14-Sep-2022: Apricot export under Ladakh Produce brand receives fillip from centre

In a move aimed at boosting export of agricultural and food products from Ladakh, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its export promotion body APEDA is in process of hand-holding of Apricot value chain stakeholders to enhance export from Ladakh under the brand ‘Ladakh Apricot’.

It is expected that the initiatives of APEDA towards export promotion of Apricots and other Agri-products would give a fillip to overall development of the region. The export promotion strategy of APEDA places major focus

on canopy management of the apricot orchard/trees obtain a uniform and better-quality harvest of apricots. It would help in sustained marketing, product development, research and development (R&D), enhancement of traceability and brand promotion of apricot, which is one of the important fruit crops of Ladakh and is locally known as ‘Chuli’.

APEDA, in coordination with Ladakh’s Horticulture Department, has also planned to organize awareness drives through canopy management in Kargil and Leh wherein scientist from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKAUST-Kashmir) and Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) will help farmers to manage their apricot orchards/trees in better way to have uniform harvest.

APEDA is also focusing on strengthening packaging for fresh apricots, transport protocol and Brand Promotion ‘Ladakh Apricots’ for better price realization of apricots of trans-Himalayan Ladakh, which are known for their better quality.

Work on obtaining GI tag for Ladakh apricot is also in process. Notably, bulk of the apricot produced in Ladakh is consumed locally and only a small quantity of it is sold in dried form.

Given that logistics support plays a key factor in export promotion of any product, APEDA is working towards the augmentation of logistics support apricots too through air on the lines of market linkage scheme - PARVAZ and by road to nearest international exit ports for streamlining the exports from the region.

APEDA, in association with UT of Ladakh, is also facilitating towards development of export infrastructures such as setting up of integrated pack house facilities with grading lines, pre-cooling units with cold storages and insulated/refrigerated transportation up to packhouse/exit ports, common infrastructure facilities such as pre-shipment treatment facilities e.g. irradiation, Vapor Heat Treatment, Hot Water Dip Treatment for compliance with Phyto-Sanitary requirements of importing countries.

APEDA had identified fresh apricot fruit exports from UT of Ladakh during the year 2021 and trial shipments were sent to Dubai during the fag end of the apricot season 2021. The results and acceptability of the product was overwhelming due to its unique taste and aroma as well as demand for the product in the international market.

 APEDA organized an international buyer-seller meet in Leh on June 14, 2022 which was just before the commencement of the Apricot harvest of the season. More than 30 buyers from India, USA, Bangladesh, Oman, Dubai, Mauritius, etc. were mobilized to interact with the producers and suppliers of apricots and other agricultural products from the UT of Ladakh.

As a result, during the 2022 season 35 MT fresh Apricots were exported to various countries from Ladakh for the first time. Trial shipments of Ladakh Apricots also took place to countries like Singapore, Mauritius, Vietnam during the season 2022.

Ladakh is the biggest apricot producer in the country with a total production of 15,789 tonnes that constitutes nearly 62 percent share in total. The region produced approximately 1,999 tons of dried apricot, making it the largest producer of dried apricot in the country. The total area under apricot cultivation is 2,303 hectares in Ladakh.

The native apricot genotypes of Ladakh possess unique and important characteristics, such as high TSS content, late and extended flowering and fruit maturity, and white seed stone phenotype, which offer opportunity for exporting to different nations worldwide.

In view of the uniqueness and premium quality of apricots of Ladakh, there is immense scope for Ladakh to emerge on the world map for Apricot production and export.

Ladakh Apricot is classified into two broad categories based on kernel taste and stone color. Fruits with bitter kernels are called khante meaning bitter, while those with sweet kernels are called nyarmo meaning sweet. They are further divided into two sub-groups based on seed stone color. Fruit with white seed stone is called Raktsey Karpo (Rakstey means seed, karpo means white), while those with brown seed stone are called Raktsey Nakpo or Nyarmo (black seeded).

9-Jul-2022: APEDA organises farming demonstrations and farm training for students; Initiative is part of National Education Policy

More than 150 students from Class IV to Class XII participated and learnt the basics elements of paddy cultivation at the training farm of APEDA promoted Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF) which is situated at Modipuram in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh. Students visited the training farm on three different days and learnt the basics of paddy cultivation such as puddling, transplanting, processing, production and export process. The students also learnt the activities like the process of making rice from paddy, de-husking, making steamed rice, production of rice meant for export and extraction of oil from rice and fodder for animals.

Besides, BEDF scientists explained to them the process of Basmati production, processing, storage, the volume of business and export activities. They also learnt about soil health cards management, including green manure crops and experienced the nodules in leguminous crops, including Moong bean and Sesbania and transplanted Basmati crops in the field.

Shri M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA said that the objective of this initiative is to impart practical knowledge to students as well as  enhance their understanding of the entire value-chain of rice production to exports, was to support the government’s attempt to . He informed that similar field visits of students will be organized in other parts of the country for imparting practical knowledge on agricultural production systems.

In line with the objective of the NEP, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), organised farming demonstrations and farm training to hone the skills and inculcate practical knowledge of paddy cultivation among students, start-ups and others.

As per the National Education Policy (NEP), institutions have been asked to give special impetus to practical knowledge and skill development instead of theoretical learning. In a tweet, the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that NEP aims to bring education out of narrow limits, and integrate it with 21st-century modern ideas.

APEDA through BEDF is assisting state governments in the promotion of Basmati rice cultivation. Through the awareness creation programme, farmers were informed that the Basmati rice cultivation is an Indian tradition and it is a collective responsibility to maintain this tradition as there is huge demand for Basmati rice in the global market. The farmers have been requested to get themselves registered on basmati.net through the State Agriculture Department. APEDA, through BEDF, has been assisting the state governments in promotion of Basmati rice cultivation.

As part of the initiatives, BEDF in collaboration with the rice exporters associations of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi, state agriculture universities and state agriculture departments, has organised 75 awareness and training programmes to encourage farmers for growing high-quality Basmati rice in the seven states. BEDF is also involved as technical partner for different FPOs, exporter associations, etc. in the key growing states.

India has exported Basmati to the tune of close to USD 12 billion in the last three years. In 2021-22, India exported Basmati rice valued at USD 3.54 billion. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Kuwait, United Kingdom, Qatar and Oman have a share of close to 80 per cent in total shipments of aromatic long grained rice from India in 2021-22.

14-Jun-2022: APEDA organizes International Buyer Seller Meet at Leh for boosting export of Apricots and other Agri products of UT of Ladakh.

In a move aimed at realizing Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Vocal for Local’ with an emphasis on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in collaboration with Union Territory of Ladakh today organized an International Buyer Seller Meet (IBSM).

IBSM aimed at boosting exports of Apricots and other Agri products from Ladakh.

Eighteen entrepreneurs from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir displayed a range of Apricots and other Agri Products. Twenty buyers from India, USA, Bangladesh, Oman, Dubai participated in this event.

More than 30 producers of Ladakh Apricots and other agro products and stakeholders from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir participated to interact with the importers and exporters providing platform to growers, entrepreneurs from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir to display their products and facilitate B2B interactions.

Leh Ladakh is endowed with conducive climatic conditions for the production of a large number of Apricots and other Agri Products.  The farmers and entrepreneurs of UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir need exposure to the international trade opportunities with specific reference to temperate fruits such as Apricots, Walnuts, Apples, etc.

IBSM provided an opportunity to the producers and processors of UT of Ladakh along and Jammu and Kashmir to show case their products to promote the exports as well as their wholesale and retail sale.

Shri Radha Krishna Mathur, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, UT of Ladakh inaugurated the IBSM in the august presence of Shri Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, UT of Ladakh, Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman APEDA, Shri Ravinder Kumar, Secretary, Agriculture, UT of Ladakh, Shri Saugat Biswas, Secretary, Industry and Commerce, UT of Ladakh, Dr. Tarun Bajaj, Director, APEDA, Shri Moses Kunzang, Director, Industry and Commerce, UT of Ladakh and officials from APEDA and Union Territory of Ladakh.

APEDA, under its initiative to boost exports from Himalayan Region is encouraging States and UTs to harness their potential of agricultural produce exports. A platform will be created for the buyers to get the products directly from the producer group and the processors.

This event is aimed to link the producers and processors of UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir and buyers from other parts of the country as well as abroad which in turn will broaden the base of the export basket from the region, including UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir to increase the employment opportunities thereby improving the livelihood of the people.

APEDA organizes International Trade Fairs for participation of exporters and provides a platform to the exporters to market their food products in the global marketplace. APEDA was also given priority and was provided to participation from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir in the national and international events organized by it such as AAHAR, Organic World Congress, BioFach India etc. to promote agro product exports from these regions.

As a result the exporters and entrepreneurs from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir have started participation in national and international events during the recent past.

APEDA offices are located within the premises of Directorate of Agriculture in Jammu and Srinagar Divisions, UT of Jammu and Kashmir and within Directorate of Industries and Commerce in Leh in UT of Ladakh recruiting Business Development Managers from the respective regions ensuring smooth facilitation to the stakeholders on daily basis.

Also carrying out hand holding of officials of Directorate of Agriculture, Directorate of Horticulture, Directorate of Horticulture Planning, JKHPMC, FPOs, Cooperatives, exporters and start up entrepreneurs linking the stakeholders on aspects related to international food trade during 2021.

Organizing sensitization of officials of Seed Certification, Directorate of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology or their convergence into Organic Certification Agency under National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) and ISO-17065 during 2021.

Despite pandemic situation and travel restrictions, Geographical Indication (GI) certified products such as Kashmir Saffron from Srinagar to Lulu FMCG Dubai and other Middle Eastern markets was exported during 2021. The focus was to ensure that GI products from UT of Jammu and Kashmir are available in the international market and at the same time the producers also realize remunerative prices from the global market.

APEDA has also signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology on mutual areas of cooperation such as technical support and promotional activities for enhancing productivity and promotion of potential products from the region.

Shipment of Mishri variety Cherries was carried out from UT of Jammu and Kashmir to Dubai for the first time creating international market for Indian Cherries during 2021. The shipment was handled by local entrepreneurs from UT of Jammu and Kashmir with the established exporter from Mumbai to their counterpart in Dubai.

Shipment of UT of Jammu and Kashmir fragrance rice Mushkbudji and Acacia honey have been exported in 2021 by the startups/new entrepreneurs to Lulu Group Dubai, Oman and other Middle Eastern markets. Shipment of Apples from UT of Jammu and Kashmir were carried out during 2021 by the startup/new entrepreneur to Oman, Qatar, Dubai, and other Middle Eastern markets.

Stakeholders from UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are regularly participating in virtual and physical domestic and international buyer seller meets organized by APEDA and other departments to generate business enquiries.

Shipment of Ladakh Apricots was carried out from Leh to Dubai for the first time followed by commercial shipments of Ladakh Halman Apricot creating an international market for Indian Apricots during the month of August-September 2021.

Taking into consideration, the taste, texture and soothing aroma of Ladakh Apricots repeat orders were received from overseas market for the produce on a regular basis. The shipment was handled by local entrepreneurs from Kargil with the established exporter from Mumbai to their counterpart in Dubai.

APEDA also facilitated exports of Solar dried Apricots from Kargil to Singapore by Startup company for establishing export chain to enter into international market from UT of Ladakh products.

APEDA has been regularly mobilizing startups and entrepreneurs from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir to the national and international physical and virtual events for promotion of products from these regions to international market.

As a follow up of earlier visit of Chairman, APEDA to UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir as well as meeting of Chairman, APEDA with Hon’ble L.G. UT of Ladakh during February 2022 to explore possibilities of export promotion of identified products such as Apricots, organic products and Sea buckthorn products from the region APEDA is organizing this international Buyer Seller Meet mobilizing stakeholders from around the globe for enhancing exports from the region.

Hon’ble M.P. Ladakh Namgyal during his address mentioned that the UT of Ladakh has gone ahead with Mission Organic has just completed first phase, 34 villages have been certified. With the move of organic certification, the UT of Ladakh products will fetch higher price thereby higher returns to the producers and exporters.

Mathur, the Hon’ble L.G. Of Ladakh, during his address emphasized on adding more and more horticulture and agriculture products from the region e.g. Nubra valley black berries along with augmenting pre and postharvest facilities and logistics arrangements in order to enhance volume of products from the region to international market for higher returns to the producers and exporters.

APEDA’s efforts to facilitate exports of identified products from UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir as well as mobilizing international buyers to the region was appreciated as it was first event of its kind in the region to boost export. There has been overwhelming response from the FPOs, producers, cooperatives, exporters and importers as well as from the UT Administration which will enable convergence of the negotiations in to the business from the region.

14-Jun-2022: To boost export of Mangoes, APEDA organizes 8-day-long mango festival in Bahrain

In a major boost to the export of mangoes, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) launched an eight-day-long Mango Festival in the Kingdom of Bahrain on June 13 in association with the Indian Embassy and Al Jazira Group.

At the show, 34 varieties of mangoes from eastern states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, are being displayed at eight different locations of Bahrain's Al Jazira group supermarket. 27 of these varieties have been procured from West Bengal, while two each variety are from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and one variety from Uttar Pradesh. All the varieties of mangoes have been directly procured from farmers and two Farmer Producer Organizations. The mango show will continue till June 20, 2022.

The 27 different varieties of mango from West Bengal are Bhavani, Daud Bhog, Amrapali, Golapkhas, Rogni, Dilshad, Chatterjee, Bimli, Ratan Kewra, Mallika, Ananras, Sahebpas and, Kishen Bhog, Lakshman Bhog, Madhu Latika, Rasagolla, Dwarika, Raja Bhog, Amrit Bhog, Arajanma, Nilanjana, Rani Pasand, Rakhal Bhog, Desi Sundari, Langra, Himsagar and Khirsapati. Jharkhand’s Kamli and Biju, while Bihar’s Jardalu, which is a GI-tagged variety, and Langra are displayed at the Mango Festival in Bahrain. Odisha’s Benganpalli and Himsagar and Dusseri varieties of Uttar Pradesh are also at the show.

All the 34 varieties of Indian mangoes have been displayed at eight different stores of Al Jazira located at Hamala, Mahooz, Zing, Juffair, Budaiya, Adilya, Seef and Riffa in Bahrain. Besides, mangoes as a whole, several mango preparations like mango cake prepared in Al Jazira bakery, juices, different varieties of mango shakes, etc. have also been showcased at the festival.

The mango show in Bahrain is part of APEDA’s new initiatives to explore international markets for Indian mangoes under the ‘Mango Festival 2022’. It’s the outcome of APEDA’s commitment to provide a global platform for Indian mangoes that for the first time 34 varieties of mangoes from eastern states have been showcased in Bahrain. On earlier occasions, mostly be mango varieties from Southern and western regions like Alphonso, Kesar, Banganapalli, etc. were showcased in most of the global shows.

The Mango Festival was inaugurated by the Indian Ambassador to Bahrain Shri Piyush Srivastava in the presence of Al Jazira Group chairman Mr. Abdul Hussein Khalil Dawani. The Murshidabad district administration has facilitated the transportation of mangoes to Bahrain in coordination with APEDA.

Mango in India is also referred to as the ‘king of fruits' and referred to as Kalpavriksha (wish-granting tree) in ancient scriptures. While most of the states in India have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka have a major share in the total production of the fruit. Alphonso, Kesar, Totapuri and Banganapalli are leading export varieties from India. Mango exports primarily take place in three forms: fresh mango, mango pulp, and mango slice.

10-Jun-2022: APEDA participates in London Wine Fair for boosting India’s wine exports

In a bid to give a boost to the export of Indian wine, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which works under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, facilitated participation of ten exporters in London Wine Fair, 2022.

The London Wine Fair organised during June 7 - 9, which is regarded as one of the world’s most important wine trade events.

Indian exporters who participated in the London Wine Fair are Resvera wines, Sula vineyards, Good drop wine cellars, Hill Zill wines, KLC wines, Soma vine village, Grover Zampa vineyard, Plateaux Vintners, ASAV vineyards and Fratelli vineyards.

Given that India is the third-largest market for alcoholic beverages in the world, there are 12 joint venture companies having a licensed capacity of 33,919 kilo-litres per annum for the production of grain-based alcoholic beverages. Around 56 units are manufacturing beer under license from the government of India.

India has exported 2.47 lakh metric tonne of alcoholic products to the world for the worth of USD 322.12 million during 2020-21. The major export destinations of Indian alcoholic products in 2020-21 were United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Singapore, Congo, and Cameroon, etc.

Maharashtra has become an important state for wine manufacturing as there are more than 35 wineries in the state. Around 1,500 acres are used for grapes cultivation for wine production in Maharashtra. To promote wine manufacturing, the state government has declared the wine-making business a small-scale industry and has also offered excise concessions.

The demand of India’s alcoholic beverages products like beer made from malt, wine, white wine, brandy, whiskies, rum, gin, etc. has increased manifold in the global market.

APEDA has conducted several workshops and wine tasting events at various international trade fairs for creating awareness about the potential of Indian wines.

Indian Wine industry has grown at compound annual growth rate of 14 per cent during 2010 to 2017 making it the fastest growing industry under alcoholic beverage in the country.

30-Apr-2022: APEDA launches gluten-free millet products for all age groups at affordable prices

In a move aimed at providing a global platform for millet products, the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) launched a variety of millet products for all age groups at affordable prices ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 15 at the AAHAR food fair, which is Asia’s biggest B2B international food and hospitality fair.

All the millet products launched by APEDA are gluten-free, 100% natural and patented. The launched products are cream biscuits, salt biscuits, milk biscuits, ragi peanut butter, jowar peanut butter, jowar upma, Pongal, khichadi and millet malts (jowar, ragi, bajra).

