Govt tightens export norms for grapes, groundnuts

New Delhi. Export of grapes to European Union (EU) and shipping of groundnuts to world markets will now require registration from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Commerce Ministry has said. However, export of groundnuts and its products to Russia will not require such registration. "Export of groundnuts and its products to all countries except Russia would require registration from APEDA along with controlled aflatoxin level certificate by the recognised laboratories," Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. So far, compulsory registration of contracts with APEDA, along with controlled Aflatoxin level certificate, was required only for exports to EU. The notification said that export of groundnuts and its products to Russia would continue to be on the basis of pre-shipment certificate by notified laboratories. Besides, DGFT said: "Export of grapes to EU would require registration from APEDA". Several consignments of grapes were rejected by the European authorities due to the presence of a chemical residue. Grape exporters were facing losses due to this. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are major exporters of grapes and in order to keep the fruit fresh, chloromacvat chemical was used as a preservative. Grapes are harvested during February-April.