Working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has taken several initiatives in making the landlocked Purvanchal region a new destination of agri-export activities through the development of Varanasi Agri – Export Hub (VAEH).
APEDA Identifies Potential Districts of Uttar Pradesh
APEDA has identified potential districts of Uttar Pradesh to be covered under the VAEH. The Purvanchal division covers districts of Varanasi, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Basti, Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Chandauli, and Sant Ravidas Nagar.
The Varanasi region, where there are negligible agri-exports used to take place because of lack of basic infrastructure, is now abuzz with activities that have given a boost to exports. After the intervention of APEDA, the Varanasi region has recorded exemplary changes in the export scenario and registered many first-of-its-kind achievements in a very short span of time.
With the active intervention of APEDA, about 20,000 Metric Tonne (MT) of agri- produce have been exported from the Purvanchal region in the last six months. Out of these shipments, about 5,000 MT of fresh fruits and vegetables and 15,000 MT of cereals have been exported to Vietnam, Gulf nations, Nepal and Bangladesh by all modes of transportation.
Around 125MT Exported From Varanasi
Varanasi and nearby areas witnessed an export of around 12 MT, 22 MT, and 45 MT in the months of October, November, December respectively in the year 2021. Also, around 125 MT have been exported from Varanasi and nearby areas.
APEDA has also approved three projects for comprehensive grain and nutritional quality profiling of non-Basmati Rice, value-added products from Rice, and rice-based food systems. An APEDA-funded project for integrated IT solutions to enhance Agri Export in Varanasi Region is under process.
The export of the first trial shipment of 14 MT green chilly was facilitated by APEDA from Varanasi to Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port in December 2019.
Varanasi 3MT Fresh Vegetables Exported To London For The First Time
For the first time, from Varanasi 3 MT fresh vegetables were exported to London, 3 MT fresh mangoes to Dubai, 1.2 MT fresh mangoes to London, 520 MT regional rice to Qatar, and 80 MT regional rice to Australia during the Covid pandemic in 2020, after APEDA’s intervention.
Meanwhile, Trisagar Farmer Producer Company Ltd, which is based in Sant Ravidas Nagar district, has started sending shipments on a daily basis to the international market after the intervention of APEDA. In another success story, Gazipur district-based Shivansh Krishak Producer Company Ltd with a base of 1,500 progressive farmers has managed to get a decent realization for its commodities after exporting a good volume of agri-produce.
Similarly, Varanasi-based FPO Jaya Seed Farmer Producer Company Ltd, which grows mangoes in around 50 acres, is getting higher prices as compared to the average price of the market after the intervention of APEDA. Prior to the initiative taken by APEDA, the FPC used to sell mangoes at an average price of Rs 25/kg, but in the recent season, they have sold it at Rs 50/kg to a Netherland-based company named Super Plum having few outlets in Bangalore and Mumbai.
