Indian fresh pomegranates reaching the shelves of US retail stores, the Polish drinking Indian figs’ juice, the British and Bahrainis relishing Indian dragon fruits, the US citizens relishing red rice and Assam’s “Leteku” fruit reaching Dubai shores… The list of some unique Indian agricultural products being exported is unending.
These are behind India’s agri-exports boom since 2014 with many products making their way to international markets for the first time.
“This historic expansion isn’t just about trade, it’s also about empowering farmers, boosting rural incomes, and putting India’s rich agricultural heritage on the global map. From exotic fruits to traditional staples, these first-ever shipments highlight how the government’s vision for Aatmanirbhar Bharat is creating new opportunities for the farmers,” a senior official said.
Shipping Down Under
Sharing some of the “first experiences” he said, India successfully sent first shipments of premium Sangola and Bhagwa pomegranates to Australia via sea. This breakthrough enhances India’s fresh fruit market access in Australia, as earlier it was dependent on air cargo, which adds to the overall costs.
In 2023, first-ever trial shipment of fresh pomegranates, again Bhagwa variety from Maharashtra, via air was sent to the US. The state’s Solapur district has a share of almost 50 per cent in the country’s pomegranate export.
The ready-to-drink fig juice, made from GI-tagged Purandar figs, was for the first time sent Poland last year and prior to that it was exported to Germany in 2022. “Purandar figs are known for their unique tastes and textures,” he said.
Kutch’s Kamalam
The fiber- and mineral-rich dragon fruit, locally known as ‘Kamalam’, was exported to London and Bahrain in 2021. The consignment exported to London was sourced from farmers of the Kutch region of Gujarat, while the consignment to Bahrain was sourced from the farmers of Midnapore (West Bengal).
In 2021, a shipment of Burmese grapes, known as ‘leteku’ in Assamese, was sent from Guwahati to Dubai via Delhi. Similarly, Germany also got a taste of India’s fresh jackfruit from Tripura the same year after one tonne of the fruit was flagged off from Agartala.
Other products in the first category include King Chilli (Raja Mircha) of Nagaland (to London), ‘red rice’ from Assam (to the US) and GI tagged “Vazhakulam Pineapple” from Ernakulam, Kerala (to Dubai and Sharjah, UAE).
“The products are categorised under first category if the export destination is new or if the mode of shipment (air/sea) is new or if the product from a particular place is new. The Centre has been working closely with States to help boost agri export as a result many state governments have also been cooperating to facilitate consignments,” the senior official said.
He also said schemes such as one district, one product (ODOP), focus on north-east have paid off dividend in promotion of agri export.