New Delhi, Oct 26 (KNN) Foreign buyers from China, South Korea, Vietnam, Mexico, and European Union have evinced keen interest in Indian organic food products to cater to increasing consumption levels in their own countries.

Foreign buyers from various countries including 50 buyers invited by Agricultural Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) currently visiting the ongoing three-day Biofach 2018, the largest organic event of the country, are showing keen interest in Indian organic products including tea, spices, honey, basmati rice, coffee, cereals, dry fruits, vegetables, processed foods and medicinal plants, according to a press release by APEDA.

“Apart from showing interest in Indian organic products international customers are also interacting with Indian companies and farmers and exchanging information, resources and knowledge about agricultural practices at the event. They have suggested that in order to trade globally, the three factors that Indian farmers needed to consider were quality, quantity and price point,” said Paban K Borthakur, Chairman, APEDA.

“Apart from organic food items foreign buyers are also showing interest in nonfood products including beauty and health and personal care   products. The major demand under organic product category is for flax seeds, sesame and soybean; for pulses such as arhar (red gram), chana (pigeon pea); and rice besides tea and medicinal plants. APEDA soon plans bring textiles under organic umbrella for exports at present cotton is covered under organics,” said Borthakur.

People around the globe are getting more conscious of what they are eating. They are switching to organic products as they do not want chemicals in their food. Compared to the overall agriculture export, the share of organic products is less. But the rate of growth is quite impressive.

India exported organic products worth USD 515 million (INR 3453 crore) in the year 2017-18, From USD 370 million (INR 2727 CRORE)  in the year  2016-17  thus  Registering an increase of 39 per cent . The total volume of export during 2017-18 was 4.58 lakh Metric Tonne, he said.

The organic food export realization was around INR 3453 crore (515 million USD). Organic products are exported to countries such as USA, European Union, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Israel, South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand, and Japan.

"We are impressed by India's organic farming and in Vietnam we have also started Organic farming and had talks for import of grapes, millet and tea" said Tran Kim Long, Director General, Ministry of agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam, who is heading a buyer’s delegation in India.

The major demands under the organic product category are for Oil seeds, Cereals & Millets, Sugar, Fruit juice concentrates, Tea, Spices, Pulses, Dry fruits, Medicinal plant products etc. Though USA, European Union member countries and Canada were the biggest buyers of organic products, many new countries like Israel, Vietnam, Mexico are also taking interest recently. The equivalency granted by European Commission and Switzerland for unprocessed plant products and the conformity assessment granted by USDA has played pivotal role in increased export to these countries.

Major highlight of the Boifach is display of organic products from north East states which is coming up as hub of Indian organic farm products. A variety of organic crops from these states include tea, Joha rice and lemon from Assam, large cardamom and ginger from Sikkim, king chillis from Manipur, sugarcane, cowpea and paddy from Mizoram, passion fruit from Meghalaya and pineapples from Tripura.

Another major highlight is an organic company from Jammu has put up organic Golgappa (panipuri) stall with panipuri made of organic flour, water from organic spices and other inputs also from organic farm products.