India’s organic food products export reached $447.73 million in the first eight months of this fiscal (FY25) and is on track to surpass last year’s total export of $494.80 million, the Parliament was informed on Monday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Navneet Singh Bittu, stated that 263,050 metric tonnes (MT) of organic food products have been exported as of November 25 this year.
While the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has not allocated specific funds to incentivize industries producing organic products, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, provides financial assistance to its member exporters, including those exporting organic food products.
APEDA is implementing the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), which involves the accreditation of certification bodies, development of standards for organic production, and promotion of organic farming and marketing. Under this programme, India has 1,016 organic-certified processing units.
In September, APEDA partnered with global retail chain LuLu Group International (LLC) to showcase Indian organic products in its stores across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This partnership aims to connect Indian organic growers, including Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), and cooperatives, with global markets, ensuring wider reach for certified Indian organic products.
The authority is also committed to promoting Indian agro and processed food exports by organizing B2B exhibitions in various countries, exploring new potential markets, and collaborating with Indian embassies to promote natural, organic, and Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged agro-products.
Minister Bittu emphasized the significant global demand for organic products and India’s role as a key supplier, stating that these efforts are expected to strengthen the country’s agricultural export base further.
(Inputs from IANS)