Farm exports up 40% in last 3 yrs

The country's farm product exports in value terms have surged by about 40 per cent to over Rs 80,600 crore in the last three years, with foodgrain, oilmeals and fruits and vegetables witnessing maximum demand in the overseas market.

"The value of exports of the agricultural products has increased by about 40 per cent during the last three years," a government statement said today.

The official data showed the country's farm exports stood at Rs 80,613.01 crore in the 2008-09 fiscal, compared with Rs 57,376.67 crore in the 2006-07 fiscal.

The sale of foodgrain in the overseas market jumped to Rs 15,089.80 crore from Rs 7,670.51 crore, while oilmeals shipment rose to Rs 10,269.24 crore from Rs 5,504.32 crore. Export of fruits and vegetables increased to Rs 4,399.04 crore from Rs 2,960.50 crore in the review period.

Among other commodities, the export of tobacco and spices also witnessed a sharp rise in the last three years. Tobacco shipments rose to Rs 3,457.79 crore from Rs 1,685.16 crore, while spices export went up to Rs 6,338.13 crore from Rs 3,157.89 crore.

Export of tea and coffee rose marginally at Rs 2,687.63 crore and Rs 2,255.76 crore, respectively in the last three years.

Interestingly, agri-product export rose significantly by over 29 per cent during 2007-08 from previous year. Comparatively, the shipments in 2008-09 grew by only 8.66 per cent, the data showed.