New Delhi: During the launch of the '8th edition of the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP)' organized by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Thursday, Indian Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal announced that the current export value of organic products is approximately Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000 crore, with projections indicating growth to Rs 20,000 crore within the next three years.
Goyal emphasized that India has the capacity to triple its organic produce exports to Rs 20,000 crore as an increasing number of farmers transition to organic farming practices.
He urged Indian farmers to gradually shift towards organic farming to boost domestic production and seize opportunities in the international market.
The Minister also pointed out that the Ministry of Cooperation, the Agriculture Ministry, and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry are collaborating to promote organic farming by providing support to farmers and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) through skill development, training, export facilitation, marketing, and packaging initiatives.
Goyal noted that the global demand for organic products is around Rs 1 lakh crore, and with enhanced promotion and production efforts, this demand could escalate to Rs 10 lakh crore. He highlighted that India has the highest number of organic farmers in the world and ranks second in terms of land area dedicated to organic cultivation. With further initiatives, he expressed confidence that India could emerge as a global leader in organic farming, significantly increasing farmers' incomes and promoting Indian organic products internationally.
Additionally, the Minister introduced a dedicated NPOP Portal aimed at improving visibility and operational efficiency for stakeholders in the organic sector. He also launched TraceNet 2.0, an upgraded traceability platform for NPOP, designed to streamline processes and enhance regulatory oversight tools.
During the event, the Minister presented the first five registration certificates generated on TraceNet 2.0 to organic operators.
Furthermore, the newly redesigned APEDA portal was introduced, featuring an improved user experience and valuable information tailored for stakeholders in agriculture and processed foods. The launch of the revamped Agri Exchange portal was also announced, which aims to offer a more accessible platform for data analysis and report generation related to agricultural exports, available to the public.
Attendees included Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry; Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Cooperation; Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Cooperation; Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperation; and Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary of the Department of Commerce & Chairman of the National Accreditation Body (NAB) under NPOP.
