Grapes And Bananas Have Highest Exporting Rate

Exports of fruits and vegetables from the Maharashtra state have seen good growth. Agricultural exports from the state increased by 22 per cent in the financial year 2021-22 compared to 2020-21, with grapes and bananas accounting for the highest share. Happily, Lady Finger has also started being exported from backward districts like Chandrapur, and Bhandara.

According to the information provided by the Agriculture and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA), grapes worth Rs 2285 crore have been exported from the state in the financial year 2021-22.

Maharashtra accounts for 98 percent of the country’s total grape exports, and grapes have been exported from Nashik, Sangli, Solapur, Pune, Ahmednagar, Satara, Latur and Osmanabad districts. The export of peanuts has also gone up to around Rs 160 crores, with Sangli, Nashik and Solapur districts leading the way.

Banana exports are increasing rapidly followed by grapes. Around 2,73,381 tonnes of bananas worth Rs 923 crore have been exported from Jalgaon, Solapur, Nanded, Kolhapur and Sangli districts, mainly to Gulf and European countries.

There is also an upward trend in the export of mangoes. Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Thane, Pune, Satara, Aurangabad, Nashik and Osmanabad districts have exported 20,873 tonnes of mangoes worth Rs 283 crore. Below that, there is a good demand for pomegranate, orange and chickpea, and exports are also increasing.

“The combined efforts of APEDA, the state agriculture department and progressive farmers have increased the export of fruits and vegetables. Backward districts like Bhandara, and Chandrapur have started producing quality vegetables. Efforts are being made to increase exports from all the districts of the state by maintaining this growing period of export of agricultural products. Farmers are also responding as they are getting good money,” said Govind Hande, Export Adviser of the Agriculture Department.

A pleasant picture has been seen in the year 2021-22 that the export of vegetables has started from the districts of Nandurbar, Palghar, Chandrapur, and Bhandara, which are known as backward compared to western Maharashtra.

Lady Finger worth Rs 9 crore has been exported, along with Pune, Satara district, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Thane, Palghar and Nandurbar districts have started exporting. 41022 tonnes of green chilli worth Rs 274 crores have been exported, mainly from Solapur, Satara, and Thane districts along with Nandurbar, Bhandara, Beed, Nagpur, and Amravati. Exports of onion, tomato, sweet corn and processed vegetables have also increased.