Regular Update
ATM News Network : Compared to other places in Maharashtra, Nashik district exports the most agricultural produce. Rajaram Sangle, an agricultural exporter and director of Sangle Agro Processing Private Limited Company, believes that if the state government makes efforts to increase infrastructure and other ancillary facilities, many opportunities will be available in the export sector. The Agri Trade Media (ATM) News Network spoke to him about the current status of agricultural exports, challenges and opportunities in the sector. He explained his views on various issues related to the export of agricultural products.
Speaking on the issues of agricultural exports, Rajaram Sangle feels that the Nashik district has a lot of opportunities in the field of exports. But lack of infrastructure, unskilled man force, and lack of awareness among them are the challenges on which the government and various organisations need to work. Government should have an important role in it.
Need better infrastructure
Gujarat has several clusters related to agribusiness. Cluster work is also going on in Nashik by the state government. But it is not properly implemented. Infrastructure is essential for exports. The existing infrastructure is lacking. If Nashik really wants to leap forward in the export sector, there is a need to build more and better infrastructure in Nashik. Only if the government pays attention to this, positive reforms can take place.
New varieties should be introduced
While improving the infrastructure, it is also necessary to work on new varieties of fruits. The new variety will be beneficial to increasing agricultural exports. Taking the example of grapes, the grape varieties we have available are out of date. So it is necessary to introduce new varieties. Only a handful of growers had introduced new varieties, but could not get the success they expected. If new varieties come, they will produce better.
The cost of production will decrease. If the cost of production comes down, it will also contribute to the growth of exports. Government should intervene in it. The same can be done in the case of the production of other fruits. Pomegranate production is decreasing due to diseases. No medicine has been researched on these diseases yet. So it is hampering the cultivation. As a result, Nashik district has lagged in pomegranate export. Earlier, Nashik was number one in pomegranate exports.
Disease control
The production of many fruits and vegetables has decreased in the district. Due to this, farmers are in an economic crisis and it is directly affecting agribusinesses. Pomegranate production has now shifted to Rajasthan and South India. We need to bring another crop on it. Or it is necessary to research how to increase the production of pomegranate again. Cure for such diseases is found only by research institutes. Only they can take the right path. The research going on at the Agricultural Universities is not coming out that much or fast. But the farmers have nothing.
Big blow by Covid-19
The export sector has been hit the hardest by the outbreak of Covid-19. Domestic and international airports were closed and all the logistics were stuck. It has hit the agricultural and other exporters badly. Recovering from this, the exporters are now working vigorously again. But it will take another two years to see positive results. Farmers have been hit hard in two consecutive years. It will take time to rebuild them. Hence lack of diversity in fruit crops is the biggest disadvantage. It takes four-five years to bring a new variety, plant it, and get a good yield from it. Someone needs to take the lead.
Consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war
The Russia-Ukraine war has had a major impact on the world's export sector. We too have suffered a great loss. Compared to last year's exports, this year's exports have dropped by half. Even if the exported goods reach abroad, the payments are stuck. If the government takes the initiative to get the incentive funds from the government on time, if it is less, it should be increased, provide various facilities including infrastructure, protect the products, then the export can increase. Fertilizer rates have increased significantly. Farmers cannot afford it due to the increased prices of fertilizers. If the farmers suffer a loss, they do not grow the crop. It affects production.
Working on new products
Currently, we are working on a new product. We try to offer something different from the current product. We used to export pomegranates, but due to lack of production, the export of pomegranates has stopped. So we are focusing on the second product. We are currently working on products like oranges, mosambi and other fruits. We are also trying to produce different vegetables. There are many opportunities in this field. Only if intelligent people come into this sector, the industry will grow. There are great opportunities for youth to work in this. The youth must enter this industry with new ideas.
