In order to harness agricultural and processed food products exports potential from the eastern Uttar Pradesh also referred as Purvanchal, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organised ‘Agri-Export Conference cum Buyer-Seller Meet’ at Mirzapur, where Union Minister of State of Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel and over 700 farmers and exporters attended the conference.
Addressing the Conference on Saturday, the minister said that the increase in agricultural and processed food products exports from Purvanchal would not only boost India’s foreign exchange earnings, it would also help in doubling farmers’ income as well as boost employment opportunities in the region.
Patel said that the country had set a US$400 billion target for merchandise exports for 2021-22 and US$262 billion of exports has already been achieved during April-November 2021-22 period. She said that a record export target of US$43 billion had been set for agricultural products in 2021-22 and because of efforts by APEDA and farmers, this target would be achieved in the current fiscal.
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Dr M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA spoke about the initiatives taken by APEDA for boosting exports from Purvanchal region. During the conference cum buyer-seller meet, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the leading exporters’ associations and FPOs of the Purvanchal region for increasing agricultural products exports. Export consignments of non-basmati rice to China and green chillies to the United Arab Emirates were flagged off by Anupriya Patel and Dr Angamuthu.
Senior officials from Uttar Pradesh government, Mirzapur district administration, APEDA, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research and representatives of exporter associations, farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and other stakeholders attended the meeting.
Farmers mostly from the Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Ghazipur and Chandauli districts attended the conference.
