Increase in agri and processed food product exports from Purvanchal to boost India’s foreign exchange earnings: Anusuya Patel
Bhavya Pandey
New Delhi, December 6
For harnessing agricultural and processed food products export, potential from the eastern Uttar Pradesh also referred to as Purvanchal, APEDA organized ‘Agri-Export Conference cum Buyer Seller Meet’ at Mirzapur, where Union Minister of State of Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel along with more than 700 farmers and exporters attended the conference, said a press release issued by the Press Information Bureau.
Addressing the Conference, Anupriya Patel said that the increase in agricultural and processed food products exports from Purvanchal will not only boost India’s foreign exchange earnings, but will also help in doubling the farmers income as well as boost employment opportunities in the region.
She mentioned that the country has set a $400 billion target for merchandise exports for 2021-22 and $262 billion of exports has already been achieved during April-November 2021-22 period. She further added that a record export target of $43 billion has been set for agricultural products in 2021-22 and because of the efforts by APEDA and the farmers, this target will be achieved in the current fiscal.
Dr. M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA spoke about the initiatives taken by APEDA for boosting exports from Purvanchal region. Praveen Kumar Lakskar, District Magistrate, Mirzapur attended the meet as chief guest. The event was organized to commemorate the 75th year of Independence being celebrated with the theme ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
During the conference a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between leading exporters-association and FPOs of Purvanchal region for increasing agricultural products export. Export consignments of Non-Basmati Rice to China and Green Chillies to the United Arab Emirates were flagged off by Anupriya Patel and Dr. Angamuthu, Chairman APEDA.
Senior officials from Uttar Pradesh government, Mirzapur district administration, APEDA, International Rice Research Institute, ICAR-India Institute of Vegetable Research and representatives of exporters associations, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and other stakeholders attended the meeting.
Farmers mostly from Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Ghazipur and Chandauli districts attended the Conference.
In July, 2021, for promoting agricultural crops exports and adherence to global practices, APEDA in collaboration with FPOs, traders, exporters, agricultural scientists, Uttar Pradesh government and other institutions organized a meet at Varanasi. More than 200 farmers from Varanasi region participated in the meet, where agricultural scientists and officials from the leading institutes provided their valuable inputs for promoting agricultural products export from the region as well as adherence to globally recognized Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) by farmers.
