New Delhi, Oct 25 (KNN) Aiming to boost India’s agri exports, government is planning to soon set up specific agriculture export zones which will be well placed with ports and airports in the country.

“The government has drafted a new national agriculture export policy to support the export of organic products. The policy has been jointly prepared by the ministries of commerce, agriculture, and food processing,” said Suresh Prabhu, Commerce & Industry Minister.

The commerce ministry will set up a series of centres in states to help organic farmers to brand and sell products to international market where demand for such products is high, he said while inaugurating Biofach India 2018, a three-day long trade fair for organic food jointly organised by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Nurnberg Messe India.

India produces about 600 million tonnes of agriculture and horticulture products annually.

Prabhu said the new agriculture policy has been unveiled with the vision to double the farmers' income and increase the share of agricultural exports from present USD 30 billion to over USD 60 billion by 2022.

The policy will also help in checking food and vegetable wastage which is about 30 per cent at present by increasing exports and increasing food processing, the Minister added.

“The government is also in touch with various countries including UAE, Oman and others to increase export of agriculture products.

Ministry of commerce is also in touch with China for export of rice and pharmaceuticals from India and after a long period the first consignment of rape seed will be exported to China soon,” the Minister said.

“The agriculture export policy has pitched for greater involvement of states, improvement in infrastructure and logistics, and promotion of R&D activities for new product development for the upcoming markets,” he added.

More than 5000 delegates comprising of exporters, processors, retail chain industry, certification bodies and producers from India and abroad are participating in the Biofach 2018.

“The major highlight of the Biofach 2018the Organic Theme Pavilion set up by APEDA, said Paban K Borthakur. (KNN Bureau)