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Farm produce

Export papaya

A year-round fruit for the Gulf and neighbours. Short shelf life means fast transit, careful ripening and cold chain.

Free to exportHS 0807.20
HS code
0807.20
Papaws (papayas), fresh — 0807 20 00.
Export policy
Free to export
Free under ITC(HS) Schedule 2, with a phytosanitary certificate for each consignment. Confirm the current line on DGFT.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 6.1 mn
to 14 countries

What is exported

India is a large papaya grower, with Red Lady and local varieties harvested through the year. Exports are mostly fresh fruit shipped by air or reefer to Gulf supermarkets and by road to Nepal and Bangladesh. APEDA counts papaya among “other fresh fruits”, whose main destinations in 2025-26 included the UAE, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Red Lady (Taiwan 786)Red-fleshed hybrid that travels better; the usual export type.
  • Pusa and Coorg Honey Dew typesSold mostly in nearby markets.
  • Raw papaya and papainGreen papaya for cooking; dried latex (papain) is a separate enzyme trade.

Where it is grown or made

  • Andhra PradeshAnantapur, Kadapa and West Godavari.
  • Gujarat and MaharashtraBharuch, Vadodara, Anand; Jalgaon, Nandurbar and Dhule.
  • Karnataka and Madhya PradeshBelagavi and Chikkaballapur; Barwani and Dhar.

Season

Harvested year-round; supply and quality are best in the cooler months.

Export packing

  • Each fruit wrapped in paper or foam net, single layer in ventilated cartons of about 10–15 kg (typical trade practice).
  • Air freight for supermarkets; reefers for wholesale lots.

Who buys abroad

  • Gulf hypermarket chains and their private labels
  • Fruit importers in Nepal and Bangladesh
  • Indian and South Asian grocery distributors in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and the Gulf

The quality buyers ask for

Codex standard
Papaya CXS 183-1993 — minimum quality, size codes and tolerances
Maturity
Harvested at colour-break to one-quarter yellow, depending on transit time
Defects
Free of bruises, latex burn, sunburn and disease spots
Residues
Pesticide residues within the importer’s MRLs

Certificates

  • APEDA RCMCRequiredRegistration with APEDA, issued as an RCMC on the DGFT portal. Since 15 Sep 2026, a consignment up to ₹3 lakh FOB can go without it.
  • Phytosanitary certificateRequiredIssued by Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) for each consignment after inspection. Apply on PQMS.
  • GLOBALG.A.P.Often askedFarm-level good agricultural practice certification asked for by most European supermarkets for fresh produce.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Single-layer cartons on pallets; reefers for wholesale, air for retail programmes.

How it travels

Air to the Gulf; sea reefer for short routes; road to Nepal and Bangladesh.

Storage

Typically about 10–13 °C — colder causes chilling injury (your forwarder and packhouse confirm).

Shelf life

Typically one to three weeks depending on maturity and temperature.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Fresh-fruit cartons: produce name and variety, class and size or count, net weight, packer’s name and address or code, “Product of India”, and the packhouse or lot code (EU marketing standards apply for the EU).
  • Gulf countries: Arabic text (Arabic plus English is normal), production and expiry dates, net weight, country of origin and importer details. Confirm current rules with your importer.
  • Lot or batch number on every pack and carton, matching the invoice and packing list, so the goods can be traced and recalled.
Where to get it tested

For pesticide residues, use a lab on APEDA’s recognised list (apeda.gov.in → Recognised Organisations) or an NABL-accredited residue lab (nabl-india.org). Plant Quarantine inspects the consignment for the phytosanitary certificate.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • APEDARegistration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) for APEDA-scheduled products. Apply on the DGFT portal after you have your IEC.dgft.gov.in ↗
  • Plant Quarantine (DPPQS)Phytosanitary certificate for each consignment of fresh or dried plant produce, applied for on PQMS. Some markets also need the farm or packhouse to be registered.pqms.cgg.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Pesticide residues within the importing country’s limits (see APEDA’s MRL database).
  • Fruit picked at colour-break (first yellow streak) so that it ripens on arrival, not on the way.
  • Free from fruit fly, latex stains, bruises and anthracnose; each fruit wrapped or netted.
How to start small

