India's agri-exports surge in Q1 FY26, rice exports lead

New Delhi: India’s exports of agricultural and processed foods got off to a great start in FY26, growing 7 per cent year-on-year to $5.96 billion in the April–June quarter (Q1 FY26).

The centre-piece of India’s agricultural exports is still rice. The shipments of both non-basmati and basmati rice increased by 3.5 per cent to $2.9 billion in Q1.

This comes after rice exports in FY25 reached a record $12.47 billion, a 20 per cent increase over the previous fiscal year, as per official data.

For more than 10 years, India has maintained its position as the world’s largest rice exporter, accounting for 40 per cent of the global rice trade, as per industry data.

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The surge follows the government’s decision to remove export controls, including the minimum export price, in late 2024 in response to abundant stock and record harvests, the reports highlighted.

In Q1, buffalo meat, dairy, and poultry exports grew by a strong 17 per cent to $1.18 billion.

According to reports, India has established itself as the world’s second-largest exporter of buffalo meat, with important markets in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt, and Iraq.

Through certified integrated meat plants, which are routinely inspected by importing countries to guarantee adherence to international standards, APEDA coordinates these exports.

In the meantime, exports of fruits and vegetables increased by 13 per cent to $0.95 billion, indicating a rise in the demand for Indian produce worldwide.

Meanwhile, products under the APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) umbrella contributed significantly to the export surge, the report stated.

In FY25, APEDA-coordinated exports reached $25.14 billion, up 12 per cent from FY24. These products now account for 51 per cent of India’s total agricultural exports, with the remainder comprising marine products, tobacco, coffee, and tea.

Recently, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that the agriculture sector has made tremendous progress with favourable policies, fiscal incentives, low tariff barriers and access to new markets through free trade agreements (FTAs) with developed countries including Australia, United Arab Emirates, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and the UK.

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