New European lockdown casts shadow on Indian grape exports
The new coronavirus lockdown in several European countries creates a lot of uncertainty for India’s grapes exports, the season for which is set to start next week. The UK and countries of the European Union have been an important market for Indian grapes given the surety of payment there. Indian grape growers deal with both supermarkets as well as wholesale traders, with the former cornering 60 per cent of exports. Almost 80 per cent of Indian exports originate from the vineyards in Maharashtra. Farmers command better prices for export grapes than those meant for the domestic markets.