Finance Commission expert group on agri exports to be headed by Sanjiv Puri

The 15th Finance Commission on Monday decided to set up an eight-member high level expert group headed by ITC chairman Sanjiv Puri to recommend strategies and measures to increase farm productivity and boost exports.

The panel will recommend measurable performance incentives for States to encourage agri exports as well as to promote crops to enable high import substitution, the Finance Commission said in a statement.

The committee will submit its recommendations within three months for further consideration of the Commission, it said.

As per the Terms of Reference, the panel would "assess export and import substitution opportunities for Indian agricultural products (commodities, semi processed and processed) in the changing international trade scenario and suggest ways to step up exports sustainably and reduce import dependence."

It will also recommend strategies and measures to increase farm productivity, enable higher value addition, ensure waste reduction, strengthen logistics infrastructure etc. related to Indian agriculture, to improve the sector's global competitiveness.

The panel is expected to identify the impediments for private sector investments along the agricultural value chain and suggest policy measures and reforms that would help attract the required investments.

The committee will also suggest appropriate performance-based incentives to the state governments for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26, to accelerate reforms in the agriculture sector as well as implement other policy measures in this regard.

Apart from Puri, other members of the committee also included former Agriculture Secretary Radha Singh Nestle India CMD Suresh Narayanan, UPL CEO Jay Shroff and RIS Director General Sachin Chaturvedi.