Two small shipments from India's hill states have reached one of the busiest fresh-produce markets in the Gulf. Pomegranates from Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district and kiwis from Arunachal Pradesh's Ziro valley are now in Dubai. The volumes are modest. What matters more is how the fruit got there and how much more the farmers were paid.
According to a Commerce Ministry statement issued on Tuesday, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the export of 1.3 metric tonnes (MT) of Sinduri variety pomegranates and a trial export of 1.5 MT of kiwi to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
The pomegranate consignment had 650 boxes of 2 kg each and was exported by Uttar Pradesh-based Amama Exports. The fruit was bought directly from local farmers and from the Bhuntar Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), which is linked to roughly 600 growers. The Kullu district horticulture administration helped with procurement and coordination.
This set-up connected growers directly to an exporter through their collective, with fewer middlemen in between. The statement said participating farmers received prices 50 per cent higher than the prevailing domestic market benchmark. For small orchard owners in the hills, that difference matters a great deal.
Himachal Pradesh also grows the Bhagwa and Kandhari pomegranate varieties. The Sinduri variety has a bright red skin, juicy arils and a sweet-tart taste. That makes it suitable for eating fresh and gives it potential in export markets, where shoppers often pick fruit by how it looks.
Arunachal's kiwi gets its first test abroad
The kiwi shipment from Arunachal Pradesh is a trial export meant to gauge demand. It reached Dubai and was showcased at LuLu Hypermarket in Al Qusais. The aim is to see how international shoppers respond to the state's produce.
The project runs under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) with the state government, under the branding initiative "Kiwi: USP of Arunachal Pradesh". It tries to give the fruit an identity linked to where it is grown, which can help produce from a small region compete in a crowded global market.
Arunachal's high-altitude climate and natural environment give its kiwis a distinctive quality and flavour. The main varieties grown there are Hayward, Monty, Allison and Bruno. Hayward already sees good demand in international markets. Officials say the state's kiwis also have potential in premium domestic markets and in value-added products.
Why it matters
Indian fruit exports have mostly come from large commercial growing regions. These two shipments show a different approach. Government agencies, district officials and farmer collectives are working together to take produce from remote hill areas straight to foreign retail shelves.
The government said the kiwi trial will help it understand market response and what is needed for larger future shipments. If buyers in Dubai respond well, regular orders could give growers in Kullu and Ziro steady new sales channels and better returns.
