Lok Sabha Question No. 3571 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-17
Subject: APEDA
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: P. C. Mohan

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3571 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th MARCH, 2021

## APEDA

## 3571.  SHRI P.C. MOHAN:

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

- (a) the details  of  scheduled  products  which  are  facilitated  for  exports  by  the Agricultural and Processed food products Export Development Authority(APEDA);
- (b) whether the Government has made any fresh endeavours to promote export of Agri products;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  explore  virtual  medium  for Agri  product export market promotion in collaboration with the Indian missions abroad?

## ANSWER

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THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI)

- (a) The Agricultural and Processed  food products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the following products included  in  the  First  Schedule  of  the  Agricultural  and  Processed  Food  Products  Export Development Authority Act, 1985:
- i. Fruits, Vegetables and their Products.
- ii. Meat and Meat Products.
- iii. Poultry and Poultry Products.
- iv. Dairy Products.
- v. Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery Products.
- vi. Honey, Jaggery and Sugar Products.
- vii. Cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds.
- viii. Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages.
- ix. Cereal and Cereal Products.
- x. Groundnuts, Peanuts and Walnuts.
- xi. Pickles, Papads and Chutneys.
- xii. Guar Gum.
- xiii. Floriculture and Floriculture Products.
- xiv. Herbal and Medicinal Plants.

(b & c) Promotion of agricultural exports is a continuous process. To promote the agricultural exports,  The  Government  has  introduced  a  comprehensive Agriculture  Export  Policy  with  the vision of harnessing export potential of Indian agriculture, through suitable policy instruments, to make India a global power in agriculture, and raise farmers' income.

The  Government  has  also  introduced  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  'Transport  and  Marketing Assistance  for  Specified Agriculture  Products'  for  providing  assistance  for  the  international component of freight, to mitigate the freight disadvantage for the export of agriculture products, and marketing of agricultural products.

The Department of Commerce has several other schemes to promote exports, including exports of agricultural  products,  viz.  Trade  Infrastructure  for  Export  Scheme  (TIES),  Market  Access Initiatives (MAI) Scheme etc. In addition, assistance to the exporters of agricultural products is also  available  under  the  export  promotion  schemes  of  APEDA,  Marine  Products  Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Tobacco Board, Tea Board, Coffee Board, Rubber Board and Spices Board.

(d) To promote India's exports of agriculture products, a series of Virtual Buyer-Seller Meets (V-BSMs), have been conducted with various countries, in collaboration with the Indian Missions abroad. Importers, Indian exporters and trade associations  join these V-BSMs to explore trade opportunities. V-BSMs have been organized with UAE, Kuwait, Indonesia, Switzerland, Belgium, Iran, Canada (Organic products), UAE & USA (GI products), Germany, South Africa, Australia, Thailand, Oman, Bhutan, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia.

APEDA has also developed its own Virtual Trade Fair (VTF) application to provide opportunities for  our  exporters of  agriculture  products to  interact  with  importers of  several  countries  over  a virtual platform. The first Virtual Trade Fair for Cereals product was inaugurated on 10 th March 2021.

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