PUNE: Responding to global needs, Maharashtra’s pomegranate growers have begun to adopt traceability norms. The state exports nearly 100 tonnes of pomegranates under the AnarNet traceability system developed by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda).
The state-run agency has started providing traceability solutions for the export of fresh fruits like grapes and pomegranates to ensure that there are no residues above the prescribed level. Its Grapenet system developed for grape exports to the EU has met with success. Hence the export promotion agency has extended the system for pomegranates, called AnarNet from this year. The traceability solution helps in product recall and single window clearances.
“We have started registration of orchards under AnarNet in February 2009 and so far have registered 800 orchards of eight acres each till now. The registration for this year will be done till July end,” said GG Hande, inspecting authority for phytosanitary, department of horticulture, government of Maharashtra. The state has a total of 85,000 hectares under pomegranate cultivation, accounting 70% of the country’s total acreage under pomegranate cultivation. Mr Hande said this was the first consignment of pomegranates under the newly launched AnarNet system from Maharashtra.
“We have exported seven containers of 14 tonnes each. But from the season starting in September this year, quantities will go up substantially as the number of registered orchards has also increased,” he added. The state, on average, exports 12,800 tonnes of pomegranate annually, mainly to the European and Middle East markets, amounting to 800 container loads.
A growing number of farmers from the state are taking interest in pomegranate cultivation. With growing awareness of the medicinal values of the fruit, there is increasing demand from the western world, giving good returns to pomegranate growers and exporters.
Source : The Economic Times