The exports of agricultural and processed food products rose by 16 percent in the eight-month period of April-November of the current financial year, in comparison to the corresponding period of FY 2021-22.

According to the provisional data by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), the overall export of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) products increased by 16 percent growth in terms of USD during April-November 2022 to USD 17.43 billion from USD 15.07 billion over the same period of the last fiscal, an official release said on Friday.

The initiatives taken by the APEDA that works under the ministry of commerce and industry have helped the country in achieving 74 percent of its total export target for 2022-23 in eight months of the current fiscal.

For 2022-23, an export target of USD 23.56 billion has been fixed for the agricultural and processed food products basket and an export of USD 17.435 billion has already been achieved in eight months of the current fiscal.

As per the DGCI&S provisional data, processed fruits and vegetables recorded a growth of 32.60 percent (April-November 2022), while fresh fruits registered four percent growth in compare to corresponding months of the previous year.

Also, processed food products like cereals and miscellaneous processed items reported a growth of 28.29 percent in compare to the first eight months of the previous year.

In April-November 2021, fresh fruits were exported to the tune of USD 954 million that increased to USD 991 million in the corresponding months of the current fiscal. Exports of processed F&V jumped to USD 1310 million in eight months of the current fiscal from USD 988 million in the corresponding months of the previous year.

The export of pulses has witnessed an increase of 90.49 percent in eight months of the current fiscal in compare to the same months of the last fiscal as the export of lentils increased from USD 206 million (April-November 2021-22) to USD 392 million (April-November 2022-23).

Basmati Rice exports witnessed a growth of 39.26 percent in eight months of FY 2022-23 as its export increased from USD 2063 million (April-November 2021) to USD 2873 million (April-November 2022), while the export of non-Basmati rice registered a growth of 5 percent in eight months of current fiscal. Non-basmati rice export increased to USD 4109 million in eight months of the current fiscal from USD 3930 million in the corresponding months of the previous year.

The export of poultry products increased by 88.45 percent and the export of other cereals recorded a growth of 12.90 percent in eight months of the current fiscal. The export of poultry products rose to USD 82 million in eight months of the current fiscal from USD 43 million in corresponding months of the previous year.

Similarly, dairy products recorded a growth of 33.77 percent as its export rose to USD 421 million in April-November 2022 from USD 315 million in the corresponding months of the previous year.

Wheat export has registered an increase of 29.29 percent in eight months of the current fiscal as its export rose to USD 1508 million in April-November 2022 from USD 1166 million in April-November 2021.

Exports of other cereals increased from USD 619 million in April-November 2021 to USD 699 million in April-November 2022 and the export of livestock products increased from USD 2665 million in April-November 2021 to USD 2709 million in April-November 2022.

On this achievement, APEDA chairman M Angamuthu said, “We have been working with all the stakeholders such as farmers, exporters, processors to ensure that quality agricultural and processed food products are exported from the country.”

The rise in the export of agricultural and processed food products is the outcome of various initiatives taken for the export promotion of agricultural and processed food products such as organising B2B exhibitions in different countries, exploring new potential markets through product-specific and general marketing campaigns by the active involvement of Indian Embassies.

Several initiatives were also taken to promote products having registered geographical indications (GI) in India by organising virtual buyer-seller meets on agricultural and food products with the United Arab Emirates and on GI products, including handicrafts, with the USA.