Embassy of India
Beijing
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Press Release: India sees a major opportunity for exports of grapes to China APEDA hosts a Buyer Seller Meet in Mumbai

 Export of Indian grapes to China almost doubled from $3.5 million in 2016 to $ 6.7 million in the year 2017. However this is just one percent of total grapes imports in China of around $ 630 million and two percent of India’s total exports of grapes of around $300 million. In order to tap this huge market, Embassy of India in Beijing and its consulates in Guangzhou and Shanghai has taken up steps to promote Indian Grapes in China.

2.As a major step, APEDA, an agency under Department of Commerce, Government of India with support from Embassy of India in Beijing and its consulates organised a Buyer Seller Meet inviting China’s importers and India’s exporters in Mumbai.

3.23 importers from China and more than 100 Indian exporters participated in the Buyer Seller Meet which also laid an exhibition of products by the exporters. The ICAR Scientist working on grapes were invited to talk about Indian grapes. APEDA Chairman Mr Paban Borthakur spoke on this occasion and explained about the potential of grapes exports in particular and overall fruits and vegetables exports in general to China.

4.APEDA will be also taking the Chinese importers to Nashik to see some of the grape vineyards and pack houses. The city of Nashik is known as grapes capital of India contributing almost half of India’s grapes exports.

5.The agriculture produce trade between India and China has witnessed a renewed focus with Chinese authorises clearing access to Indian Non-Basmati Rice in June and Rape seed meal in September. Two Chinese teams will be visiting India in December for inspection of pomegranate and soya bean meals and it is expected that these two products will be cleared for imports from India to China by the Chinese authorities at the earliest. India has also pitched for access to various other products such as soya bean, okra, banana, sapota, papaya, maize, sorghum etc.

6.Embassy of India in Beijing and its consulates with support from Department of Commerce, Government of India has organised promotional events for various products like rice, sugar, oil meals, tea etc. during past few months which has seen encouraging response and helped in establishing contacts between Indian exporters and Chinese importers. Recently during a bilateral meeting with China’s Vice Minister of MOFCOM Mr Wang Shouwen, Commerce Secretary Mr Anup Wadhawan emphasised that India can emerge as a major source for many of the agriculture products needs for China.