Exporters ask government to provide barter deal with agri-deficit nations

Negotiations likely with Japan, EU, US, South Korea to boost India's agri exports and balance out their electronics exports into India

Exporters have urged the government to start a barter deal with agriculture-deficit countries to boost India’s exports of agricultural and allied products on a sustained basis.

Faced with restrictions imposed by many countries, India’s exports of agricultural products have declined by 19 per cent in the past four years to $32 billion in 2016-17 from $39.6 billion in 2013-14. During the same period, however, import of agricultural and allied products has jumped by 66 per cent to $24.2 billion in 2016-17 from $14.6 billion in 2013-14. Thus, India’s trade surplus of $25 billion in 2013-14 has slumped to $7.8 billion