APEDA also launched a variety of “Millet in Minutes” products under the category of Ready-to-Eat (RTE) such as Upma, Pongal, Khichadi, Noodles, Biryani, etc., which is a breakthrough in the food sector as it’s the first RTE millet product in the market to cater fast-paced world at their convenience in a healthy way.

All the RTE products are vacuum processed without any additives, fillers and preservatives. Nutrition value is retained as original with a shelf-life of 12 months in ambient temperature.

The APEDA is also working in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to increase cultivation area, production and productivity of millets, including bajra, jowar and ragi.

The 36th edition of AAHAR was jointly organized by APEDA and the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) at Pragati Maidan this week.

In view of the nutritional value of the millets, the government has notified millets as nutri-cereals in April, 2018. The millets are a rich source of protein, fibre, minerals, iron, calcium and have a low glycemic index. In March, 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has declared 2023 as International Year of Millets.

Because of initiatives of the government, production of millets increased from 14.52 million tonnes in 2015-16 to 17.96 million tonnes in 2020-21 and the production of bajra has also increased from 8.07 million tonnes to 10.86 million tonnes during the same period.

In line with the theme of APEDA’s pavilion, - ‘To promote GI products for export’, the apex body to promote agricultural products put on display 33 GI agricultural products at AAHAR. The APEDA also released two booklets which include a catalogue on Agri and Food GI products (APEDA scheduled) and a brochure on Indian GI mangoes.

The 33 GI products which were on display to attract the attention of over 100 buyers from 40 countries are Punjab’s Basmati Rice, Karnataka’s Gulbarga Tur Dal, Maharashtra’s Sangli Raisin, Kolhapur Jaggery, Ajara Ghansal Rice, Sindhudurg & Ratnagiri Kokum, Vengurla Cashew and Waigaon Turmeric; Assam’s Boka Chaul, Joha Rice, Karbi Anglong Ginger; Manipur’s Chak-Hao and Kachai Lemon, Mizoram’s Ginger and Chilli, Sikkim’s Large Cardamom, Nagaland’s Naga Mircha, Kerala’s Navara Rice, Pokkali Rice, Kaipad Rice, Palakkadan Matta Rice, Himachal Pradesh’s Kala Jeera, Chulli Oil, West Bengal’s Gobindabhog Rice, Tulaipanji Rice, Bardhaman Sitabhog, Bardhaman Mihidana, Banglar Rasogolla, Rajasthan’s Bikaneri Bhujia and Odisha’s Kandhamal Haladi.

AAHAR is a part of the series of export promotion initiatives taken by APEDA, which works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to showcase agricultural and processed food products to the global players in the food and beverages industry as the fair is visited by a large number of importers from different parts of the world.

Apart from AAHAR, APEDA also organizes national events like Organic World Congress, BioFach India, etc. to promote Agri-exports.

Notably, more than 150 food and Agri Products have been registered as GI by the GI Registry till March 2022, out of which 123 GI products fall under APEDA’s category.

Also, APEDA created dedicated stalls for exporters from North East Region (NER) and Himalayan states/UTs like Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, women entrepreneurs, Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), Start-Ups and exporters of millets and millets products. More than 40 participants participated under these categories and each category will have dedicated stalls in the APEDA pavilion.

“The visionary approach, aggressive and consistent efforts of APEDA have enabled India to position itself as a consistent and quality supplier of Agri products,” said Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA.

APEDA has also taken several initiatives to promote geographical indications (GI) registered agricultural and processed food products in India by organizing virtual Buyer-Seller Meets on agricultural and food products with the major importing countries across the world.

22-Apr-2022: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) inks MoU with National Research Development Corporation (NRDC)

Aiming to give a boost to the export value chain, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Research Development Corporation (NRDC).

The MoU has been inked for utilizing both the organizations’ expertise by working together to synergize the activities in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors for bringing better value to the stakeholders. The MoU has been signed for the implementation of the Agri Export Policy   and to strengthen the export value chain.

The MoU’s mandate is to infuse and disseminate technologies jointly with APEDA in the areas of climate-resilient agriculture related to zero carbon emission farming to produce residue/carbon-free food for exports.

As per the MoU document, both the organizations will cooperate in collaborative projects for the commercialization of embedded technology related to Agri and food processing at various levels of the value chain for boosting the export of Agri products.

The key areas of cooperation include developing and improvising farm machinery for low cost, user-friendly and energy-efficient tools for small scale farmers, promoting and supporting Agri Start-ups associated with the NRDC Incubation Centre (NRDCIC) for engagement in Agri-exports and strengthening of the Startup ecosystem and nomination of expert resources of NRDC/APEDA for mutual knowledge sharing.

The MoU was signed by Secretary APEDA, and NRDC CMD Commodore (Rtd) Amit Rastogi in the presence of APEDA Chairman Dr. M. Angamuthu, IAS at APEDA head office in New Delhi.

NRDC is an enterprise of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India and it was established in 1953 with the primary objective to promote, develop and commercialize the technologies, know-how, inventions, and patents.

APEDA has been focusing on a collaborative approach to bring synergy with a number of organizations and institutions having inherent professional and specialized expertise in different areas. The prospective sectors of collaboration include capacity building of various stakeholders and providing solutions for addressing some of the identified interventions for the development of Agriculture and its export enhancement in consonance with the objectives set under Agri Export Policy (AEP) announced by Government of India in 2018.

The AEP was framed with a focus on agriculture export-oriented production, export promotion, better price realization to farmers and synchronization within policies and programmes of the Government of India. It focuses on the “Farmers’ Centric Approach” for improved income through value addition at the source itself to help minimize losses across the value chain.

The policy also focuses on adopting the approach of developing product-specific clusters in different agro-climatic zones of the country to help in dealing with various supply-side issues viz., soil nutrients management, higher productivity, adoption of a market-oriented variety of crop, use of good agriculture practices, etc.

29-Mar-2022: APEDA holds webinar on revised EU regulations on organic products for Indian exporters

In order to keep pace with the changing regulatory requirements for export of organic products to European Union, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized a webinar jointly with the Indian Embassy in Brussels and Denmark yesterday.

The webinar focussed on the revised Regulations being implemented since 1st January 2022 for imports in EU and the market opportunities for Indian organic products.

The European Union is the second major destination for Indian organic food products. Under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), exports to EU stood at $356 million in 2020-21, accounting for around 34% of the $1040 million worth worldwide organic food products exported from India.

Organic food products from India are exported to USA, European Union, Canada, Great Britain, Korea Republic, Israel, Switzerland, Ecuador, Vietnam, Australia, etc. In terms of export value realization, Processed foods including soya meal (57%) lead among the products followed by Oilseeds (9%), Cereals and millets (7%), Plantation crop products such as Tea and Coffee (6%), Spices and condiments (5%), Medicinal plants(5%), Dry fruits (3%), Sugar(3%), and others.

While complementing the stakeholders on the milestone achieved by India by crossing remarkable export of more than $ 1billion organic products under NPOP, Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, emphasized that the applicable standards need to be adhered to in order to maintain the market acceptance by the end consumers and the national regulators. He also stated that APEDA provides possible means for market penetration of new products and brand building through participation in organic food fairs in EU.

In order to address the challenges faced by the Indian exporters in exporting to EU and enhance the share of Indian organic product shipments to EU, a panel discussion was also held with members of Organic Denmark, Confederation of Indian Organic Industry, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and Organic Processing and Trade Association (Europe) (OPTA). Technical sessions were led by Michel Reynaud of IFOAM and Aurora Abad of OPTA wherein the aspects on new regulatory requirements and emerging market opportunities were detailed.

In his address, Shri Santosh Jha, Ambassador of India to Belgium, Luxembourg and EU, highlighted the necessity for the market acceptance for organic products, expectation by the importing countries and emerging opportunities for Indian organic products.

Ms. Pooja Kapur, Ambassador of India to Denmark, spoke about the current organic market trend focussing on Europe, significance of regulatory system and brand building for India.

Though the webinar was aimed for Indian exporters, it witnessed the participation of trade associations in EU, Indian missions of various EU Member States, Certification Bodies, Assessors and officials from various departments.

APEDA is the implementing body for the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The programme involves the accreditation of Certification Bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming and marketing, etc. The NPOP standards for production and accreditation system have been recognized by European Commission and Switzerland for unprocessed plant products as equivalent to their country standards. With these recognitions, Indian organic products duly certified by the accredited Certification bodies of India are accepted by the importing countries. APEDA is also in the process of negotiation with South Korea, Canada, Japan, Australia etc.

In 2020-21, India produced around 3496800  Metric Tonne of certified organic products which includes all varieties of food products namely Oil Seeds, Fibre, Sugarcane, Cereals & Millets, Pulses, Aromatic & Medicinal Plants, Tea, Coffee, Fruits, Spices, Dry Fruits, Vegetables, Processed foods etc. The organic production is not limited to the edible sector but also raw cotton, functional food products etc. Among different states, Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In terms of commodities, Oil seeds are the single largest category followed by Fibre crops, Sugar crops, Cereals and Millets, Spices & Condiments, Pulses, Medicinal plant products, Fruits & Vegetables, Tea, Coffee, Dry Fruits etc.

In 2000, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched NPOP as the first such institutional mechanism for organic products in India. In 2001, the NPOP was brought under the ambit of Foreign Trade Development and Regulation (FTDR) Act wherein it was mandated that no organic products can be exported unless they are certified under National Programme for Organic Production.

28-Mar-2022: Season’s first consignment of Alphonso and Kesar mango exported to Japan.

In a major boost to export, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated Season’s first consignment of fresh Mangoes export from Mumbai to Japan on last Saturday (March 26, 2022). Alphonso and Kesar varieties of Mangoes was exported by M/s. Berrydale Foods (OPC) Pvt. Ltd., a registered exporter of APEDA to M/s. Lawson Retail Chain, Japan. These mangoes were treated and packed at APEDA-approved Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board ( MSAMB)’s facility.

A mango festival is being organised in Tokyo, Japan as a part of Azadi ki Amrit Mahotsav, in collaboration with Embassy of India, Japan & Invest India today (March 28, 2022), wherein Mango exhibition & tasting will be done at various outlets of Lawson super markets.

APEDA has taken number of export promotion activities and initiatives, by way of development of virtual portals for organizing Virtual Trade Fairs, Farmer Connect Portal, e-office, Hortinet Traceability system, Buyer Seller Meets, Reverse Buyer Seller Meets, product specific campaigns etc. APEDA has been closely working with state government for creating infrastructure and promotion of export from the state.

APEDA, a Statutory Body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, is the nodal agency for promoting Indian agro and processed food exports and is responsible for facilitating and promoting export of horticulture, floriculture, processed food, poultry products, dairy and other agro products.

APEDA provides assistance to the exporters under various components of its schemes such as Infrastructure Development, Quality Development and Market Development. In addition, APEDA also conducts international Buyer Seller Meets(BSM), Virtual trade fairs with importing countries to promote agricultural & processed food products.

Apart from this the Department of Commerce(DOC) also support exports through various schemes like Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme(TIES), Market Access Initiative(MAI) etc.

19-Mar-2022: Amidst a record surge in wheat exports in the current fiscal, APEDA organizes meet for boosting India’s wheat exports

Amidst a record surge in wheat exports in the current fiscal, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) recently organized a meeting of key stakeholders in the value chain for promoting exports to those countries which have a huge shipment potential.

The meeting, held on March 17, 2022, followed directions from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to scale up shipments in order to alleviate any global supply chain disruptions in view of the geopolitical situation.

Thursday’s meeting was chaired by APEDA chairman Dr. M. Angamuthu and had participation of key stakeholders such as traders, exporters, port officials, policy influencers from the Ministries of Food & Consumer Affairs, Railways and officials from various State Governments.

At the meeting, the Railways assured to make available sufficient rakes to meet any immediate demand for additional wheat transport. Port authorities have also been asked to augment dedicated terminals along with dedicated containers for wheat.

Given the bumper wheat production estimation, the APEDA has asked all stakeholders to strengthen its infrastructure for facilitating hassle free wheat export.

The export of wheat recorded a huge surge at USD 1742 million during April-January 2021-22, growing 387 per cent over the corresponding period in 2020-21 when it touched USD 340.17 million.

India has reported a wheat export worth of USD 2352.22 million in the last three years, including the first ten months of current fiscal 2021-22. In 2019-20, the wheat export was worth USD 61.84 million which rose to USD 549.67 million in 2020-21.

Though India is not among the top ten wheat exporters in the global trade, its rate of growth in exports have surpassed that of other countries, indicating the rapid strides it is taking in reaching new markets worldwide.

India is in final talks to start wheat export to Egypt, while discussions are going on with countries like Turkey, China, Bosnia, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran, etc to start wheat export.

India’s wheat exports are mainly to neighbouring countries with Bangladesh having the largest share of more than 54 per cent in both volume and value terms in 2020-21. In 2020-21, India entered new wheat markets such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar and Indonesia.

According to data by Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), the top ten importing countries for Indian wheat in 2020-21 were Bangladesh, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Afghanistan, Qatar, Indonesia, Oman and Malaysia. Top ten countries accounted for more than 99 per cent share in India’s wheat exports in 2020-21 in both volume and value terms.

The rise in wheat exports has been achieved because of the APEDA taking up various initiatives such as organizing B2B exhibitions in different countries, exploring new potential markets and initiating marketing campaigns with active involvement of Indian Embassies.

“We are giving thrust on building infrastructure in the value chain for giving boosts to cereal exports in collaboration with the state governments and other stakeholders such as exporters, farmer producer organizations, transporters etc,” said Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA.

India accounts for even less than one per cent in world wheat export. However, its share has increased from 0.14 per cent in 2016 to 0.54 per cent in 2020. India is the second largest producer of wheat with a share of around 14.14 per cent of world total production in 2020.

India produces around 107.59 Million MT of wheat annually while a major chunk of it goes towards domestic consumption. Major wheat growing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat.

The unit price of wheat plays an important role in international trade. While the unit export price of wheat has increased for all countries in the last five years, India’s unit export price is slightly higher than that of other countries. This is one of the factors adversely impacting wheat exports from India.

APEDA has been focusing on facilitating shipments by Indian exporters and helping them make inroads into new markets. In order to ensure seamless quality certification of products to be exported, APEDA has recognized 220 labs across India to provide testing services for a wide range of products and exporters.

APEDA also assists in upgradation and strengthening of recognized laboratories for export testing and residue monitoring plans. APEDA also provides assistance under the financial assistance schemes of infrastructure development, quality improvement and market development for boosting export of agricultural products.

23-Jan-2022: India emerges as largest exporters of cucumber and gherkins in the world

India has emerged as the largest exporter of gherkins in the world. India has exported cucumber and gherkins to the tune of 1,23,846 Metric Tonnes with a value of USD 114 million during April-October, 2021.

India has crossed the USD 200 million mark of export of agricultural processed product, - pickling cucumber, which is globally referred as gherkins or cornichons, in the last financial year.

In 2020-21, India had shipped 2,23,515 Metric Tonnes of cucumber and gherkins with a value of USD 223 million.

Following directions of the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) undertook a series of initiatives in infrastructure development, product promotion in the global market and adherence to food safety management system in processing units.

Gherkins are exported under two categories -- cucumbers and gherkins, which are prepared and preserved by vinegar or acetic acid and cucumbers and gherkins, which are provisionally preserved.

Gherkin cultivation, processing and exports started in India during the early 1990s with a modest beginning in Karnataka and later extended to the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Nearly 15% production of the world’s gherkin requirement is grown in India.

Gherkins is currently exported to more than 20 countries, with major destinations being North America, European countries and Oceanic countries such as USA, France, Germany, Australia, Spain, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Belgium, Russia, China, Sri Lanka and Israel.

Apart from its export potential, the gherkin industry plays a key role in the creation of rural employment. In India, cultivation of gherkins is carried out under contract farming by around 90,000 small and marginal farmers with an annual production area of 65,000 acres.

Processed gherkins are exported in bulk as industrial raw material and in jars as ready to eat. The bulk production is still occupying a high percentage of the gherkin market. In India there are about 51 major companies producing and exporting gherkins in drums and ready-to-eat consumer packs.

APEDA has played a significant role in promotion of export of processed vegetables and it has been providing financial assistance for development of infrastructure and enhancing quality of processed gherkins, products promotion in the international market and implementation of food safety management systems in the processing units.

On an average, a gherkin farmer produces 4 metric tonne per acre per crop and earns about Rs 80,000 with a net income of Rs 40,000. Gherkin has a 90-day crop and the farmers take two crops annually. Processing plants of international standards have been established here to cater to the requirement of foreign buyers.

All the gherkin manufacturing and exporting companies are either ISO, BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000 certified and HACCP certified or possess all the certifications.  Many of the Companies have adopted Social Audits.  This ensures all statutory benefits are given to the Employees.

The APEDA is also focusing on value addition of gherkins to increase the export value of the product.

7-Jan-2022: Varanasi Agri-Export Hub

Working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has taken several initiatives in making landlocked Purvanchal region as a new destination of agri-export activities through development of Varanasi Agri – Export Hub (VAEH).

APEDA has identified potential districts of Uttar Pradesh to be covered under the VAEH. The Purvanchal division covers districts of Varanasi, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Basti, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Chandauli and Sant Ravidas Nagar.

The Varanasi region, where there are negligible Agri-exports used to take place because of lack of basic infrastructure, is now abuzz with activities which has given a boost to exports. After the intervention of APEDA, Varanasi region has recorded exemplary changes in the export scenario and registered many first-of-its-kind achievements in a very short span of time.

With the active intervention of APEDA, about 20,000 Metric Tonne (MT) of Agri- produce have been exported from Purvanchal region in the last six months. Out of these shipments, about 5,000 MT fresh fruits and vegetables and 15,000 MT of cereals have been exported to Vietnam, Gulf nations, Nepal and Bangladesh by all modes of transportation.

