The first shipment of Argentine lemons has finally reached India, following the approval of market access earlier this year. IG International, fresh fruit importer will import the lemons from Argentina supplied by San Miguel (country’s largest growers and exporters of lemons).
The opening of the 1st container of this season’s lemons was graced by the delegates from San Miguel, the Consul General of Argentina along with the representatives of the Argentina Embassy in Delhi.
For now, IG International will import around 500 MT (2020) for consumption purpose in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai among other cities.
It must be noted that Eureka lemons are big, averaging five centimeters in diameter, having an oblong shape. It has a vibrant yellow skin with sunken oil glands, giving it a textured surface. The skin is full of volatile oils that give an intense citrus fragrance. Eureka lemons have a marked blossom-end knob, known as mammilla & medium-thick white pith. The juicy, yellow flesh has few or no seeds and provides a tart & acidic flavor.
The Director of IG International, Mr. Tarun Arora said, “India is a grower of limes & this variety of lemon is presently not grown in the country. Indian consumers have become very diverse & want to try anything new. IG International represented about 86 percent of the total imported lemon market in India. Although the volume is really small we are really eager to work on lemons to grow this category in India for the future”.
He added that we have full confidence in the quality of lemons imported from Argentina & are positive that we can boost the quantity of lemons imported to the country from the existing 100MT to around 2000MT in the next 3 to 5 years.
According to some studies, lemons can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Today many people consume lemon because of high Vitamin C that helps in improving digestion, skin quality, weight loss etc.
IG International currently imports 31 global varieties of fruits to India from across 22 nations. It uses its outstanding Pan-India distribution network to cater to various cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kolkata etc. The company has global offices in Chin, US, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Hong Kong.
