STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Agricultural and allied products from Assam worth Rs 1,799.32 crore were exported to 88 countries during 2021-22.
Overall, the Northeastern states exported agricultural and allied products worth around Rs 1,813.73 crore, which means that Assam contributed the lion's share of such exports. The agricultural and allied products exported from these states include tea, cereal preparations, dairy products, rice (other than basmati), Ayush and herbal products, sesame seeds, spices, miscellaneous processed items, marine products and oil meals.
According to sources in the state Agriculture Department, major importers of agricultural and allied products from Assam during 2021-2022 included the United Arab Emirates (goods worth Rs 301.05 crore), Russia (Rs 265.13 crore), UK (Rs 186.97 crore), Iran (Rs 165.54 crore), Iraq (Rs 121.72 crore) Germany (Rs 90 crore), USA (Rs 61.65 crore), China (Rs 58.90 crore), Kazakhstan (Rs 42.13 crore), Burkina Faso (Rs 32.91 crore), the Netherlands (Rs 31.66 crore), Ireland (Rs 30.84 crore), Japan (also Rs 30.84 crore), Sri Lanka (Rs 24.26 crore), Saudi Arabia (Rs 23.32 crore) and Poland (Rs 22.79 crore).
On the other hand, neighbouring countries that imported agricultural and allied products from Assam included Bhutan (Rs 43.79 crore), Bangladesh (Rs 27.41 crore) and Nepal (Rs 6.87 crore).
A senior official of the state Agriculture Department said that exports of agricultural and allied products from Assam are set to witness an increase in the ongoing financial year, with the inclusion of new products.
The official said that Assam, along with other Northeastern states, has one of the richest reservoirs of genetic variability and diversity of different kinds of fruits, vegetables, spices, ornamental plants and also medicinal and aromatic plants. The region as a whole offers scope for cultivation of a wide variety of horticultural crops because of its diversities in topography, altitude and climatic conditions.
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