With the negotiations for the proposed India-UK free trade agreement reaching an advanced stage, the Prime Minister's Office reviewed the progress of the talks on February 16, sources said. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal were also present in the meeting, they said.

 

'The talks for the agreement are at a crucial stage now. About three reviews have happened so far at the highest level,' they said, adding both countries are working to iron out differences on the remaining issues.

 

The commerce secretary recently stated that the negotiations were taking time because 'we want' to safeguard India's interest.

 

'India should commercially gain out of it and we should also be able to safeguard the interest of our farmers, PLI (production linked incentive) scheme goods. So, we are there to see that the deal is a fair deal,' he said.

 

So far 13 rounds of talks have been completed and the 14th round started on January 10.

 

Some of the key issues involved in the pact include customs duty cut on electric vehicles and whiskey and the movement of professionals. Talks are also progressing on the proposed bilateral investment treaty (BIT).

 

India and the UK launched the talks for a free-trade agreement (FTA) in January 2022.

 

There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments and intellectual property rights.

 

The Indian industry is demanding greater access for its skilled professionals from sectors like IT, and healthcare in the UK market, besides market access for several goods at nil customs duties.

 

On the other hand, the UK is seeking a significant cut in import duties on goods such as scotch whiskey, automobiles, lamb meat, chocolates and certain confectionary items.

 

Britain is also looking for more opportunities for UK services in Indian markets in segments like telecommunications, legal and financial services (banking and insurance).

 

The bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to USD 20.36 billion in 2022-23 from USD 17.5 billion in 2021-22.

India has allowed exports of onions on government-to-government basis to some countries, on recommendation of the Ministry of External Affairs, said people aware of the matter.

 

One of the persons said a limited quantity of onion exports has been allowed for bilateral purposes though no decision has been taken on lifting a complete ban on onion exports. Details of the exporting agency could not be ascertained.

 

Another person said the government has permitted exports of onions in limited quantities to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bahrain, Bhutan and Nepal, among others.

 

India, the world's second largest onion exporter, had banned shipments of the kitchen staple in December 2023 till March 2024 due to rising domestic prices and potential shortages. This led to a surge in onion prices in neighbouring countries.

 

As onion prices started to rise in August 2023, the finance ministry imposed a 40% export duty to curtail shipments. However, it failed to have the desired effect due to under invoicing, prompting the government to impose a minimum export price of $800 per tonne on onions effective October 28.

 

With severe rain and hail storms damaging the crop in places such as Nashik and Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, onion arrivals fell in the peak season in November, inflating prices and forcing the government to ban shipments of the bulb vegetable effective December 8.

 

This has led onion prices to crash from more than Rs.40 a kg to about Rs.13 currently in the wholesale market of Nashik, India's main onion-growing region, prompting onion farmers to protest for two months demanding lifting of the export ban.

 

Onions have 0.6 percentage points weightage in overall inflation and 10 percentage points in the vegetable basket. A rise in onion prices can push food inflation up causing concern for the government which is going to face voters in Lok Sabha elections in a few months.

 

In early February, a team of central government officials visited the onion growing regions of Maharashtra. The team was expected to make a recommendation to the government on the export ban.

 

Meanwhile, some large exporters wrote to the government on Sunday, suggesting that instead of completely banning onion exports, the government should permit outward shipments on a restricted basis, adding that any major export volume can lead to a significant price rise in the domestic market.

Strife around the Red Sea has caused significant disruptions in international trade. Despite this disruption, global shipments from India have increased in the past three months, partly because of geo-political heft and a proactive support by the government in facilitating easier access to credit and lowering of non-tariff barriers, analysts said.

 

President of S&P Global Market Intelligence Adam Kansler said India’s ambition on macro-economy and geopolitical heft have played out in its trade relationships. 'Equally interesting is how India is developing new partnerships by looking at overlapping economic agendas and mutual trust,' Kansler added.

 

When crude oil prices soared following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022 India boosted its imports of petroleum products from Moscow as the price there was cheaper due to the Western sanctions.

