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APEDA to display India’s strength as organic food hub at Biofach India
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Saturday, 20 October, 2018, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, will be showcasing India’s strength as major hub for organic food products, ingredients, commodities and processed food and setting up a pavilion with an organic theme at Biofach India 2018, India’s leading trade fair for organic food, which is slated to be held in Hall number 7, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, between October 25 and 27, 2018.
Biofach India 2018, the largest event dedicated to the organic agriculture and organic food sectors in India, will witness the presence of the entire organic agriculture and food fraternity from across the country. It will be co-organised by NurnbergMesse India.
Over 500 delegates, comprising exporters, processors, the retail chain industry, certification bodies and producers from India and overseas, will be participating in Biofach 2018, the trade fair and exhibition to discuss and get a first-hand feel of Indian organic products, including tea, spices, honey, basmati rice, coffee, cereals, dry fruits, vegetables, processed foods and medicinal plants.
The organic-themed pavilion will be one of the major highlights of Biofach 2018. It will feature a direct display of items and provide direct business opportunities to Indian organic food product producers with visiting international buyers through business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) meets. APEDA is inviting and sponsoring over 50 buyers from important importing countries for direct market linkages of producers with international trade.
The entire organic agriculture fraternity, comprising organic products exporters, retailers, traders, processors, ICS management bodies, certification bodies and certified organic farmer groups, will be present at the three-day event, showcasing a wide variety of organic products being produced under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) under APEDA.
The demand for organic agri products produced is on constant increase worldwide as organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
As on March 31, 2018, the total area under organic certification process (registered under NPOP)was 3.56 million hectare (2017-18). This includes 1.78 million hectare (50 per cent) cultivable area and another 1.78 million hectare (50 per cent) for wild harvest collection.
Among all the states, Madhya Pradesh has covered largest area under organic certification, followed by Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. During 2016, Sikkim had achieved a remarkable distinction of converting its entire cultivable land (over 76,000ha) under organic certification.
India produced around 1.70 million MT (2017-18) of certified organic products. which includes all varieties of food products, namely oilseeds, sugarcane, cereals and millets, cotton, pulses, medicinal plants, tea, fruits, spices, dry fruits, vegetables, coffee, etc. The production is not limited to the edible sector, but also produces organic cotton fibre and functional food products.
Among different states, Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer, followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. In terms of commodities, oilseeds are the single largest category, followed by sugar crops, cereals and millets, fibre crops, pulses, medicinal, herbal and aromatic plants and spices and condiments.
The total volume of export during 2017-18 was 4.58 lakh MT. The organic food export realization was around Rs 3,453.48 crore ($515.44 million). Organic products are exported to the United States, the European Union (EU), Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Israel, South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand and Japan.
India exported organic products worth Rs 34 billion (over $515 million) in 2017-18, from Rs 24.77 billion in 2016-17.
The major demands under the organic product category are for flax seeds, sesame and soybean; pulses such as arhar (red gram) and chana (pigeon pea), and rice, along with tea and medicinal plants. The United States and EU member countries were the biggest buyers of organic products from India.
There is a growing demand from Canada, Taiwan and South Korea in recent years, Germany is one of the biggest importers of Indian organic products. Now, many new countries are also taking interest.
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