SOURCE: Sudhir Kumar, Hindustan Times
The Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has facilitated the first-ever consignment of banana plant products from Varanasi to the UAE by air, boosting agricultural exports. APEDA plans to integrate more farmer producer organizations into the export supply chain. The Purvanchal region has seen a surge in demand for its perishable products, leading to a 248% increase in agricultural product exports in Q1 2022-23 compared to the same period last year. The region has become a preferred export destination for horticultural products, catering to Gulf countries, European nations, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
In a boost to agricultural products exports, the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), ministry of commerce & trade, has facilitated the maiden consignment of banana plant products – including fruit, flower, and leaf – from Varanasi to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by air.
During the virtual flag-off ceremony, APEDA chairman Abhishek Dev emphasised the immense potential of agricultural products exports from Uttar Pradesh.
Reaffirming APEDA’s commitment to fostering international market linkages, Dev said, “We have planned to integrate more farmer producer organizations (FPOs) into the agricultural export supply chain.”
The banana products consignment was sourced from the Zamania Fed Farmer Producer Company, Gazipur, UP and transported via air route from Lal Bahadur Shastri International (LBSI) Airport to the UAE on Monday, said Dr CB Singh, deputy general manager APEDA, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar.
Singh said that these developments are the result of APEDA’s sustained efforts, driving farmers and FPOs in the Purvanchal region to engage in export-oriented production. The region’s perishable products have seen a surge in demand in the international market, contributing to a 248% increase in agricultural product exports in the first quarter of the current fiscal compared to the same period in the previous year (2022-23).
In the financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23, 157 metric tonnes and 561 metric tonnes of vegetables and fruits were exported from Uttar Pradesh, said Dr Singh.
APEDA’s establishment of an office in Varanasi in 2020, with support from the Uttar Pradesh government, marked a significant milestone.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the region has emerged as a preferred export destination for horticultural products, including green chillies, okra, pointed gourd, green peas, mangoes, litchi, bananas, Ivy Gourd (kundru), guava, drumstick, jackfruit, brinjal, amla, lemon, and more, catering to Gulf countries, European nations, Nepal, and Bangladesh, said Dr Singh.
Currently, the Varanasi region boasts numerous exporters, and the facilitation of agricultural product exports via air routes has been made possible through the establishment of robust quarantine and custom clearance facilitation centers at the LBSI Airport.