 

Similarly, India has taken proactive steps to diversify its exports to weather the challenges arising out of the slowdown of demands in the US and European markets.

 

Kansler noted that India’s exports have grown by nearly 130% and imports by 125% in the last 15 years. 'Sectors like energy, machinery and electronics are the key drivers,' he said.

 

India’s merchandise exports increased by 3.12% year-on-year to $36.92 billion in January. In December 2023 exports increased marginally to $38.45 billion as against $38.45 billion recorded in the same month previous year.

 

'Despite disruption in trade caused by strife around the Red Sea, exports have fared better than expected,' research and ratings agency Crisil said in a report.

 

It can be 'partly attributed to proactive support by the government in the form of easier access to credit, creation of a task force to investigate non-tariff barriers, and tackling sanitary issues,' Crisil said.

 

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal informed parliament earlier this month that a task force has been set up under the Department of Commerce, 'to identify, categorise and develop tailored strategies' for resolution of non-tariff barriers.

 

Non-tariff barriers are trade barriers that restrict import or export of goods through means other than customs tariff. It includes issues like import licensing, cumbersome testing and certification requirements and unreasonable standards and rules.

 

In order to address the issues arising out of the Red Sea crisis, the Department of Commerce has held a series of meetings with different stakeholders including exporters and logistics, credit & insurance service providers, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said.

 

Barthwal said through the proactive measures the government ensured that there was no increase in insurance premium despite higher risks due to growing tensions in the Red Sea.

 

'It was our objective that we should be also to see that how they (exporters) can navigate through this difficult situation,' Barthwal told reporters after the release of the monthly trade data for January earlier this month.

 

Officials and analysts agree that the January trade data is better than expected. 'The near-term challenge for India’s exports from the disruption caused by the Red Sea strife has been contained so far,' Crisil said.

 

'While the numbers are encouraging, caution is warranted. Rising global tensions and unevenness in global growth, mean maintaining export momentum will not be an easy task,' the rating agency said.

 

Product and market diversifications have also played a significant role in boosting India’s exports. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry data, 2105 new commodities were added to the exporting list in 8 years between 2015-16 and 2022-23.

 

'We are trying to create a much larger basket for ourselves in terms of exports,' said the Commerce Secretary, adding that the efforts have been taken to diversify exports both geographically and in terms of products.

India continued to be the world’s top rice exporter in 2023 despite banning shipments of white rice and imposing a 20 per cent duty on parboiled rice, according to the Thailand Rice Exporters Association (TREA). However, its share in the global market declined as shipments fell by 27 per cent. 

 

TREA honorary president Chukiat Opaswong told media in Bangkok earlier this week that India exported 16.5 million tonnes (mt) of rice in 2023, continuing at the pole position. The shipments, including basmati, were against a record exports of 22.3 mt in 2022. 

 

Opaswong said Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan filled up the void caused by India’s curbs. Thailand emerged as the second-largest exporter, shipping out 8.8 mt, Vietnam third with a record 8.3 mt exports and Pakistan the fourth-biggest shipper. 

 

Scaling down export estimates

However, India is expected to be back in the global rice market later this year and ship out more, the TREA official said, adding that Vietnam and Thailand will compete for the second spot exporting about 7.5 mt, while Pakistan could maintain its shipments at 5 mt. 

 

Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan will continue to command over $600 a tonne for their rice as long as Indian curbs are in place, Opaswong said.  Generally, barring Pakistan and Thailand’s 25% broken white, rice prices are ruling over $600 a tonne.

 

On the other hand, El Nino, which set in June last year, could affect production if drought and dry periods extend in Thailand. Not just Thailand, the El Nino weather pattern, expected to turn neutral by June this year could impact paddy in India, Pakistan and Vietnam too. 

 

Prices moving up

India’s rice exports were curbed by the Centre banning shipments of white rice from July and imposing 20 per cent export duty on parboiled rice. It also fixed a minimum export price of $950 on basmati shipments.

