There is an immense opportunity in exporting value-added products like mangoes, potatoes, pomegranates and shiitake mushrooms etc. provided farmers, FPOs and business organisations work together to establish a robust supply chain, become globally competitive and their produce meets the world’s stringent food safety and agriculture standards.
We must focus on a few targeted export markets and Japan in specific. It is a potential market for export of fruits & vegetables. We can export onions & bananas which have been excluded from the quarantine process and carrots too. But we must meet Japan’s stringent food & agriculture produce standards and import laws. FPOs and farmers have an opportunity and must work together to make India a leading exporter for Japan.
Indian aquaculture business needs to focus on more value additions to their farmed produce and value-added RTC & RTE products. India needs more skilled workmen in this sector to improve value realisation. Coastal states must come out supportive brackish water land lease policies to bring in more brackish water land under aquaculture farming. The marine fishery industry can increase value realisation up to 6X if fishermen and industry can come together to invest in modern vessels and if the government can upgrade the major landing harbour facilities to improve the quality of the same catch so that we can produce high-grade frozen fillet and sashimi-grade products and create more value than we do today.
Educating farmers about Food Safety standards and putting in place IT-base end to end traceability solutions for sustainable growth in export is one of the critical factors. India has done it for grapes exports. Can it be done for all other high potential horticulture and agriculture produce? Yes, but if all the stakeholders come together and put in place practices and processes of world standards in a mission mode to grab the opportunity.