Indian grape farmers take control of pricing

Indian table grape growers in Maharashtra State, fed up with suffering constant losses due to unseasonal rains, have taken matters into their own hands and resolved to set their own prices for traders, according to The Hindu Business Line. Maharashtra accounts for over 81% of India’s table grape production. 

Vilas Shinde, director of the Maharashtra State Grape Growers’ Association (MSGGA), said: “Export has become an expensive affair. In the last two years, the rent on containers has gone up substantially. Packing rates have also risen. We want to ensure that the increased cost of production is shouldered by consumers or the market.”

Farmers have also called on the Indian government to increase the grant on grape exports from 3% to 9% and help them import plastic covers to protect the produce from unseasonal rains and hail. In the 2020/21 campaign, India exported over 246,000 tons, worth US$313.6 million.