Sunday, April 22, 2007

Update on Indian Grapes

On Saturday, I noted another large supermarket in Oulu offering Indian grapes about Euro 0.30 cheaper (Euro 1.69 per 500 gm). I decided to take a look.



Thos was yet another Maharashtrian grower offering a brand called "Sunripe" grapes. Malode Boraste More Grapes Pvt. Ltd. which is run by Arun K. More, is located in Nashik District. The variety of grapes were exactly the same.



The packaging was identical. I also noticed grapes from Chile with the same packaging. I must, therefore, offer my apologies to the Indian companies, as they are not the ones deciding on the packaging to be used.

The sweetness was as good as the other brands.

I noted that in the case of this Indian grower, the grapes were labelled as being imported by a company in Holland, Nico de Jong B.V,, owned 100 % by a Alfred de Jong. The arrangement with India is so new that the range of products offered by that company does not yet list India as a supplier.

I hope Indian grape growers can organise themselves to directly export to the centres around the world so that they get a higher return. Here in Oulu a small Thai restaurant, Pailin Ravintola, gets us Thai fresh vegetables directly from Thailand. An importer in south Finland brings in two flights a week directly to Helsinki and the customers get thr fresh produce cheap and with no huge profit makers in the middle.

The restaurant takes orders on Sunday and the fresh fruits and vegetables are in Oulu by the Friday, when people rush in and collect their orders. If the Thais can do this, I am sure surely our Indian exporters can get organised to do the same!

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