Agricultural Exports of India with Special Reference to Non-Traditional Commodities: Future Prospects and Policy Issues

The advent of globalization, liberalization and privatisation in the wake of ushering in new economic policies has thrown up newer kind of challenges before the country that require some bold initiatives on the part of policy makers. The agricultural policy reforms have come upfront as a result of this economic liberalization in India and the new economic environment has led 10 significant changes in the export strategies encompassing the agricultural sector. Vertical integration of production and marketing agencies have brought about structural changes in the economy and in this pro-liberalization environment, the export of agricultural commodities without doubt have gained considerable strength due to their inherent export advantages. Nevertheless, under the changed economic scenario being witnessed during the early nineties. The relevant issues that could strike one are what prospects do the agricultural exports of India hold and what do the relative potential for exports of traditional agricultural commodities as against the non-traditional ones look like and what steps need to be initiated to realise such potentials. How better endowed India and other developing nations are to mutually cater to their vast expanding markets for agricultural commodities and to realise their true export potential in this respect. What prospects do the future hold in terms of export potential of various high value horticultural products in the fast changing international market conditions and in the light of agricultural trade liberalization pursued by various developed and deveoping nations.

In an attempt to address the above issues and as a prelude to have better understanding of the structural changes in agricultural exports, we have tried to analyse and evaluate the pattern of production and export trade of India in relation to changes that have taken place in the structure of production and export trade of Asia and the world over the past 15 years with special reference to non-traditional c.xports.