Continue to focus on creating infrastructure to boost exports: APEDA

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), an arm of the commerce ministry, on Friday said it is focusing on creating infrastructure and clusters in collaboration with state governments to promote outbound shipments. Exports of agricultural and processed food products have risen to USD 20,674 million (Rs 1,53,050 crore) during 2020-21 from USD 17,321 million (Rs 83,484 crore) in 2011-12, it said.

It further informed that non-basmati rice contributed close to one-fourth of the total exports in 2020-21. It was followed by basmati rice and buffalo meat.

Benin, Nepal, Bangladesh, Senegal and Togo were the top importers of non-basmati rice. Major export destinations for basmati rice in 2020-21 were Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.

For buffalo meat exports, the top importing nations were Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt and Indonesia.

“We continue to focus on creating infrastructure for boosting exports by focusing on clusters in collaboration with state governments while taking into consideration the aim of Agriculture Export Policy, 2018,” M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, said.

APEDA has been engaged with state governments for the implementation of the Agriculture Export Policy.

States including Maharashtra, Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab, Karnataka, and Rajasthan have finalised the state-specific action plan for exports, APEDA noted.

India’s share in the world agricultural exports stood at 2.1 per cent in 2019, up from 1.71 per cent in 2010.