Page 31 - ITLN March - April 2022 issue

and most of the inspection happens
Japan or New Zealand who is our man
on the ground. He then processes
them and puts them in wet packs
and from there they go into auctions
and to supermarkets or malls. Each
market has different systems and
these roses sell at different prices
based on that. Roses are a perishable
product and one of the most
perishable of most perishables. We
don't have tomorrows! Earlier we used
to supply roses to various markets,
but now we concentrate on Japan and
New Zealand."
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there. With respect to the phytosanitary
certification, the protocol varies from
country to country," Mappillai shares.
According to the APEDA's data
for FY 2020-21, Bangalore Airport is
the leading airport for flower exports
in India and for the handling of
perishables. One out of every 3 flowers
exported from India is shipped through
BIAL today. Earlier this month, in lieu
of Valentine's Day, it facilitated 515,000
kgs of roses to 25 international and
domestic destinations compared to
270,000 kgs shipped in 2021.
Further, around 200,000 kgs (~7.3
million stems) were exported to
international destinations this year
compared to last year's 170,000
kgs, as per data shared by BIAL. A
spokesperson from BIAL told ITLN
that flowers make up a 3-4% share
of the overall perishables that move
from Bangalore Airport. The Plant
Quarantine Inspection and Certification
facility at the BIAL terminal also enables
seamless and faster transit of flowers.
With such seamless transfers and
digitalization, processes are geared
in such a way that all farm-fresh
commodities reportedly reach their
destinations within 24 hours of harvest.
"While pharma shipments need to
be stored in accurate temperatures,
flowers need a cold chain and need to
be in a mild to moderate temperature.
The temperature needed for roses is
between 2-5 degrees. The cool port
which is a temperature-regulated
infrastructure at BIAL is the only facility
that the flowers go through from where
they are shipped within 24 hours from
when they arrive at the airport. Our
At the airport operational efficiency ensures that all
A far cry from yesteryears, the current processes including the customs and
scenario is such that every facility is plant quarantine approvals are done
present at BIAL including customs quickly within our premises and it is
clearance and X-ray. "Now the truck very easy to process it. After the initial
gets unloaded straight into the cold clearances, the customs also gives the
room/ cool port which has a holding flowers 'priority clearance' within 24
temperature and after the official hours from when we receive it - which is
procedures, it goes into a room where it key," said a spokesperson from BIAL.
is maintained at 2 degrees. The X-rays
and phytosanitary certification is done Pandemic casts a shadow
there. Earlier the phytosanitary had an However, since 2020, the Coronavirus
office in a different building but now they pandemic has also affected the
have a permanent centre at the airport perishables sector which is struggling
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March - April 2022