MARKETING AND TRADE OF INDIAN APPLES

The present paper describes the status of internal and export marketing of Indian apples. There has been an appreciable improvement in the marketing efficiency at domestic level. The export marketing has shown a dismal performance. Based on observed pattern of trade, the country do not possess comparative advantage in apple export. International competitiveness in future, will largely depend upon the ability to develop the comparative and competitive advantages. The main constraints in pushing up apple exports is volume insufficiency, low productivity, quality deficiencies, technological deficiencies, high production and transport cost and lack of post-harvest infrastructural facilities. In view of the increasing domestic and export demand, rates of growth of output needs to be stepped up. Growth must be promoted in the backward hilly tracts of non-traditional areas to increase the supplies and cool down domestic prices. To achieve the breakthrough in exports, the areas of efficient production needs to be demarcated and strategies devised to ensure an efficient apple based farming systems. Farmers will have to be trained about better production of quality through increased investments in R & D efforts. Quality standards as expected by foreign markets will have to be observed. In order to harness export potentials information on consumer preferences, psychology, power, needs to be generated through market surveys to identify the thrust products and thrust markets.