Varanasi and nearby areas witnessed an export of around 12 MT, 22 MT and 45 MT in the months of October, November, December respectively in the year 2021. Also, around 125 MT have been exported from Varanasi and nearby areas.

As Varanasi is a territory based in the plains of river Ganges, it has rich nutritional composition of soil with ample amount of fertility which leads to production of good quality Agri-produce. Varanasi region also has reputed institutions of central and international level such as Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

Currently, the Varanasi region has a number of exporters and exports of agricultural products is being undertaken through air route due to establishment of robust quarantine as well as custom clearance facilitation centre at Lal Bahadur Shastri International (LBSI) Airport. APEDA has organised more than 30 capacity building programmes in the entire Varanasi region followed by eight international buyer-seller meets, which has provided a platform to the exporters to market their food products in the global marketplace.

To monitor the product and production, a project of AI tech is also being considered for approval. APEDA is also planning to take member Farmer Producer Organization to different successful territories for unveiling the Agri-supply chain and market linkage.

The government is also considering replicating the Varanasi model in the Gorakhpur region of Purvanchal as the geography, demography and few other parameters are common in both the places. The newly established international airport in Kushinagar may play a vital role in triggering the export. The DDU Gorakhpur University, Indian Institute of Seed Science, Mau are the institutions actively working towards promotion of Agri- activities in the region.

APEDA has also approved three projects for comprehensive grain and nutritional quality profiling of non-Basmati Rice, value added products from Rice and rice-based food systems. An APEDA-funded project for integrated IT solutions to enhance Agri Export in Varanasi Region is under process.

The export of the first trial shipment of 14 MT green chilly was facilitated by APEDA from Varanasi to Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port in December 2019.

For the first time, from Varanasi 3 MT fresh vegetables was exported to London, 3 MT fresh mangoes to Dubai, 1.2 MT fresh mangoes to London, 520 MT regional rice to Qatar and 80 MT regional rice to Australia during the Covid pandemic in 2020, after APEDA’s intervention.

Meanwhile, Trisagar Farmer Producer Company Ltd, which is based in Sant Ravidas Nagar district, has started sending shipments on a daily basis to the international market after the intervention of APEDA. In another success story, Gazipur district-based Shivansh Krishak Producer Company Ltd with a base of 1,500 progressive farmers has managed to get a decent realisation for its commodities after exporting a good volume of Agri-produce.

Similarly, Varanasi-based FPO Jaya Seed Farmer Producer Company Ltd, which grows mangoes in around 50 acres, is getting higher price as compared to average price of the market after the intervention of APEDA. Prior to the initiative taken by APEDA, the FPC used to sell mangoes at an average price of Rs 25/kg, but in recent season they have sold it at Rs 50/kg to a Netherland-based company named Super Plum having few outlets in Bangalore and Mumbai.

5-Jan-2022: APEDA working in collaboration with state governments, farmers and others to boost honey exports

To harness export potential of honey in line with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of a ‘Sweet Revolution’ through promotion of beekeeping and allied activities, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been giving thrust on boosting exports through ensuring quality production and market expansion to newer countries.

At present, India’s natural honey exports are majorly dependent on one market - the United States, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of the exports.

“We are working in close collaboration with the state government, farmers and other stakeholders in the value chain to boost exports to other countries and regions such as the United Kingdom, European Union and South East Asia,” Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA said. India is also renegotiating the duty structure imposed by various countries for boosting honey exports.

APEDA has been facilitating honey producers in accessing export markets besides availing government assistance under different schemes, quality certification and lab testing.

APEDA is working with the exporters to deal with the challenges such as higher freight cost, limited availability of containers in peak honey export season, higher Nuclear Magnetic Resonance test costs and inadequate export incentives.

India exported 59,999 metric tonnes (MT) of natural honey worth Rs. 716 crore (US $ 96.77 million) during 2020-21, with the United States taking a major share at 44,881 MT. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and Canada were the other top destinations for Indian honey. India started its first organized exports in the year 1996-97.

World honey exported in 2020 is 736,266.02 MT. India ranks 8th and 9th in the world in honey producing and exporting countries respectively.

The world honey production in 2019 was 1721 thousand metric tonnes. This includes honey from all nectar sources, agricultural plants, wild flowers and forest trees. China, Turkey, Canada, Argentina, Iran and USA are among the major honey-producing countries, accounting for 50% of total world production.

North East Region and Maharashtra are the key areas for natural honey production in the country. Around 50% of the honey produced in India is consumed domestically and the rest is exported across the globe. Honey exports have huge potential and especially in the COVID19 pandemic as its consumption has gone up globally as an effective immunity booster and a healthier alternative to sugar.

The Government of India approved allocation of Rs 500 crore for the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) for three years (2020-21 to 2022-23). The mission was announced as part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat initiative in February 2021.

NBHM aims for the overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping in the country to achieve the goal of ‘Sweet Revolution’ which is being implemented through National Bee Board (NBB). There is a budget of Rs.170 crore for the Mini mission. The purpose is for developing beekeeping in the country, developing honey clusters, improving quality and productivity of honey and also increasing exports.

10-Nov-2021: As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, APEDA organised 75 awareness-cum-training programmes for farmers in seven Basmati growing states

For boosting exports of quality production of aromatic and long grain Basmati rice, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)’ arm Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF) has taken innovative steps to sensitize farmers involved in the cultivation of Basmati rice in the key growing regions about adoption of good agricultural practices.

As part of the initiatives, BEDF in collaboration with the rice exporters associations of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi, state agriculture universities and state agriculture departments, organised 75 awareness and training programmes to encourage farmers for growing high-quality Basmati rice in the seven states. BEDF is also involved as technical partner for different FPOs, exporter associations, etc. in Basmati rice growing states.

The BEDF launched awareness-cum-training workshop on July 16, 2021 from Jahangirpur village, Gautam Budh Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh as a part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, which is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence. The awareness campaigns were organised for farmers focusing on the themes of ‘judicious use of pesticides and adoption of good agricultural practices’.

Another objective of the awareness drives were to train the farmers for seed production to resolve the issues of non-availability of seeds of better quality.

At the workshop, farmers were trained about different methods to identify insect-pests and diseases of basmati rice and their management. The issues like problems in basmati export and expectations of rice industry were also brought into the notice of growers and exporters during the awareness drive during the entire basmati growing season of 2021.

APEDA is given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag as the sole custodian of basmati rice grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains. Under the GI certification issued in February, 2016, 77 districts of seven states- Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir are referred to as basmati rice growing region.

During the awareness drive by BEDF, scientists explained to farmers and exporters about the pesticide residue problem in export of basmati rice and transfer of production technology including nursery raising, integrated nutrient and water management in local languages.

A huge number of farmers, exporters, FPOs, etc. turned out to learn about the judicious use of pesticides and adoption of good agricultural practices at the workshops that were organised at 75 different locations in seven states.

In Punjab, 25 awareness and training programmes were organised, followed by 21 in Uttar Pradesh, 17 in Haryana, 05 in Uttarakhand, 03 in Jammu & Kashmir and 02 each in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.

Through the awareness creation programme, farmers were informed that the Basmati rice cultivation is an Indian tradition and it is a collective responsibility to maintain this tradition as there is huge demand for Basmati rice in the global market. The farmers have been requested to get themselves registered on basmati.net through the State Agriculture Department.

APEDA through BEDF has been assisting the state governments in promotion of basmati rice cultivation.

APEDA has also suggested usage of certified seeds to maintain the quality of the products by farmers along with scientific use of chemical fertilizer for ensure quality production of basmati rice which would further give a boost to Basmati rice exports from the country.

India exported 4.63 million tons of Basmati rice valued at Rs 29,849 crore ($ US 4019 million) in 2020-21.  The key destinations for India’s basmati rice include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen Republic, United Arab Emirates and European Union countries.

APEDA has been promoting rice exports through collaborations with various stakeholders in the value chains. The government had set up the Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF), under the aegis of the APEDA. REPF has representatives from rice industry, exporters, officials from APEDA, ministry of commerce and directors of agriculture from major rice producing states, including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

11-Oct-2021: APEDA signs MoU with ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur for boosting exports of citrus and its valued-added products.

For boosting exports of citrus and its value added products, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute (ICAR-CCRI), Nagpur.

The MoU envisages promoting export by focusing on creation of product specific clusters along with development of technologies by APEDA and ICAR-CCRI with a focus on efficient and precision farming.

The collaboration with two institutes of repute would focus on diversifying the export basket, destinations and boosting high value agricultural products exports through establishing Brand India globally. Market development and traceability in citrus which includes strengthening forward and backward linkages, branding and marketing, establishment of market intelligence cell, the MoU states.

The MoU states that product development work comprise of field digitization, efficient quality control measures (Sanitary and Phytosanitary), development of organic farms. APEDA and ICAR-CCRI would also organize capacity building for farmers, entrepreneurs, exporters and other stakeholders to promote agri-businesses and exports.

MoU which was signed recently at Nagpur at the presence of Shri. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India and Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, aims at promotion and hand holding of Farmers Producer Organizations and Farmer Producer Companies and linking them with international markets.

According to MoU, APEDA and ICAR-CCRI would collaborate on developing climate-resilient agriculture, promoting GAP certification, block chain technologies and shaping business models around the needs of the farmers. The Development of export protocols for citrus especially the sea transport for long distance markets would be undertaken.

The MoU also aims at pursuing collaborative activities that enhances technology transfer and technical expertise of the university and strengthening existing laboratory facilities for testing as per requirement of importing countries and for obtaining NABL accreditation and APEDA recognition.

“There would be need assessment, technology development and dissemination for citrus for export promotion by APEDA which would also develop detection techniques in advance to boost Agri-exports. Both the institutions would undertake collaborative projects for the development for value added products of   Oranges and other citrus fruits and carry out training & research consultancy,” according to MoU.

APEDA and ICAR-CCRI would also develop Standard Operating Procedure of citrus fruits for exports which would include pre and post-harvest management, Residue control, post-harvest interval, Shelf life development etc.

Export oriented extension activities at the farm level to be carried out in association with the active FPOs or NGOs in the respective states and districts.

The MoU also aims at developing an end-to-end sustainable value chain with APEDA to promote better consignment commitment to importing countries along with export promotion of Geographical Indication (GI) tagged Nagpur Orange) and organic citrus products from Maharashtra. ICAR-CCRI would contribute in addressing the challenges in export like development of real time solution for pests and diseases (Pest free area for fruit fly, Citrus canker, etc.

For boosting value-addition and farmers’ income, APEDA has signed a series of MoUs with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research (ICAR-IIMR), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and others.

6-Oct-2021: APEDA flags off first export consignment of value added products derived from Jackfruit, Passion fruit &Nutmeg (Jaiphal) from Kerala to Australia

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated exports of the first consignment of various value-added and nutri-rich products derived from Jackfruit, Passion fruit and Nutmeg (Jaiphal) sourced from farmers in Thrissur, Kerala, to Melbourne, Australia.

These products have a shelf life of more than one year. APEDA is promoting exports of value-added and health products as part of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s aim for achieving $ 400 billion merchandise exports by 2021-22.

Dr. M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA and T V Subhash, Director of Agriculture, Kerala, Exporter and Importer along with other officials of APEDA took part in the virtual flag off ceremony held yesterday.

In the current fast-food era, consumers’ preference is shifting towards health food. The gluten free products prepared from healthy options like Jackfruit, Passion fruit etc. are providing a viable alternative against the consumption of fast food.

Jackfruit, originated in Western Ghats, was declared the state fruit of Kerala in March, 2018. The largest tree borne fruit is dense in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. The tropical fruit is the popular meat substitute among vegans due to its protein content. In addition to the use of fruit, seed and pulp, Jackfruit leaves, bark, inflorescence and latex are used in traditional medicines too.

With the growing awareness of health and nutritional properties of the fruit and sustained efforts of Jackfruit farmers and entrepreneurs across the country, it is anticipated that the Jackfruit will definitely become the most sought-after fruit in the coming years. The major export destinations of Jackfruit are Singapore, Nepal, Qatar, Germany etc.

Passion fruit is a nutritious tropical fruit rich in antioxidants, vitamins and fiber. It is a beneficial fruit with a healthful nutrition profile important for skin, vision & immune system.

Because of the richness, massive market potential, and unlimited number of benefits that these fruits provide, there are huge opportunities for expanding exports of with its innovative products.

5-Oct-2021: First consignment of GI tagged sweet dish Mihidana from West Bengal exported to Bahrain

In an effort to promote indigenous & Geographical Identification (GI) tagged products, first consignment of GI tagged sweet dish Mihidana sourced from Bardhaman, West Bengal has been exported to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The consignment of unique sweet dish Mihidana was exported to Bahrain by APEDA registered M/S DM Enterprises, Kolkata and imported by Aljazira Group, Bahrain. The sweet dish from West Bengal is being displayed (also provided for tasting purpose) to consumers at Aljazira super stores in Bahrain. More consignments of the unique sweet dish would be exported to Bahrain during forthcoming Diwali festival.

Recently, to commemorate the historical legacy of a century old sweet delicacy & GI certified - Jaynagarer Moa, prepared from popped-rice ball & fresh date-palm jaggery, in Jaynagar, West Bengal, India Post in collaboration with APEDA released a specially designed envelope.

In January, 2021, a consignment of Jaynagar Moa was exported to the Kingdom of Bahrain, by APEDA registered M/s D M Enterprises, Kolkata. APEDA has been focusing on increasing lesser known, indigenous and GI tagged food products from the country.

In August, 2021, India Post released a special cover on West Bengal's sweetmeats Mihidana and Sitabhog. West Bengal’s Bardhaman got the GI tag for the century-old sweetmeats in 2017.

A GI tag is a sign denoting a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. GI, a form of intellectual property right (IPR), is distinct from other forms of IPR, as it ascribes the exclusivity to the community in a defined geography, rather than to an individual, as is in the case of trademarks and patents.

A GI tag can be issued for agricultural, natural or manufactured goods that have a unique quality, reputation or other characteristics attributable to its geographical origin. Darjeeling tea, Basmati rice, Kanchipuram Silk, Mysore Silk, Hyderabadi Haleem, Nagaland Chilli products, etc., sold with the GI tag have premium pricing.

APEDA undertakes market promotion activities for export of food products, market intelligence for making informed decisions, international exposure, skill development, capacity building and high-quality packaging.

APEDA has been carrying out promotional activities to bring unique and GI certified products to the agricultural and processed food products export map of India. APEDA provides assistance to set up pack houses across States which would fulfill the mandatory requirement or infrastructure for export of fresh fruits and vegetables to the international market.

3-Sep-2021: For boosting exports prospects and farmers income, APEDA inks MoUs with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research

For increasing exports through quality production and processing, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research (ICAR-IIMR) which is expected to boost value addition and farmers’ income.

The key focus of the MoU would be to promote commercial cultivation of processable varieties developed by ICAR-IIMR for exports which is expected to promote value addition of millets, a cereal with high nutritive value.

MoU also envisages creation of market linkages with farmers as well as Farmer Producers Organizations. A joint coordination committee with representatives from APEDA and ICAR-IIMR would be set up to achieve the goals envisaged under the MoU.

The objective of the MoU is to build the export centric ecosystem with the requisite supply chain linkages, technological repository, clinical studies, awareness creation, policy changes and pipeline of entrepreneurs.

Both APEDA and ICAR-IIMR would work for developing knowledge on understanding of markets, consumer preferences, emerging segments, analyze export competitiveness, price volatility of markets and market intelligence on standards, regulations and trade policies.

Creation of a Millet Export Promotion Forum in collaboration with all the key stakeholders for identifying export clusters to source sizable quantities of produce and for linking stakeholders with FPO’s would be taken up jointly by the both the organizations of repute.

MoU gives thrust on work relating to sensitization, promotion and policy advocacy to the Government departments for bringing new policy changes and convergences in favour of millet exports.

Both the organizations would jointly develop an export strategy and accordingly conduct training programme for the existing millet processors and entrepreneurs on various export policies and schemes for increasing exports of millets.

Development and Implementation of novel frameworks such as Traceability, Artificial intelligence, etc. would be taken for promoting millets exports. Handholding activities for the Start-ups for export-compliance is also envisaged under MoU.

Profiling of Millets growers or farmers in all major millets growing regions of the country and strengthening of seed supply chain would be taken up by ICAR-IIMR.

Millets are cereal crops with high nutritive value and categorized as small-seeded grasses. The key varieties of millets include Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Ragi, Small Millet, Foxtail Millet, Barnyard Millet, Kodo Millet and others.

Recently, the United Nations General Assembly has passed the resolution to celebrate the International Year of Millets (IYM) in 2023, to promote the health benefits of millets and their suitability under the changing climatic conditions globally. As IYM is round the corner, it is expected that the demand of millets will grow exponentially in many countries.

ICAR-IIMR has been working along the entire millet value chain. Through several projects, ICAR-IIMR has piloted several interventions to build the value chain for these forgotten crops, and thus to revive the millets for Nutritional security in the country.

Considering the potential of increasing exports of Millets and Millet products and the focus given by Government for development of millet sector, APEDA has been formulating a long term strategy with ICAR-IIMR and other stakeholders like National Institute Nutrition, CFTRI and FPOs for promotion of Millets and Millet products.

To boost exports prospects of various agricultural produce, APEDA has signed a series of MoUs with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and others.

2-Sep-2021: In a major boost to agricultural products exports, First consignment of Ladakh Apricot exported to Dubai

In a move which could boost agricultural and food products exports from Ladakh, first commercial shipment of Apricot sourced from region of Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh has been exported to Dubai.

The consignment of Apricot was transshipped from Leh, Ladakh to Mumbai prior to being exported to Dubai. APEDA has been working to establish an export value chain for Ladakh Apricot in association with an importer Group based in Dubai. The shipment was exported by APEDA registered Exporter from Mumbai.

