Despite Corona pandemic, Indian agriculture Industry has seen a steep increase in the export of agriculture products—an increase of 43.4 % during the first half of 2020-21 fiscal year is not only impressive but amazing as well.
The good news for Agriculture sector is that the balance of trade which was negative Rs 2133 crore has turned positive this year to Rs 9002 crore in the first half of this fiscal year. This means Indian Agriculture sector would not only feed the country but would also earn foreign exchange for the country in the coming years provided the trend continues.
The Union Agriculture Ministry claimed that the export of essential Agri commodities for the cumulative period of April-September, 2020 has increased by 43.4% to Rs 53626.6 crore as compared to Rs 37397.3 crore in the same period last year. Major commodity groups which have recorded positive export growth during April-Sept, 2020-21 vis-à-vis April-Sept, 2019-20 are Groundnut (35%), Refined Sugar (104%), wheat (206%), Basmati Rice (13%) and Non-Basmati Rice (105%).
Furthermore, the balance of trade during April-September 2020 has been significantly positive at Rs 9002 Crore as against the trade deficit of Rs. 2133 during the same period in 2019. On month to month basis (MoM), India’s agricultural export of essential agricultural commodities during September 2020 has been of Rs 9296 crore against the export of Rs 5114 crore during September 2019, showing an increase of 81.7%.
In order to boost Agri exports, The government announced Agriculture Export Policy, 2018 which inter-alia provides for a cluster-based approach for export-centric farming of cash crops like fruits, vegetables, spices, etc. whereby clusters for specific Agri products are identified across the country and focused interventions are carried out in these clusters.
Eight Export Promotion Forums have been set up under the aegis of APEDA to boost export of agriculture/ horticulture products. The EPFs are created on Banana, Grapes, Mango, Pomegranate, Onion, Dairy, Rice Basmati and Rice Non-Basmati. The EPF is making concerted efforts to identify, document particulars of, and reach out to stakeholders across the entire production/ supply chain of export for increasing these exports significantly to the global market, through various interventions.
Recently, the Government has also announced Agri Infra Fund of Rs. 1 lakh crore to improve agribusiness-environment which shall promote Agri export in due course. Besides, DAC&FW has also prepared a comprehensive action plan/strategy towards promotion of Agri trade envisaging twofold approach viz. to boost Agri Export with emphasis on value addition and a detailed action plan for Import Substitution.
Each of the member organizations of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) or any of the Export Promotion Councils (EPC) or Commodities Boards issue Registration cum Membership Certificate (RCMC) to its exporters. The RCMC is valid for 5 years and the possessors of it get access to all the benefits of the respective parent organization.
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