Maharashtra govt comes up with its own agri export policy to help boost farmers’ income

Maharashtra government has launched an agricultural export policy of its own. It will focus on promoting the exports of 21 agri commodities under this policy. According to Anup Kumar, Chief Secretary (Cooperation and Marketing) of the state, the state government has decided to promote exports because this may lead to an increase of 40-45 per cent in the farmers’ income. There is a limit to the price that farmers can get in the domestic market. Exports can fetch better prices.

In fact, the Central government had come up with the agricultural export policy in December 2018. The policy had asked the states to make separate policies of their own. It was in accordance with this guideline from the Centre that the Maharashtra government had formed a committee in May 2019 to draft its own policy.

Launching the agricultural export policy of the state, Anup Kumar said that the Central government should not create hurdles in the export chain. “It so happens that a change in the policy made by the Centre leads to buyers’ lack of confidence in us in the international market, which ultimately leads to farmers suffering a loss.” He said that the biggest complaint the overseas buyers had was regarding the abrupt changes made in the export policy.   

Onions are exported in large quantities from Maharashtra. But several policy changes keep on being made even in onion exports. From December 2010 to December 2020, the Central government kept on fixing the Minimum Export Price (MEP) again and again. MEP refers to the price below which onions are not allowed to be exported. In fact, the MEP was fixed on onions 34 times over these 10 years. Moreover, the export of onions was banned four times to curb prices in the domestic market.  

Besides onion, the commodities that have been included in the Maharashtra government’s export promotion policy are banana, pineapple, Alphonso mango, Kesar mango, orange, grapes, cashew, flowers, raisin, vegetables, non-Basmati rice, pulses, cereals, oilseeds, gur (jaggery), spices, milk products and fish. The infrastructure will be strengthened to promote their exports. Steps like appointing international-level advisers for post-harvest management will be taken.