Chile exported a total of 4,451,087 boxes of fresh fruits to India as of July 19 of this 2020-2021 season, i.e. 133.07% more boxes than by the same date of the 2019-2020 season, according to data from the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile AG (ASOEX).
The main fruit exported to India was the apple, with a total of 2,862,377 boxes (64.3% of the total). It was followed by kiwis with 1,187,007 boxes (26.7%); pears, with 153,824 boxes (3.5%); cherries with 76,757 boxes (1.7%); blueberries, with 74,812 boxes (1.7%); table grapes, with 54,150 boxes (1.2%); plums, with 41,488 boxes (0.9%), and avocados, with 672 boxes.
The remarkable growth in exports is explained by the increases in exports of almost all species, except plums: apples (+ 179%), kiwis (+ 64%), pears (+ 896%), cherries (+135 %), blueberries (+ 237%), table grapes (+ 23%), plums (-9%), and avocados (+ 100%).
India, a market of growing interest to exporting countries
India has a population of approximately 1.351 million people. As such, it offers a large, diverse, and complex consumer market.
The country is made up of 28 states and 8 territories, each with its own cultural identity. Numerous ethnic groups live in this nation; 52% are Indo-Aryans (Assamese, Bengalis, Punjabi, Kolis, etc.), 20% are Dravidian (Tamil, Telugus, Malayali, Kannadig, etc.), and 5% are Mongoloid and others.
India is the second-most populous country in the world after China. However, it is estimated that it will become the most populous country on the planet in 2024. It currently has the largest young population in the world.
In recent years, the country has experienced a great growth of the middle class, which has determined certain changes in the demand for food and in the consumption profile.
Fruit and nuts have a significant cultural nuance for the Indian consumer, based on Hindu religious beliefs. They are frequently used as gifts at weddings and as offerings in the temples of the gods.
Much of the fruit trade and the trade of other products has traditionally been linked to small neighborhood stores, street vendors, and wholesale markets. Supermarket chains, on the other hand, are not yet very developed, neither is e-commerce, which represents only around 9% of current trade (which is lower than what is sold through street vending). The gourmet channel, which sells high-quality products and has very good reception for imported products, is emerging.
Source: simfruit.cl