New Delhi: Agricultural and processed food products export rose by 16 percent in the eight months (April-November) of the current financial year 2022–23 in comparison to the corresponding period of FY 2021–22.

According to provisional data from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), overall exports of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) products increased by 16% in terms of USD during April-November 2022 to USD 17.43 billion, up from USD 15.07 billion during the same period the previous fiscal. The initiatives of the APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority), which works under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, have helped the country achieve 74% of its total export target for 2022-23 in the first eight months of the current fiscal year.

The agricultural and processed food products basket has an export target of USD 23.56 billion for the fiscal year 2022-23, with export of USD 17.435 billion already achieved in the first eight months of the current fiscal.

According to DGCI&S provisional data, processed fruits and vegetables increased by 32.60 percent (April-November 2022), while fresh fruits increased by four percent when compared to the same months the previous year.

Furthermore, processed food products such as cereals and miscellaneous processed items increased by 28.29 percent when compared to the first eight months of the previous year.

Fresh fruits were exported to the tune of USD 954 million from April to November 2021, which increased to USD 991 million in the corresponding months of the current fiscal. Exports of processed F&V increased to USD 1310 million in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, up from USD 988 million in the same period last year.

The export of pulses increased by 90.49 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year compared to the same period last year, while lentil exports increased from USD 206 million (April-November 2021-22) to USD 392 million (April-November 2022-23).

Basmati rice exports increased by 39.26 percent in the first eight months of FY 2022-23, rising from USD 2063 million (April-November 2021) to USD 2873 million (April-November 2022), while non-Basmati rice exports increased by 5 percent in the same period. Non-basmati rice exports increased to USD 4109 million in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, up from USD 3930 million in the same period last year.

In the first eight months of the current fiscal year, exports of poultry products increased by 88.45%, while exports of other cereals increased by 12.90%. Exports of poultry products increased to USD 82 million in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, up from USD 43 million in the same period last year.

Similarly, dairy products saw a 33.77 percent increase in exports, rising to USD 421 million in April-November 2022 from USD 315 million in the same months the previous year.

Wheat exports increased by 29.29 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, rising to USD 1508 million in April-November 2022 from USD 1166 million in April-November 2021. Exports of other cereals increased from USD 619 million in April-November 2021 to USD 699 million in April-November 2022, while livestock product exports increased from USD 2665 million in April-November 2021 to USD 2709 million in April-November 2022.

M Angamuthu, Chairman of APEDA, commented on the achievement, saying, "We have been working with all stakeholders such as farmers, exporters, and processors to ensure that quality agricultural and processed food products are exported from the country."

The increase in agricultural and processed food product exports is the result of various initiatives for agricultural and processed food product export promotion, such as organising B2B exhibitions in various countries and exploring new potential markets through product-specific and general marketing campaigns with the active participation of Indian embassies.

Several initiatives were also launched to promote products with registered geographical indications (GI) in India, including virtual Buyer Seller Meets on agricultural and food products with the United Arab Emirates and GI products, including handicrafts, with the United States.

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