Processed food exports value up by 20% in 2008-09: Sahai.

Processed food exports rose by 20.3 per cent to over Rs 16 lakh in 2008-09, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

In volume terms, the exports, however, fell by 17 per cent 49,25,585 million tonnes in 2008-09, Minister for Food Processing Industries Subodh Kant Sahai told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Processed food exports were 59,27,906 million tonnes valued at over Rs 14 lakh (Rs 14,10,387) in 2007-08, he said. The minister, however, added that value-wise the exports saw a 57.3 per cent jump in 2008-09 to Rs 16,97,869 from Rs 10,79,289 in 2006-07.

In terms of quantity also, the shipments from India saw a 51 per cent increase in 2008-09 over that in 2006-07. India had exported over 32,56,518 million tonnes of processed food in 2006-07.

Sahai also accepted that processing levels in India are lower than the levels in other countries like China, America, Japan and England.

Processing levels of fruits and vegetables in the country are estimated at 2.2 per cent, compared to many European countries, where it is more than 60 per cent.

Source : business-standard.com