India’s agricultural and processed food products exports up by 14% to USD 5987 Million in first three months of current fiscal
Processed food
exports witness growth of 36.4% during the 1st quarter
Of total USD 23.56 billion export target for 2022-23, 25.4% achieved in first
three months
Government to focus on collaboration with key stakeholders in the Agri-exports
value chain to sustain growth: Dr M Angamuthu, Chairperson, APEDA
Continuing with the trend from the previous year, the exports of
agricultural and processed food products rose by 14 percent in the first three
months of the current Financial Year 2022-23 (April-June) compared to the
corresponding period of FY 2021-22.
For the year 2022-23, the government had set an export target of USD
23.56 billion for the agricultural and processed food products basket under
APEDA. The initiatives taken by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry have
helped the country in achieving 25 percent of the total annual export target in
the first three months of the current fiscal.
According to the Quick Estimates data released by the Directorate
General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), the overall
export of products under APEDA ambit (Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority) increased to USD 5987 million in April-June 2022
from USD 5256 million over the same period of the last fiscal. The export
target for April-June 2022-23 was USD 5890 million. The APEDA basket excludes
Tea, coffee, spices, cotton and marine exports.
The exports of fresh fruits & vegetables registered 8.6 percent
growth, while processed food products like cereals and miscellaneous processed
items reported an impressive growth of 36.4 percent (April-June 2022-23)
compared to corresponding months of the previous year. In April-June, 2021,
fresh fruits and vegetables were exported to the tune of USD 642 million that
increased to USD 697 million in the corresponding months of the current fiscal.
Other cereals’ export increased from USD 237 million in April-June 2021to USD
306 million in April-June 2022 and the export of meat, dairy and poultry
products increased from USD 1023 million in April-June 2021 to USD 1120 million
in April-June 2022.
Rice exports witnessed a growth of 13 percent in the first three months
of FY 2022-23, while the export of meat, dairy & poultry products increased
by 9.5 percent and export of other cereals increased by 29 percent. The export
of rice increased from USD 2412 million in April-June 2021 to USD 2723 million
in April-June 2022.The dairy products were exported to the tune of USD 1120
million in the first three months of the current fiscal from million in the
same period last year.
“We continue to provide technical and financial assistance to various
stakeholders in the agricultural goods value chains for boosting exports of
unique products from the country. Through creating a necessary eco-system of
exports along with collaboration with key stakeholders in the agri-exports
value chains, we are aiming to sustain the growth in India’s agricultural and
processed food exports in the current fiscal as well,” M Angamuthu, Chairman,
APEDA, said.
India’s agricultural products exports had grown by 19.92 per cent during
2021-22 to touch USD 50.21 billion. The growth rate is remarkable as it is over
and above the growth of 17.66 per cent at USD 41.87 billion achieved in 2020-21
and has been achieved in spite of unprecedented logistical challenges in the
form of high freight rates and container shortages, etc.
The rise in the export of agricultural and processed food products is
the outcome government’s 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. The
government has also taken several initiatives to promote products having
registered geographical indications (GI) in India by organizing virtual Buyer
Seller Meets on agricultural and food products with the United Arab Emirates
and on GI products, including handicrafts with the USA.
In order to ensure seamless quality certification of products to be
exported, the government has recognised 220 labs across India to provide
services of testing to a wide range of products and exporters.