Lok Sabha Question No. 827 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-07
Subject: Import/Export of Agricultural Produce
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: M. K. Raghavan

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 827 ANSWERED ON 07/02/2024

## IMPORT/EXPORT OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE

## 827. SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

(a) whether  any  steps  are  being  taken  to  revise  negotiation  on  import  and  export  of agricultural produce from India;

(b) if so, the details regarding the same;

(c) whether the Government has observed that farmers of Kerala are facing severe crisis as a result of various trade agreements;

(d) if so, the steps taken to promote the interests of import and export produce of farmers from Kerala; and

(e) the agreements that prevent raising import duties of certain agricultural products that harm the interest of Indian farmers?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) & (b) Negotiations on import and export of agricultural produce from India are a part of bilateral  forums  &  trade  agreement  negotiations  with  various  countries.  While  negotiating  duty concessions/ market access for specific agriculture products to the partner countries, the interests of domestic production and producers are always kept in consideration.

(c) to (e) The Government has been taking steps to promote exports of agriculture products, including  from  Kerala.  The  Agricultural  &  Processed  Food  Products  Export  Development Authority (APEDA), a statutory organisation under the administrative control of Department of Commerce,  has  the  mandate  to  promote  exports  of  agricultural  and  processed  food  products. APEDA has been providing assistance to the exporters under various components of its Export

Promotion  Scheme.  Further,  the  Department  of  Commerce  has  not  received  any  reports  of Farmers of Kerala facing crisis as a result of various trade agreements.

The Department of Commerce provides financial assistance to promote exports, including exports of agricultural products, through Market Access Initiatives (MAI) Scheme, and Export Promotion Schemes  of  Marine  Products  Export  Development  Authority  (MPEDA),  Tea  Board,  Coffee Board, Spices Board etc.

Further,  a  Farmer  Connect  Portal  has  been  developed  for  providing  a  platform  for  farmers, Farmer-Producer Organizations (FPOs) and cooperatives to interact with exporters. Buyer-Seller Meets  (BSMs)  are  organized  in  the  clusters to provide export-market  linkages.  Regular interactions, through video conferences, are held with the Indian Missions abroad, to assess and tap export opportunities. Country specific BSMs, through Indian Missions, are also organized.

The  maximum  import  duty  rates  (Bound  Rates)  that  can  be  levied  by  India  on  import  of agriculture products have been decided under the General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade (GATT). The Applied Rates of import duties are usually considerably lower than the Bound Rates and, if required,  there  is  sufficient  scope  for  increasing  the  Applied  Rates  to  protect  the  interests  of Indian farmers.

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