Agriculture exports increased to Rs 3.05 lakh crore during 2020-21 as compared to Rs 2.49 lakh crore in 2019-20.
good news for farmers
Dr. Anoop Wadhawan, Secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India said that during 2020-21, agricultural exports have performed brilliantly. Interacting with the media, he informed that after remaining stable for the last three years ($38.43 billion in 2017-18, $38.74 billion in 2018-19 and $35.16 billion in 2019-20), during 2020-21 Exports of agricultural and allied products (including marine and plantation products) rose sharply to $41.25 billion, an increase of 17.34 percent. In rupee terms, this growth is 22.62 percent, which has increased to Rs 3.05 lakh crore during 2020-21 as compared to Rs 2.49 lakh crore in 2019-20. India’s agricultural and allied imports during 2019-20 were $ 20.64 billion and the corresponding figures for 2020-21 are $ 20.67 billion. Despite COVID-19, the trade balance in agriculture has improved by 42.16 percent from $14.51 billion to $20.58 billion.
Benefit of increased demand among Corona
The growth for agricultural products (excluding marine and plantation products) is 28.36 percent, which increased from $ 23.23 billion in 2019-20 to 29.81 percent during 2020-21. India has been able to take advantage of the increased demand for staples during the COVID-19 period.
Record purchase of these things
Exports of cereals showed significant growth, with non-basmati rice exports up 136.04 percent to $4794.54 million, wheat exports up 774.17 percent to $549.16 million, and other cereals (millet, maize and other coarse cereals). Exports grew 238.28% to $694.14 million.
Other agricultural products, whose exports registered significant growth during 2019-20, are oil meal ($1575.34 million – an increase of 90.28 percent), sugar ($2789.97 million – an increase of 41.88 percent), raw cotton (1897.20 million). dollars – an increase of 79.43 percent), fresh vegetables (an increase of $ 721.47 million – 10.71 percent) and vegetable oil (an increase of $ 602.77 million – 254.39 percent).
Spices like ginger, black pepper, lentil sugar, cardamom, turmeric, saffron etc., which are known to have healing properties, have also registered a huge increase in exports.
During 2020-21, the export of black pepper increased by 28.72 percent to reach 1269.38 million, the export of pulse sugar increased by 64.47 percent to reached 11.25 million, the export of nutmeg, mace and cardamom increased to 11.25 million. There was an increase of 132.03 percent (which increased from $ 81.60 million to $ 189.34 million), the export of Ginger, Saffron, Turmeric, Ajwain, Bay leaves, etc. increased by 35.44 percent to reach 570.63 million. Spices exports touched an all-time high of around $4 billion during 2020-21.
Organic exports stood at $1040 million during 2020-21 from $689 million in 2019-20, showing an increase of 50.94 percent. Organic exports include oil cakes/meals, oilseeds, cereals and millets, spices and condiments, tea, medicinal plant products, dry fruits, sugar, pulses, coffee, etc.
These countries like Indian products
The largest markets for India’s agricultural products include the US, China, Bangladesh, UAE, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Nepal, Iran and Malaysia. Most of these destinations showed growth, with the highest growth in Indonesia (102.42 per cent), Bangladesh (95.93 per cent) and Nepal (50.49 per cent).
What happened that increased exports
For the first time, exports have also taken place from many clusters. For example, fresh vegetables from Varanasi and black rice from Chandauli have been exported for the first time, which has directly benefited the farmers of that region. Exports have also taken place from other clusters viz., Oranges from Nagpur, Bananas from Theni and Anantapur, Mangoes from Lucknow etc.
Despite the pandemic, fresh horticultural produce was exported through the multimodal mode and consignments were sent from these regions by air and sea to Dubai, London and other destinations.
With the initial support of the department for market linkage, post-harvest value chain development and institutional structures like FPOs, the farmers of the Northeast were able to ship their value added products beyond the Indian borders.
The performance of grain exports has also been very good during 2020-21. We have been able to export to many countries for the first time.
For example, rice has been exported to countries like Timor-Leste, Puerto Rico, Brazil, etc. Similarly, wheat has also been exported to countries like Yemen, Indonesia, Bhutan etc. and other grains have been exported to Sudan, Poland, Bolivia etc.
Also read- How will the income of farmers double with just 20 paise per kg increase in MSP of maize?
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