Agricultural exports grow by record $50.2 billion despite war, Covid-19

India's agricultural export grew by nearly 20 per cent in FY 2021-22 to touch $50.21 billion, provisional figures released by the Centre revealed.

The growth rate is over and above the growth of 17.66 per cent at $41.87 billion achieved in 2020-21. This comes in spite of unprecedented logistical challenges in the form of high freight rates, container shortages faced during Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Wheat export touched an all-time high at $2.18 billion in 2021-22, growing 273 per cent from 2020-21 when it had touched $567 million, while other cereals registered a growth of 53 per cent by fetching $1.08 billion in 2021-22 as compared to the previous financial year when it touched $705 million.

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Export of pulses reported a growth of 34 per cent touching $358 million in 2021-22 from $265 million in 2020-21.

Dairy products grew by over 96 per cent, standing at $634 million in 2021-22 from $323 million in 2020-21. Export of poultry products rose to $71 million in 2021-22 from $58 million in the previous year.

Buoyed by a sharp rise in exports of farm products despite logistics issues in the wake of the pandemic and Russia Ukraine war, the Centre has created a product matrix for 50 Agri products, which have good scope for expanding India's export portfolios.

The Centre has also organised more than 300 outreach programmes in collaboration with state governments for enhancing exports of agricultural produce.

Centre has also taken several initiatives to promote geographical indications (GI) registered with agricultural and processed food products in India by organizing virtual "Buyer-Seller Meets" on agricultural and food products with major importing countries across the world.

As part of the PM Gati Shakti-National Master Plan, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is collaborating with various ministries including railways and roadways for enhancing connectivity through faster transportation of agricultural products, as they are perishable in nature so it requires immediate and fast delivery to its destination from the production points.

The government is focussing on boosting exports from Purvanchal (east Uttar Pradesh), Himalayan regions, northeast, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

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