March 17, 2021
The maiden fair registered participation from more than 400 entities.
Groundnuts, maize, basmati and non-basmati rice, coarse grains, millets and wheat were exhibited to buyers.
Iran, Canada, Malaysia, South Korea, Ecuador, Chile and Taiwan are nations who have allowed for trade in diverse agro products.
Contract farming and manufacturing have been recommended by experts as measures to boost sectoral growth.
March 10-12, 2021 saw the participation of more than 400 entities at APEDA’s first Virtual Trade Fair (VTF). The Fair was themed ‘India Rice and Agro Commodity’ and aimed to bring together producers of the commodities as well as potential national and international buyers. The products showcased include coarse grains, millets, groundnuts, maize, basmati and non-basmati rice as well as wheat. The Fair saw successful participation from buyers hailing from New Zealand, India, France, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates. The Press Information Bureau reports that entities from Egypt, the Netherlands Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Fiji were among those that registered as buyers. An inter ministerial assessment in June of 2020 identified scope for India to engage extensively with other nations in agricultural trade across different commodities. Iran, Canada, Malaysia and South Korea have recently signed agreements to procure Indian mangoes. Phytosanitary clearances have been issued by both Iran and Canada to facilitate imports of Indian mangoes. Ecuador, Chile and Taiwan have also allowed for Indian export of rice, coconut fibre and lily bulbs respectively.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) records that Global Value Chains (GVCs) in the agricultural sector are an important forum for the onboarding and interaction of different types of buyers. There is scope to handhold small farmers in the process of achieving quality and safety standards while promoting financial inclusion. Private sector participation through contract farming and manufacturing can help boost growth within the sector. The recent years have seen the permeation of agritech startups in the ecosystem that seek to improve existing market arrangements to increase farmer benefits and solidify the supply chain. The startup space also has entities that help future-proof the agriculture ecosystem through the disbursing of credit incentives and loans. Trade fairs, financial inclusion, the disbursal credit and insurance as well as favourable policy making can help the agriculture sector sustain the growth trajectory that it has continued to exhibit during the last year.