India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is aiming to promote its honey exports to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
As per an APEDA briefing today, “India’s natural honey exports are majorly dependent on the market of the United States with more than 80 per cent of exports.”
The Chairman of APEDA M Angamuthu said, “We are working in close collaboration with state governments, farmers and other stakeholders in the value chain to boost exports to other countries and regions.”
He noted that India is also renegotiating the duty structures imposed by various countries for boosting honey exports.
India exported 59,999 metric tons of natural honey worth Indian rupees 716 crores (about $96.77 million) during the fiscal year 2020-21 in which the US took 44,881 metric tons.
The markets of Indian honey where APEDA is planning to boost its export includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and Canada.
India started its honey exports only in the fiscal year 1996-97, and is the world’s eighth-largest honey producer and ranks ninth among the honey exporting countries globally.
The Indian Government launched a National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) in February last year, and allocated Indian rupees 500 crores (about $67.5 million) to it until 2023.