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India's exports of fruits and vegetables have witnessed a significant surge of 47.3 per cent in volume between the financial years 2019-20 and 2023-24, according to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
This remarkable growth has been attributed to the financial assistance schemes provided by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Department of Commerce. The ministry in an official statement said "APEDA's financial assistance schemes boosts 47.3 pc surge in India's fruit and vegetable exports". APEDA has been supporting exporters through various initiatives under the Agriculture and Processed Foods Export Promotion Scheme. It provides financial aid for setting up essential export facilities such as packhouses with grading and packing lines, pre-cooling units, cold storage, refrigerated transportation, and treatment facilities like irradiation, vapor heat treatment, and hot water dip treatment. This infrastructure helps ensure that exported fruits and vegetables meet international quality standards. To enhance product quality, financial support is given for purchasing laboratory testing equipment, installing quality management systems, and using handheld devices to track farm-level data. This also includes testing for water, soil, and pesticide residues to meet the stringent requirements of importing countries. The ministry also noted that APEDA assists exporters in expanding their reach by participating in international trade fairs, organizing buyer-seller meets, and developing better packaging standards. These efforts help boost the global competitiveness of Indian agricultural produce. In the financial year 2023-24, India's fresh fruits and vegetables were exported to 123 countries. Over the last three years, Indian produce has entered 17 new markets, including Brazil, Georgia, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, the Czech Republic, and Ghana. To further enhance market access, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) and APEDA have identified key products and target countries for focused trade negotiations. The ministry also stated that special efforts are being made to develop sea transport protocols for horticultural products. It said "Development of Sea protocols for horticulture products to reduce logistic expenses and to enable larger volume of exports". Regular discussions are also being held with authorities in importing countries, supported by Indian diplomatic missions abroad. These discussions focus on facility registration and compliance with phyto-sanitary regulations, ensuring that Indian fruits and vegetables meet international safety and quality standards. With these ongoing initiatives, APEDA continues to play an important role in strengthening India's agricultural exports. (ANI)
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