APEDA Sends Arunachal Kiwi and Kullu Pomegranate to Dubai

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, opened the Dubai market for two hill crops on the same day. It facilitated a trial shipment of 1.5 metric tonnes of kiwi from Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh and a consignment of 1.3 metric tonnes of Sinduri pomegranates from Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh, both to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Kiwi from Ziro

The kiwi shipment reached Dubai and was placed on the shelves at LuLu Hypermarket, Al Qusais, taking the effort past the flag-off stage to a test of the retail market. It was undertaken under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and carries the branding line Kiwi: USP of Arunachal Pradesh. The state's Departments of Trade and Commerce and of Horticulture worked with APEDA on it. Hayward, Monty, Allison and Bruno are the main varieties grown in the region, and Hayward enjoys good demand abroad. Consumer tasting and feedback will be used to judge acceptability, packaging and presentation before commercial shipments. The flag-off was attended by the state's Agriculture Minister Gabriel D. Wangsu and MLA-cum-Advisor Dr Mohesh Chai, along with the Kiwi Growers Cooperative Society.

Pomegranates from Kullu

• The consignment had 650 boxes of 2 kg each and was shipped by Amama Exports, a firm based in Uttar Pradesh.
• The fruit came from local growers and the Bhuntar Farmer Producer Organisation, which has about 600 farmers behind it.
• Participating farmers earned 50% more than the prevailing price in the domestic market.
• Sinduri is grown in Himachal Pradesh alongside Bhagwa and Kandhari, and is known for red skin and a sweet-tart taste.
• APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev flagged off the shipment, which the Kullu district horticulture administration helped arrange.

The UAE market

In FY 2025-26 India shipped APEDA-scheduled agricultural and processed food products worth roughly USD 2.59 billion to the United Arab Emirates, amounting to about 3.81 million tonnes. The Kullu shipment widens the export basket of Himachal Pradesh beyond its well-known apple trade, with room for persimmons, stone fruits, juices and ready-to-eat products, while the Arunachal shipment is meant to build lasting links for growers in the North East. Both cases show how direct procurement from farmer producer organisations can lift returns for small growers.