Kiwis to get rare as govt bans import of exotic fruits

NEW DELHI: The government has brought out a new law which would restrict imports of vegetables and fruits into the country and makes exotic fruits such as kiwis, rambutans and melons forbidden for Indian consumers.
This has been done by way of a new plant quarantine order which imposes stringent standards for imports of agricultural articles. The new law has been designed to meet new requirements under WTO, which is aimed at regulating import of agricultural articles into the country, official sources said.
With the lifting of quantitative restrictions fully in ’02, imports of exotic fruits and vegetables had witnessed a surge with even Mother Dairy selling fruits like kiwi through its outlets.
No consignment of plants or plant products or other regulated articles can be imported into the country without a valid permit as per the order which came into effect from January 1, ’04. The order lists products on which the pest risk analysis had been carried out based on global standards.