SRINAGAR: Afghan apples have made inroads into Pune’s Market Yard this season and are selling between Rs 900 and Rs 1,000 per 10 kilograms, The Indian Express has reported.
According to the newspaper, trader Satyajit Zhende said that the apples, which usually reach India through Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border, are now arriving by sea after the land route was shut down following the terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam in April this year. “Earlier, Afghan apples would come to India through the Wagah border, but with that closed, they now go to Iran first, then are shipped to Mumbai, and from there distributed across the country,” Zhende told The Indian Express.
The report said that as winter sets in, Pune’s Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) Gultekdi Market Yard sees a surge of apples from Kashmir and from countries like Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan. This year, however, the change in supply routes has slightly increased transport costs, though traders say the quality remains high.
Zhende said that last year, the apples were priced at Rs 800–900 for 10 kilograms, and now sell for Rs 900–1,000 — an increase of Rs 100–200. He added that the Royal Gala variety arrived from Afghanistan last month, while the Royal Delicious variety has come in more recently and enjoys greater demand.
The Indian Express quoted Zhende as saying that while Iranian and Turkish apples face 50 per cent import duty, Afghan apples remain duty-free even when shipped through Iran. His father, Suyog Zhende, explained that Afghanistan’s lack of cold storage facilities makes its apples fresher and distinct in taste. “Afghanistan does not even have grading of apples. India and Iran have graded apples like A and B. Afghanistan has less technology but the apples are still of very good quality,” he said.