Ladakh Apricots have a unique soothing taste and texture with high sugar contents and total soluble solids. UT of Ladakh produces several varieties of Apricots out of which four to five varieties are taken up for commercial cultivation and export opportunities exist for these varieties.

Prior to this shipment to Dubai, few sample shipments of fresh apricots were sent during the month of August from Leh to Dubai by air.

APEDA is currently assisting the exports in building the brand of Ladakh Apricots. The fruit for the shipment was harvested, cleaned and packed by local entrepreneurs who were provided technical assistance by APEDA on the requirements of the export value chain.

This export of Ladakh Apricots opens up the potential of shipments of other temperate fruits and organic products from the region to Middle-east countries.

There have been repeat orders for shipment of Ladakh Apricots to various other destinations of Middle Eastern countries such as Oman and Qatar.

For giving boost to exports of agricultural produce from Ladakh, which would enhance farmers’ as well as entrepreneurs’ income, APEDA in association with officials of the horticulture, agriculture, commerce and industry departments of Union Territory and Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research are working out comprehensive plan of actions.

Following a series of interactions held recently at Ladakh, identified areas of work include enhancement of production of fruits with medicinal values including sea buckthorn, apricot and organic produce and introduction of the traceability system, capacity-building of farmers and value addition of products.

Technical assistance for building the capacity of stakeholder including entrepreneurs, officials, farmers, branding and marketing of Ladakhi products and making Ladakh an ‘organic’ region is in process. APEDA would provide special assistance for branding and promotion of Ladakhi products, especially sea buckthorn which is rich in Vitamin C, omega and other essential nutrients.

In its promotion program, APEDA mentioned that this is just beginning of exports of Ladakh products; it will explore more and more products from UT of Ladakh to overseas market for boosting exports from the region in coming days. This initiative will result in generating better realization to the Ladakh products.

Although the Ladakh Apricot season is going to over during next fortnight, shipments from higher altitude areas of the Ladakh are being persuaded for consistent supply of fresh Ladakh Apricots to all destinations in Middle Eastern markets.

Secretary Agriculture, UT of Ladakh and Secretary Commerce & Industry, UT of Ladakh mentioned that the UT produces approximately 15,789 MT of Apricots out of which four to five varieties are fit for exports.  The UT would be able to enhance production as well as introduction of new commercial varieties for enhancing exports from Ladakh.

13-Aug-2021: APEDA in collaboration with HPMC exports five unique varieties of apples to Bahrain

In continuance with its thrust on promoting agricultural and processed food products exports to newer destinations, APEDA collaboration with Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd (HPMC) today exported first consignment consisting of five unique varieties of apples – Royal Delicious, Dark Baron Gala, Scarlet Spur, Red Velox & Golden Delicious to Bahrain.

The apples are sourced from the farmers of Himachal Pradesh and exported by APEDA registered DM Enterprises. The apples will be showcased at the apple promotion programme organized by leading retailer – Al Jajira group commencing from 15th August, 2021 which also commences 75th year of India’s independence celebration on theme – Bharat Ki Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The apple promotion programme is also being organized for familiarizing consumers in Bahrain about varieties of apples in India.

This comes at a time when India has been expanding its footprint of mango exports to the newer countries, notwithstanding logistical challenges posed by COVID19 pandemic.

In July, 2021, in a major initiative for boosting mango export potential from the eastern region especially to middle east countries, a consignment of Geographical Identification (GI) certified Fazil mango variety sourced from Malda district of West Bengal was exported to Bahrain. The consignment of Fazil mango was exported by APEDA registered DM enterprises, Kolkata and imported by Al Jazira group, Bahrain.

APEDA has been initiating measures to boost fruits and vegetables exports from the non-traditional regions and states. It has been conducting virtual buyer-seller meets and festivals to promote mango exports.

Prior to the mango shipment to Bahrain, APEDA organized a mango promotion programme at Doha, Qatar where nine varieties of mangoes including GI certified from West Bengal & Uttar Pradesh were displayed at the stores of importer Family Food Centre.

11-Aug-2021: APEDA organized dragon fruit promotion programme in Saudi Arabia

The government’s thrust on promoting agricultural and processed food products exports from the regions which were not earlier part of the country's export map, is gradually bearing fruits.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) today facilitated exports of dehydrated Mohua flower from Chhattisgarh and Himalayan goat meat from Uttarakhand to France and United Arab Emirates respectively.

For promoting exotic fruit like dragon fruit exports, APEDA also organized a promotional event at Saudi Arabia market.

For the first time, a consignment of dehydrated Mohua flower was exported via sea to France from Chhattisgarh. The produce was sourced from forest in Korba district, Chhattisgarh & processed by APEDA registered Enterprise.

Mahua flowers exported to France were collected mostly by the tribal population from forest of Korba, Kathghora, Surguja, Pasan, Pali, Churri in Chhattisgarh. Dehydrated Mahua flowers are used for making liquor, medicine & syrup.

For boosting income of small ruminant farmers, a consignment of processed Himalayan Goat meat sourced from villages of Uttarakhand hills was exported to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The export of meat from Uttarakhand will boost the livelihood for farmers and enhance their economic status. This initiative of APEDA and other organizations will also lead to an increase in the income of farmers of Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, boosting agricultural exports potential, APEDA in association with Indian embassy today organized a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet (VBSM) with Lao People’s Democratic Republic where key officials and stakeholders from food industries for both the countries participated.

The virtual meet with Laos was the 37th in the series of VBSM organized by APEDA with various countries for boosting exports of agricultural and processed food from India. India mostly exports buffalo meat, marine products, groundnut, cotton, oil meals, animal casing and spices to Laos.

In a major boost to exports of exotic fruits, APEDA in association with Indian embassy today organized a dragon fruit promotion programme for the Saudi Arabia market in association with a leading retailer group. Dragon Fruit, also referred to as Kamalam in India.

APEDA recently facilitated dragon fruit exports from Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal to the United Kingdom, King of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The cultivation of dragon fruit requires less water and can be grown in various kinds of soils. At present, dragon fruit is grown mostly in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. West Bengal is new to taking up cultivation of this exotic fruit.

4-Aug-2021: APEDA inks MoU with University of Agricultural Science, Bangalore for boosting Agri-exports

To give boost agricultural and processed food products exports especially from Karnataka, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) today signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Agricultural Science (UAS) Bangalore.

According to the MoU, the key areas of cooperation include developing technologies jointly with APEDA for advance alertness, efficient & precision farming for enhancing quality exports; diversifying the export basket, destinations and boost high-value Agri exports by establishing Brand India globally by increasing Agri-exports from Karnataka under Agri Export Policy (AEP) announced by Government of India in 2018.

The collaborations between APEDA, which functions under Ministry of Commerce & UAS, will also help in strengthening forward and backward linkages, participations in international exhibitions and fairs, branding and marketing, establishment of market intelligence cell, developing traceability systems.

The APEDA and UAS, Bangalore will also facilitate participation of farmers, entrepreneurs, exporters and other stakeholders to promote agri-businesses & exports, including B2B & B2C fairs to be organised in India and abroad and also mutually cooperate in market development and traceability in millets and millet products, fresh fruits like Mango, vegetables, jaggery, processed fruits and vegetables. Promotion and hand-holding of Farmer Producer Organizations / Farmer Producer Companies and linking them with international markets will also be the part of the agreement between APEDA and UAS.

The MoU will also help in development of Agri entrepreneurs, technopreneurs capacity building, robust skill development and focus on building a collaborative approach for promoting export by creation of product specific clusters.

APEDA and UAS, Bangalore have also agreed to work in close coordination to establish a centre of capacity building at UAS, Bangalore for farmers and motivate university students to promote agri-businesses for exports. Also, a Post Graduate Certification course with support of APEDA will also be started.

The MoU will also help in development of an end-to-end sustainable value chain of horticulture/livestock produce with APEDA to promote better consignment commitment to importing countries and developing standard operating procedures of potential products of the state for exports.

The UAS, Bangalore will also contribute in development of real time solution for pests and diseases (spongy tissue fruits flag, stone weevil, ralstonia aflatoxin etc.) and facilitate in the zoning of animals and compartmentalization of poultry products. The university in association with APEDA will also develop a curriculum on organic exports as per NPOP guidelines for the students of Karnataka.

The MoU was signed in the presence of by Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman APEDA and Dr. S. Rajendra Prasad, Vice-Chancellor UAS, Bangalore. The MoU aimed at utilising both the organisations’ expertise by mutually working together to synergize the activities in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors for bringing better value to the stakeholders.

APEDA has been focusing on collaborative approach to bring synergy with a number of organizations and institutions having inherent professional and specialized expertise in different areas for capacity building of various stakeholders and providing solutions for addressing some of the identified interventions for the development of Agriculture and its export enhancement in consonance with the objectives set under the AEP.

AEP was framed with a focus on agriculture export-oriented production, export promotion, better price realization to farmer and synchronization within policies and programmes of Government of India. It focuses on “Farmers’ Centric Approach” for improved income through value addition at source itself to help minimize losses across the value chain.

3-Aug-2021: For first time, Dragon Fruit grown by farmers of Gujarat & West Bengal exported to London, United Kingdom & Kingdom of Bahrain

In a major boost to exports of exotic fruit, consignments of fiber& mineral rich ‘dragon fruit’, which are sourced from farmers of Gujarat & West Bengal, have been exported for the first time to London, United Kingdom & Kingdom of Bahrain. In India, dragon fruit is also referred to as Kamalam.

The consignment of exotic fruit exported to London was sourced from farmers of Kutch region and exported by APEDA registered packhouse in Bharuch, Gujarat, while the consignment of ‘dragon fruit’ exported to Kingdom of Bahrain was sourced from the farmers of West Midnapore (West Bengal) and exported by APEDA registered enterprises, Kolkata.

Earlier in June 2021, a consignment of ‘dragon fruit’ that was sourced from the farmers of Tadasar village, Sangli district, Maharashtra was exported to Dubai by APEDA recognized exporter.

Production of ‘dragon fruit’ commenced in India in early 1990s and it was grown as home gardens. Due to high export value, the exotic ‘dragon fruit’ has become increasingly popular in recent years in the country and it has been taken up for cultivation by farmers in different states. There are three main varieties of dragon fruit: white flesh with pink skin, red flesh with pink skin, and white flesh with yellow skin. However, the red and white flesh is typically being relished by the consumers.

At present, dragon fruit is grown mostly in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. West Bengal is new to taking up cultivation of this exotic fruit.

Scientifically referred to as Hylocereusundatus, the ‘dragon fruit’ is grown in countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, the USA and Vietnam and these countries are the major competitors for Indian Dragon Fruit.

The cultivation of dragon fruit requires less water and can be grown in various kinds of soils. The fruit contains fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It can help in repairing the cell damage caused by oxidative stress and reduce inflammation, and also improve the digestive system. Since the fruit has spikes and petals resembling lotus, it is referred to as ‘Kamalam’.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme in July, 2020 on All India Radio had mentioned about the dragon fruit farming in the arid Kutch region of Gujarat. He had congratulated the farmers of Kutch for the cultivation of fruit for ensuring India’s self-sufficiency in the production. His dream has come true when the fruit is being exported to the UK and Kingdom of Bahrain.

APEDA is making efforts to export it to other European countries to get better price realisation to the farmers of their produce.

APEDA promotes exports of agricultural & processed food products by providing assistance to the exporters under various components such as Infrastructure Development, Quality Development and Market Development. Apart from this the Department of Commerce also supports exports through various schemes like Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, Market Access Initiative etc.

30-Jul-2021: APEDA organizes orientation programme for start-ups for boosting agricultural products exports from Rajasthan

In a bid to give fillip to the start-up ecosystem for promotion of agricultural products exports, APEDA in association with Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan organized a programme where more than 430 farmers, students, traders and other stakeholders had participated.

The orientation programme for start-ups in Agri-export, was aimed at creating awareness among farmers and agriculture students in the western region of Rajasthan on Agri-exports. The focus of the programme was to urge the Rajasthan government to adopt ‘agriculture export’ as a business opportunity for boosting livelihood and farmers’ income.

The aim of programme organized on 28th July, 2021 through virtual mode was to support the farmers, agriculture students and other stakeholders in the export oriented supply chain which generate rural employment.

During the programme, APEDA officials explained issues around agricultural exports and challenges in the export oriented Agri supply chain. 

APEDA officials also explained various Government initiatives on agriculture exports such as Financial Assistance Schemes, Risk Management in agriculture export, RBI Guidelines, Pesticides issues, Digital Traceability in Agri supply chain, etc.

The Agriculture department of Rajasthan, Agricultural University, Jodhpur and other state government officials discussed the agriculture export potential from the west zone of Rajasthan especially in the crops such as barley, castor, legumes, mustard, pomegranate, dates, etc.  The programme also discussed the export potential of commercial crops including Capparis decidua, (referred locally as karira or kerda), Acacia Senegal (Kummat), Prosopis cenararia (Sangari).

Besides the export potential of cumin, Isabgol, pomegranate, anise seeds, caster, guar gum, hina etc. were discussed.   The programme emphasized the need for automation, mechanization in agriculture for achieving quality production which would enhance competitiveness in the international market.  The officials from Rajasthan Agricultural Marketing Board (RSAMB) have participated in the meet.

APEDA has been focusing on collaborative approach to bring synergy with number of organizations and institutions having inherent professional and specialized expertise in different areas for capacity building of various stakeholders and providing solutions for addressing some of the identified interventions for the development of Agriculture and its export enhancement in consonance with the objectives set under Agri Export Policy (AEP) announced by Government of India in 2018.

APEDA has been engaged with State Governments for the implementation of AEP. The States of Maharashtra, U.P., Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and M.P. have finalized the State specific Action Plan for exports while the action plans of other States are at different stages of finalization.

28-Jul-2021: King Chilli ‘Raja Mircha’ from Nagaland exported to London for the first time

In a major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) products from the north-eastern region, a consignment of ‘Raja Mircha’ also referred as king Chilli from Nagaland was today exported to London via Guwahati by air for the first time.

The consignment of King Chilli also considered as world’s hottest based on the Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). The consignment was sourced from Tening, part of Peren district, Nagaland and was packed at APEDA assisted packhouse at Guwahati.

The Chilli from Nagaland is also referred as Bhoot Jolokia and Ghost pepper. It got GI certification in 2008.

APEDA in collaboration with the Nagaland State Agricultural Marketing Board (NSAMB), coordinated the first export consignment of fresh King Chilli. APEDA had coordinated with NSAMB in sending samples for laboratory testing in June and July 2021 and the results were encouraging as it is grown organically.

Exporting fresh King Chilli posed a challenge because of its highly perishable nature.

Nagaland King Chilli belongs to genus Capsicum of family Solanaceae. Naga king Chilli has been considered as the world’s hottest Chilli and is constantly on the top five in the list of the world's hottest chilies based on the SHUs.

APEDA would continue to focus on the north eastern region and has been carrying out promotional activities to bring the North-Eastern states on the export map. In 2021, APEDA has facilitated exports of Jackfruits from Tripura to London and Germany, Assam Lemon to London, Red rice of Assam to the United States and Leteku ‘Burmese Grape’ to Dubai.

26-Jul-2021: In a big boost to Agribusiness, First consignment of vegetables exported to UAE from Uttarakhand

In a major boost to agricultural produce exports from Uttarakhand, first consignment of vegetables including curry leaf, okra, pear and bitter gourd sourced from the farmers of Haridwar, was exported today to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The exports of vegetables come after a consignment of millets grown in Uttarakhand was exported to Denmark in May, 2021.

APEDA, in collaboration with Uttarakhand Agriculture Produce Marketing Board (UKAPMB) & Just Organik, an exporter, sourced & processed ragi (finger millet), and jhingora (barnyard millet) from farmers in Uttarakhand for exports, which meets the organic certification standards of the European Union.

The Uttarakhand government has been supporting organic farming. UKAPMB, through a unique initiative, has been supporting thousands of farmers for organic certification. These farmers produce mainly millets such as Ragi, Barnyard millet, Amaranthus etc.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been carrying out promotional activities to bring Uttarakhand on the agricultural and processed food products export map of India. APEDA is planning to provide financial assistance for setting up a pack house in Uttarakhand which would fulfil the mandatory requirement or infrastructure for export of fresh fruits and vegetables to the international market.

APEDA would continue to focus on the Uttarakhand region both in terms of capacity building, quality upgradation, and infrastructure development by linking buyers to farmers through strengthening the entire supply chain of agricultural produce.

In 2020-21, India exported fruits and vegetables valued at Rs 11,019 crore compared to Rs 10,114 crore worth of exports in 2019-20, which is an increase of close to 9%.

APEDA undertakes market promotion activities for export of food products, market intelligence for making informed decisions, international exposure, skill development, capacity building and high-quality packaging.

22-Jul-2021: APEDA collaborates with Ladakh officials for boosting unique agricultural produce which would boost farmers’ income in the region

For giving boost to exports of agricultural produce from Ladakh, which would enhance farmers’ as well as entrepreneurs’ income, APEDA in association with officials of the horticulture, agriculture, commerce and industry departments of Union Territory and Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR) are working out comprehensive plan of actions.

Following a series of interactions held recently at Ladakh, identified areas of work include enhancement of production of fruits with medicinal values including sea buckthorn, apricot and organic produce and introduction of the traceability system, capacity-building of farmers and value addition of products.

APEDA would provide technical assistance for building the capacity of stakeholder including entrepreneurs, officials, farmers, branding and marketing of Ladakhi products and making Ladakh an ‘organic’ region. APEDA would provide special assistance for branding and promotion of Ladakhi products, especially sea buckthorn which is rich in Vitamin C, omega and other essential nutrients.

Emphasizing the need for minimal or zero use of chemicals in the farming, during the interactions with Ladakh officials, APEDA has urged non-use of chemicals and fertilizers at the earliest and introduction of traceability systems to help in branding Ladakhi products. The focus of this collaborations is to ensure that Ladakh achieves the goal of becoming an organic region by 2025.

