STAFF REPORTER / NEW DELHI
The Union Cabinet today approved Agriculture Export Policy in line with government’s committment to double farmer’s income by 2022.
Speaking to media here after the meeting of the Cabinet, Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu said, farmers will get the benefit of export opportunities through a stable trade policy regime.
He said, the policy will remove export curbs on most organic and processed food and will also diversify farm product exports.
The Government has come out with a policy to double farmers’ income by 2022. Exports of agricultural products would play a pivotal role in achieving this goal. In order to provide an impetus to agricultural exports, the Government has come out with a comprehensive “Agriculture Export Policy” aimed at doubling the agricultural exports and integrating Indian farmers and agricultural products with the global value chains. The Agriculture Export Policy has the following vision:
“Harness export potential of Indian agriculture, through suitable policy instruments, to make India global power in agriculture and raise farmers’ income.”
Objectives:
Objectives of the Agriculture Export Policy are as under:
To double agricultural exports from present ~US$ 30+ Billion to ~US$ 60+ Billion by 2022 and reach US$ 100 Billion in the next few years thereafter, with a stable trade policy regime.
To diversify our export basket, destinations and boost high value and value added agricultural exports including focus on perishables.
To promote novel, indigenous, organic, ethnic, traditional and non-traditional Agri products exports.
To provide an institutional mechanism for pursuing market access, tackling barriers and deal with sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues.
To strive to double India’s share in world agri exports by integrating with global value chain at the earliest.
Enable farmers to get benefit of export opportunities in overseas market.
Elements of Agriculture Export Policy:
The recommendations in the Agriculture Export Policy have been organised in two categories – Strategic and Operational – as detailed below: