Prayagraj: Under state govt’s Agriculture Export Policy-2019, the Prayagraj division exported more than 29,792 metric tonnes of agricultural products over the past three years, generating foreign exchange earnings exceeding Rs 123 crore.Rice accounted for the largest share of exports from the division during this period, said assistant agriculture marketing officer (Prayagraj Division) Dinesh Chandra.“State govt has strengthened coordination between farmers and exporters while encouraging farmers through training on export procedures and subsidies at various stages. These efforts are yielding positive results,” he said.Giving a break-up, Chandra said 27,925.7 metric tonnes of rice were exported from Pratapgarh to Nepal, generating business worth Rs 112.5 crore.Groundnut exports ranked second, with 1,025 metric tonnes shipped from Fatehpur to Bangladesh, generating business worth Rs 8.97 crore.In the processed food category, 93.25 metric tonnes of amla (Indian gooseberry) were exported from Pratapgarh to Canada, the UK and Dubai, generating business worth Rs 1.56 crore.Among vegetables, ladyfinger remained the leading export item, with 135.5 metric tonnes exported from the Prayagraj division to the UAE. In the fruit category, 2.67 metric tonnes of mangoes were exported to Qatar. During the same period, 150 metric tonnes of Prayagraj’s renowned Surkha and Safeda varieties of guava were exported to Oman.Chandra said under the policy, farmers, farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and agri-entrepreneurs are eligible for subsidies of up to 50%.The policy also provides incentives of up to Rs 6 lakh for developing agricultural export clusters spread across 50 to 100 hectares. Financial assistance of 40% of the project cost, subject to a maximum of Rs 15 lakh, is available for packaging, branding and quality improvement, while up to Rs 25 lakh is provided for developing export infrastructure.“The policy has changed the outlook of farmers towards exports,” Chandra said, adding that more than 5,000 farmers and FPOs in the division are now indirectly connected to global markets.At the state level, agricultural exports have also recorded significant growth.During 2022-23, Uttar Pradesh exported 154,243.5 metric tonnes of agricultural and horticultural products, generating a turnover of Rs 18,991.43 crore.In 2023-24, exports rose to 1,426,033.61 metric tonnes with a turnover of Rs 22,302.7 crore. Export volume further increased to 1,436,289.7 metric tonnes in 2024-25, generating a turnover of Rs 24,028 crore.By 2025-26, the state’s agricultural exports had climbed to 1,737,264.3 metric tonnes, with turnover reaching Rs 30,878.4 crore.
