Processed & Agriculture Food Exports up 18% to $10 Billion in H1

In the first half of this fiscal year, exports of 37 main agricultural and processed goods surpassed $10 billion, with shipments growing by 17.6% to $10.07 billion. 

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) pushed $8.51 billion in exports over the same time last year. 

Exports increased despite obstacles to the global supply chain presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an APEDA statement, and the statistics were based on rapid estimates given by Kolkata's Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S). 

Rice exports, which have been growing strongly since the previous fiscal year, grew by 12.3% in the first half of this fiscal year, reaching $4.5 billion from $4.08 billion. 

Other Cereals Are On The Rise 

Other grains, primarily maize, had a 110 percent increase in shipments, while meat, dairy, and poultry exports increased by 20.7 percent. 

Exports of other grains climbed to $448 million in April–September this year, up from $213 million the previous year. Shipments of meat, dairy, and poultry goods increased to $1.9 billion from $1.57 billion the previous year. 

Fresh fruit and vegetable exports increased by 8.5 percent to $1.3 billion from $1.2 billion, while processed food goods such as cereals, preparations, and other processed items increased by 34.2 percent. 

Exports of cashews increased by 31.6 percent to $222 million from $169 million, while oil meal shipments increased just by 1.2 percent. Exports of oil meals rose to $467.3 million from $461.65 million. 

"The significant increase in agri-exports is seen as a testament of the government's commitment to increase farmers' income by emphasising the country's agricultural and processed food exports," the statement said, adding that the export performance was a continuation of the previous fiscal's growth. 

About APEDA 

The Agriculture and Processed Food Export Development Authority is an apex agency in India that promotes agricultural product exports. APEDA was established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India under a law enacted by parliament in December 1985.