Uttarakhand’s King Roat apple makes its way to UAE, opening what state hopes is a new export front

The trial shipment was facilitated by the APEDA, which falls under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Lessons from this trial shipment will help refine cold chain management, post-harvest handling, and logistics frameworks, said APEDA, adding that export destinations are likely to expand to Southeast Asia and Europe in the coming years.

Garhwal MP Anil Baluni said that the export of apples produced by the farmers of his Lok Sabha constituency to the UAE was a moment of pride for Garhwal as well as Uttarakhand. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government is not only ensuring fair prices for farmers’ produce but also opening the doors to global markets, leading to a continuous increase in their income,” he said in a post on X.

During an interaction with stakeholders, Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Sunil Barthwal, mentioned the importance of diversifying India’s agri-export basket and bringing unique, region-specific products such as Garhwali apples to international consumers. He also laid emphasis on the potential of enhancing agricultural exports from Uttarakhand with key products such as Basmati rice, millets, kidney beans, spices, aromatic plants, honey, fruits like apples, kiwi, mango, litchi, peach, and vegetables like beans, peas, bitter gourd, potato, among others.

The APEDA is reportedly facilitating organic certification and GI tagging for Uttarakhand-specific produce to enhance their recognition, traceability, and competitiveness in global markets. Moreover, an MoU has also been signed with the industry giant Lulu Group for executing export trials of regional products in its international retail chains.

During the financial year 2024–25, exports of APEDA-scheduled products from across India reached Rs 2.43-lakh crore, of which Uttarakhand’s contribution stood at Rs 201 crore. So far, the state’s primary exports have included jaggery, confectionery, and guar gum.

Currently, Uttarakhand lags behind J&K and Himachal Pradesh in apple production and area under cultivation. While J&K has a production of 17 lakh metric tonnes, the area under apple there is around 1.67 lakh hectares. In Himachal, this is 6.4 lakh metric tonnes production with an area of 1.1 lakh hectares. Uttarakhand produces 65,000 metric tonnes with 26,000 hectares of area. Apple cost per acre is pegged at around 12 lakh per acre in Uttarakhand, with an acre housing 900 plants, estimated based on high-density farming.

Apple’s demand is based on its morphological characteristics as a selling point. King Roat is known for their crisp texture, rich taste, and natural sweetness. Despite their uniqueness, growers often face challenges in accessing remunerative international markets due to limitations in infrastructure, connectivity, and post-harvest handling. However, experts say the Gala variety of apples is prevalent in the international markets.

Dr Vishal Rana of Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Himachal Pradesh says that in Uttarakhand, there is a constraint in cultivation with only a few orchards in scattered locations with the ability to match international standards. When these apples reach the market in the UAE, they vie with those from the US, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. “Uttarkashi and Garhwal varieties are old, and quality is not on par with those it competes with,” Rana said. Observing that the states are reeling under a problem of natural pollination, he said that the recommended polliniser proportion is 33.33 per cent for better yields and quality. Polliniser is a plant that provides pollen, and the percentage is based on the number of such plants grown in an orchard. “However, most of the orchards have low polliniser proportions,” he said.