In contrast to several industry segments wherein the export has been in a downward spiral lately under the impact of pandemic, the farming sector in India registered a 23 percent increase in export from April to June as compared to the same period last year. The sector has achieved this phenomenal surge in export despite the Covid-19 induced lockdown. Majority of the farm produce exported comprises rice and sugar, contributing over 95 percent to the increase in agricultural export.
Surpassing basmati rice which usually tops the list of exported farm items in terms of value (Rs 8,591 crore) — accounting for a third of India’s agri export in the first quarter of 2020-21, non-Basmati rice contributed the highest rise of Rs 2,392 crore. Overall, India recorded an increase of Rs 4,818 crore of agri export compared to 2019 Q1. Export of refined sugar contributed an increase of Rs 1,719 crore and export of raw sugar Rs 448 crore during the period which implies that non-basmati rice and sugar (refined and raw) together contributed Rs 4,559 crore (over 95 percent) in total increase of agri commodities export. After rice, sugar and onion, items which figured on top in percentage term increase were pigeon pea (tur), Bengal gram and raw groundnut oil. In fact, export of Basmati rice recorded minor decline while other key commodities in India’s agri export basket such as tea and soya meal reported decline of 27 percent and 14 percent, respectively, during the first quarter of current financial year compared to the corresponding period in 2019.
