India's agricultural export grows: Economic Survey

NEW DELHI: India's agricultural products exports of marine, rice, sugar and spices have witnessed an increasing trend in 2019-20, said the Economic Survey. It said that India has been a net exporter of agri products since the economic reforms began in 1991

“Agri-exports touched Rs 2.52 lakh crores and imports at Rs 1.47 lakh crores in financial year 2019-20,” the survey said.

India occupies a leading position in global trade of agricultural products. However, its total agricultural export basket accounts for a little over 2.5 percent of world agricultural trade. The major export destinations were USA, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nepal, and Bangladesh.


Among the key agriculture commodities exported from India were marine products, basmati rice, buffalo meat, spices, non-basmati rice, cotton raw, oil meals, sugar, castor oil and tea.

An analysis of the last six years of the share of top ten agricultural commodities in total value of agricultural export shows that the share of marine products in total agricultural export value has remained the largest over the period, the survey said. "Its share in total agricultural export value increased from 14.5 per cent in 2015-16 to close to 19 per cent in 2019-20," it said.

The share of basmati rice, non-basmati rice, spices and sugar in total agricultural export value has also shown an increasing trend during the period.

However, buffalo meat and raw cotton in total agricultural export value have declined during the period. The shares of the commodities such as castor oil and tea have remained stable over this period, the survey said.