Department of Commerce, through Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized trade fairs, exhibitions and Millet Conclave for awareness, usage and export promotion of millets. Under the International Year of Millets 2023, a host of activities were conducted in close association with Indian Embassies/Missions and Government departments, which included millet themed participation in international trade fairs, sampling events, millet galleries, international buyer seller meets etc. Further, Millets are one of the key focus areas for enhanced branding and publicity in key global and domestic fairs, in which APEDA participates.

The Government of India launched the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), to promote natural farming in a mission mode across the country as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. NMNF aims at promoting natural farming practices for providing safe & nutritious food for all. There is significant scope for promotion of India’s natural products abroad, based on availability of certified natural products, given the global trend of increasing demand for healthy and chemical free produce.

The government is taking focused initiatives for boosting India’s agricultural exports making India a key exporter of agricultural products. Some of the key initiatives are:

i. Broad basing India’s agricultural export basket by exporting new products.

ii. Penetration of exports into new markets.

iii. Exporting from new producing regions and exports.

iv. Enhanced branding and promotion of India’s agricultural produce.

v. Increase export realization by value added agri exports.

vi. Expanding exports of Organic products.

vii. Enhanced training and capacity building of producers and stakeholders to ensure quality produce and meeting of phyto-sanitary requirements of importing countries.

viii. Development of Sea Protocols for enhancing exports of Perishable Horticultural produce.

ix. Linking Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) and Self Help Groups(SHGs)to the export value chain.

x. Enhanced market access through FTAs and engagements with trading partners.

To enhance the export of Indian agricultural products and to protect exporters from protectionist trade policies, the Government is actively engaging in intensive bilateral discussions with respective importing countries to secure market access and to address trade barriers. The Government is also engaging in Free Trade Agreement (FTA) discussions with trading partners for duty-free/concessional access to those countries. In case of barriers in the form of strict Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)/Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), efforts are made to resolve them through bilateral meetings with trading partners and in case of their no-resolution, by raising Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) at the World Trade Organization (WTO).

This information was given by the Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Shri Jitin Prasada, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Market access measures: government negotiates FTAs and raises trade concerns to resolve sanitary and technical barriers for exporters. APEDA organised trade fairs, exhibitions, sampling events and a Millet Conclave to promote millet awareness, branding and exports, supported by the National Mission on Natural Farming to expand certified natural produce. The Government's export strategy emphasises diversifying the export basket, value-added and organic exports, capacity building to meet phytosanitary requirements, sea protocols for perishables, and engaging in bilateral negotiations, FTAs and WTO-specific trade concerns to resolve SPS/TBT barriers.