Kashmiri Apple storm hits Middle East

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Srinagar, Nov 23: The Kashmiri grown apples have taken the Middle East market by a storm as about 200 tons of fruit were sold within weeks after hitting the retail stores in the Middle East.

The UAE -based retail company ‘Lulu Group’ that was in the Valley last month had taken 200 tons of apples as “sample” to be tested in the Middle East markets before signing a deal with local growers here.

Talking to Rising Kashmir, Director Lulu Group of Oman, Sri Lanka, and India, A V Ananth said the product (Kashmiri apple) got a massive response from the consumers in the Middle East countries like UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.

“Apples have been a massive hit in the retail market and consumers like it. We sold all 200 tons of Kashmiri apples within few days after its arrival,” he said.

Ananth said keeping in view the demand for Kashmiri apples in Middle East markets, the company has ordered 500 more tons (25 containers) of apples from the local growers in the Valley.

“We are in touch with many local growers in Kashmir. And from next year, we will a sign a full-fledged deal with them,” he said.

According to him, apart from apples, Kashmiri saffron and walnuts have also received positive response in the markets. “We have also ordered more quantity of these two products.”

The 500 tons of apples include all the varieties like Delicious, American, and Maharaja.

A team of five members of the international retail company had arrived on a two-day visit to the Valley in October.

The delegation had met then Advisor to Governor, Farooq Khan to know about the various government schemes.

The Group also held a meeting with apple and saffron associations to know about their production and also visited apple orchards and cold storages in Lassipora Industrial Estate in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Ananth said they would soon contact the government to share their area of interest in agriculture and food processing units.

“We are at initial stage. The future looks bright,” he said.

Lulu Group was the first international company to visit Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.

The visit of the UAE based business group is part of government’s initiative to bring big investors to the Valley to improve region’s economy.

Director J&K Horticulture Planning and Marketing department, G M Dar said they would provide all the facilities to assure ease of business to the company.

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