Comments
Organic food exports are expected to grow five-fold over the next four years, according to the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
The Government agency expects exports to touch Rs 6,400 crore by 2014-15 against Rs 1,265 crore in the last fiscal.
“India has around four billion hectares of land dedicated to organic farming. The demand for organic produce is growing in metros. About 40 per cent of the Indian produce is already being exported to the European Union,” said Mr S Dave, Director, APEDA.
In order to highlight the potential for organic agriculture and to encourage consumption in India, APEDA, an export promotion organisation under the Ministry of Commerce & Industries, has tied up with NürnbergMesse for organising BioFach, an annual World Organic Trade Fair. The trade fair will held during February 15-18, in Nürnberg, Germany.
BioFach 2012 has declared India as “The Country of the Year.”
“India is going to be the centre of attention at the fair. Not only is it going to be a good business opportunity for suppliers, the trade fair will also showcase Indian culture, food and textiles,” said Mr Claus Rättich, Member of Management Board, NürnbergMesse.
BioFach 2011 saw around 50 participants from India, along with 134 trade visitors from the country.
Meanwhile, speaking on the issue of rising certification frauds in the domestic market, Mr Dave advised consumers and suppliers to check the ISO mark and certification seal before purchasing organic produce.
“There are a total of 2,084 organic projects in India which have been certified by our certification bodies.
191 out of these are exporters of organic produce,” said Mr Shailender Singh, Consultant, Organic Division, APEDA.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.