Agriculture trade promotion body Agriculture and Processed Food Export Development Authority (Apeda) has become one of the most sought-after agency by the ministries. It is understood that the agriculture ministry and the ministry of food processing industries (MFPI) have staked claim to have the body under their respective ministries.
At present, being an export promotion body, Apeda is under the commerce ministry. However, the agriculture ministry and MFPI have cited reasons of their own to get the authority under their purview.
According to the agriculture ministry, the Apeda Act stipulates having more than ten members on its panel under the agriculture ministry. Thus, coordinating the body from within the ministry would be simpler. Besides, with various activities under the agriculture ministry being promoted to increase horticultural exports, the ministry feels it is better equipped to manage the affairs of Apeda.
MFPI, meanwhile feels since it is responsible for the bulk of the infrastructure development in the agriculture sector, like stetting up cold chains, processing plants and other backward linkages, the addition of Apeda under its ambit would complement the ministry?s efforts by providing a ready forward linkage in the form of an export market right at the processing plant.
?We have made several attempts at having Apeda under our ministry, but the commerce ministry has not ceded to the request. Having an export body under the ministry would help in holistic development of the sector,? said an MFPI official.
The commerce ministry, though, is fighting tooth and nail to keep the reins of Apeda in its hands. However, there has been precedence to the ministry losing out on its bodies to other ministries.
The foreign investment promotion board was shifted to the finance ministry from the commerce ministry.