As the traditional tariff barriers are dismantled India needs to gear itself up for meeting stringent quality norms so that country?s agricultural and processed food exports continue to rise, commerce secretary Rahul Khullar on Sunday said.
?For moving up in the value chain, we need to address the problems of transportation and freight costs and poor handling capacities urgently so that our exports increase during next five years,? Khullar said at Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda)’s award function. “…what we are going to do in infrastructure over the next five years, because if we don’t attend to those problems in the next five years, forget agricultural exports, our entire export effort is going to be seriously jeopardised,” he noted.
Commenting on the problems that agricultural exporters may face in the coming years, the secretary said that non-trade barriers like sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) measures and traceability issues could impact agri exports.
“As tariffs come down or traditional barriers like taxes on trade are dismantled, you are going to find non-tariff barriers in the form of either SPS measures which will block the access…the second issue which you are going to face is traceability,” Khullar said.
SPS measures are used for food safety in terms of animal and plant health. Traceability is the ability to trace the history, application, or location of any entity by means of recorded identifications.
For recognising the contributions of exports houses in boosting India?s agricultural and processed food products exports during 2009-10, Apeda felicitated those companies who have played a vital role despite adverse world economic climate during last few years.
The 19th edition of Apeda Annual Export awards for 2009-10 were given to companies in the sector such as floriculture, fresh fruits and vegetables, bovine meat, poultry and dairy products and processed fruits and vegetables. The award also assumes significance as Apeda is also celebrating 25th years of its formation which is a milestone in itself.
Apeda has consistently recognised the efforts of exporters in increasing country?s agricultural exports every year and seek to reward such people and organisations with commendations of excellence since the last nineteen years. From a small beginning of the exports worth of only Rs 582 crore during 1986-87, Apeda?s basket has grown manifold to more than Rs 34,000 crore during 2009-10. Khullar said Indian agri products will have to move up the value chain in order to achieve target of $ 15 billion in the next three years
Last few years have been really outstanding performance for Apeda, as despite the continuance of the government?s ban on the export of non-Basmati rice export in 2008 which used to contribute around Rs 7000 crore to the Apeda basket.
The major chunk of the exports has been the basmati rice and fruits and vegetables. There had been price realisation from the Basmati rice exports to the tune of Rs 10,838 crore during last fiscal which was Rs 9,477 crore during 2008-9. This impressive performance is also expected to be repeated during current fiscal as well if trend are any indication.