Agri-products' exports surge by 38%

India's exports of agricultural and processed food products have jumped by 38 per cent to Rs 28,906 crore (Rs 289.06 billion) in 2007-08 fiscal mainly due to a significant jump in shipments of coarse cereals, according to a latest official data.

The country's agricultural products export was Rs 20,986 crore (Rs 209.86 billion) last year, according to an official of government's agri-trade promotion body Apeda.

There has been a major rise in exports of coarse cereals like maize, jowar and barley.

The exports of cereals, excluding rice and wheat, have gone up by five-fold to about Rs 2,979 crore (Rs 29.79 billion) in 2007-08 fiscal compared to Rs 599 crore (Rs 5,99 billion) in April-March period of 2006-07.

The Apeda official said that the surge in exports in value terms is significant for India as rupee appreciated last year. The exports in Indian currency has been calculated taking dollar value at Rs 40.46 for 2007-08 and Rs 45.23 for 2006-07.

Non-Basmati rice exports have surged to Rs 7,396 crore (Rs 73.96 billion) from Rs 4,243 crore (Rs 42.43 billion). In quantity wise, shipments rose to 53.14 lakh tons from 37.02 lakh tons in 2006-07 fiscal.

In the basmati category, exports have jumped to Rs 4,334 crore (Rs 43.34 billion) from Rs 2,792 crore (Rs 27.92 billion).

In terms of volume, exports rose to 11.81 lakh tons from 10.45 lakh tons in the review period.

Basmati exporters have realised a higher value of Rs 37,000 a tonne in 2007-08 fiscal compared to Rs 27,000 per tonne in the previous fiscal.

In livestock products category, India's exports rose to Rs 5,062 crore (Rs 50.62 billion) from Rs 4,124 crore (Rs 41.24 billion) because of higher exports in dairy products, whose shipments went up to Rs 921 crore (Rs 9.21 billion) from Rs 497 crore (Rs 4.97 billion) in the year-ago period.