erwinia amylovora (bacterial fire) and Pseudococcus comstocki, as well as the cold treatment of the goods (

Photo: High Value Agriculture in Moldova