Home » Indian Exim Policy » Exim Policy 2001-2002 » Agricultural Export Zones

In a fast changing international trade environment and with a view to providing remunerative returns to the farming community in a sustained manner, efforts will be made to provide improved access to the produce/ products of the Agriculture and Allied sectors in the international market.

State Governments may identify product specific Agri export zone for end to end development for export of specific products from a geographically contiguous area. State Government may evolve a comprehensive package of services provided by all State Government Agencies, State Agricultural Universities and all institutions and agencies of the Union Government for intensive delivery in these zones.

Such services which would be managed and co-ordinated by State Government would include provision of pre/post harvest treatment and operations, plant protection, processing, packaging, storage and related research & development, etc. APEDA will supplement, within its schemes and provisions, efforts of State Governments for facilitating such exports.

Agriculture exporters shall be eligible for the facility of EPCG scheme as described in Chapter-6 of the Policy. The export obligation shall be determined in accordance with paragraph 6.2 of the Policy but the licence holder shall not be required to maintain the average level of exports as specified in sub paragraph 6.5(v) of the Policy.

Such exporter shall have the facility to move or to shift the capital goods within the zone provided he maintains accurate record of such movements. However such equipments shall not be sold or leased by the licence holder. This facility shall also be available to service providers, setting up common infrastructural facilities such as sorting, grading, polishing, packaging, cold storage, transport equipment/ refrigerated vans, vapour treatment heat treatment plant, X-ray screening facility etc.

The units setup in the notified Agri Export Zone shall be entitled to the benefits available under the scheme. A service provider in the Agri Export Zone may import equipment under the EPCG scheme for supplying services to agri exports. The export obligation may be offset by the service provider by earning foreign exchange in lieu of services rendered.

The agriculture exporter shall be entitled to the facility for import of inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, packing material etc. under Advance Licence/DFRC/DEPB scheme as given in Chapter-7 of the Policy subject to the eligibility criteria and conditions enumerated under the scheme.

The agri exporter shall be eligible for recognition as Export House/Trading House/Star Trading House/ Super Star Trading House on achieving the performance level as mentioned below

In addition to the double weightage available under paragraph 12.7, the double weightage on FOB or NFE on the export of agriculture product for recognition as status holders shall be available.

A database on agricultural products and markets including aspects of commercial intelligence relevant to exports will be established. Assistance shall be provided to the exporters, growers' organisations, trade association for conducting surveys/ feasibility studies, market studies etc.