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Release of Exim Bank's Occasional Paper on `Export of Organic Products
from India: Prospects and Challenges', by Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Hon'ble
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India,
during the inaugural function of `First Nutraceuticals Summit', held
at Mumbai today. Seen in the picture (from left) are Dr. V. Prakash,
Director, CFTRI, Mysore; Smt. Swaraj; Dr. R. A. Mashelkar, Director
General CSIR, New Delhi, and Mr. S. R. Rao, Chief General Manager,
Exim Bank.
Exim Bank's latest study titled `Export of Organic Products from India: Prospects and Challenges', was released by Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Hon'ble Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, during the inaugural function of `First Nutraceuticals Summit', held at Mumbai. The Occasional Paper outlines the importance of a single nodal agency for promotion of organic cultivation and exports from India. The study recommends that this nodal agency should be responsible for creation of Organic Market and Knowledge Repository, covering market intelligence reports, consumer trends, database on buyers and sellers, organic rules and regulations in various countries, certification norms and agencies, import norms and tariffs. The Exim Bank study further suggests that this nodal agency should also be responsible for identification of products, seasonality and supply chain in various markets, monitoring of Indian organic production and exports, creation of awareness, and function as an interface between various Commodity Boards and the Government. The Exim Bank study estimates that the world organic market in 2002 was over US $ 26 billion, which accounts for just 1 percent of world conventional agriculture production and consumption. The value of Indian organic farming industry during the same period was just around US $ 20 million. As regards niche organic products for production and exports by India, the study identifies plantation crops (tea, coffee and spices), tropical fruits and vegetables and cereals (rice). The study estimates that Indian organic tea production holds a global share of over 30 percent, while that of coffee was only around 1 percent. With respect to organic spices, India holds a global share of 11 percent in quantity terms and 3 percent in value terms. North Eastern Region, which is undertaking organic cultivation by default, could be developed as an organic zone for production and exports, according to this study. The potential crops identified for cultivation in this region include Joha rice, Pineapple, Passion fruit, Oranges, Assam lemon, Large cardamom and Ginger.
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