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Export of major agriculture and processed products, broadly divided under 27 categories by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), have jumped 16 per cent to $25.6 billion during the last fiscal, from $22.03 billion in 2020-21. The target was $23.7 billion.
The country’s agricultural exports, including marine products and spices, surged nearly 20 per cent to touch $50.21 billion during 2021-22, in which APEDA-promoted products have an over 50 per cent share.
Wheat, dairy products, guar gum, cashewnut, maize, pulses, meat (other than buffalo meat) and floriculture were the top performers, which registered over 32 per cent growth, which is double the growth rate of all APEDA products. Wheat exports made a near four-fold increase to $2.12 billion from $0.57 billion. Other cereals, including maize (rice, wheat excluded), registered a 53 per cent surge to $1.08 billion in 2021-22, compared with $0.71 billion in the previous year.
Basmati rice
In the APEDA basket, rice (both basmati and non-basmati) remained the top forex earner at $9.65 billion, against $8.83 billion. However, this was less than 10 per cent growth. Industry sources said while non-Basmati exports were impressive, Basmati dragged overall growth in the rice sector. APEDA is yet to compile Basmati data separately.
Basmati rice exports declined 14.4 per cent to $3.09 billion, whereas non-Basmati exports went up by 35.2 per cent to $5.55 billion during April-February of 2021-22, as against the year-ago period.
APEDA’s major exporting destinations last year were Bangladesh, the UAE, Vietnam, the US, Nepal, Malaysia, Saudi Arab, Indonesia, Iran and Egypt.
“The significant rise in agri-exports is seen as a testimony to the government’s commitment to enhance farmers’ income by giving a thrust to export of agricultural and processed food products,” said M Angamuthu, chairman, APEDA.
Pulses is one area where the government has not restricted export despite having to depend on imports to meet the demand. As a result exporters have developed their markets with consistent improvement in value addition. Export of pulses grew to $358 million in 2021-22, up 34 per cent from $265 million in the year before.
Dairy products grew by more than 96 per cent to $634 million from $323 million, while buffalo meat exports increased just 4 per cent to $3.3 billion from $3.17 billion. Export of poultry products rose 22 per cent to $71 million from $58 million, and that of sheep and goat meat by 34 per cent to $60 million from $44 million.
Fruit and vegetable exports grew by 12 per cent to touch $1.68 billionfrom $1.49 billion, while processed fruit and vegetable exports grew 7 per cent to touch $1.2 billion from $1.12 billion. Exports of other processed food items grew by 34 per cent to $1.16 billion from $0.87 billion, cashew nut by 7 per cent to $452 million from $420 million, floriculture products by 33 per cent to $103 million from $77 million.
APEDA organised more than 300 outreach programmes in collaboration with State governments to enhance exports of agricultural produce, Angamuthu said, adding “we focus on boosting exports from the Purvanchal and Himalayan regions, as well as the NE States.”
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