Basmati rice exports up 26 pc in Q1 to USD 1.15 bn

NEW DELHI: Exports of basmati rice increased by 25.54 per cent in April-June 2022-23 to USD 1.15 billion, the commerce ministry said on Saturday.

The exports stood at USD 922 million in the year-ago period.

Non-basmati rice exports too increased by 5 per cent in June quarter to USD 1.56 billion, it said.

Exports of agricultural and processed food products rose by 31 per cent in the quarter to USD 7.4 billion.

For financial year 2022-23, an export target of USD 23.56 billion has been fixed by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) for the agricultural and processed food products basket, it said.

Among these products, sectors which recorded growth during the period under review include fresh fruits and vegetables, and cereals.

''The export of meat, dairy and poultry products increased by 9.5 per cent...dairy products alone recorded a growth of 67.15 per cent as its export rose to USD 191 million in the first three months of the current fiscal,'' the ministry said.

M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, said by creating a necessary ecosystem of exports along with collaboration with key stakeholders in the agri-exports value chains, ''we are aiming to sustain the growth in India's agricultural and processed food exports in the current fiscal as well''.