About 100 tonnes of Moldovan apples from the 2022 harvest were delivered to India on a pilot basis. The fruits have successfully passed the phytosanitary control of India’s National Plant Protection Organization, reported Agrobisnes.md. The apples were delivered by two producers that are members of the Moldova Fruct Association.

Iurie Fala, executive director of the Moldova Fruct Association, said that the Indian market is very attractive for Moldovan exporters in terms of consumption capacity, but Moldovan producers must diversify their range of cultivated varieties, and improve harvesting and storage process, in order to guarantee a high firmness of apples and ensure compliance with India’s specific phytosanitary requirements. “We hope that the Moldovan authorities will continue the dialogue with the Indian authorities, so that Moldova is recognized as an apple supplier country, with full rights to make commercial deliveries”, said the Moldova Fruct director.

Radu Musteața, director of the National Food Safety Agency, noted that, although there are multiple logistical challenges for the export of Moldovan apples to India, Moldovan producers can successfully overcome them thanks to modern technologies and international standards implemented in recent years.

“One of our goals is to include Moldova in the list of countries authorized to export apples to India. We are encouraged in this regard by the growing interest from Indian importers”, said Ana Taban, Ambassador on Special Mission in charge of economic diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

The 100 tonnes of apples exported to India is the result of a synergy of efforts by the apple producers, the Resilience and Rural Competitiveness project funded by USAID, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and the National Food Safety Agency. The first container of Moldovan apples from the 2022 harvest arrived in India in January.