Global Rice News

India is revolutionizing its export practices for fresh fruits and vegetables by developing sea protocols. These protocols will enable the country to export products like bananas, mangoes, pomegranates, and jackfruit through ocean routes. Currently, most of these exports are conducted via air routes due to lower volumes and varying ripening periods.

The sea protocols involve understanding voyage time, scientifically managing the ripening process of these commodities, implementing specific harvesting times, and providing training to farmers. It is important to note that these protocols will differ for each fruit and vegetable.

According to Rajesh Agrawal, the Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, exporting through sea routes offers two significant advantages: cost-effectiveness and larger shipment capacity. By utilizing sea transportation, India can enhance the export of fruits and vegetables. This is because air cargo shipments positively impact the price competitiveness of these commodities.

Agrawal stated, “So far, we are using air routes to export these perishable goods. But now, we are trying to see how we can use the sea route to send these agri products. Now, we have started developing sea protocols.”

One of the main challenges in agricultural exports in India has been the heavy dependence on air cargo. Due to high freight costs, the competitiveness of these products decreases. The new sea protocols aim to address this issue and provide a more cost-effective solution.

To begin implementing the sea protocols, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has collaborated with various stakeholders to develop the protocols for bananas. The first container has already been shipped to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for testing purposes. Success in this trial will lead to a substantial increase in export volumes.

However, it is crucial for importing countries to accept these consignments as well. The participation of importing countries is vital to the success of these initiatives.

The increased export of fresh fruits and vegetables can play a significant role in boosting the overall shipment of agricultural products. This is especially important now, as India has restricted the export of non-basmati white rice and wheat.

For the trial shipment of bananas, APEDA has partnered with the ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) in Lucknow for technical assistance. InI Farms has also collaborated with Del Monte for marketing and distribution in Europe, and Maersk for logistics support.

Despite being the world’s largest banana producer, India currently only holds a 1% share in the global market. However, the country accounts for 26.45% of the world’s banana production, equivalent to 35.36 million metric tonnes.

In the 2022-23 period, India exported bananas worth $176 million, which equates to 0.36 million metric tonnes.

From April to August of this year, mango exports increased by 19% to $47.98 million.

Apart from the US, major destinations for fruit and vegetable exports include Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.

Between April and October of this fiscal year, exports of fruits and vegetables experienced a growth of approximately 13%, reaching about $2 billion.

This innovative approach to exporting fruits and vegetables through sea routes demonstrates India’s commitment to enhancing its agricultural trade. With the successful implementation of sea protocols and the support of importing countries, India has the potential to significantly increase its export volumes and strengthen its position in the global market.