According to the country’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s exports in the year 2021 was USD 57.87 billion. India exports petroleum products, minerals,  jewellery and various agriculture products among other things. In fact, agriculture and allied sectors contribute to 20.19% of the GDP in India. It is, therefore, interesting to see what’s happening in the Indian agricultural exports landscape.

There’s cause for cheer!

17.34% - that’s the rate of growth in agriculture and allied sectors in the year 2020-21. This is good news especially when you consider the challenges of the pandemic and the fact that exports were at a virtual standstill for the preceding three years.

Factors such as various agriculture policies, programmes and even the new opportunities offered by the pandemic saw India’s exports growing nicely.

What does India export? 

India made a huge mark in the global agriculture scene with exports of:

• Rice 
• Cotton 
• Wheat 
• Soya beans 
• Millets and other grains as well

The volume of exports propelled the country to 9th position in global agriculture produce exports. India’s products are picked up largely by: 

• USA
• China
• UAE and 
• Malaysia to name just a few countries.   

Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal have shown the maximum growth for India agriculture exports.

Regions doing their bit

Mangoes were in recent news with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)  approving the export of mangoes from states such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.

Burmese grapes, known as leteku in Assamese, were exported for the first time ever from Guwahati to Dubai. Leteku has many health benefits and grows profusely in the North East. This region is also known for its rice varieties and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development (APEDA) helped export red rice to the USA as well.

Last year also saw the export of GI-certified Jalgaon bananas from Tandalwadi village in Maharashtra to UAE. Bananas from this state are finding markets in places like Iran, Iraq and Europe as well.

Nagaland exports its fiery bhoot jolokia chillis and Kanpur is adding its jamuns to the export basket. There is also jackfruit from Tripura sweetening the world’s palate! Millets grown in the Himalayan region have made their way to Denmark.

States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh are some of the main contributors to Indian agriculture exports.

More than produce

It is also interesting to see that agriculture exports from India are not limited to produce alone. Bihar’s agriculture scientists, for instance, are giving the benefit of their knowledge to farmers in Brazil, Russia and South Africa and China on the cultivation of fox nut, or makhana.

It is significant to note that India is the second largest agricultural producer in the world. Indubitably, India can continue to make a huge difference when it comes to agriculture exports with products ranging from fruit to grains. And with growing capabilities, there is a great potential of increasing the share of value-added products to the agriculture exports basket as well.