APEDA mulls export growth strategy for processed foods

Govt committed to reducing logistical barriers and enhancing market access for Indian agri and processed food products

The government is committed to reducing logistical barriers and enhancing market access for Indian agri and processed food products. This was stated by Sunil Barthwal, Secretary Department of Commerce, in his address at a high-level Chintan Shivir organised by the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Authority (APEDA) in New Delhi.

Barthwal pointed out, “Academia and Research institutions must be a part of multisectoral consultations so that Research and Development can be a major focus for innovation and sustainability in agri exports.”

He emphasised, “Agricultural production and productivity both are the need of the hour. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to further deliberate on the ideas and strategies discussed during the sessions.

The consultative dialogue brought together senior officials from the Union Government, Central Ministries, representatives from State Governments, policy experts and industry leaders from the Agri Trade and Processed Foods sector to deliberate on strategies for enhancing the export of Agricultural And Processed Food Products from India.

The inaugural session of the Chintan Shivir was co-chaired by Sunil Barthwal, Secretary of Department of Commerce, and Subrata Gupta, Secretary of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). The session was also graced by the Special Secretary, Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Varsha Joshi, and other senior officers of the Union and State governments, policymakers and industry leaders.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), Subrata Gupta highlighted the importance of infrastructure development and value addition to ensure sustainable export growth. He emphasised that there is a need to develop infrastructure, sanitary and phytosanitary standards at par with international norms, tariff plans and more synergy between the Union Government, State Government, various departments and industry stakeholders. He identified key potential products and sectors for processed foods exports like alcoholic beverages, nutraceuticals and value-added products.

The Special Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Rajesh Agrawal, emphasised the critical role of synergistic efforts among Union government, State Government, industry stakeholders and farming communities in realising India’s agri-export potential. He emphasised on the need to have a more synergetic approach amongst various stakeholders to take new agriculture, processed food and Value Added Products to new geographies.

The Chintan Shivir is a first, one-of-its-kind collaborative dialogue facilitated by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and APEDA with over 70 stakeholders from the Union Government, State Governments, Industry Leaders and Line Ministries at Vanijya Bhawan. 14 States from across the country namely Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal participated in the inaugural session.

Industry Leaders of Agri and Processed Food sectors were represented by LT Foods, KRBL, Amul, Organic India, ITC, Meatzza, Suguna Foods, Kaybee, TPCI, Organic India, Allanasons, Fair exports, HMA exports, amongst others participated in the dialogue.  

The Shivir was divided into five parallel technical breakout sessions focusing on specific Agri-Trade Commodities and the Processed Food sector, as under:

• Basmati and Non-Basmati Rice: Engaged states such as Punjab, Haryana and Telangana as well as industry giants like LT Foods and KRBL. The discussion addressed export barriers, financial and policy support and branding strategies for Indian rice.
• Animal Products: Brought together key exporters and state representatives to identify value chain improvements and international compliance strategies.
• Horticulture with participation from states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh as well as companies such as Kaybee, explored ways to enhance quality, improve logistics, and strengthen industry-academia linkages.
• Processed Foods: Involved stakeholders like Britannia and Haldiram’s focusing on value addition, regulatory streamlining and branding of Indian products globally.
• Organic Products: Discussed opportunities in expanding India’s footprint in global organic markets with contributions from Organic India, AMUL, ITC, and regulatory bodies like FSSAI.

PIB