Vol. 7, Issue 12, Part D (2025)

Pomegranate is an emerging high-value fruit crop in India, offering substantial potential for both domestic income generation and export growth. Despite being the world’s largest producer, India contributes only 6.4% to global pomegranate exports, indicating a significant gap between production capacity and international market performance. This study analyzes the growth, instability, trade dynamics, production constraints, and export challenges of pomegranate, with a focus on Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra one of the major pomegranate-growing regions in the country. A purposive multistage sampling method was employed to select 20 villages from five major pomegranate-growing taluks, from which primary data were collected through interviews with growers. Secondary data on production and export trends (2008-09 to 2023-24) were analyzed using simple statistical tools, Compound Growth Rates (CGR), instability indices, and a transitional probability matrix. Results showed that while India’s pomegranate production increased substantially—from 587,000 tons in 2008-09 to 3,097,722 tons in 2022-23—exports fluctuated greatly, resulting in a declining share of exports relative to production. CGR analysis indicated significant growth in export quantity (9.64%) and value (14.55%). However, instability indices revealed high fluctuations in key export markets such as Bangladesh and the Netherlands. The transitional probability matrix demonstrated high market retention in Saudi Arabia and Nepal, while other markets showed volatility. Major production constraints included financial limitations, lack of information on export-oriented quality standards, high input costs, weak infrastructure, and labor shortages. Export constraints were dominated by color and varietal mismatches, inadequate export promotion policies, high transportation expenses, and insufficient cold storage facilities. Farmers recommended financial support, improved training, market information access, enhanced post-harvest infrastructure, and better policy interventions to strengthen export competitiveness.