India widens export basket

The Commerce Ministry facilitated shipments of various agricultural and processed-food items in July that found buyers in new overseas markets, underlining the country's widening export palette, an official said.

Goods such as Amrapali mangoes, premium Areko cherries, frozen French fries, ginger, pineapple, honey, GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric, Scentrose plums, Purabi ice cream, Neelam and Totapuri mangoes, and flavoured makhana were shipped to destinations including Singapore, Iraq, the UAE, Canada, Bhutan, and the Maldives.  

The development comes as exporters and government agencies step up efforts to diversify markets and move beyond traditional commodities, tapping rising demand for value-added and speciality food products abroad. According to the Commerce Ministry, Amrapali mangoes from Gumla and Deoghar in Jharkhand were shipped to Dubai, while Neelam and Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka were exported to the Maldives.  

Premium Areko cherries and Scentrose plums from Jammu and Kashmir were exported to the UAE and Singapore, and frozen French fries produced in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, went to Iraq.