New Delhi: India’s agricultural and processed food exports have grown at a steady pace in the last decade notwithstanding several logistical challenges faced in the global trade of the commodities.
Exports of agricultural and processed food products under Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) basket rose to $20,674 million ( ₹15,30,50 crore) during 2020-21, from $17,321 million ( ₹83,484 crore) in 2011-12, according to data by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S).
Non-basmati rice has emerged as India’s top export item among the many agricultural and processed food product exports under APEDA basket, contributing close to one-fourth of the total exports in 2020-21.
Top three products in the APEDA export basket in 2020-21 were non-basmati rice (23.22% share), basmati rice (19.44%) and buffalo meat (15.34%) and these products together account for 58% of total shipments.
India’s non-basmati rice exports was valued at $4799.91 million ( ₹35,477 crore) in 2020-21, with basmati rice exports a close second at $4018.71 million ( ₹29,850 crore), followed by buffalo meat exports at $3171.19 million ( ₹23,460 crore).
Benin, Nepal, Bangladesh, Senegal and Togo were the top importers of non-basmati rice from India in 2020-21. Major export destinations for basmati rice in 2020-21 were Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen and UAE. For buffalo meat exports, the top importing nations were Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt and Indonesia.
“We continue to focus on creating infrastructure for boosting exports by focusing on clusters in collaboration with state governments while taking into consideration aim of Agriculture Export Policy, 2018,” M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, said.
APEDA has been engaged with State Governments for the implementation of Agriculture Export Policy. Maharashtra, U.P., Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Manipur, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, M.P., Mizoram and Meghalaya have finalized the State Specific Action Plan for exports while the action plans of other States are at different stages of finalization.
According to World Trade Organization (WTO) data, India’s agricultural exports touched $37,371 million in 2019 against $ 2,106 million in 2010, recording a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.49% during the last ten years. CAGR of the world's agricultural exports was 3.11% during 2010 to 2019.
India’s share in world agricultural exports stood at 2.1% in 2019, moving up from 1.71% in 2010. However, India’s rank in worldwide agricultural exports slipped to 16 in 2019 from 17 in 2010, according to data released by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In terms of share of top ten products exports under APEDA basket, there has not been much change in the last one decade even as India’s exports reached more countries across the world. The top ten APEDA exports in share terms in 2020-21 were non-basmati rice (23.22%), basmati rice (19.44%), buffalo meat (15.34%), miscellaneous preparations (3.84%), groundnuts (3.52%), Cereal preparations (3.08%), maize (3.07%), wheat (2.66%), processed vegetables (2.43%), processed fruits, juices & nuts (2.07%) and cashew kernels (2.03%).
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