India's leading fresh fruit portal IG International has celebrated the arrival of the 1000th container of apples from its U.S.-based partner Stemilt Growers.

IG hosted a ceremony on July 24 at the Hotel Lalit, New Delhi, with guest including Mark Wallace, the Acting Minister Counsellor for the USDA, and Stemilt senior exports manager, William Young.

Tarun Arora, director of IG International, gave a welcome speech, which was followed by a performance by speed painter Rabin Bar. 

Young and Wallace then gave presentations, and then Prakash Thakur, an ex-member of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), spoke at length about how imported apples have benefitted Indian growers.

“This celebration underlines our decade-old promise and commitment of delivering, exotic and delicious fruits to our customers," said Arora of the celebration.

"The arrival of the 1000^th container of Stemilt apples is a testimony to the growth we are experiencing as part of this partnership and the exciting future it holds.

"We are also happy to continue our association with Stemilt Growers and look forward to providing only the best quality, tastiest, and freshest produce to our customers in the coming years in association with this world-renowned brand."

Young said he was "extremely proud" to see the company's association with IG International grow from strength to strength.

"Stemilt Growers is happy to be a catalyst to IG’s sustained growth and expansion in several parts of the country. We look forward to nurturing this association and offering the best to more Indian consumers," he said.

Wallace highlighted that apple consumption in India has increased, with 2.2 million metric tons (MT) of the fruit eaten last year.

"While some schools in India have made it mandatory for children to carry a fruit to school every day, some are encouraging a morning fruit break," he said.

"I would like to re-emphasize that fresh fruits constitute an important part of a healthy diet, and every person should consume their daily dose of fruits."

Photo: The Huffington Post