Begin with weekly air shipments of a few hundred kilograms to a Gulf importer, sourced from one reliable grower group. Once quality holds, move to reefer containers. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27); licences that a law requires, such as FSSAI, still apply.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Harvesting too ripe — the fruit is soft and spoiled when it lands.
  • Breaking the cold chain at the airport or border; papaya suffers chilling injury if kept too cold and rots if kept warm.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (5)
  1. APEDA — Other Fresh Fruits (exports and destinations, 2025-26)
  2. APEDA — Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
  3. APEDA — International Pesticide MRL Database
  4. Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) — PQMS portal for phytosanitary certificates
  5. DGFT Notification 36/2026-27 (15 Sep 2026) — no RCMC needed for consignments up to ₹3 lakh FOB

Trade data

Indian papaya exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 6.1 mn
+18.9% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +18.4%
US$ 5.1 mn → US$ 6.1 mn
Buyer countries
14
Average export price
US$ 0.34
per kg · 17,568 tonnes shipped · US$ 0.40 the year before
Nepal: US$ 2.9 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 1.8 mnQatar: US$ 550kKuwait: US$ 440kBhutan: US$ 130kBahrain: US$ 90kMaldives: US$ 40kUnited Kingdom: US$ 40kOman: US$ 30kBelgium: US$ 30kIreland: US$ 20kSaudi Arabia: US$ 20kNetherlands: US$ 10kSpain: US$ 10kNepal: US$ 2.9 mnNepalUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 1.8 mnUnited Arab EmiratesQatar: US$ 550kKuwait: US$ 440kBhutan: US$ 130kBahrain: US$ 90kMaldives: US$ 40kMaldivesUnited Kingdom: US$ 40kUnited KingdomOman: US$ 30kBelgium: US$ 30kIreland: US$ 20kSaudi Arabia: US$ 20kNetherlands: US$ 10kSpain: US$ 10kSpainIndia
Where Indian papaya goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 2.6 mn2.52020-212021-22: US$ 2.9 mn2.92021-222022-23: US$ 3.5 mn3.52022-232023-24: US$ 3.8 mn3.82023-242024-25: US$ 5.1 mn5.12024-252025-26: US$ 6.1 mn6.02025-26
India’s papaya exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2024-25, lowest in 2020-21 — a 20% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 0.33 per kg0.332021-22: US$ 0.37 per kg2022-23: US$ 0.37 per kg2024-25: US$ 0.40 per kg0.402025-26: US$ 0.34 per kg0.342020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian papaya · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 2.6 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 2.9 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 3.5 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 3.8 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 5.1 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 6.1 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 7 mn (US$ 6.4 mn – US$ 7.6 mn)7.02026-272027-28: US$ 8.3 mn (US$ 7.6 mn – US$ 9.1 mn)8.32027-28
India’s papaya exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 8.3 mn

Likely range US$ 7.6 mn to US$ 9.1 mn.

Trend
+19% a year
Fit (R²)
0.98
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1NepalUS$ 2.9 mn+41.1%
2United Arab EmiratesUS$ 1.8 mn+58.9%
3QatarUS$ 550k+1.9%
4KuwaitUS$ 440k-13.7%
5BhutanUS$ 130k+18.2%
6BahrainUS$ 90k-10%
7MaldivesUS$ 40k-71.4%
8United KingdomUS$ 40k-20%
9OmanUS$ 30k-50%
10BelgiumUS$ 30k-89.3%
11IrelandUS$ 20k—
12Saudi ArabiaUS$ 20k0%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 1.1 mn → US$ 1.8 mn+58.9%
  2. NepalUS$ 2 mn → US$ 2.9 mn+41.1%

Low demand

No sizeable country falls in this list this year.

