India had a significant growth in agricultural and processed food exports from April to October, which bodes well for agricultural export prospects.
India saw a significant gain in agricultural and processed food exports in the April-October period of the current fiscal year, 2021-22, compared to the same seven-month period of the previous fiscal year, 2020-21, which bodes well for agricultural export prospects.
Overall exports of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) products climbed by 14.7 percent in USD from April to October 2021, according to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics’ (DGCI & S) Quick Estimates.
Total APEDA exports increased from USD 10,157 million from April to October 2020 to USD 11,651 million in April to October 2021. This increase in exports was accomplished despite the COVID-19 restrictions. The government’s commitment to improve farmers’ income by emphasising the country’s agricultural and processed food exports is shown in the significant increase in agri-exports.
The high increase in agricultural and processed food exports recorded in the first seven months of this fiscal year is similar to the increase seen in fiscal years 2020–21. Rice exports climbed by 10.5 percent between April and October 2020 and April and October 2021, from USD 4777.35 million to USD 5278.95 million.
Fresh fruit and vegetable exports climbed by 11.6 percent in USD, while processed food products such as cereals, preparations, and other processed commodities increased by 29.6 percent, according to a government release. In April-October 2020-21, fresh fruits and vegetables were delivered for USD 1374.59 million, rising to USD 1534.05 million in April-October 2021-22. India’s exports of other grains climbed by 85.4 percent in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, while exports of meat, dairy, and poultry products increased by 15.6 percent (2021-22).
Other cereal exports climbed from USD 274.98 million to USD 509.77 million in April-October 2021, while meat, dairy, and poultry exports increased from USD 1978.6 million to USD 2286.32 million. From April to October 2021, cashew exports climbed by 29.2 percent, rising from USD 205.29 million in April to October 2020 to USD 265.27 million in April to October 2021.
APEDA, which is part of the Ministry of Commerce, has helped the country reach this milestone at a time when most economic activities have been significantly impeded by the restrictions imposed following the commencement of COVID-19’s second phase.
“We continue to focus on creating infrastructure for exports from eastern, north-eastern and hilly regions where infrastructure was earlier not adequate,” said Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA.
APEDA’s different export promotion activities for agricultural and processed food goods include:
The APEDA has made a number of initiatives to promote GI products in India, including organising virtual buyer-seller meetings on agricultural and food products with the UAE and GI products, such as handicrafts, with the United States. The APEDA approach of holding Virtual Buyer Seller Meetings (VBSM) with potential importing countries to popularise the GI products of the primary agricultural commodities exported is continuing working.
• APEDA has approved 220 labs across India to provide testing services to a wide range of products and exporters in order to ensure that products destined for export are of high quality.
• APEDA also assists accredited laboratories in improving and enhancing their export testing and residue monitoring plans. APEDA also helps with agricultural product exports by providing financial assistance for infrastructure development, quality improvement, and market expansion.
• APEDA coordinates exporters’ participation in international trade shows, providing them with a platform to advertise their food products on a global scale. APEDA also organises national events like AAHAR, Organic World Congress, BioFach India, and others to promote agri-exports.
• In order to meet the quality criteria of the global market, APEDA began registering horticultural packing houses. Registration of export units for peanut shelling, grading, and processing facilities, for example, assures EU and non-EU countries’ quality compliance.
• Meat processing plants and abattoirs are registered with APEDA to guarantee that they fulfil international food safety and quality requirements. Another key initiative is the development and implementation of traceability systems to assure food safety and quality compliance in importing countries.
• In order to improve exports, APEDA creates and disseminates a variety of international trade analytical information, market access information, and responds to trade queries.