Nashik grape exports up 14% in FY07

Nashik, a hub of grape cultivation in the country, recorded 13.77 per cent rise in the fruit's exports in 2006-07 at 19,000 mt compared with the last year's 16,700 mt.

The exports, which were worth Rs 95 crore in the previous financial year, have seen a six-fold growth in the last five years from 3,775 mt in 2001-02. Nashik district contributes almost 75 per cent to the total grape exports from Maharashtra and 55 per cent to the country's total exports.

"Last year, 19,000 mt of grapes were been exported to the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Russia, Belgium, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Norway and Taiwan," said Dhananjay Wardekar, an officer of the Maharashtra agriculture department.

The total area under grape cultivation in the district increased by 5,000 hectares to 35,000 hectares in 2006-07, with the area under wine grape varieties doubling during the period. The total investment in the district's vineyards was estimated at Rs 2,625 crore.

"There are about 131 grape-exporting firms in Nashik. In 2006-07, there were around 11,938 grape growers, who had registered for exports. Phyto-sanitary certificates, which are mandatory for grape exporters according to the Apeda guidelines, were given to 1,500 exporters," Wardekar added.

Freshtrop Fruits, a local company, exported the highest in the district at 1,270.53 mt followed by Mahindra Shubhlabh (708 mt), ND Grapes (672.77 mt), Fieldfresh Foods (623.88 mt) and Indyaglobal Venture (617.66 mt).