Officials of Ladakh under the Mission Organic Development Initiative have formed an organic study group, drafting of ‘organic’ certification documents and implementation of certification process in phases. The technological interventions introduced by DIHAR to Ladakh administration is helping farmers grow leafy vegetables at -25 degrees.

APEDA would be continuously working with officials from agriculture and horticulture departments of Lek & Ladakh districts, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Jammu, DIHAR, and entrepreneurs for comprehensive development of agriculture in Ladakh.

12-Jul-2021: APEDA inks MoU with NAFED for strengthening export linkage of Farmer Cooperatives & FPOs

For harnessing exports potential of agricultural and processed food products of cooperatives as well Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) today signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED).

According to the MoU, the key areas of cooperation include facilitating APEDA registered exporters getting assistance under all the Govt. of India schemes implemented through NAFED. The MoU also envisages ensuring sustainability and growth of exports by Cooperatives by addressing issues such as technology, skill, quality products and market access.

The collaborations between APEDA, which functions under Ministry of Commerce & NAFED, registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act, also support engaging Cooperatives involved in agricultural production for improving the quality of agri-produce and its consolidation for better price realization to the farmers.

APEDA would facilitate exports by the Cooperatives, FPO’s, partners and associates identified and promoted by NAFED.

APEDA and NAFED will also facilitate participation of Farmers’ Cooperatives in global trade including B2B & B2C fairs to be organized in India and abroad and also to mutually cooperate in international business development & promotions.

The MoU also entails providing assistance towards capacity building of Cooperative Societies, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for their social & environmental compliances and skilling as per international standards. Both the organisations would organize awareness programs Skill Development Programmes and Workshops at Regional, State and National levels.

APEDA and NAFED have also agreed to work in close coordination towards sustainable Cluster development of the clusters in various States notified under Agri Export policy.

The MoU was signed by Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman APEDA and Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Chadha, Managing Director, NAFED. The MoU was signed for utilising both the organisations’ expertise by mutually working together to synergize the activities in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors for bringing better value to the stakeholders.

APEDA has been focusing on collaborative approach to bring synergy with number of organisations and institutions having inherent professional and specialised expertise in different areas for capacity building of various stakeholders and providing solutions for addressing some of the identified interventions for the development of Agriculture and its export enhancement in consonance with the objectives set under Agri Export Policy (AEP) announced by Government of India in 2018.

AEP was framed with a focus on agriculture export oriented production, export promotion, better price realization to farmer and synchronization within policies and programmes of Government of India. It focuses on “Farmers’ Centric Approach” for improved income through value addition at source itself to help minimize losses across the value chain.

The exports policy therefore suggests to adopt the approach of developing product specific clusters in different agro climatic zones of the country to help in dealing with various supply side issues viz., soil nutrients management, higher productivity, adoption of market oriented variety of crop, use of Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) etc.

APEDA has been engaged with State Governments for the implementation of AEP. The States of Maharashtra, U.P., Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, M.P., Mizoram and Meghalaya have finalized the State specific Action Plan for exports while the action plans of other States are at different stages of finalization.

At present, NAFED is creating a network of honey FPOs across Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Around 65 FPOs will be part of honey corridor linking north-west to north-eastern regions. NAFED is aiming at bringing all the FPOs associated with honey production for creating requisite infrastructure under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission, NAFED’s  subsidiary Federation of Indian FPOs and Aggregators (FIFA) is currently partnering with FPOs and private sector.

10-Jul-2021: India expands mango export footprint to newer countries

India has expanded its footprint of mango exports to the newer countries this season, notwithstanding logistical challenges posed by COVID19 pandemic. In a major initiative which would boost mango export potential from the eastern region especially to middle east countries, a consignment of Geographical Identification (GI) certified Fazil mango variety sourced from Malda district of West Bengal was exported today to Bahrain. The consignment of Fazil mango was exported by APEDA registered DM enterprises, Kolkata and imported by Al Jazira group, Bahrain.

APEDA has been initiating measures to boost mango exports from the non-traditional regions and states. It has been conducting virtual buyer-seller meets and festivals to promote mango exports. This shipment to Bahrain comes a few days after APEDA organized a mango promotion programme at Doha, Qatar where nine varieties of mangoes including GI certified from West Bengal & Uttar Pradesh were displayed at the stores of importer Family Food Centre.

The nine varieties which were exported includes GI certified Khirsapati (Malda, West Bengal), Lakkhanbhog (Malda, West Bengal), Fazli (Malda, West Bengal), Dusshheri (Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh) and Amrapali and Chausa (Malda, West Bengal) and Langda (Nadiya, West Bengal).

In June, 2021, a week-long Indian mango promotion programme was organised in Bahrain where 16 varieties of the fruit including three GI certified Khirsapati & Lakshmanbhog (West Bengal), Zardalu (Bihar) were displayed.

The varieties of mangoes were sold through 13 stores of the group in Bahrain. The mangoes were sourced from farmers in Bengal and Bihar by APEDA registered exporter.

APEDA has been conducting virtual buyer-seller meets and festivals to promote mango exports. It recently organised mango festival in Berlin, Germany.

For the first time in this season, India has shipped a consignment of 2.5 Metric Tonne (MTs) of GI certified Banganapalli & other variety Suvarnarekha mangoes sourced from farmers in Krishna & Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh recently.

Mango in India is also referred to as ‘king of fruits’ and referred to as Kalpavriksha (wish granting tree) in ancient scriptures. While most of the states in India have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka have a major share in total production of the fruit. Alphonso, Kesar, Totapuri and Banganapalli are leading export varieties from India. Mango exports primarily take place in three forms: fresh mango, mango pulp, and mango slice.

8-Jul-2021: GI certified Madurai Malli and other flowers exported to USA & Dubai from Tamil Nadu

For ensuring that Indians living abroad get supplies of fresh flowers to deities at home and temples, consignments of Geographical Indications (GI) certified Madurai malli and other traditional flowers such as button rose, lily, chamanthi and marigold were exported today to USA and Dubai from Tamil Nadu.

The flowers for the consignments were sourced from Nilakottai, Dindigul and Sathyamangalam, Tamil Nadu by APEDA registered M/s. Vanguard Exports, Coimbatore.

The exporters of consignments were supported by professors from floriculture department of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore in adoption of packaging technology to increase the shelf life of the flowers. Direct contacts with the farmers to cultivate quality flowers were undertaken by the exporters and the initiative generated employment to about  130 women workers and about 30 skilled workers.

Indian community in Dubai and USA would be able to offer fresh flowers to Hindu deities both at home and temples while celebrating religious and cultural festivals after exports of flowers from India continue at regular interval.

During 2020-2021, fresh cut flowers jasmine flowers and bouquets (comprising of jasmine and other traditional flowers) valued at Rs 66.28 crores were exported to countries like USA,UAE, Singapore, etc. Out of which, value of Rs.11.84 crores were exported from Tamil Nadu region through major airports of Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai.

Jasmine (Jasminum Officinale) is one of the most popular flowers found across the world. The scent of Jasmine is synonymous with the splendor of Madurai’s Meenakshi temple, Madurai has emerged as a major market for the malligai grown in its neighbourhood, and has evolved into the ‘jasmine capital’ of India.

6-Jul-2021: First commercial shipment of Mishri variety of cherries from Kashmir exported to Dubai

In a step towards boosting horticultural crops exports, a first commercial shipment of Mishri variety of luscious cherries from Kashmir valley has been exported to Dubai from Srinagar. APEDA assisted the shipment of cherries to Dubai by MS Desai Agri-Food Private Limited, a venture company of MS Innoterra, Dubai.

Prior to this shipment, a sample consignment was sent in the middle of June 2021 from Srinagar to Dubai through air which were transshipped from Mumbai. Following an encouraging response from the consumers in Dubai, the first commercial shipment of Mishri variety of cherries were exported to Dubai.

Mishri variety of Cherries are not only taste delicious but also contain vitamins, minerals and plant compound with health benefits.

The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir produces more than 95% of the total country’s production of commercial varieties of cherries in the country. It produces four varieties of cherry — Double, Makhmali, Mishri and Italy.

Prior to the shipment, the cherries were harvested, cleaned and packed by APEDA registered exporter while the technical inputs were provided by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology of Kashmir.

APEDA-National Referral Laboratory at National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune provided support for ensuring food safety and quality in the shipment, which would help create brand for cherries especially in the middle east countries.

The commencement of commercial shipment of cherries would provide huge opportunities for exports of several temperate fruits like plums, pears, apricot and apples from Kashmir to especially to middle east countries in the forthcoming seasons.

APEDA has been conducting interactions with farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), government officials and other stakeholders for boosting exports potential of agricultural produce from Kashmir such as apples, almonds, walnuts, saffron, rice, fresh fruits and vegetables and certified organic products.

Several rounds of virtual awareness creation programme involving the local producers, suppliers, FPOs and exporters from Kashmir are being conducted for ensuring export of temperate fruits from the region.

For ensuring exports of quality agricultural produce which adhere to global standards, APEDA has also initiated awareness programme on National Programme on Organic Production and ISO-17065 requirements for the officials of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The purpose of such programme was to acquaint officials of the UTs with the third-party certification system for organic products as well as international trade of organic products.

28-Jun-2021: APEDA facilitated exports of Burmese grapes ‘Leteku’ to Dubai

In a major boost to harness the export potential of agricultural and processed food products from north-eastern states, a shipment of fresh Burmese grapes referred as ‘Leteku’ in Assamese language has been exported to Dubai from Guwahati by air route.

A consignment of Leteku, which contains vitamin C and Iron, was sourced and packed at a collection centre in Darang district of Assam. Consignment was exported by APEDA registered Kiega EXIM Pvt Ltd from Guwahati airport to Dubai via Delhi.

APEDA has been carrying out promotional activities to bring the North-Eastern states on the agricultural and processed food products export map of India.

Recently, APEDA facilitated exports of the first consignment of ‘red rice’ to the USA from Assam. Iron rich ‘red rice’ is grown in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertilizer. The rice variety is referred to as ‘Bao-dhaan’, which is an integral part of Assamese food.

APEDA assisted in exports of Geographical Indications (GI) certified KajiNemu (Assam lemon) to London. So far around 40 metric tonnes of Assam Lemon has been exported.

Jackfruits sourced from the Tripura based Krishi Sanyoga Agro Producer Company Ltd was exported to London. The consignment was packed at APEDA assisted pack-house facility of Salt Range Supply Chain Solution Ltd and exported by Kiega EXIM Pvt Ltd.

APEDA has provided financial assistance to the private sector to set up a pack house at Guwahati which has fulfilled the mandatory requirement or infrastructure for export of fresh fruits and vegetables to Europe.

APEDA undertakes market promotion activities for evolving structured marketing strategies for export of food products, market intelligence for taking informed decisions, international exposure, skill development, capacity building and high-quality packaging.

APEDA would continue to focus on the north eastern region both in terms of capacity building, quality upgradation, and infrastructure development. Linking buyers to farmers, strengthening the entire supply chain of agricultural produce from the north-eastern region would bring in dividends.

26-Jun-2021: Exotic dragon fruit or Kamalam from Maharashtra exported to Dubai

In a major boost to export of exotic fruit, a consignment of fibre and mineral rich ‘Dragon Fruit’, also referred as Kamalam, has been exported to Dubai. A consignment of Dragon Fruit for exports was sourced from the farmers of Tadasar village, Sangli district, Maharashtra and it was processed and packed at APEDA recognized exporter – M/s Kay Bee.

Scientifically referred to as Hylocereusundatus, the dragon fruit is grown in countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, the USA and Vietnam.

Dragon fruit production commenced in India in early 1990s and was grown as home gardens. Dragon Fruit has become increasingly popular in recent years in the country as it has been taken up for cultivation by farmers across various states.

At present, dragon fruit is grown mostly in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The cultivation requires less water and can be grown in various kinds of soils. There are three main varieties of dragon fruit: white flesh with pink skin, red flesh with pink skin, and white flesh with yellow skin.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme in July 2020 on All India Radio had mentioned about the dragon fruit farming in the arid Kutch region of Gujarat. He had congratulated the farmers of Kutch for the cultivation of fruit for ensuring India’s self-sufficiency in the production.

The fruit contains fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It can help in repairing the cell damage caused by oxidative stress and reduce inflammation, and also improving the digestive system. Since the fruit has spikes and petals resembling lotus, it is also referred as ‘Kamalam’.

APEDA promotes exports of agricultural & processed food products by providing assistance to the exporters under various components such as Infrastructure Development, Quality Development and Market Development. Apart from this the Department of Commerce also supports exports through various schemes like Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, Market Access Initiative etc.

24-Jun-2021: APEDA in collaboration with Indian embassy organize virtual buyer seller meet for boosting agricultural and processed food products exports to Algeria

In a bid to boost agricultural and processed food products exports, APEDA in collaboration with Indian embassy has organized a virtual buyer seller meet (VBSM) with Algeria where key stakeholders in the agricultural value chains from both the countries participated.

More than 100 participants including exporters, processors and traders of agricultural commodities from India and Algeria participated in the VBSM titled ‘Opportunities in Agri-sector between India and Algeria’ organized on Wednesday.

Due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, the export promotion programmes were not possible to be organized physically. APEDA has been organizing a series of VBSMs with various countries for providing platform to the exporters and importers.

In the VBSM held with trade and government officials from Algeria, the scope of increasing exports of India’s Geographical Indications (GI) certified agricultural products were discussed. Export potential of products including cereals, animal product, non-basmati and basmati rice etc. to Algeria were discussed during VBSM.

Along with APEDA and Indian embassy officials, trade representatives including officials from All India Rice Exporters Association, The Rice Exporters Association, All India Food Processors Association, importers from Algeria including Sarl Agro Plast Compant,  Eurl kbline, Haddadi Med Business Export and others participated in the VBSM.

16-Jun-2021: GI certified Jalgaon banana exported to Dubai

In a major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) certified agricultural produce, a consignment of fibre and mineral rich ‘Jalgaon banana’ has been exported to Dubai.

The twenty-two metric tonnes of GI certified Jalgaon banana were sourced from progressive farmers of Tandalwadi village, part of Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, a banana cluster identified under Agri Export Policy.

In 2016, Jalgaon Banana got GI certification which was registered with Nisargraja Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Jalgaon. India’s banana export has been rising sharply because of adoption of farm practices as per the global standards.

India’s banana exports grew both in terms of volume as well as value from 1.34 lakh metric tonne valued at Rs 413 crore in 2018-19 to 1.95 lakh metric tonne valued at Rs 660 crore in 2019-20. During 2020-21 (April-February), India has exported banana worth of 1.91 lakh tonne valued at Rs 619 crore.

India is the world's leading producer of bananas with a share of around 25% in total output. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh contribute more than 70% of the country's banana production.

APEDA promotes exports of agricultural & processed food products by providing assistance to the exporters under various components of its scheme such as Infrastructure Development, Quality Development and Market Development. In addition, APEDA also conducts international Buyer Seller Meets, Virtual trade fairs with importing countries to promote agricultural & processed food products.

Apart from this the Department of Commerce also supports exports through various schemes like Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme, Market Access Initiative etc.

14-Jun-2021: First commercial consignment of GI certified Jardalu mangoes from Bihar exported to United Kingdom

In a major boost to Agri-exports potential of eastern region, the first commercial consignment of Geographical Indications (GI) certified Jardalu mangoes from Bhagalpur, Bihar was exported today to United Kingdom. APEDA, in collaboration with Bihar government, Indian High Commission & Invest India, exported juicy & aromatic mangoes which were packed and treated at APEDA packhouse in Lucknow. With distinct aroma and taste, Jardalu mangoes from Bhagalpur district of Bihar received GI certification in 2018.

APEDA has been initiating measures to boost mango exports from the non-traditional regions. Recently, a week-long Indian mango promotion programme was organized in Bahrain where 16 varieties of the fruit including three GI certified Khirsapati & Lakshmanbhog (West Bengal) and Jardalu (Bihar) were displayed at super stores of importer Al Jazeera group.

APEDA has been conducting virtual buyer-seller meets and festival to promote mango exports. APEDA recently organised mango festival in Berlin, Germany as well as in Japan in collaboration with Indian embassies.

APEDA in collaboration with Indian embassy, Seoul and Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, in May, 2021 organised a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet. Due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, the export promotion programmes were not possible to be organized physically. APEDA organized a virtual meet to provide a platform to the exporters and importers of mangoes from India and South Korea. India exported a consignment of GI certified Banganapalli and other variety Suvarnarekha mangoes sourced from farmers in Krishna and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The mangoes exported to South Korea, were treated, cleaned and shipped from the APEDA assisted and registered packhouse with a vapor heat treatment facility at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and exported by IFFCO Kisan SEZ (IKSEZ). This was the first export consignment sent by IKSEZ, which is a subsidiary of IFFCO, a multi-state cooperative with a membership of 36,000 societies.

Mango in India is also referred to as ‘king of fruits’ and referred to as Kalpavriksha (wish granting tree) in ancient scriptures. While most of the states in India have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka have a major share in total production of the fruit.

Mangoes are processed by the APEDA registered packhouse facilities and then exported to various regions and countries including the Middle-east, European Union, USA, Japan and South Korea.

11-Jun-2021: Indian mango promotion programme begins in Bahrain

A week-long Indian mango promotion programme began in Bahrain today where 16 varieties of the fruit including three Geographical Indications (GI) certified Khirsapati & Lakshmanbhog (West Bengal), Zardalu (Bihar) are being displayed.

The varieties of mangoes are currently being sold through 13 stores of the group in Bahrain. The mangoes were sourced from farmers in Bengal and Bihar by APEDA registered exporter.

