India’s agri-exports boom under Modi Govt: First-ever shipments that made history
NEW DELHI : India’s agricultural exports have seen unprecedented expansion, with many products making their way to international markets for the first time. This expansion signals government efforts on empowering farmers, boosting rural incomes, and putting India’s rich agricultural heritage on the global map. From exotic fruits to traditional staples, these first-ever shipments highlight how the Modi government’s vision for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ is creating new opportunities for Indian farmers.
For the first time, sea shipments of Indian pomegranates to Australia took place of premium varieties of Sangola and Bhagwa pomegranates. This breakthrough enhances India’s fresh fruit market access in Australia, paving the way for more Indian produce to enter global supply chains.
India’s unique GI-tagged Purandar figs are now making waves in Europe. Last year, Modi government facilitated the export of India’s first ready-to-drink fig juice, made from Purandar figs, to Poland. Earlier in 2022, the export was made to Germany, too. Purandar figs are known for their unique tastes and textures. As part of India’s push to diversify its fruit exports, for the first time Dragon fruit was exported to London and Bahrain. The fibre and mineral-rich dragon fruit, locally known as ‘Kamalam’, was exported to London and Bahrain in 2021. The consignment exported to London was sourced from farmers of the Kutch region of Gujarat, while the consignment to Bahrain was sourced from the farmers of West Midnapore in West Bengal.
In 2023, India took a big step toward expanding its presence in the American market by exporting its first-ever trial shipment of fresh pomegranates. Bhagwas, pomegranate from Maharashtra has substantial export potential and almost 50 per cent of the fruit’s export from the country is from the state’s Solapur district. In a major boost for the Northeast, in 2021, the first-ever shipment of Burmese grapes, known as ‘leteku’ in Assamese, was sent from Guwahati to Dubai through Delhi. This export put Assam’s exotic produce on the global map, proving the potential of India’s north-eastern states in international trade.
Germany got a taste of India’s fresh jackfruit from Tripura in 2021. In a first, a shipment of fresh jackfruit was exported from Tripura to Germany by air route. The first consignment of one metric tonne of fresh jackfruits was flagged off from Agartala, reflecting the efforts Modi government to bring the north-eastern states on the agricultural and processed food products export map of India.
In 2021, in a major boost to exports of GI products from the north-eastern region, a consignment of ‘Raja Mircha’ also referred as king chilli from Nagaland was exported to London via Guwahati by air for the first time. Given its perishable nature, exporting this product was a challenge, but India successfully facilitated its air shipment, highlighting India’s capabilities in handling specialised agro-exports.
In the same year, in a major boost to India’s rice exports potential, the first consignment of ‘red rice’ was flagged off to the USA. Iron rich ‘red rice’ is grown in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertiliser. The rice variety is referred to as ‘Bao-dhaan’, which is an integral part of Assamese food.
In 2022, India flagged off the first consignment of GI Tagged “Vazhakulam Pineapple” from Vazhakulam, Ernakulam, Kerala to Dubai and Sharjah, UAE. With this the pineapple farmers will get better income and more promotion of their perishable products.