Agriculture exports touch historic high of $50 billion

Exports of agricultural products (including marine and plantation products) for the year 2021-22 have crossed $50 billion, highest level ever achieved for agriculture exports, the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement on Wednesday.

As per the provisional figures released by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), the agricultural exports have grown by 19.92 per cent during 2021-22 to touch $50.21 billion.

"The growth rate is remarkable as it is over and above the growth of 17.66 per cent, at $41.87 billion, achieved in 2020-21 and has been achieved in spite of unprecedented logistical challenges in the form of high freight rates, container shortages etc.," the statement noted.

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"This achievement over the past two years will go a long way in realising the Prime Minister's vision of improving farmers' income," it added.

Highest ever exports have been achieved for staples like rice ($9.65 billion), wheat ($2.19 billion), sugar ($4.6 billion) and other cereals ($1.08 billion). Wheat recorded an unprecedented growth of more than 273 per cent, jumping nearly four-fold from $568 million in 2020-21 to touch close to $2119 million in 2021-22.

An increase in exports of these products has benefitted farmers in states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra etc. India has captured nearly 50 per cent of the world market for rice, according to the statement.

The export of marine products, at $7.71 billion, is also the highest ever, benefitting farmers in the coastal states of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

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Spice exports touched $4 billion for the second year in a row. Despite facing tremendous supply-side issues, coffee exports crossed $1 billion for the first time, which has improved realisations for coffee growers in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic during the first quarter of 2020 resulted in increased demand for staples, which provided an opportunity for increasing agriculture exports.

Because of the institutional framework, already in place at state and district levels, and special efforts made to overcome the pandemic-induced bottlenecks, India was able to rise to the occasion and emerge as a reliable supplier of food, the ministry said.

Even during the current crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the world is looking at India for supplies of wheat and other food grains, it added.