New Delhi: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Authority (APEDA) working under the Ministry of Commerce is preparing to increase agricultural exports by replacing items like rice, wheat, onion with banana, pomegranate, potato, mango and other fruits and vegetables. For the first time, a buyer-seller conference is going to be held in Mumbai to increase global sales of bananas.

A pilot project is being done to export pomegranate and mango through sea route. APEDA has included 20 items including potato, grapes, banana, various green vegetables in the list of focus products to increase agricultural export. Special preparations are underway to increase their export.

As the export of onion increases, its prices start rising

APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev said that items like wheat, rice and onion are consumed more domestically. Onion has not been kept in the export focus product because as soon as the export of onion increases, its prices start increasing.

India is the largest producer of banana

He said that India is the biggest producer of banana, but India's share in the $16 billion banana export market is just one percent while India has a share of more than 30 percent in the global production of banana. A target has been set to increase banana exports to $1 billion in the next two-three years. There is a huge demand for Indian bananas in Russia.

Dev said that transparency is being brought in organic farming methods to increase agricultural exports and soon APEDA is going to make public the list of all the farmers doing organic farming. The main markets for organic products are the European Union and the US. Therefore, work is also being done on certification of organic farming from these countries so that these countries do not reject Indian organic products.

Exports to China will begin soon

Indian Alcohol Beverages Minister said that there is a lot of scope for increasing the export of Indian alcoholic beverages and in this direction, preparations are underway to send alcoholic beverages to the UK and Chinese markets. Both the countries are keen to buy Indian alcoholic beverages. Currently, alcoholic beverages (whisky) are exported to some countries in the Middle East and Africa.

The export of alcoholic beverages is less than one billion dollars. Vinod Giri, Director General of the Brewers Association of India, said that in the last few years, many brands of alcoholic beverages in India have gained global recognition and now the export of Indian whiskey as well as wine and beer is expected to increase.