Partnership can expand export of processed agro-products

It is a great pleasure that we are crossing the $1 billion mark in exports of agricultural and processed agro-products for the first time even though the journey was very difficult.

The sector-wise benefits we are getting will help us move forward gradually by further increasing the supply of our products in the market.

One of the plans of the government was to make exports more diversified so that we could export more diversified products.

We are very happy we are always doing well in different international markets. We have been able to deliver our products to different parts of the world. Now our job will be to increase the number and volume of exports of our products to these markets.

There are opportunities for product diversification in the agro-processing sector. Before, we used to export juice only. At present, we are trying to export spices, blended spices, raw chillies, dried chillies, turmeric. We are constantly trying to enter new markets with new products.

We export a lot of confectionery products. We will export tomato products such as tomato ketchup. We have sent goods worth $2,00,000 to Somalia, which we are trying to increase to $2 million.

The government wants more investment in the agro-processing sector and it has given enough incentives and cash holidays for it, which will result in reinvestment in our business. We will work to take our sector forward by utilising these benefits.

Businesses need collaboration to develop the sector...and the sector will certainly develop.

In the just-ended fiscal year, Pran Group alone exported products worth $341 million, but it is not much compared to the export from other countries.

There are many agro-processing companies in the world, and any one of them alone can earn the amount from exports that all the sectors in our country earn altogether.

The government wants to diversify products, which is possible, but exporters themselves have to be active to do this.