Context
India recently exported a consignment of value-added millet-based health foods to New Zealand by sea for the first time, with APEDA supporting the initiative to expand the global reach of Indian agri-food products.
About Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
- APEDA is a statutory body established under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act, 1985 to promote the export of scheduled agricultural and processed food products.
- It functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and is headed by a Chairman appointed by the Central Government.
- Headquarters: New Delhi.
- The authority has 15 regional offices across the country to support export promotion activities.
Key Functions
- Prescribes standards and specifications for scheduled products.
- Registers exporters of scheduled products and facilitates compliance with export requirements.
- Conducts inspection and quality assurance of products intended for export.
- Provides financial assistance, market intelligence, and advisory support to exporters.
- Promotes the development of export-related industries through surveys, feasibility studies, and other developmental initiatives.
- Organises training and capacity-building programmes for stakeholders in the agri-export sector.
- Serves as the Secretariat of the National Accreditation Board (NAB) under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) and oversees the accreditation of certification bodies for organic exports.