 

India resorted to these measures as its kharif paddy was affected by a deficient south-west monsoon. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has estimated kharif rice production 3.8 per cent lower at 106.31 mt against 110.51 mt in 2022. The decision was taken to curb rising food prices too. 

 

Despite the supply curbs, Indian parboiled rice, the only variety available in the global market, is currently selling at $543-547 a tonne compared with Thailand’s $626 and Pakistan’s $637-641. The price includes the 20 per cent export duty.’

 

'The rice market is moving up and despite the Red Sea crisis, cargoes to West Asia, South-East Asia and Africa continue to go. Demand for parboiled rice is better than last year,' said VR Vidya Sagar, Director, Bulk Logix. 

 

Brown rice gains

In the domestic market, parboiled is available at ?33,000-34,000 a tonne including handling charges, he said. 'There is no problem with parboiled availability,' he said.

 

M Madan Prakash, President of the Agricultural Commodities Exporters Association, said Indian exporters were indulging in 'cut-throat' competition and he is not looking to ship rice now. 'There are some enquiries for brown rice but I have not responded,' he said.

 

Sagar said Vietnam is buying brown rice, priced around the level of parboiled for human consumption. Brown rice too attracts 20 per cent export duty.

 

According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), non-basmati rice exports during April-December 2023 dropped by 28 per cent to 8.34 mt valued at $3.34 billion against 13.18 mt valued at $4.66 billion. Basmati exports during the same period were up 19 per cent at 3.97 mt valued at $3.97 billion against 3.20 mt valued at $3.34 billion.

India has proposed a work programme at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to lower the cost of cross-border remittances for promoting international trade.

 

In a submission made on Tuesday, New Delhi said one of the means to achieve cheaper, faster and more transparent and accessible cross-border payments including remittances is 'promoting interoperability and interlinkages of digital payment infrastructures including fast payment systems'.

 

'Cost of remittance is an issue we have been raising. There is also a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on this,' said an official.

 

Lower transaction costs are key to reducing inequality within and among countries such as India since the global average cost for sending remittances is 6.18%, more than twice the SDG target. The SDG goal is to lower to less than 3% the transaction costs of remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5% by 2030.

 

As per the submission, the global average cost for digital remittances at 4.84% is significantly lower than the cost for non-digital remittances and that out of total remittances of $860 billion in 2023, around 78% or $669 billion went to low- and middle-income countries. The Philippines and South Africa have also favoured such a work programme. The work programme should review the cost of cross-border remittances, trends and developments, and consider how technology, emergence of new market players, different types of providers and new channels, and consumer behaviour are impacting the cross-border remittance services, New Delhi said in its submission to the WTO.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry facilitated the export of bananas from India to Russia via Sea by M/s. Gurukrupa Corporation Pvt. Ltd. a Mumbai-based exporter of fruits and vegetables regularly exporting fresh fruits and vegetables to the EU and the Middle East. 

 

A consignment of 20 MT (1540 boxes) of bananas was flagged off on 17th February 2024 from Maharashtra by Chairman, APEDA, Shri Abhishek Dev in a collaborative effort with the Central Institute of Sub-tropical Horticulture (CISH). APEDA highlighted the development of sea protocol employed for this shipment by CISH for maintaining the quality of fruit in transit.

 

Chairman APEDA encouraged more exporters to employ novel methods in shipping new products to new destinations, with APEDA supporting and facilitating these endeavors. He highlighted APEDA’s financial assistance scheme, which now is putting special emphasis on supporting women entrepreneurs. He applauded the contribution of CISH in the development of the sea protocols and congratulated all personnel for a successful flag-off.  

 

Recently, Russia has shown keen interest in the procurement of tropical fruits from India with bananas being one of them, which significantly is a major Agri import of Russia, which was presently, primarily being imported from Ecquador, in Latin America.

 

The major export destinations for Indian bananas include Iran, Iraq, UAE, Oman, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and the Maldives. Additionally, the USA, Russia, Japan, Germany, China, the Netherlands, the UK, and France present India with abundant export opportunities.

