NEW DELHI, Jun 11 (NNN-PTI) – India’s agriculture exports, during the financial year 2020-21 (Apr 2020-Mar 2021) crossed the 40- billion U.S. dollar-mark, reaching 41.25 billion U.S. dollars, indicating an increase of 17.34 percent over the previous year.
Briefing the media virtually, Commerce Secretary, Anup Wadhawan, stated that, agriculture exports also included allied products, such as marine and plantation products.
The figures assume significance in the wake of nationwide lockdown, imposed on Mar 24 last year, to curb the pandemic.
According to Wadhawan, exports during Apr and May, the first two months of the current financial year, was also impressive.
For agriculture products (excluding marine and plantation products), the growth is 28.36 percent, with exports of 29.81 billion U.S. dollars in 2020-21, as compared to 23.23 billion dollars in 2019-20, Wadhawan said, adding, India had been able to take advantage of the increased demand for staples, during the COVID-19 period.
According to a statement by the federal Commerce Ministry, the largest markets for India’s agriculture products are the United States, China, Bangladesh, UAE, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Nepal, Iran and Malaysia.
Exports to most of these destinations registered growth, with highest growth being recorded for Indonesia (102.42 percent), Bangladesh (95.93 percent) and Nepal (50.49 percent), added the statement.– NNN-PTI
