Chandigarh:After three years, basmati has regained the top slot in the exports of agri and processed food category in 2017-18, surpassing buffalo meat. During the year, basmati contributed 22.60% to the country’s total agricultural and processed food products’ exports (value-wise), followed by buffalo meat (21.86%).
Buffalo meat has been the highest agri-related export item from India for three consecutive years i.e in 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. In 2013-14, basmati was the top agri export item from the country.
According to Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority’s (APEDA) provisional data, basmati worth Rs 26,841 crore was exported in 2017-18 as compared to Rs 21,605 crore in 2016-17. Basmati exports for 2017-18 stood at 40.52 lakh tonnes as compared to 39.85 lakh tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year. Though the volume-wise growth was not significant, the value-wise growth was around 25%. The rise in exports is attributed to increased buying from Iran and the UAE and higher per-unit realisation.
As against per-tonne realisation of around $805 during 2016-17, basmati commanded an average price of $1,028 per tonne in 2017-18.
Punjab and Haryana account for nearly 70% of the total basmati production in the country.
On the other hand, the total value of buffalo meat exports was Rs 25,988 crore in 2017-18 as compared to Rs 26,303 crore in 2016-17. Industry sources said low realisation and almost flat growth were the main reasons for decline in value. They added that because of ban on trade of cattle for slaughter in certain states, the volume growth was less than 2%, which attributed to decline in value.