 

The consignment was flagged off under the banner of M/s. Gurukrupa Corporation Pvt., Ltd, the women entrepreneurship is a prolific registered exporter of APEDA. M/s. Gurukrupa Corporation procured bananas directly from farmers of Andhra Pradesh. After harvesting, banana was brought to an APEDA approved packhouse in Maharashtra where it was graded, sorted, packed, boxed and stuffed in containers. The container was transported to JNPT for further voyage to Novorossiysk port, Russia for the final destination at Moscow Russia.

 

Banana is a major horticultural produce with Andhra Pradesh being the largest banana-producing state in India, followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. These five states collectively contribute around 67 percent to India's banana production in the fiscal year 2022-23.

 

Despite being the largest global producer of bananas, India’s exports do not reflect this quantitative evaluation. India’s export share in the global market is only 1% even though the country accounts for 26.45 percent of the world's banana production (35.36 Million Metric Ton). In the fiscal year 2022-23, India exported bananas worth USD 176 million, equivalent to 0.36 MMT. 

 

Within the next five years, Banana exports from India are expected to achieve the target of 1 billion USD. This achievement will ensure an increase in farmers’ income and improve the livelihood of more than 25,000 farmers, and is estimated to generate employment for more than 50,000 aggregators directly or indirectly linked to the supply chain.  

 

The increase in the export of agricultural and processed food products is a result of various initiatives undertaken by APEDA to promote agricultural and processed food product exports, such as organizing B2B exhibitions in different countries, exploring new potential markets through product-specific and general marketing campaigns with the active involvement of Indian Embassies with special focus on natural, organic, and Geographical Indication (GI) tagged agro-products.

 

APEDA is making continuous efforts to promote exports of fresh fruits and vegetables. Continuous efforts in promoting exports of fresh fruits and vegetables especially to long-distance destinations, despite their perishable quality, by the development of sea protocols to retain their attributes is a key goal for APEDA moving forward. 

From its modest beginnings with annual exports of USD 0.6 billion in exports during 1987-88, proactive interventions by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) have taken agricultural exports to a remarkable figure of USD 26.7 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23. This journey of exponential growth is underscored by expanding the export basket to over 200 countries, showcasing a commendable Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12%.

 

In the fiscal period 2022-23, India's agricultural exports reached USD 53.1 billion, with APEDA contributing a significant 51% of India’s Agri-exports. In the period April-December, 2023, among the 23 Principal Commodities (PCs) in APEDA's export basket, 18 exhibited positive growth. Notably, 13 out of 15 large PCs, with exports exceeding USD 100 million in the previous year, experienced positive growth, with an average growth rate of 12%. Fresh fruits emerged as a standout performer, registering a remarkable growth of 29%. Moreover, the export of processed vegetables surged by 24% in the period followed by Miscellaneous processed items, Basmati Rice, and Fresh Vegetables also saw substantial growth compared to the corresponding period last year. Notably, India has significantly expanded its fresh fruits export footprint, now serving 111 countries compared to 102 destinations in the previous year.

 

On its 38th Foundation Day on 13.02.2024, APEDA commemorated a remarkable journey of fostering agricultural exports, culminating in significant milestones and unprecedented growth. Founded in 1986 with the mission to promote the export of agricultural products, APEDA has evolved into a pivotal force in catapulting India's agricultural exports to new heights.

 

During April-November 2023, several key commodities witnessed substantial growth compared to the previous year, like, Bananas: 63%, Lentils (dried and shelled): 110%, Fresh eggs: 160% and Kesar and Dasheri Mango: 120% and 140%, respectively.

 

During the period from April to December 2023, the export value of Basmati rice surged by 19%, reaching USD 3.97 billion compared to USD 3.33 billion in the previous year. Simultaneously, the quantity of exports witnessed a notable growth of 11%, increasing from 31.98 lakh metric tons to 35.43 lakh metric tons within the same timeframe. Basmati rice found its way to the top markets, with Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the USA, and the UAE emerging as the top five destinations for these exports. This robust performance underscores the enduring popularity and global demand for Basmati rice, further solidifying its position as a major agricultural product in India's export portfolio.

