Countries in the West Asia region, which are a key market for agricultural products exports from India, contribute nearly one-fifth to the total agricultural exports of India, according to the Government.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, said the West Asia region, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and countries such as Iran, Iraq and Yemen, are key markets for Indian agricultural products.
Exports of agricultural products destined to these countries were $10.68 billion in 2024-25. This was nearly 20.5 per cent of India’s overall agri exports, he said.
Agricultural exports to the region are broad based and comprise all major product categories such as cereals, animal products, basmati rice, buffalo meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, spices and processed food products sourced from all across India.
The government has been closely monitoring the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, including its impact on India’s external trade, shipping routes and logistics chains. Exporters have reported disruptions in terms of increased freight rates, imposition of war-risk surcharges, container shortages, delays in shipment schedules, and congestion at ports, he said.
To another separate query, Prasada said the exports of processed food items to the European Union have grown by approximately 49.5 per cent during the period 2020-21 to 2024-25, while the exports of processed food products to West Asian countries have risen by approximately 18 per cent during the same period.
Seed productivity up
Replying to a question on improvements in productivity of pulses and oilseeds, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, said a total of 917 high-yielding climate resilient varieties have been notified during 2014 to 2025. This includes 444 varieties of oilseeds and 473 varieties of pulses.
“Out of these, 317 varieties of oilseeds (71 per cent) and 362 varieties of pulses (77 per cent) are in the seed chain and are being cultivated by farmers across the country,” he said.
Agri Infra Fund
In a written reply to a question on the implementation of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Ramnath Thakur, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said the Government has sanctioned ₹84502.78 crore for 1,70,241 projects across the country under AIF till March 11.
Stating that the disbursement of funds is in phases linked to project milestones as per guidelines of AIF, he said ₹62219.10 crore has been disbursed till March 11.
As per the impact assessment study conducted by Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, AIF has led to measurable improvements in post-harvest indicators such as reduction of post-harvest losses, creation of additional storage space, enhanced market access, improved value realisation for farmers, and strengthened agricultural supply chains across states and Union Territories, he said.