Now Reading: Centre to launch awareness drive for farmers on FTA export opportunities
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Centre to launch awareness drive for farmers on FTA export opportunities
Centre to launch awareness drive for farmers on FTA export opportunities
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the government will launch an awareness campaign to help farmers use Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) India has signed. Speaking after a two-day national…
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the government will launch an awareness campaign to help farmers use Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) India has signed. Speaking after a two-day national conference in Delhi, Chouhan noted that several international markets are open to Indian produce at zero import duty, but farmers need to know which products are in demand and what quality standards apply.
The campaign will cover global market opportunities, products covered under FTAs, export-quality requirements, and crops suitable for overseas markets. The Centre will also brief states on the potential benefits of these agreements. Since 2014, the Modi government has signed nine FTAs, including one with New Zealand in April 2026.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The awareness campaign addresses a long-standing gap: Indian farmers have largely been unaware of FTA provisions that could open higher-paying export markets. Agricultural exports face not just tariff barriers but strict sanitary and phytosanitary standards, which many smallholders lack the resources to meet. The nine FTAs signed since 2014 include pacts with the EU, Australia, and the UAE, but actual utilisation by farmers has remained low. The Agriculture Ministry's move is the first systematic attempt to link domestic production choices with international demand. The next concrete milestone will be the number of farmers who register for the campaign in its first quarter. The success will be measured by export volumes of crops like bananas, mangoes, and pulses over the next two harvest cycles.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