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Fruit, edible, papaws, fresh — papaws (papayas) fresh0807 20 00US$ 6.1 mn+18.4%17,568 tonnesUS$ 0.34 per kgwas US$ 0.40

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 381 mn
2023
India among exporters
#13
of 92 countries
India’s share of world exports
1.1%
US$ 3.6 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 318 mn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1MexicoUS$ 124 mn 38.6%
  2. 2BrazilUS$ 53.1 mn 16.5%
  3. 3GuatemalaUS$ 21.7 mn 6.7%
  4. 4USAUS$ 20.1 mn 6.3%
  5. 5SpainUS$ 15.5 mn 4.8%
  6. 6NetherlandsUS$ 13.9 mn 4.3%
  7. 7ChinaUS$ 10.7 mn 3.3%
  8. 8PhilippinesUS$ 9 mn 2.8%
  9. 9ThailandUS$ 8.4 mn 2.6%
  10. 10Sri LankaUS$ 6.2 mn 1.9%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 166 mn 43.5%
  2. 2PortugalUS$ 28.9 mn 7.6%
  3. 3CanadaUS$ 23.8 mn 6.3%
  4. 4GermanyUS$ 23.6 mn 6.2%
  5. 5SpainUS$ 20.8 mn 5.5%
  6. 6NetherlandsUS$ 14 mn 3.7%
  7. 7United KingdomUS$ 10.9 mn 2.9%
  8. 8United Arab EmiratesUS$ 10.7 mn 2.8%
  9. 9FranceUS$ 9 mn 2.4%
  10. 10SingaporeUS$ 8.6 mn 2.3%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 164 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 164 mn
CanadaUS$ 26.5 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 26.5 mn
GermanyUS$ 25.7 mnIndia 0.1% · gap US$ 25.7 mn
SpainUS$ 22.3 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 22.3 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 13.8 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 13.8 mn
United KingdomUS$ 10.9 mnIndia 0.2% · gap US$ 10.9 mn
FranceUS$ 10 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 10 mn
United Arab EmiratesUS$ 10.7 mnIndia 11.3% · gap US$ 9.5 mn
ItalyUS$ 9.1 mnIndia 0% · gap US$ 9.1 mn
SingaporeUS$ 8.1 mnIndia 0.1% · gap US$ 8 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export papaya

India is among the world’s largest papaya producers, but exports are small because the fruit is delicate and short-lived. Mexico, Brazil and Guatemala lead world trade, mainly into North America and Europe. India’s realistic markets are the Gulf, by air and reefer, and its neighbours by road. The openings are steady weekly supply of well-graded Red Lady papaya to Gulf supermarkets, and dried or processed papaya products.

  1. 01Fix a weekly programme

    Agree volume, size and maturity with one Gulf importer.

  2. 02Tie up growers

    Contract a grower group with spray records and staggered planting for steady supply.

  3. 03Harvest and treat

    Harvest at colour-break, wash off latex and treat where allowed.

  4. 04Wrap and pack

    Wrap each fruit, pack one layer per carton and pre-cool.

  5. 05Certify

    Get the phytosanitary certificate on PQMS.

  6. 06Book, stuff and file

    Book the container, stuff it with a pre-shipment check, file the shipping bill on ICEGATE and get the certificate of origin and any health certificate.

  7. 07Get paid and close the file

    Send the original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). Once the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP and drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting papaya

Air or sea for papaya?
Air for supermarket programmes and long distances; sea reefer only on short routes such as the Gulf, with careful maturity control.
Why do buyers complain of soft fruit?
The fruit was picked too ripe or held warm. Pick earlier and keep the cold chain.
Can papaya be stored very cold?
No. It suffers chilling injury — pitting and poor ripening — if kept too cold.
What RoDTEP applies?
Fresh papaya (0807 20 00): 2.9% of FOB, capped at ₹1.20 per kg, continued to 31 Dec 2026.
Do I need an RCMC for my first small shipment?
Since 15 Sep 2026, a consignment up to ₹3 lakh FOB can go without an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). FSSAI and other legal licences still apply, and you need an RCMC to claim most export benefits.
Sources (5)
  1. APEDA — Other Fresh Fruits (exports and destinations, 2025-26)
  2. Codex Alimentarius — list of standards
  3. APEDA — International Pesticide MRL Database
  4. Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) — PQMS portal for phytosanitary certificates
  5. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification No. 32, 30 Sep 2024)

Who buys Indian papaya

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