Flavour of India's wheat must capture world's taste buds: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the flavour of India's wheat must capture the entire world's taste buds and help increase the country's wheat exports, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Friday.

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal informed this while replying to the supplementary question related to wheat export during the Question Hour.

Goyal was responding to a question raised by Congress MP Anand Sharma.

Pointing out the situation arising out of the Ukraine-Russia war and the sanctions imposed against Russia, Sharma had asked if the Union government was looking at exporting India's wheat in the international market and for alternate routes due to the problems in the high seas.

The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry said the Central government is continuously monitoring the opportunities that open up for India and India's exporters.

India can proudly say that it has high quality wheat and our farmers are truly making the country proud by the growth in wheat production.

Similarly, our exporters increased wheat exports from nearly two lakh metric tonne (LMT) two years ago, in 2021 they grew ten times to 21 LMT and in 2022, we will close with more than 70 LMT of wheat export, Goyal added.

"But Prime Minister Modi has set a much more aggressive target for this year. We have been holding joint consultation with the Union Ministry of Agriculture. The Railways has risen to the occasion by assuring availability of adequate rakes so that wheat can be moved to the ports. The Shipping Ministry is also working to ensure seamless movement of agricultural products, particularly wheat, given the current situation."

The Union Minister said how in February the Prime Minister called him asking about the steps taken for wheat export.

"After I gave the entire report to Modi, he said, but you have not reported the most important thing. I was quite taken aback."

"Take this opportunity so that we give such good quality to the whole world that woh "swad hamare gehun kaa sabko itna (achcha) lag jaaye, ki uske baad (sirf) hamare desh ka hi gehun niryat ho" (so that the whole world remembers the taste of only India's wheat and help increase our export of wheat).

"We have also taken FSSAI on board as the Prime Minister insisted on the highest quality for export. Just like India's rice earns a premium across the world, we need to take India's wheat to that level," Goyal added.

Earlier, Anand Sharma had also congratulated -- as a former Commerce and Industry Minister -- for crossing the $400 billion mark for exports.

"Our exporters have risen to the occasion in the past. When I had demitted office, our exports were at $318 billion. Last two years were very difficult due to Covid-19 and this is a remarkable achievement," the Congress MP said.

The government had announced on Thursday that India has achieved $400 billion goods' exports target for the first time.

Goyal thanked Sharma for his "gracious comments" and said, "Our exporters deserve it."

--IANS

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