Lok Sabha Question No. 648 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-20
Subject: Export-Import of Agricultural Products
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Bhartruhari Mahtab, Rahul Ramesh Shewale

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 648 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 th NOVEMBER, 2019 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20

## EXPORT-IMPORT OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

648. SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वािण�य एवं उ�ोग मं�ी ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has followed/adopted any criterion for imposing/lifting ban on export/import of various agricultural products from time to time;
- (b) if so, whether the Government has conducted any study to ascertain the adverse impact on  farmers/consumers  of  such  imposing/lifting  ban  on  export/import  of  agricultural products during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to formulate a long term consistent and predictable export-import policy of agricultural products;
- (e) if so, the salient features of such a policy; and
- (f) the corrective steps taken by the Government to protect the interests of farmers/consumers from the adverse impact of imposing/lifting ban on export/import of various agricultural products?

## ANSWER

## okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=h ( Jh ih;w'k xks;y ) THE MINISTER OF  COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (c) The export and import policies for agricultural products, which include the decisions on lifting/imposing  bans  on  export/import  of  individual  agricultural  products,  are  framed  keeping several factors in mind, such as availability of surplus over the domestic requirements (including the  requirement  of  buffer  stock  and  strategic  reserve,  if  any),  concerns  of  food  security, diplomatic/humanitarian considerations, international demand and supply situation, price competitiveness, need to balance between remunerative prices to the growers and availability of agricultural products to common man at affordable  prices etc.  During the last three years, no bans have been imposed on export/import of any of the major agricultural products except for the ban on export of onions, which has been imposed only recently w.e.f. 29 th September, 2019. As such, no study has been conducted in this regard.

(d) to (f) The Agriculture Export Policy, brought out by the Government in December 2018, aims at a stable trade policy for agricultural products, involving following steps:

- i) The processed agricultural products and all kinds of organic products will not be brought under the ambit of any kind of export restriction (viz. Minimum Export Price, Export duty, Export bans, Export quota, Export capping, Export permit etc.) even though the primary agricultural product or non-organic agricultural product is brought under some kind of export restrictions.
2. ii) Identification  of  commodities  which  are  essential  for  food  security  in  consultation  with  the relevant  stakeholders  and  Ministries.    Any  export  restriction  on  such  identified  commodities under extreme price situation will be based on decision of a high level committee. Also, any kind of export prohibitions and restrictions on the identified commodities above would be taken up in a WTO compatible manner.

Consequent  to the  approval  of  policy,  mandate  of  the Committee of Secretaries  on  'Essential commodities'  has  been  expanded  to  provide  recommendation  on  export  restrictions  on  a  few commodities, which are essential for food security, under extreme price situation only.

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