Lok Sabha Question No. 1692 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-13
Subject: Agricultural Export Policy, 2018
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: S. Jothimani

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1692 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13/12/2023

## AGRICULTURAL EXPORT POLICY, 2018

## 1692.   MS. S. JOTHIMANI:

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

(a) whether the Agricultural Export Policy, 2018 has been able to achieve its stated goals in view of declining agriculture exports;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) if not, the reasons therefor;

- (d) the details of the crops which dominate India's agricultural exports;
- (e) the impact on declining agricultural exports for the farmers of the country; and

(f) the challenges that the ministry faces in increasing agricultural exports and the corrective steps taken for the same?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e) Subsequent  to  introduction  of  the  Agriculture  Export  Policy  (AEP)  in  December  2018, agriculture exports have registered a substantial growth from USD 35.59 billion in 2019-20 to USD 53.13 billion in 2022-23.  Progress made in realising various objectives of the AEP, such as diversifying export basket  and  destinations;  promoting  exports  of  novel,  indigenous,  organic,  ethnic,  traditional  and  nontraditional  agri  products;  tackling  market  access,  trade  barriers,  sanitary  and  phytosanitary  issues; integration  with  global  value  chain;  providing  export  market  linkage  to  farmers  etc.,  has  contributed towards growth in agriculture exports.

Out of India's agriculture export basket comprising of primary as well as value-added products, the crops, which account for substantial share of India's agriculture exports, are non-Basmati rice, Basmati rice, spices, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables etc.

(f) The main challenges faced in exports of agriculture products are variance in production impacting consistency  in  availability  of  exportable  surplus  due  to  large  domestic  consumption  base;  price competitiveness; stringent quality requirements of the importing countries; market access issues etc.

The Department of Commerce provides financial assistance to promote exports, including exports of food 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, the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), a statutory organisation  under  the  administrative  control  of  Department  of  Commerce,  is  engaged  in  promoting exports of food products. APEDA has been providing assistance to the exporters of food products under various components of its Export Promotion Scheme.

A Farmer Connect Portal has also been developed for providing a platform for farmers, FarmerProducer 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. Continuous efforts are also made to resolve market access, trade barriers, sanitary and phytosanitary issues.

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