India approves "agriculture export policy" to double farmers' income

The Indian government on Thursday approved the "Agriculture Export Policy" which would integrate the exports of agricultural products and farmers' income, in order to double farmers' income in the next three years.

The approval was given at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

The Cabinet also approved the proposal for establishment of "monitoring framework" to oversee the implementation of the policy.

The "Agriculture Export Policy" aims at "harnessing export potential of Indian agriculture, through suitable policy instruments, to make India global power in agriculture and raise farmers' income."

Its main objective is to double agricultural exports from the present 30 billion US dollars to 60 billion US dollars by 2022 and reach 100 billion US dollars in the next few years thereafter, with a stable trade policy regime.

It also aims to diversify India's export basket, destinations and boost high value and value added agricultural exports including focus on perishables, to promote novel, indigenous, organic, ethnic, traditional and non-traditional agri-products exports, to provide an institutional mechanism for pursuing market access, tackling barriers and deal with sanitary and phytosanitary issues.

Editor: Wang Huan