APEDA has been initiating measures to boost mango exports from the non-traditional regions and states. APEDA has been conducting virtual buyer-seller meets and festival to promote mango exports. It recently organised mango festival in Berlin, Germany

In a bid to increase mangoes exports to South Korea, APEDA in collaboration with Indian embassy, Seoul and Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, last month organised a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet.

Due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, the export promotion programmes were not possible to be organized physically. APEDA took a lead to organize a virtual meet to provide a platform to the exporters and importers of mangoes from India and South Korea.

For the first time in this season, India has shipped a consignment of 2.5 Metric Tonne (MTs) of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Banganapalli & other variety Suvarnarekha mangoes sourced from farmers in Krishna & Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh recently.

The mangoes exported to South Korea, were treated, cleaned & shipped from the APEDA assisted and registered packhouse & vapor heat treatment facility at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and exported by IFFCO Kisan SEZ (IKSEZ).

Mango in India is also referred to as ‘king of fruits’ and referred to as Kalpavriksha (wish granting tree) in ancient scriptures. While most of the states in India have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka have a major share in total production of the fruit. Alphonso, Kesar, Totapuri and Banganapalli are leading export varieties from India. Mango exports primarily take place in three forms: fresh mango, mango pulp, and mango slice.

Mangoes are processed by the APEDA registered packhouse facilities and then exported to various regions and countries including the Middle East, European Union, USA, Japan and South Korea.

8-Jun-2021: Sixteen varieties of mangoes including three GI certified varieties exported to Bahrain from West Bengal & Bihar

In a major boost to mango exports potential from eastern region, sixteen varieties of mangoes including three GI certified Khirsapati & Lakshmanbhog (West Bengal), Zardalu (Bihar) are being exported to Bahrain commencing today.

The fruits have been sourced from farmers in Bengal and Bihar by APEDA registered exporter, DM enterprises, Kolkata and imported by Al Jazeera group, Bahrain.

APEDA has been initiating measures to boost mango exports from the non-traditional regions and states. APEDA has been conducting virtual buyer seller meet and festival to promote mango exports.

Recently in a bid to increase mangoes exports to South Korea, APEDA in collaboration with Indian embassy, Seoul and Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, organised a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet. APEDA has recently organised mango festival in Berlin, Germany.

Due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, the export promotion programmes were not possible to be organized physically. APEDA took a lead to organize virtual meet to provide a platform to the exporters and importers of mangoes from India and South Korea.

For the first time in this season, India has shipped a consignment of 2.5 Metric Tonne (MTs) of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Banganapalli & other variety Suvarnarekha mangoes sourced from farmers in Krishna & Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh

The mangoes exported to South Korea, were treated, cleaned & shipped from the APEDA assisted and registered packhouse & vapor heat treatment facility at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and exported by IFFCO Kisan SEZ (IKSEZ).

This was the first export consignment sent by IKSEZ, which is a subsidiary of IFFCO, a multi-state cooperative with a membership of 36,000 societies. There is possibility of more exports of mangoes to South Korea this season. IFFCO Kisan SEZ has an agreement with Meejaim, South Korea for supplying 66 MTs of mango this season.

Mango in India is also referred as ‘king of fruits’ and referred as Kalpavriksha (wish granting tree) in ancient scriptures. While most of the states in India have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka have major share in total production of the fruit.

Alphonso, Kesar, Totapuri and Banganapalli are leading export varieties from India. Mango exports primarily take place in three forms: fresh mango, mango pulp, and mango slice.

Mangoes are processed by the APEDA registered packhouse facilities and then exported to various regions and countries including middle east, European Union, USA, Japan and South Korea.

8-Jun-2021: In a boost to exports from eastern region, 24 MT of groundnuts exported to Nepal from West Bengal

Opening a window of possibilities of boosting groundnut exports from eastern region, a consignment of 24 metric tonne (MT) of groundnuts was exported to Nepal from West Bengal.

The consignment was sourced from farmers of west Midnapore district of West Bengal, was exported by APEDA registered Laduram Promoters Pvt Ltd, Kolkata.

Traditionally, Gujarat and Rajasthan have a major share in groundnut exports. The groundnut exports from West Bengal would boost exports potential of the crop from the eastern region.

India exported 6.38 lakh tonnes (worth of Rs 5381 crore) of groundnuts during 2020-21. The groundnuts are exported to mostly countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Russia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Nepal.

Through initiatives such as peanut.NET, APEDA has streamlined the exports of groundnuts through measures including buyer registration, batch processing by APEDA registered peanut units, application for certificate of export and stuffing certificate by exporter, Aflatoxin analysis and issue of stuffing certificate by laboratories, issuance of certificate of exports by APEDA.

According to the third advance estimates of oilseeds production by the ministry of agriculture and farmer welfare, the groundnut production in 2020-21 is estimated at 101.19 lakh tonne against 99.52 lakh tonne estimated inn 2019-20.

Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnuts in the country, which is followed by Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Rajasthan. The crop is grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons. The Kharif season has a share of more than 75% of the total production.

1-Jun-2021: APEDA organizes webinar to commemorate the World Milk Day in collaboration with Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying for harnessing India’s export potential of dairy products

For commemorating World Milk Day  today, APEDA in association with Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MFAHD) organized a webinar cum interactive session  on the prospects of harnessing full potential of dairy products exports from the country.

While delivering keynote address at the webinar, Shri Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, MFAHD said India is Atmanirbhar in production of milk and has enough surplus produce to exports. He shared the progress made in production and export growth in dairy products.

Shri Chaturvedi also mentioned that COVID has provided a lesson that for boosting immunity, dairy products have that potential. There is big need for niche products for the class who are ready to pay any price for the quality product. He also mentioned about  the schemes and programs of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying like National Program for Dairy Development, National Livestock Mission, Livestock Health and Disease Control and Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund etc.

Stressing on the health needs of livestock population through vaccination, Shri Chaturvedi noted that Animal Disease Control Program was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi under Central Sector Scheme. “We will achieve our target with these initiatives for making India free from Foot and Mouth Disease with vaccination by 2025 and without vaccination by 2030,”he said at the webinar.

For ensuring availability of quality fodder and feed for the cattle nutrition through Pashuaadhar for traceability for the animals. MFAHD has scheme for developing infrastructure under Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) under AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.  Besides several incentives are being provided for promotion of investments by individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSME, Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) and companies to establish the dairy processing and value addition infrastructure and Animal Feed Plant.

Dr. Varsha Joshi, Joint Secretary, MFAHD, mentioned that measures are being taken for constraints faced by the dairy exporters. She said that an Investment Promotion Desk is   established to support the dairy entrepreneurs. She mentioned that market promotion is required to promote the dairy products and in association of APEDA,

Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA said that time has come to promote the FPOs, dairy farmers or cooperatives to export dairy products directly to the global destinations. Shri Meenesh C Shah, Executive Director, National Dairy Development Board also shared their views on Overall scenario of Dairy sector in India.

On the behalf of the exporters Dr. R S Sodhi, Managing Director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) also known as \AMUL, shared the constraints being faced in exports i.e. market access issues in China, EU, South Africa and Mexico, Sodhi said that high import duty charged by SAARC and neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh (35%) and Pakistan (45%).  Sodhi also noted that major importing countries have imposed much higher import duty on dairy products from India.

29-May-2021: Fibre & protein rice ‘village rice’ from Tamil Nadu exported to Ghana & Yemen

In a major boost to India’s non-basmati rice exports potential, two consignments 4.5 MT of patented ‘village rice’ sourced from Kumbakonam, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu by a start-up Udaya Agro Farm was exported today to Ghana & Yemen via air & sea routes.

Enriched with protein, fibre, and a variety of minerals, ‘village rice’ is sourced directly from farmers of Thanjavur, also known as rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. APEDA assisted Udaya Agro Farm plans to increase volume of exports of ‘village rice’ in the coming months.

During the 2020-21, the shipment of non-basmati rice witnessed an impressive spike. The non-basmati rice exports were Rs 35,448 crore (4796 US$ Million) during April-March, 2021 against Rs 14,400 crore (2020 US$ Million) reported during April-March, 2020 period. The exports of non-Basmati have witnessed a growth of 146 % in Rupee terms and 137 % Dollar terms in 2020-2021.

Earlier this month, a consignment of rice was exported from the Paradip International Cargo Terminal, Odisha to Vietnam. This was for the first time in recent years, non-basmati rice was exported from Paradip Port.

In March, 2021, the first consignment of ‘red rice’ from Assam was exported to the USA. Iron rich ‘red rice’ is grown in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertilizer. The rice variety is referred as ‘Bao-dhaan’, which is an integral part of the Assamese food.

Non-basmati rice exports to African and Asian countries are undertaken from various ports of India such as Kakinada, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai, Mundra and Krishnapatnam. Paradip will soon emerge as one of the major rice-exporting port of the country.

The sharp spike in rice exports especially during a phase where globally the COVID19 pandemic has disrupted supply changes many commodities, has been attributed to the government taking prompt measures to ensure exports of rice while taking all the COVID19 related safety precautions.

APEDA is working with various stakeholders such as farmers, entrepreneurs, exporters and importers across the globe to harness India’s non-basmati rice exports potential.

APEDA has promoted rice exports through collaborations with various stakeholders in the value chains. The government had set up the Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF), under the aegis of the APEDA. REPF has representations from rice industry, exporters, officials from APEDA, ministry of commerce and directors of agriculture from major rice producing states including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

27-May-2021: Second virtual trade fair by APEDA focusing on horticultural products commences

To boost export potential of India’s agricultural and processed food products during the COVID19 pandemic, the second virtual trade fair (VTF) for horticultural produce organised by APEDA was inaugurated today.

The three days VTF (May 27-29, 2021) display India’s unique fruits, vegetables and floricultural products sourced from various regions for the global importers. There are more than 471 exhibitors or exporters have displayed their products in the virtual platform. 543 numbers of visitor /importers have registered their participation in the VTF.

The exhibitors or exporters of fresh vegetables, fresh mangoes, fresh pomegranate and grapes and other fresh fruits have showcased their products for their global importers. Visitors from India, Singapore, the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Bahrain, Israel, Suriname, Afghanistan, Japan, Iceland, Maldives and Brunei have already participated in the VTF.

Earlier, APEDA organized the first VTF during March 10-12, 2021 which drew more than 404 visitors. There were 313 exhibitors registered for the mega virtual event where 128 stalls were set up to showcase products from the categories - basmati rice, non-basmati rice, millets, wheat, maize, groundnut and coarse grains.

The buyers from around the globe showed keen interest in a variety of product categories displayed during VTF.

Because of COVID19 related restrictions on physical travel and trade, APEDA has initiated the concept of VTF for sustaining India’s agricultural and processed food products exports and also exploring new markets for expanding export footprints.

In the pre-COVID19 era, trade fairs and exhibitions have been instrumental in promoting export of agricultural foods by APEDA. In the VTF, the trade facilitations take place using interactive technology.

At VTF, the exporters and importer meetings were held with no interruption via audio as well as video sessions. The fair provided the facility workshops, product launches, live streams and webinars. The virtual meet facilitated private meetings as well as personalized meetings.

The online interactions between exporters and importers and data exchanged during such interaction were secured and could be accessed only by parties concerned.

Such virtual events also provide cost effective and productive platforms where the buyers and sellers could negotiate or discuss trade face to face giving a feel of real time exhibitions or fairs.

APEDA has been a pioneer in taking IT initiatives in the past in terms of making its process system online, implementation of traceability and adoption of advanced technology.

25-May-2021: Processed & organic certified jackfruit from Bengaluru exported to Germany

In a boost to exports of organic products, a consignment of 10.20 MT of value added products of organically certified gluten free jackfruit powder &retort packed jackfruit cubes were exported to Germany from Bengaluru today via sea route. The has been processed in the APEDA assisted pack house owned by Phalada Agro Research Foundations (PARF), Bengaluru.

APEDA registered PARF represents a group of 1500 farmers with a wide coverage of around 12,000 acres farms. These farmers grow Medicinal and aromatic herbs, coconut, jackfruit, mango puree products, spices and Coffee.

PARF facilitates the certification process as per National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), European Union, National Organic Programme (the United States) standards to their small farmers groups. Processing unit of PARF has been certified by APEDA under its accredited Organic Certification.

Recently, a shipment of 1.2 metric tonne (MT) of fresh jackfruit was exported from Tripura to London. Jackfruits were sourced from the Tripura based KrishiSanyoga Agro Producer Company Ltd. The consignment was packed at APEDA assisted pack-house facility of Salt Range Supply Chain Solution Ltd and exported by Kiega EXIM Pvt Ltd. This was the first APEDA assisted pack house for exports to European Union, which was approved in May 2021.

Under the NPOP, organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides with an environmentally and socially responsible approach. This method of farming works at grassroot level preserving the reproductive and regenerative capacity of the soil, good plant nutrition, and sound soil management, produces nutritious food rich in vitality which has resistance to diseases. APEDA is currently implementing the NPOP, which involves the accreditation of certification bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming and marketing etc.

In 2020-21, India produced around 3.49 million tonne of certified organic products which includes all varieties of food products namely oil seeds, sugarcane, cereals, millets, cotton, pulses, aromatic &medicinal plants, tea, coffee, fruits, spices, dry fruits, vegetables, processed foods etc.

Madhya Pradesh has covered largest area under organic certification followed by Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh. In 2020-21, the total volume of organic products export was 8.88 lakh metric tonne and the export realization was around Rs 7,078 crores (1040 million USD).

24-May-2021: First consignment of GI certified Shahi Litchi from Bihar exported to the U.K

In a major boost to export of GI certified products, season’s first consignment of Shahi Litchi from Bihar was exported to United Kingdom by air route today. The Phyto-sanitary certification for exports of Shahi Litchi was issued from newly established certification facility at Patna. The fruit is being exported by Cira Enterprises and sourced from farmers in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The Litchi is being imported by H & J Veg, London.

APEDA collaborated with Department of Agriculture, Bihar along with other stakeholders such as farmers, exporters and importers for facilitating exports of Shahi Litchi. Senior officials including Dr. M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, N. Saravana Kumar, Principal Secretary Agriculture, Bihar and others participated in the event for exports of Shai Litchi.

Because of short-shelf life of litchi, there is need to explore exports opportunities for the processed and value-added products.

Shahi litchi was the fourth agricultural products to get GI certification from Bihar in 2018, after Jardalu mango, Katarni rice and Magahi paan.  GI registration for Shahi Litchi is held with the Muzaffarpur-based Litchi Growers Association of Bihar.

Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Champaran, Begusarai districts and adjoining areas of Bihar have favorable climate for growing Shahi Litchi.

India is the second largest producer of litchi (Litchi chin) in the world, after China. The translucent, flavoured aril or edible flesh of the litchi is popular as a table fruit in India, while in China and Japan it is preferred in dried or canned form. Bihar tops in terms of production of litchi.

APEDA has been facilitating Bihar government in formulating State agri-export plan which would provide road-map for boosting agricultural and processed food products exports from the State. After the finalisation of State agri-export plan, the export potential of Makhana, mango, litchi and other fruits and vegetables can be harnessed.

Bihar government is making efforts in association with APEDA and other agencies for creating required infrastructures such as customs clearance facility, laboratory testing facility, pack-houses, pre-cooling facilities, which would harness and boost agricultural exports potential of the State.

21-May-2021: Jackfruits from Tripura exported to London

In a major step towards harnessing exports potential of agricultural and processed food products from north-eastern region, a shipment of 1.2 metric tonne (MT) of fresh jackfruit was today exported from Tripura to London.

Jackfruits were sourced from the Tripura based Krishi Sanyoga Agro Producer Company Ltd. The consignment was packed at APEDA assisted pack-house facility of Salt Range Supply Chain Solution Ltd and exported by Kiega EXIM Pvt Ltd.

This was the first APEDA assisted pack house for exports to European Union, which was approved in May 2021. APEDA regularly carries out promotional activities to bring the North- Eastern states on the export map of India.

The virtual event to send the jackfruit shipment to London was attended by officials including Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA and CK Jamatia, Secretary, Agriculture, Government of Tripura and other senior officials.

Recently, the first consignment of ‘red rice’ was sent to the USA from Assam. Iron rich ‘red rice’ is grown in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertilizer. The rice variety is referred as ‘Bao-dhaan’, which is an integral part of the Assamese food.

APEDA undertakes market promotion activities for evolving structured marketing strategies for export of food products, market intelligence for taking informed decisions, international exposure, skill development, capacity building and high-quality packaging.

Promoting products of north-eastern region is APEDA’s thrust areas of work. APEDA would continue to focus on north eastern region both in terms of capacity building, quality up gradation, infrastructure development. Linking buyers to farmer’s, strengthening entire supply chain of agricultural produce from the north-eastern region would bring in dividend.

21-May-2021: India shipped consignment of 2.5 MTs of Geographical Indication (GI) certified mangoes to South Korea

In a bid to increase mangoes exports to South Korea, APEDA in collaboration with Indian embassy, Seoul and Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ICCK), organised a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet (VBSM).

Senior officials from APEDA, Embassy of India, ICCK, exporters from India and importers from South Korea participated in the VBSM organised yesterday.

Due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, the export promotion programmes were not possible to be organized physically. APEDA took a lead to organize Virtual BSM to provide a platform to the exporters and importers of mangoes from India and South Korea.

Earlier this month, for the first time in this season, India has shipped a consignment of 2.5 Metric Tonne (MTs) of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Banganapalli & other variety Suvarnarekha mangoes sourced from farmers in Krishna &  Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh

The mangoes exported to South Korea, were treated, cleaned & shipped from the APEDA assisted and registered packhouse & vapor heat treatment facility at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and exported by IFFCO Kisan SEZ (IKSEZ).