As India imports over 3 million tonnes (mt) of pulses annually even as production has jumped substantially, the Government sees the gap between demand and supply continuing. This is even as there is a further jump in production since the requirement of protein-based food will be rising with the economic growth targetted to reach $5 trillion in next few years.

 

Addressing the second day of Pulses 24, a three-day global event organised by the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) in cooperation with cooperative major Nafed in New Delhi, Director-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi said in 2016-17 India had produced only 17 million tonnes (mt) of pulses, but it has surged to 25-26 mt now.

 

But, despite this substantial growth in pulses production, India has not been able to meet the gap between demand and supply, he said. He said the Prime Minister has set an ambition of reaching $5 trillion economy in the next couple of years from current $3.7 trillion.

 

Not far off

'Given the growth projection that we have had from IMF and our own Reserve Bank of India, it seems that a $5-trillion economy is not very far off. We should be able to do that,' Sarangi said. He said as and when India becomes the third largest economy, it will be a more prosperous country, an economy where people will have more purchasing power and this automatically means more demand for protein-based food.

 

'So in this context, India’s demand for wheat and wheat-products, plant-based protein, milk and dairy products, is going to exponentially increase,' Sarangi explained.

 

He also said that inspite of this growth in production, the rising purchasing power as well as the dietary habits of Indians, is making it imperative to meet the gap between demand and supply through higher imports.

 

The top official in foreign trade also said India has taken a series of steps to ensure that the protection of farmers’ interests are also calibrated and aligned with consumer interests of getting pulses at affordable rates.

 

Assurance to growers

'If you look at our pulses import, we have been importing in the range of 2.5 mt to 3 mt of pulses every year in the last couple of years. In the current year, we have already exceeded 3 mt of import. So this indicates that the pulses growing region in the world, whether it is African countries, Brazil Australia, Canada or Russia, all of them have a well defined destination in India as far as pulses are concerned,' he said.

 

So in this context, for those who are growing pulses, India has used its EXIM policy in a way, which gives an assurance to different pulses growing regions of the world about the policy certainty in India, he said. Sarangi also highlighted MoUs with three African countries, assuring them of a certain off take even if there are import restrictions in India. Besides, the government has extended the free import policy regime till March 31, 2025. 'This should give a fair deal of certainty to the growing regions to grow pulses and meet the demand in India,' he said.

The 6th round of India -Peru negotiations for a Trade Agreement was held from February 12 to 14, 2024, in Lima, Peru, to continue the work that started in 2017 when the negotiation process was formally announced.

 

The round started with an opening ceremony with the participation of the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade of Peru, Ms. Teresa Mera; the Ambassador of India in Peru, Mr. Vishvas Sapkal; the Chief Negotiator of India, Mr. Vipul Bansal; the Chief Negotiator of Peru, Mr. Gerardo Meza; and the delegations of both countries.

 

During the ceremony, the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade of Peru and the Chief Negotiator of India gave brief introductory remarks reaffirming their commitment to continue working with efficiency, as India and Peru did before the pandemic with five successful rounds until August 2019. The negotiations resumed with the Special Virtual Round in October, 2023.

 

In this sense, both speakers emphasized the importance of taking forward the negotiation process with pragmatism, in order to find creative solutions and to reach consensus that allows to achieve this common objective in the short term. The Trade Agreement will create more trade opportunities for their citizens and enterprises, and also strengthen their economic and commercial ties.

 

In this round, nine working groups held in-person meetings: Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Movement of Natural Persons, Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation, Dispute Settlement, Initial Provisions and General Definitions, Final Provisions and Legal and Institutional Issues.

 

These meetings involved the participation of more than 70 delegates from both countries together, including their respective negotiating teams. From the Peruvian side, the delegation was led by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, with the participation of government officials from other entities such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Production, Customs Administration, among others. From the Indian side, the delegation comprised government officials and legal representatives from the Department of Commerce, Department of Revenue and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

 

Additionally, during this week and the following, other working groups such as, Technical Barriers to Trade, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Trade Remedies and Cooperation will continue to hold virtual meetings. The next round is expected to be held in April 2024. The date will be set in the following days.

