00 Initiative to empower farmers and producer organizations and promote agricultural exports of Chhattisgarh
Raipur. In a significant step towards establishing Chhattisgarh as a major hub for export of agricultural and processed food products, the regional office of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was inaugurated in Raipur. This inauguration took place during the 2nd India International Rice Summit held in Chhattisgarh. The program was attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister and Medical Education Minister of Chhattisgarh Government, Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal and other dignitaries.

Chhattisgarh, endowed with a rich and diverse agro-ecosystem, has vast export potential for a number of products. These include high-quality non-basmati rice varieties and Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products such as Jeera Phool rice and Nagri Dubaraaj rice. Furthermore, the state produces a variety of fruits and vegetables, including guava, banana, dragon fruit, jackfruit, custard apple, tomato, and cucumber, as well as important minor forest produce such as mahua, tamarind, medicinal, and herbal plants, which offer strong opportunities to expand the state's presence in global markets

The establishment of APEDA's regional office in Raipur is a significant milestone for Chhattisgarh's agricultural economy. This office will provide farmers, producer groups, cooperatives, and exporters with services such as export registration, consulting services, market intelligence, certification assistance, export facilitation, infrastructure development, and market linkages. Recently, the Raipur-based APEDA regional office successfully facilitated the export of fortified rice kernels from Chhattisgarh to Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai stated that the inauguration of the APEDA Regional Office in Raipur is a mission to connect Chhattisgarh's farmers with the global economy. He highlighted the immense potential for the state's farmers, exporters, and entrepreneurs in global agricultural markets and expressed confidence that Chhattisgarh will emerge as a leading state in high-value and sustainable agricultural exports. He thanked Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal for approving the establishment of the APEDA office in Chhattisgarh at the state government's request and assured APEDA and the Commerce Department of full support in expanding the export of agricultural and organic products from the state.
The inauguration of the APEDA Regional Office took place during the second edition of the India International Rice Summit, organized by the Chhattisgarh Rice Exporters Association in collaboration with APEDA and other organizations. The two-day "Chintan Shivir" on rice exports also concluded on the same occasion, with sessions focusing on measures to promote the export of organic rice and non-basmati rice, especially GI-tagged rice varieties.