This was the first export consignment sent by IKSEZ, which is a subsidiary of IFFCO, a multi-state cooperative with a membership of 36,000 societies. There is possibility of more exports of mangoes to South Korea this season. IFFCO Kisan SEZ has an agreement with Meejaim, South Korea for supplying 66 MTs of mango this season. Andhra Pradesh horticulture department also collaborated in this endeavour.

The mangoes to South Korea were processed at A P Agros Integrated Packhouse & VHT System, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and the unit is financially assisted by APEDA for facilitating the fresh fruits and vegetable exports from the region.

Nearly 400 MTs of fresh fruits & vegetables has been exported from the pack house. It caters to the southern states for export of horticulture produce for export to European Union and non-EU countries. In the current season, 30 MTs of mangoes have been exported to EU, UK Ireland, middle east countries, etc.

Mango in India is also referred as ‘king of fruits’ and referred as Kalpavriksha (wish granting tree) in ancient scriptures. While most of the states in India have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka have major share in total production of the fruit.

Alphonso, Kesar, Totapuri and Banganapalli are leading export varieties from India. Mango exports primarily take place in three forms: fresh mango, mango pulp, and mango slice.

Mangoes are processed by the APEDA registered packhouse facilities and then exported to various regions and countries including middle east, European Union, USA, Japan and South Korea.

19-May-2021: Exports of GI certified Gholvad Sapota (Chikoo) from Maharashtra to UK begins

 In a major boost to exports of Geographical Indication (GI) certified products, a consignment of Dahanu Gholvad Sapota from Palghar district of Maharashtra was today shipped to the United Kingdom.

GI certification of Gholvad Sapota is held by Maharashtra Rajya Chikoo Utpadak Sangh and the fruit is known for its sweet and unique taste. It is believed that the unique taste is derived from calcium rich soil of Gholvad village.

Currently in the Palgahr district, around 5000 hectares of land is under sapota or plantation. Out of 5000 farmers who grow Sapota, 147 farmers are authorized GI users.

The Dahanu Gholvad Sapota, sourced from the authorized GI users, were sorted and graded from the APEDA assisted and registered packhouse facility at M/s Kay Bee Agro International Private Limited, Tapi (Gujarat) and exported by M/s Kay Bee exports.

At present, the demand in the importing countries are mainly from the ethnic population and Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA said that export can increase many folds if the mainstream buyers are also targeted as Sapota can be grown throughout the year unlike other fruits.

APEDA has been thrust on promotion of exports of GI products. GI products with its uniqueness, intrinsic value and practically no competition from outsiders, offers good potential for export.

Sapota is grown in many states- Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Karnataka is known to be the highest grower of the fruit, followed by Maharashtra. It can be used in fruit salads, blended into milk or yogurt, as a smoothie or processed to make a jam out of it.

Earlier this month, a consignment of 2.5 Metric Tonne of GI certified Banganapalli & Suvarnarekha mangoes sourced from farmers in Krishna & Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh was exported to South Korea.

The mangoes were treated, cleaned & shipped from the APEDA supported packhouse & vapor heat treatment facilities at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and exported by IFFCO Kisan SEZ (IKSEZ)

This was the first export consignment sent by IKSEZ, which is a subsidiary of IFFCO, a multi-state cooperative with a membership of 36,000 societies. There is possibility of more exports of mangoes to South Korea this season. IFFCO Kisan SEZ has an agreement with Meejaim, South Korea for supplying 66 MTs of mango this season. Andhra Pradesh horticulture department also collaborated in this endeavour.

APEDA promotes exports of agricultural & processed food products by providing assistance to the exporters under various components of its scheme such as Infrastructure Development, Quality Development and Market Development. In addition, APEDA also conducts international Buyer Seller Meets (BSM), Virtual trade fairs with importing countries to promote agricultural & processed food products.

Apart from this the Department of Commerce (DOC) also support exports through various schemes like Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES), Market Access Initiative (MAI) etc.

5-May-2021: India begins exports of organic millets grown in Himalayas to Denmark

In a major boost to organic products exports from the country, first consignment of millets grown in Himalayas from snow-melt water of Ganges in Dev Bhoomi (Land of the God), Uttarakhand would be exported to Denmark.

APEDA, in collaboration with Uttarakhand Agriculture Produce Marketing Board (UKAPMB) & Just Organik, an exporter, has sourced & processed ragi (finger millet), and jhingora(barnyard millet) from farmers in Uttarakhand for exports, which meets the organic certification standards of the European Union.

UKAPMB procured millets directly from these farmers which have been processed in the state-of-art processing unit built by mandi board and operated by Just Organik.

“Millets are unique agricultural products from India which have significant demand in the global market. We will continue to carry out export promotion for the millets with a special focus on products sourced from Himalayas,” said by Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA. He stated that Indian organic products, nutraceuticals and health food are gaining more demand in overseas market

In Uttarakhand, many of the common varieties of millets are the staple foods in the hills. The Uttarakhand government has been supporting organic farming. UKAPMB, through a unique initiative has been supporting thousands of farmers for organic certification. These farmers produce mainly millets such as ragi, barnyard millet, Amaranthus etc.

The exports of millets to Denmark would expand exports opportunities in European countries. The exports would also support thousands of farmers that are getting into organic farming. Millets are gaining a lot of popularity globally because of high nutritive values and being gluten free also.

Meanwhile, India’s export of organic food products rose by more than 51% to Rs 7078 crore ($ 1040 million) during April-February (2020-21) compared to the same period in the previous fiscal (2019-20).

In terms of quantity, the exports of organic food products grew by 39% to 888,179 metric tonne (MT) during April-February (2020-21) compared to 638,998 MT shipped in April- February (2020-21). The growth in organic products have been achieved despite logistical and operational challenges posed by the COVID19 pandemic.

Oil cake meal is a major commodity of the organic product exports from the country followed by oil seeds, fruit pulps and purees, cereals & millets, spices, tea, medicinal plant products, dry fruits, sugar, pulses, coffee, essential oil etc. India’s organic products have been exported to 58 countries including USA, European Union, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Israel and South Korea.

At present, organic products are exported provided they are produced, processed, packed and labelled as per the requirements of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The NPOP has been implemented by APEDA since its inception in 2001 as notified under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulations) Act, 1992.

The NPOP certification has been recognized by the European Union and Switzerland which enables India to export unprocessed plant products to these countries without the requirement of additional certification. NPOP also facilitates export of Indian organic products to the United Kingdom even in the post Brexit phase.

In order to facilitate the trade between major importing countries, negotiations are underway with Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Australia, UAE, New Zealand for achieving Mutual Recognition Agreements for exports of organic products from India.

NPOP has also been recognized by the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) for trade of organic products in the domestic market. Organic products covered under the bilateral agreement with NPOP need not to be recertified for import in India.

24-Mar-2021: APEDA organizes virtual buyer-seller-meet with Nepal for harnessing and strengthening agri-exports potential

In a bid to strengthen the foot-print of India’s agricultural and processed food products export to Nepal, APEDA organized a virtual Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) in association with Indian Embassy, Kathmandu.

The BSM was organised yesterday on 23rd March 2021 where key stakeholders such as officials and trade representatives from India and Nepal came on a common platform to discuss the strategic cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sector.

The BSM with Nepal is the seventeenth in the series of such virtual meets organized by APEDA in last few months. The focus of BSMs have been to engage with all potential countries for providing a platform to connect exporters and importers in the agriculture and allied sectors.

Officials from APEDA, Indian Embassy, Kathmandu, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal and Nepal Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders participated in the virtual meet. Exporters from India and importers of Nepal had interactions with each other during BSM.

Since the COVID19 pandemic, there was a shift of focus towards India &neighboring trade partners creating new opportunities for alliance between various countries. Since the two countries enjoy a long-term association, India continued to ensure the food and nutrition supplies to Nepal during the COVID19 difficult times.

In 2019-20, India’s- total merchandise trade with Nepal stood at USD 7.87 billion. APEDA products export to Nepal was worth of USD 670.6 million (volume of shipment 1,896,915 Metric Tonne).

India’s principal exports items during 2019-20 included Non-Basmati Rice, Cereal Preparations, Miscellaneous Preparations, Maize and Ground nuts etc. During the same period, India’s agricultural import from Nepal were processed items, cereal products, processed fruits & juices, alcoholic beverages and processed vegetables etc.

18-Mar-2021: APEDA signs MoUs with NSIC for harnessing the exports potentials of MSMEs

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) yesterday on 17-03-2021 signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Small Industries Corporation Ltd (NSIC) for ensuring cooperation in range of areas focusing on harnessing exports potential of agricultural and processed food products manufactured by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

According to the MoU, the key areas of cooperation include facilitating APEDA registered members getting assistance under all the NSCI schemes. The MoU also envisages ensuring sustainability and growth of MSMEs by addressing issues such as technology, skill, quality products and market access.

The collaborations between APEDA, which functions under Ministry of Commerce and NSIC, which operates under Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprise, also support promotion of green & sustainable manufacturing technology for the MSME clusters so as to enable units to switch to sustainable and green production processes and products.

APEDA and NSIC will also facilitate participation of MSMEs in fairs of international level including B2B & B2C fairs to be organized in India and abroad and also to mutually cooperate in international business development & promotions.

The MoU also entails providing assistance available under schemes of Government of India towards capacity building of MSME enterprises for their social & environmental compliances and skilling as per international standards. Both the organisations would organize awareness programs about schemes of MSME Ministry, and schemes implemented by NSIC.

APEDA and NSIC have also agreed to facilitate providing of assistance available under schemes of Government of India towards capacity building of MSME enterprises for their social & environmental compliances and skilling as per international standards.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Sudhanshu, Secretary APEDA and Mr. P Udayakumar, Director (P&M), NSIC. The MoU was signed for utilising both the organizations' expertise by mutually working together to synergize the activities in the interest of agriculture and allied sectors for bringing better value to the stakeholders.

APEDA has been focusing on collaborative approach to bring synergy with number of organisations and institutions having inherent professional and specialised expertise in different areas for capacity building of various stakeholders and providing solutions for addressing some of the identified interventions for the development of Agriculture and its export enhancement in consonance with the objectives set under Agri Export Policy (AEP) announced by Government of India in 2018.

APEDA has been engaged with State Governments for the implementation of AEP. The States of Maharashtra, U.P., Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and M.P. have finalized the State specific Action Plan for exports while the action plans of other States are at different stages of finalization.

4-Mar-2021: First export consignments of ‘red rice’ from Assam to the USA flagged off

In a major boost to India’s rice exports potential, the first consignment of ‘red rice’ was flagged off today to the USA. Iron rich ‘red rice’ is grown in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertilizer. The rice variety is referred as ‘Bao-dhaan’, which is an integral part of the Assamese food.

The red rice is being sourced by leading rice exporter – LT Foods. The flagging off ceremony of the export consignments was carried out by APEDA Chairman Dr M. Angamuthu at Sonepat, Haryana. As the exports of ‘red rice’ grow, it would bring enhance incomes of farming families of the Brahmaputra flood plains.

APEDA has promoting rice exports through collaborations with various stakeholders in the value chains. The government had set up the Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF), under the aegis of the APEDA. REPF has representations from rice industry, exporters, officials from APEDA, ministry of commerce and directors of agriculture from major rice producing states including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

During the April – January period of 2020-21, the shipment of non-Basmati rice witnessed an impressive spike. The non-basmati rice exports was Rs 26,058 crore (3506 US$ Million) during April-January, 2021 against Rs 11,543 crore (1627US$ Million) reported during April-January, 2020 period. The exports of non-Basmati witnessed a growth of 125 % in Rupee term and 115 % Dollar terms.

The sharp spike in rice exports especially during a phase where globally the COVID19 pandemic has disrupted supply changes many commodities, has been attributed to the government taking prompt measures to ensure exports of rice while taking all the COVID19 related safety precautions. “We took several measures in terms of ensuring safety and hygiene because of the operational and health challenges posed by COVID19, while ensuring that rice exports continue uninterrupted,” M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA has said.

3-Feb-2021: APEDA organizes 1st Product Committee Meeting for Floriculture, Seeds and Cereals meeting

In another milestone under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, India achieved impressive  growth in cereals exports in the 1st three quarters of 2020-21, despite challenges posed by COVID19 pandemic. Cereals exports grew by close to 53% to Rs 49,832 crore in Apr – Dec 2020-21, compared a year ago period.

Basmati rice exports grew by 5.31% to Rs 22,038 crore while the non-Basmati segment witnessed a spike in exports by 122.61%  to Rs 22,856  crore. Wheat exports rose by 456% to Rs 1,870 crore, while exports of other cereals like millet and maize grew by 177% to Rs 3,067 crore. Cereals have a share of 48.61% in the total exports under the APEDA basket. Overall exports of Cereal Products from the country continue to do well.

The 1stProduct Committee meeting for Floriculture, Seeds and Cereals  was held on 3rd February 2021 and was Chaired by Dr. M. Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA. The meeting was joined by the Dr. Shatrughan Pandey, APEDA  Authority Member, Mr. Chetan Singh, APEDA Authority Member, Dr. Charudutta Dgambarro Mayee, APEDA Authority Member and Senior Officers of APEDA.

The Committee deliberated on the issues related to export promotion of Cereal Products, Floriculture and Seeds and specifically on Non-Basmati Rice and Millets, the Nutri Cereals.

Considering the potential of increasing exports of Rice (Basmati Rice and Non-Basmati Rice, Millets and Millet products Floriculture and Seed, APEDA is closely interacting with Trade and preparing a perspective Action Plan for increasing export of  Cereal Products, Floriculture and Seeds for a period five years i.e. 2021-2026 to enable all concerned stakeholders for taking necessary action in a time bound manner for achieving the target.

19-Jan-2021: An Initiative of APEDA –for Connecting Agri-Export through Direct Flights from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi

A shipment of vegetables having green peas and Ramnagar Bhanta(Round Green Brinjal) was flagged off today  to Sharjah by Air India Express.

This consignment was flagged off at Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport, Varanasi. The shipment was flagged-off by Chairman APEDA and senior officials of the Central and State Govt. This consignment contained approx. 1000 KG of cargo including vegetables such as Green Pea, and Ramnagar Bhanta.

After ice-breaking for direct exports from Varanasi Airport, the stage is set for more exports of Agri-products including GI products from the Varanasi region and nearby areas through Varanasi airport.

As stated by Hon’ble Prime Minister recently, to promote the GI (geographical indication) products and production our indigenous product “Local to Global”.  Chairman APEDA Dr. M. Angamuthu visited farms of Ramnagar Bhanta(Round Green Brinjal), which is one of the unique products and is in process of GI certification and identified for promotion in the international market.

Eastern UP is a landlocked area, and the nearest sea ports are over a thousand of kilometres away. In such scenario, an option of export through airport is nothing less than a blessing for the Farmer Producer Organization (FPOs) and exporters in this region.

The airport at Varanasi was not having facilities for making direct export, due to which the exporters were bound to route their exports either through Lucknow or Delhi. This was a deterrent for promoting export due to additional cost of transportation and time to be taken in local transportation and possibilities of spoiling the produce due to handling. Specifically, in the present COVID-19 situation, the movements were getting restricted, and FPOs were in big distress to sell their produce.

With concerted efforts of all the concerned agencies, now Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Varanasi has a full-scale functional window for all clearances needed for Agri-Export. Some of the notable facilities available at this airport that are as below:

• Cold room facility for perishable agricultural produce.
• Custom clearance has been invited at the airport for speedy custom clearance.
• Clearing agents (custom agents)
• Facilities related to custom clearance, AD code registrations for traders/exporters
• Phyto-sanitary Clearance through the plant quarantine department.
• All major airlines – Air India Express, Air India, SpiceJet, IndiGo have been encouraged to set up BG bond &trans-shipment clearance of international cargo at Varanasi airport.

In continuation to a number of measures taken by APEDA, the process of grounding the project “Varanasi an Agri-Export Hub” has started yielding results and making efforts to fulfil the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister to double the farmers’ income as well as increasing the export.

During the pandemic, APEDA made all efforts to facilitate the farmers for supplying their produce for exports. It resulted into sending of number of export shipments from Varanasi Region through Lucknow and Delhi successfully.

Exporters, FPO’s from this region have started getting a good response from exporters for sourcing the produce as well as domestic market like Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi etc. Some of the achievements towards the efforts made are:

• Varanasi based mangoes and vegetables were linked to London, Dubai market.
• Ghazipur based green vegetables were linked to London, Dubai market.
• Chandauli based regional rice was linked to Qatar.

Quite a few trade bodies of Varanasi region have also been registered as an exporter. APEDA (Ministry of Commerce and Industries), is working very closely with all the stakeholder with the objective to coordinate the all of the stakeholders related to export and promote Indian Agri produce to international market.

14-Jan-2021: APEDA organizes a Webinar on “Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Processing and Value Addition of Isabgol (Psyllium)

APEDA in association with South Asia Biotechnology Centre and DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub, Department of Biotechnology, ICAR-DMAPR, Department of Agriculture and RSAMB, Government of Rajasthan organized a “Webinar on Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Processing and Value Addition of Isabgol (Psyllium)” for strengthening the supply chain of exporters of Isabgol products from Rajasthan.

Dr Angamuthu), Chairman, APEDA in his inaugural address stated that Isabgol(Psyllium) is a unique product having multiple health benefit. It is very much in demand in the developed countries like the USA, Europe, Australia and China. He   emphasized on development of production and export of the Psyllium products.  Dr. Om Prakash, Commissioner of Agriculture and Horticulture, Govt of Rajasthan expressed that Isabgol is a sensitive crop and gets damaged in dew or rain during harvesting period. There is a need to develop varieties of Isabgol sustainable in adverse weather condition with high yield productivity so that Industry can get more processed products.

A detailed presentation was made by APEDA and RSAMB on its activities and showing the international trade, domestic production and share of Rajasthan in production Isabgol, Financial assistance schemes for development of Agro processing industries and export in Rajasthan.

