Compulsory registration rule relaxed for groundnut exports

Move may increase groundnut shipments from India

The Union Commerce ministry has abolished the compulsory registration rule for groundnut shelling units to export to countries outside the European Union. The move, industry sources say, might increase shipments from India.

Till now, exporters had to buy groundnut from shelling units registered with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda), while shelling units had to get themselves registered through the Indian Oilseed and Produce Export Promotion Council . This rule was made applicable in 2013. However, many shelling units from Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh had opposed this rule and were engaged in several discussions with commerce ministry and Apeda pressing for its removal.

“We met the Union Commerce minister, commerce secretary and Apeda chairman a few times and informed them that compulsory registration is not necessary and export is going well without it. Thankfully, the officials agreed and removed the rule,” said Mukund Shah, president, Gujarat Oilseeds Processors Association. It has been against compulsory registration since the beginning.

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