US cherry growers' body NWCG launches campaign to tap Indian mkt

With demand for cherries rising in India, an American cherry growers association NWCG on Thursday launched a special campaign to tap the Indian market.The month-long campaign starting this month aims to introduce to Indian consumers special cherries from the North West of the USA.Ron Verdonk, Minister-Counselor for Agriculture Affairs at the US Embassy here said the cherries from the US Pacific Northwest have sweet flavour, bigger size and superior quality.

With demand for cherries rising in India, an American cherry growers' association NWCG on Thursday launched a special campaign to tap the Indian market.

The month-long campaign starting this month aims to introduce to Indian consumers special cherries from the North West of the USA.

Ron Verdonk, Minister-Counselor for Agriculture Affairs at the US Embassy here said the cherries from the US Pacific Northwest have sweet flavour, bigger size and superior quality. ''I am delighted to see them here in India''.

The US is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of sweet cherries. The cherries from the US Pacific Northwest are grown in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana, he said.

Speaking to PTI about the campaign, In-country Marketing Representative of Northwest Cherry Growers (NWCG) Sumit Saran said the cherry market is growing in India and it foresees potential for Northwest cherries in the country.

About 14-15 tonnes of US cherries were exported to India last year. Though the US base in Indian cherry market is low at present, it is a clear indication that Indians are beginning to get the taste of this fruit, he said.

Cherries in Northwest of the US are harvested between July and August, which perfectly complements the Indian cherry season, he added.

NWCG has chalked out an extensive retail and communication strategy to engage with Indian traders, wholesalers, retailers and consumers across the country. These cherries will be available both with retail fruit sellers and e-commerce platforms, he said, adding that initially the focus will be on metros.

Cherry production in the US stood at 4,47,000 tonnes in 2018-19. Growers are now getting into high density production, according to NWCG.

India's cherry imports are on rise as total import had reached 360 tonnes during April-December of the 2020-21 fiscal year as against the total 271 tonne shipments previous year, Saran added.

At present, import duty on the US cherry is about 30 per cent.