The program was further addressed by Dr. Satyajit Roy, Director, ICAR-Directorate of Medicinal Aromatic Plants Research (DMAPR), Anand, Gujarat, Dr CD Mayee, President South Asia Biotechnology Center and DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub for Western Dry Region, Dr. R. Nagaraja Reddy, Scientist, ICAR-DMAPR, Sh Bhagirath Choudhary, DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub, South Asia Biotechnology Centre, Jodhpur & Board Member, APEDA, Shri Jaideep Srivastava, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Jaipur.

The major issues emerged during the Webinar are:

1. Requirement of organizing capacity building programs for farmers and FPOs in Rajasthan for seed production and management of Isabgol, good agronomic practices to be followed by farmers.
2. Isabgol is a sensitive crop and gets damaged in dew or rain during harvesting period. There is a need to develop varieties of Isabgol sustainable in adverse weather condition with high yield productivity so that Industry can get more processed products.
3. Quality seed production, variety development for better yield and technical knowhow for farmers for protection of crops from disease.
4. Need for variety development, seed treatment, and crop protection from weed, fungicide and pesticide through seed replacement.
5. Increasing production through intercropping, GAP requirement for judicial usage of pesticide to meet international standard.
6. Need for promotion of FPO based aggregation in line with target set by Govt. of India for setting up of 10,000 FPOs in India.
7. Need of FPOs in value addition of Isabgol, hand holding, connecting with market and technical collaboration.
8. Bringing youth in setting up of food processing units, organic production and export.
9. Strategy for increasing demand of Isabgol products and their value addition.

More than 70 participants from various Central / state govt departments, DBT-SABC, NABARD, SFAC, Isabgol processors association, industries and exporters took part in the webinar.

13-Jan-2021: APEDA organizes VBSM with FPOs of APDMP and Millet Exporters to promote Millet products

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in association with Andhra Pradesh Drought Mitigation Project (APDMP), an externally aided project funded by IFAD, organized a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet with Millet Exporters and FPOs of Millet for establishing marketing linkages.

Considering the potential of increasing exports of Millets and Millet products and the focus given by Government for development of Millet sector of Nurti Cereals, APEDA is closely interacting with Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR) and other stakeholders like National Institute Nutrition, CFTRI and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) for perspective planning of five years for promotion of Millets and Millet products. This platform has provided an opportunity to the exporters and FPOs to interact with each other for supply and sourcing of products.

APEDA is making efforts to prepare a perspective Action Plan for increasing export of Millet and Millet Products for a period five years i.e. 2021-2026 to enable all concerned stakeholders for taking necessary action in a time bound manner for achieving the target.

Further, efforts would be made on identification of Organic Millet clusters, registration of FPOs and exporters of Millets at Farmer Connect Portal developed by APEDA for further interaction for buy and sell activity, and identification of new Potential International Markets for promotion of Indian Millets.

Increasing interest in reviving the consumption of millets across various countries is favoring the growth prospects of this product in recent years within the country and for exports as well

Dr. M. Angamuthu Chairman APEDA, Shri H. Arun Kumar, Commissioner Agriculture, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Shri G. Vinaichand, COO, APDMP, Senior Officers of APEDA and APDMP, FPOs and exporters of  Millet participated in the programme.

Millet is a common term to categorize small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals, and includes Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Ragi, Small Millet, Foxtail Millet, Proso Millet, Barnyard Millet, Kodo Millet and other millets. Millets are the cereal crops generally small-seeded and known for high nutritive value.

3-Dec-2020: APEDA strategizes Action Plan for the promotion of Millets and Millet products with IIMR

Considering the potential of increasing exports of Millets and Millet products and the focus given by Government for development of Millet sector of Nutri-Cereals, APEDA is formulating a strategy with Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR) and other stakeholders like National Institute Nutrition, CFTRI and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) for perspective planning of five years for promotion of Millets and Millet products.  In this regard a meeting was organized by APEDA with IIMR on 2nd December 2020 under the Chairmanship of Chairman, APEDA.

APEDA is preparing a perspective Action Plan for increasing export of Millet and Millet Products for a period five years i.e. 2021-2026 to enable all concerned stakeholders for taking necessary action in a time bound manner for achieving the target.

Further, efforts would be made on identification of Millet clusters, creation of platform to consolidate farmers, FPOs, Exporters, Associations, other stakeholders and identification of new Potential International Markets for promotion of Indian Millets.

Millet is a common term to categorize small-seeded grasses that are often termed nutri-cereals, and includes Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Ragi, Small Millet, Foxtail Millet, Proso Millet, Barnyard Millet, Kodo Millet and other millets. Millets are the cereal crops generally small-seeded and known for high nutritive value. Increasing interest in reviving the consumption of millets across various countries is favoring the growth prospects of this product in recent years within the country and for exports as well.

18-Mar-2020: APEDA signs MoU with SFAC

Agri Export Policy announced by Government of India with “Farmers’ Centric Approach” suggests for developing product specific clusters in the country to help improving productivity and quality of the varieties of crops with special involvement of Farm Producer Organizations(FPOs).

FPOs are an institutional innovation to help small holders to reduce cost of produce by procuring necessary inputs in bulk at wholesale rates, aggregation of produce and bulk transport reducing marketing cost etc. and extend their reach to modern technology and distant markets. The policy also aims at addressing the obstacles faced by FPOs through organisation like Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) and State level organizations to expand FPO network.

APEDA has been focusing on collaborative approach to bring synergy with such organizations and has been engaged with them for mutually working together in the development of agriculture and allied sectors and its exports for bringing better value to the stakeholders.

APEDA has been in dialog with SFAC for linking of Farmer Producer organizations, farmers’ cooperatives to the export value chain through capacity building, production of the quality produce as per the requirement of importing countries, creation of infrastructure, facilitating primary and secondary processing in the clusters and also by linking them to the exporters.

To bring in better synergy in the activities, APEDA has signed MoU with SFAC on 18th March 2020.  The MoU was signed by Ms. Neelkamal Darbari, Managing Director SFAC and Mr. Paban Kumar Borthakur, Chairman, APEDA.

Areas of cooperation:

1. SFAC to share list of all clusters in various states with APEDA for achieving scale and aggregation with export orientation. APEDA and SFAC to jointly work together to link up the FPOs/FPCs with the exporters to achieve the goal and doubling the farmers income as well.
2. To work towards capacity development, outreach programs, awareness programs and workshops of various stakeholders.
3. To work together to showcase to the Indian and Global Market, the products, technologies, processes, knowledge and services by the FPO sector stakeholders through variety of modes as may be identified by them from time to time.
4. APEDA to facilitate certification of organic produce /areas by the FPCs assisted or identified by SFAC.
5. To take-up an Agri Business Promotion Unit in the North East and to mentor and handhold the FPOs in North East.

It is expected that with the approach of joint collaboration with the organizations like SFAC, APEDA will be able to reach to a large farmer base for improving the production base of agri products quantitatively and qualitatively both for maintaining the consistency of supply and establish an image of quality supplier in the International market leading to increase in export volume and value and indirectly contribute to doubling of farmers’ income.

A brief about the organizations is as follows:

APEDA: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), is an authority established under an act of parliament and under the administrative control of Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It has been mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the scheduled products  viz. Fruits, Vegetables and their Products, Meat and Meat Products, Poultry and Poultry Products, Dairy Products, Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery Products, Honey, Jaggery and Sugar Products, Cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds, Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Cereal and Cereal Products, Groundnuts, Peanuts and Walnuts, Pickles, Papads and Chutneys, Guar Gum, Floriculture and Floriculture Products, Herbal and Medicinal Plants. In addition to this, APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility to monitor import of sugar.

Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC): It is pioneer in organising small and marginal farmers as Farmers Interest Groups, Farmers Producers Organisation and Farmers Producers Company for endowing them with bargaining power and economies of scale. It provides a platform for increased accessibility and cheaper availability of agricultural inputs to small and marginal farmers and in establishing forward and backward linkages in supply chain management. This initiative has triggered mobilization of farmers for aggregation across the country with ultimate aim of sustainable business model and augmented incomes. The Society has been entrusted with the task of implementation of the critically important Delhi Kisan Mandi and National Agriculture Market Scheme on e-platform to progressively free agricultural trade and offer price discovery to farmers. Currently there around 1000 FPOs/FPCs registered with SFAC.

Schemes of SFAC for FPOs support is to the equity base of FPCs by providing matching equity grants and Credit Guarantee support for facilitating collateral free lending to FPCs. The main objectives of Equity Grant Fund are enhancing viability and sustainability of FPCs, increasing credit worthiness, enhancing the shareholding of members to increase their ownership and participation in their FPC. The equity grant support to eligible FPCs is provided by the SFAC on matching basis.

6-Feb-2020: APEDA National Workshop with states on Agri Export Policy and Cluster Development

Agriculture is the core of India’s developmental goals and exports are the key to reforming the agriculture sector said Commerce Secretary, Anup Wadhawan in his inaugural address at the 2nd National Workshop on the implementation of the Agri Export Policy (AEP) and cluster development in New Delhi today organized by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

It is the States/ Union Territories (UTs) that will have to strengthen their institutional mechanisms for putting in place the AEP and development of clusters added Commerce Secretary. He further said that this is an opportunity for the States/ UTs to formulate a comprehensive plan, covering all key areas of the AEP, across all sectors in agriculture like horticulture, fisheries, animal husbandry, dairying, food processing, floriculture and water shed development. The institutional framework of the AEP must be outcome oriented and all States/ UTs must provide a budget for it added Commerce Secretary.

Commerce Secretary emphasised that the best agronomic practices in all the sectors of agriculture must be followed in the State AEP because quality of India’s Agri products should never be compromised. States/ UTs should not only concentrate on quantitative output of Agri produce but be extremely meticulous about the quality. Best practices must be followed at every step so that there is no compromise whatsoever in the quality of India’s Agri products stressed Commerce Secretary.

He further said that the AEP must have a decentralised focus that is built up from the cluster level to the district and the state level plan and the policy must link up with all schemes of Government of India across all Ministries and Departments and project the vision for the agriculture sector for the next five years.

APEDA organized the 2nd workshop with all States/ UTs in order to assess the progress made by them for the implementation of the AEP and development of Agri clusters in districts. Twenty-seven States and one UT attended the workshop today where Chairman APEDA spelt out the expectations from State Governments/ UTs for successful implementation of AEP so that farmers income may double and India’s Agri export may reach the target of USD 60 billion by 2022.

Chairman APEDA informed that States/ UTs must put in place the state Agri export action plan, set up state level export monitoring committee, designate a nodal agency for Agri export, identify Agri clusters, set up district Agri export action plan, promote farmer producer organization (FPOs) and farmer producer cooperatives (FPCs) identify infrastructure and logistics gap. Chairman APEDA further stated that States/ UTs must formulate the budget for implementation of AEP and seek assistance from line Ministries of the Central Government for existing schemes when required. Reforms under APMC Act and abolition of Mandi Tax for export procurements must be done urgently he said. He further stated that district authorities must ensure control of excessive use of pesticides and sale of unauthorized pesticides and chemicals.

He informed that around 15 States have put in place the nodal agency, nodal officer, state level monitoring committee and cluster facilitation cell for the implementation of the AEP.

APEDA has initiated some steps for the implementation of AEP: an MoU was signed with National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in January last year to include cooperatives in the AEP; a farmer connect portal has been set up on the APEDA website for providing a platform for FPOs, FPCs to interact with exporters and more than 1000 FPOs have registered on the portal; buyer-seller meet cum workshops between exporters and FPOs have been organized in association with state nodal agencies; cluster level meetings have been held by APEDA in 25 potential clusters in the country and a market intelligence cell has been constituted to disseminate e-market intelligence report and also analyse the data received.

During the day long workshop presentations were made by line Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries and NABARD. Exporters of Agri produce also presented their success stories and issued faced by them to export Agri products. Success stories of clusters developed in Varanasi for vegetables and banana in Andhra Pradesh were shared with the other States/ UTs. The state of Sikkim which has declared itself an organic State made a presentation on implementation on the Organic Mission in the agriculture sector. The Indian State of Sikkim is first to be certified as fully organic by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and has shown that conversion from traditional to organic agriculture is not only possible but necessary as a more profitable solution for local economies.

The workshop was attended by Director General, DGFT, senior officials of the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Civil Aviation, departments of Commerce, Logistics, Food Processing Industries and Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.

4-Feb-2020: APEDA organizes first ever awareness programme on Agri Exports in A&N Islands

An awareness programme was organized by Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of India along with the Directorate of Industries of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N Islands) in Port Blair on 31st January, 2020 to examine ways to promote the exports of Agri products and implementation of the Agri Export Policy in the Islands.

APEDA has facilitated in developing the draft state Agri Export action plan, which is now being finalized. The Union Territory of A&N Islands has designated department of agriculture as the State nodal agency and deputed Joint Director Department of Agriculture as nodal officer for implementation of the Agri Export Policy in a focused manner.

The programme held at Port Blair last week was attended by around 100 participants including concerned Government agencies and some exporters from other States. Secretary Industries, A&N Islands, Dr. Pooja Joshi along with senior officials from APEDA, Director of Industries A&N Islands, NABARD, Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, an ICAR Institute, Spices Board attended the awareness programme. Detailed presentations were also made on activities of the organizations attending the workshop.

The presentation made by APEDA elaborated on the potential of exports from the island, export requirements, financial assistance schemes provided and the activities to be carried out for the implementation of the Agri Export Policy.

Exporters from Chennai and Jharkhand elaborated on the export requirements of products from the area like fruits, vegetables and dried flowers. The exporters also shared their experiences and assured the participants of providing linkages for exports. Export prospects of spices, coconut products and fisheries were also discussed.

The A&N Islands have the advantage of being on the sea route to the South East Asian Nations and can directly export the Agri products from the islands to these countries. In the awareness programme, it was informed by the local administration that plans have been drawn to establish trans-shipment ports in the Islands to promote direct export from Islands.

5-Jan-2020: 800 FPOs registered on Farmer Connect Portal of APEDA

The Agri Export Policy was announced last year with an objective of doubling the export and ensuring doubling of farmers’ income. In order to achieve this objective, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been adopting a focused approach for ensuring greater involvement of the State governments for effective implementation of Agri Export Policy (AEP). Throughout the year APEDA held a series of meetings with the State Government officials and other stakeholders for the preparation of State Action Plan which included all essential components like production clusters, capacity building, infrastructure and logistics and R & D and budget requirements for the implementation of AEP. Several rounds of discussions were held with Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Food Processing Industries and other agencies under Line Ministries for seeking the inputs for formulating a strategy to increase exports and address the existing bottlenecks in the trade.

Many States have nominated Nodal agency and Nodal officer. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab and Karnataka have finalized the State Action Plan and other States are at different stages of finalization of the action plan.

State level Monitoring Committees have been formed in many of the States. Cluster visits have been made by APEDA Nodal officers to the product clusters at Jalandhar (Potato), Jodhpur (Isabgol), Banaskantha (Dairy products), Sangli (Grapes), Solapur (Pomegranate), Nagpur (Orange), Chittoor (Mango), Theni (Banana), Salem (Poultry products), Indore (Onion) and Chikkaballapur (Rose onion). The roadmap for cluster development in the clusters notified under AEP was prepared to address the identified interventions during the cluster visits. As a result of cluster visits by APEDA, the cluster level committee has been constituted in the States viz. Potato in Punjab, Isabgol in Rajasthan, Pomegranate, Orange and Grapes in Maharashtra and Banana in Tamil Nadu.

APEDA has organised a number of seminars and meetings for the implementation of Agri Export Policy throughout the year. A workshop on the role of state nodal agencies in agriculture exports was organised in New Delhi on 3rd September, 2019 where majority of the states actively participated for brainstorming on implementation of AEP in States.

An MoU was signed with National Cooperative Development Corporation to include Co-operatives for their active role in AEP. A Farmer Connect Portal has also been set up by APEDA on its website for providing a platform for Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) to interact with exporters. Over 800 FPOs have been registered on the portal.

Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) cum Workshops between exporters and FPOs were organized in association with the State Nodal agency at Ujjain (M.P)., Mehboobnagar, Mahbubabad, Sangareddy (Telangana), Kandhamal (Odisha), Chitradurga (Karnataka), Shillong (Meghalaya), Shimla (H.P), Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), Kolkata (West Bengal), Agartala (Tripura), Nagpur, Sangli (Maharashtra) and Dehradun (Uttarakhand).

A Market Intelligence Cell was set up in APEDA and the activity of dissemination of e-market intelligence reports comprising detailed market analysis, international trade issues, current scenario of the interest to Indian exporters in important markets and statistical information has been started from 25th November 2019. All e-reports are available on APEDA website https://apeda.gov.in. Till now 27 reports have been disseminated for mango, basmati rice, non-basmati rice, groundnut, grapes, gherkins, dehydrated onion, pomegranate, banana, potato, buffalo meat, swine meat, fresh cut flowers, wine, egg, dairy products (SMP & cheese), biscuits, jaggery, millets, vegetable seeds, moringa, makhana, fruit juices, mango pulp, potato flakes and cereal preparations.

21-Oct-2017: APEDA to promote NE products in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has taken up a programme for promotion of north eastern products in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The APEDA, an apex organisation under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, proposes to organise the promotion programme in Bangladesh and Myanmar in association with the High Commission of India in Dhaka and its Embassy in Yangon.

The promotional event in Myanmar is proposed to be held in November and that in Dhaka and Sylhet in Bangladesh in the first week of December.

The export of APEDA scheduled products to Bangladesh during 2016-17 was of 396.44 million USD. The major products exported to Bangladesh include rice, vegetables, fruits, wheat, maize, dairy products and pulses.

The export of APEDA scheduled products for Myanmar during 2016-17 was of 24.15 million USD. The major products exported to Myanmar include rice, maize, cereal preparations, fruits, rice and vegetable seeds.