Agricultural Products Industry in India: Globally, India holds the top position in several segments of the food industry:
• India is the largest producer of milk in the world.
• It is the largest producer of mangoes in the world.
• India is the largest producer of basmati rice and the second largest producer of non-basmati rice.
• It occupies the second position in fruit and vegetable production.
• It is the world’s third largest producer of fish.
In 2007, agricultural products were growing at a rate of 7.3 percent over the previous year. Fruits, vegetables and roots accounted for 52 percent of the agricultural market. Furthermore, total agriculture and processed food products exports posted a growth of 62 percent over the previous year. Exports of agricultural products from India are expected to reach $ 22 billion in the next five years and account for 5 percent of the world’s agriculture exports.
Some of Indian agricultural products that play important roles in India’s exports are:
- Cashew, from south India
- Coffee, from south India
- Cotton, from western India and other parts. India is the largest exporter of cotton in the world
- Leather
- Psyllium – used for digestive health in products such as Metamucil
- Spices
- Tea grown in Assam, West Bengal (“Darjeeling”), Nilgiri Hills (Kerala)
- Tobacco
