Dehradun: India has exported Garhwali apples from Dehradun to Dubai for the first time, marking a significant step toward boosting the country’s agricultural exports.
Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal flagged off the initial trial shipment of 1.2 tonnes of Garhwali apples, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The shipment was facilitated by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
Insights from this trial will help improve cold chain management, post-harvest handling, and logistics frameworks. Despite the apples’ distinct quality, growers often struggle to access lucrative international markets due to gaps in infrastructure, connectivity, and post-harvest processes.
To address these challenges, APEDA has been collaborating with the state government, exporters, and farmer groups to create sustainable export channels. The authority has also focused on educating farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), compliance with international quality standards, and advanced post-harvest management techniques.
APEDA is planning a dedicated Regional Office in Dehradun to provide closer support to farmers and exporters. Additionally, it is facilitating organic certification and GI tagging for Uttarakhand-specific produce to enhance global recognition, traceability, and competitiveness.
Barthwal highlighted that the government is actively working to increase farmers’ incomes through organic farming and exports, value addition in agricultural products, and promotion of processed food exports to high-value international markets.
