India’s government, led by Rajesh Agarwal, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, has embarked on an ambitious project to forge export action plans targeting 20 key agricultural products. This array, featuring bananas, mangoes, potatoes, and baby corn, forms part of a broad strategy to amplify India’s export presence globally. Expected to reach completion within the next three to four months, this initiative calls for cooperation among diverse stakeholders and state agencies.
These action plans seek to leverage the superior quality and production standards of the commodities, with an objective to elevate India’s global export share from the current 2.5% to an estimated 4-5% in upcoming years. Agarwal emphasizes the vision behind this push as their aim extends beyond enlarging the export territory; they strive to make Indian agricultural products a benchmark of quality and dependability worldwide.
The commodities slated for these plans also encompass fresh grapes, guava, pomegranate, watermelon, onion, green chili, capsicum, okra, garlic, groundnut, along with alcoholic beverages and cashew nuts. Together, these accounted for a global import value of $405.24 billion in 2022, contrasting with India’s export contribution of $9.03 billion.
Target markets for these exports span the US, Malaysia, Canada, Russia, Germany, France, Korea, China, Indonesia, Japan, Italy, Belgium, and the UK. The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) spearheads these initiatives, refining export strategies to enhance market penetration.
Complementing this, APEDA collaborates with multiple institutes to develop sea transport protocols for perishables such as bantam ginger, pineapple, mangoes, and oranges. This shift from air to sea transport aims to curtail logistical expenses and bolster the volume of horticultural exports, facilitating more effective penetration of distant markets.
This concerted effort not only seeks to augment India’s export economy but also diversifies its agricultural exports, strengthening its position within the international agricultural domain.
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