Pomegranate Imports from India Allowed in Australia

India pomegranates will soon be available in Australia’s fresh fruit market. Moreover, it is being reported that Australia has finally completed the import protocol for fresh pomegranate after going through the risk assessment procedure.

Barry O’ Farrell, Australia’s high commissioner of India has stated that even though Australia already produces pomegranates, India is in a commendable position to meet the shortfalls that are rampant in the Australian domestic market. Furthermore, it is also an evident fact that India is one of the world’s largest producers of pomegranates and is capable of meeting any lacks that are created within the Australian market.

He has also opined that India can support Australian production of pomegranates and this is majorly fuelled by the use of this fruit in the restaurants and cooking shows. Additionally, India has already been exporting fruits such as mangoes, grapes and bananas to Australia for the past few years. If Indian exporters are able to meet the biosecurity protocols of the Australian government, then it is possible that Australia will be able to import more fruits from the Indian exporters.

Categorized as a berry, the pomegranate is about 5–12 cm (2–5 inches) in diameter. It is red, round and looks kind of like a red apple with a flower-shaped stem.

The skin of the pomegranate is thick and inedible, but there are hundreds of edible seeds within. Each seed is surrounded by a red, juicy and sweet seed covering known as an aril.

The seeds and arils are the edible parts of the fruit — eaten either raw or processed into pomegranate juice — but the peel is discarded. The pomegranate is a fruit that contains hundreds of edible seeds called arils. They are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and bioactive plant compounds, but they also contain some sugar.

Article by: Hari Yellina (Orchard Tech)