APEDA facilitates first-ever sea shipments of Indian pomegranates to Australia
NEW DELHI The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has successfully completed India’s first-ever commercial trial shipments of premium pomegranates to Australia via sea. This marks a breakthrough in expanding market access for Indian fresh produce.
APEDA has completed the shipment in collaboration with AgroStar and Kay Bee Exports of the Sangola and Bhagwa pomegranates.
With the next export season beginning in September, AgroStar’s INI Farms, Kay Bee Exports, and other key players are poised to build on this success, ensuring a steady supply of Indian pomegranates to Australia. This development reaffirms India’s position as a global leader in agricultural exports and strengthens bilateral trade ties with Australia.
peaking on the development, Abhishek Dev, Chairman of APEDA, emphasised “India’s agricultural export landscape is growing at an unprecedented pace, with fresh fruit exports surging by 29 per cent year-on-year. Pomegranates alone have seen a 20 per cent growth, demonstrating the immense potential of this segment.
“Through advanced traceability systems like ANARNET (internet-based electronic service), we ensure that Indian agricultural products meet the highest global standards, enhancing consumer trust worldwide.”
Dev also emphasised APEDA’s role in securing and facilitating market access for Indian farmers.
After getting market access for the export of Indian pomegranates to Australia, a work plan and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the export of pomegranates to Australia were signed in February 2024.
The first air shipment took place in July 2024, following the successful market access facilitation by APEDA and the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO). The air shipment helped assess market demand, which led to follow-up sea shipments to optimise cost efficiency.
The first-ever sea-freight shipment departed from India on December 6, 2024, and arrived in Sydney on January 13, 2025, with 5.7 metric tonnes (MT) of pomegranates sourced from the Solapur region of Maharashtra, packed into 1,900 boxes, each containing 3 kg of premium fruit.
Another commercial sea shipment carrying 1,872 boxes (6.56 tonnes) of Bhagwa variety arrived in Brisbane, Australia, on January 6, 2025.