INDIA’S exports of fresh fruits and vegetables to Qatar jumped by 15 percent in the first two weeks after its GCC neighbours Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain blocked access to Doha by air and land on June 5, according to a senior official of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) in India.
India’s fruits and vegetables exports to Qatar have increased as Doha started transporting fruits and vegetables by air to meet its immediate needs, the official said, adding that many cargo airlines have delivered goods in large quantities to Qatar in the first two weeks of the crisis.
An Indian newspaper has quoted the official as saying that the exports of fruits and vegetables from India to Qatar is likely to rise further as Doha has started importing from India directly.
Indian exporters have also stepped up their efforts to meet the rising demand from Qatar.
"While fruits and vegetables exports to Qatar increased after the crisis, the demand is yet to reach its peak. We expect new orders from Qatar,” a Pune-based fruit exporter was quoted by the newspaper.
According to Apeda, India’s direct exports to Qatar is expected to reach Rs 220 crore this year, an increase of 14 percent from the previous year’s Rs 193 crore. (Satyendra Pathak/Doha)