Written by Swasti Jain
Nationwide anti-government protests in Iran since late December 2025 have hit India’s apple supply chain with a shortage of Iranian apples, leading to decreased imports and increased prices.
The impact is most visible in PuneAgricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), Gultekdi Market Yard. Traders say Iranian apples have been in short supply. Weekly arrivals have plummeted from 8,000 to 10,000 boxes to just 4,000 to 4,500 boxes. The shortage came with a price hike from ₹150 to ₹200 per 10 kg across the wholesale market. November to February is the season when Iranian apples are imported to India.
“In the wholesale market, Iranian apples are currently sold at Rs 1,350 to Rs 1,500 per 10 kg, while Afghan apples are sold at Rs 900 to Rs 1,000 per 10 kg,” said Satyajit Zende, director of the Shri Gurudevdatta Agency. As Iranian supplies dried up, Afghan apple prices rose just as strongly, narrowing the gap between the two. The government’s recent move to reduce import duties on New Zealand apples from 50% to 25% offers little respite. Despite the tariff reduction, premium New Zealand varieties remain out of reach for most Indian consumers.
As Zende explains, “New Zealand apples are high quality, but even with reduced import taxes, most citizens will not buy them. Ultimately, they only supply the elite classes.” He stressed that duty exemption cannot bridge the fundamental affordability gap. Iranian apples have always been in demand in India due to their good quality and comparatively low prices.
Environmental factors have aggravated the crisis. Zende noted that apple crops in producing regions such as Türkiye have produced less this season, while inadequate snowfall in key producing countries has stunted crops.
Mayur Sapkal, founder and CEO of Gurudatta Impex Private Limited, lays out the structure of import duties: “Afghanistan has duty-free access to Indian markets. Iran faces a tariff of 51%. Turkey, Poland, Chile, the US and South Africa have duties of between 50% and 51%.”
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As the second week of February marks the beginning of Ramadan, a period when fruit consumption traditionally increases, unease among consumers has been amplified. However, there is a positive side. India’s own apple production, supported by controlled atmosphere (CA) cold storage technology, is gradually filling the gap. “India has its own AC cold storage, which supports sustainability and boosts production volumes,” Zende said. Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, the two major apple-producing regions of India, have successfully leveraged AC technology. Their apples are typically released to the market around February 1, providing price relief just as Ramadan demand peaks. Until then, the market remains tight and consumers must navigate the dual pressures of limited supplies and high costs.