 

In the last two decades, the trade between India and Peru has increased significantly, from US$ 66 million in 2003 to around US$ 3.68 billion in 2023.

To tap into the export potential of agricultural and processed food products from Eastern Uttar Pradesh, also known as Purvanchal, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized the 'Agri-Export: Capacity Building cum Buyer-Seller Meet' in Mirzapur yesterday. The event was graced by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Smt. Anupriya Patel, as the Chief Guest. A host of other dignitaries led by Sh. Ram Shakal, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), senior Government officials, representatives from exporter associations, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), stakeholders and public representatives of the area graced the event. The event drew a very enthusiastic response from farmers with over 1500+ farmers attending the event.

 

In her keynote address, Smt. Anupriya Patel stressed the significance of increasing agricultural exports, highlighting their potential in not only contributing to the nation’s foreign exchange but also significantly raising incomes of the farmers, being the largest sector in terms of employment. She reiterated the commitment of the Government of India in raising farmers' income and well-being, citing various schemes of the Government of India and underscored the resolve of the Department of Commerce to facilitate their access to global markets. She also underscored the government's focus on infrastructure development across diverse agricultural sectors such as horticulture, spices, and marine products. She highlighted one such upcoming significant project, the 'Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Niryat Suvidha Kendra' coming up in Chunar, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, which, when completed in the near term, will significantly boost agricultural exports from the region, making Poorvanchal an agri export Hub of the nation.

 

Chairman, APEDA, Shri Abhishek Dev expressed the government's commitment to enhancing export opportunities for FPOs and farmers by focusing on market linkages and augmenting export infrastructure. He informed that APEDA, which celebrated its 38th Foundation day on 13th February, 2024 is fully committed towards boosting incomes of all stakeholders in the agri export value chain, particularly the farmers, by providing them the requisite training and exposure to emerging market opportunities. He reiterated that APEDA will continue to organise such events in the near future, for the benefit of all the stakeholders.

 

The 'Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Niryat Suvidha Kendra' marks a significant milestone in advancing agricultural and allied sector exports. This newly developing infrastructure is envisioned to serve as a comprehensive single-window system catering to the needs of FPOs, farmers, exporters, and other stakeholders. The project spread in an area of 5 Acres in the Chunar sub-division of Mirzapur district boasts a modern packhouse with all the requisite facilities. Further, the project also boasts a training facility which will benefit all the farmers and FPO’s/FPC’s of the region. Finally, the project will also have offices of major export-oriented government bodies namely, MPEDA, Spices Board, IIP, EIC which will serve the agri-export ecosystem of the region.

 

With APEDA's intervention, the Purvanchal region now boasts crucial export facilities like cold rooms at Varanasi Airport, quarantine and custom clearance services, and the activation of the airport for agri air cargo, all of which were previously lacking in 2019. The Varanasi Airport's handling of 702 MT of perishable cargo until December 23, surpassing last year's figure of 561 MT, truly reflects a notable advancement in the region's agri-export capabilities. APEDA also facilitated in inviting leading buyers from across India, organizing Buyer Seller Meets with FPOs and farmers to directly connect them with international markets.

 

It may be emphasized that APEDA's initiatives have propelled Uttar Pradesh to become the third-largest exporting state in the financial year 2023-24 (April 23 to Nov 23), trailing only Gujarat and Maharashtra. APEDA's successful tapping of the Gangetic belt's potential has empowered FPOs and exporters to bolster agri-exports from the region. Approximately 50 FPOs have been promoted as exporters for agri exports, with over 20 actively engaged in both direct and deemed exports.

 

A diverse range of agricultural products, including fresh fruits and vegetables such as Green Chilies, Mangoes, Tomatoes, Okra, Potato, Water Chestnut, Cranberry, Banana, Jimikand, Ivy Gourd, Bottle Gourd, Pointed Gourd, Arvi, Ginger, fresh marigold, and rice, have been exported, underscoring the region's capacity to meet global demand.