Mod 4: Agricultural Trade — Exports, Imports and Export Promotion

📖 Chapter 4A 🧩 Module 4 of 7 📚 3 topics ⏱️ ~12 min read 💡 19 MCQs

Topic 1 · What India exports — rice, marine products, spices and more Part 1 of 2

Ch 4A · Module 4 — Agricultural Trade — Exports, Imports and Export Promotion

TOPIC 1 OF 3

4A.4.1 What India exports — rice, marine products, spices and more

🏫 School → 🇮🇳 UPSC · NCERT-linked · latest official data

School
Class 10+2
BPSC
UPSC

Class levelClass 12 → UPSC

Time≈ 35 minutes

NCERT linkClass 12 India: People & Economy Ch 9 “International Trade”

Builds onTopic 4A.3.3

Today’s class — by the end you will be able to

Name India’s top agricultural exports by value.
Separate traditional and non-traditional export items.
Recall facts on onion, meat, mango exports.
Know how answers changed over time (marine products → rice).

Warm-up · think first

Which earns more foreign exchange — a shipload of tea or a shipload of basmati?

Show answer

In recent years rice (basmati + non-basmati) and marine products earn far more than tea or coffee.

ATop ten agri exports — the latest bars

Read the chart from the top. Notice how rice, split into two lines, actually beats marine products.

TOP AGRI & ALLIED EXPORTS, 2024-25 (₹ crore)

Fig 4A.19 Total agri & allied exports: ₹4,04,173 cr (2023-24) → ₹4,39,784 cr (2024-25); ₹3,02,004 cr in 2025-26 up to November. Source: DA&FW Annual Report 2025-26.

Basmati + non-basmati rice together ≈ ₹1,05,719 crore in 2024-25 — the single largest agri export. Shares in total exports (Economic Survey 2025-26): cereals 2.9%, marine 1.7%, spices 1.0%, fruits, vegetables & pulses 0.7%, coffee 0.4%, oil meals 0.3%, raw cotton 0.2%, tea 0.2%.

📌 Solves: Q75 (basmati), Q76 (rice)

CheckQuick check: Which is the most valuable agri export item: oil cakes, raw cotton, rice or spices?

Rice.

BAnswers change with the period

UPSC 2002 asked about 1997-2000. Then the leader was marine products.

Leader by period

Period	Largest agri export (value)
1997-98 to 1999-2000	Marine products (Q77)
2009-10	Rice / basmati (Q75, Q76)
Recent years	Rice (cereals) overall; marine products the largest single line

Three categories of farm exports

Category	Examples
Traditional items	Cashew, coffee, tea, fruits, spices, castor oil, raw cotton, sugar, unmanufactured tobacco
Non-traditional — with uncertainty	Raw wood, raw jute, gums, resins, lac, vegetable oils (except castor)
Non-traditional — good prospects	Meat, floriculture, processed fruits & vegetables, wheat, rice, HPS groundnut, shellac, oil meals, sesame, niger

📌 Solves: Q72, Q77

COnions, meat and mangoes

Three short fact-cards.

🧅 Onion 2015-16

12,01,245 tonnes exported, worth ₹2,747 crore (APEDA) → about 12 lakh tonnes. 2024-25: 11,47,722 t of fresh onion worth US$ 454 million.

🥩 Meat share 2017

India ≈ 3.0% of world meat & meat-preparation exports (2017). Economic Survey 2025-26: 1.9% (2021), 1.8% (2022).

🥭 Mango for export

Alphonso — grown mainly in Maharashtra (Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg).

Q78 options were 5%, 6%, 2%, 3% and “none/more than one”. The key is (d) 3%.

📌 Solves: Q62, Q78, Q79, Q80

Students ask, teacher answers

🙋 StudentWhy does buffalo meat export so much?

👩‍🏫 Teacher

Indian buffalo meat (carabeef) is cheap and halal-certified, with big markets in Vietnam, Malaysia and Egypt.

Common traps

Tea is India’s top agri export.

Rice and marine products lead; tea is small (0.2% of exports).

Langra is the export mango.

Alphonso.

Practice ladder — climb level by level

🏫 School level

1 markName the mango variety India exports most.

Alphonso.

🎓 Class 10+2 level

2 marksGive two examples each of traditional and non-traditional farm exports.

Traditional: tea, spices. Non-traditional with prospects: meat, floriculture.

🏛️ BPSC level

PYQ patternIndia’s share in world meat exports 2017? (a) 5% (b) 6% (c) 2% (d) 3%

(d) 3%.

🇮🇳 UPSC level

PrelimsIn 2024-25 which earned more: marine products or basmati rice?

Marine products (₹62,625 cr vs ₹50,312 cr) — but all rice together earns more.

💡 Exam tip: If both “rice” and “marine products” appear, check whether rice is split into basmati and non-basmati.

Previous-year questions solved in this topic (8)

Q77 · Q75 · Q76 · Q79 · Q62 · Q72 · Q78 · Q80

Arranged in chronological order of exam year in the Questions panel →

Homework / activity

Make a bar chart in your notebook of the top five agri exports.

Exit ticket — tick what you can do

I can name the top agri exports.
I know the three export categories.
I know Alphonso and the onion/meat facts.

60-second recap

2024-25: marine ₹62,625 cr; non-basmati ₹55,407 cr; basmati ₹50,312 cr.
Total agri exports ₹4.40 lakh cr (2024-25).
1997-2000 leader: marine products.
Onion 2015-16 ≈ 12 lakh t.
Meat share 3% (2017); Alphonso for export.

Where this lesson comes from

DA&FW Annual Report 2025-26; Economic Survey 2025-26.
APEDA export data.

⭐ Key Points for Exams

Top agri exports 2024-25: marine products, non-basmati rice, basmati rice, spices, buffalo meat.
Total agri & allied exports ₹4,39,784 crore (2024-25).
Traditional: tea, coffee, spices, cashew, cotton, sugar, tobacco.
Alphonso = main export mango.

📌 Quick-Fire One-Liners

Question: Most valuable item in India’s agri exports? Answer: Rice.
Question: Largest agri export 1997-2000? Answer: Marine products.
Question: Onion exported in 2015-16? Answer: About 12 lakh tonnes.

Topic

Questions

MCQs — previous-year questions in exam-year order

Answer this question, then use Next.

PYQ · Q77 · I.A.S. (Pre) 2002
In terms of value, which one of the following commodities accounted for the largest agricultural exports by India during the three year period from 1997-98 to 1999-2000?

Answer: (b) Marine products
Then marine. ES 2025-26 share of total exports 2024-25: cereals 2.9%, marine 1.7%, spices 1.0%, fruits & veg 0.7%, pulses 0.7%?, oil meals 0.3%, raw cotton 0.2%, coffee 0.4%, tea 0.2%.

PYQ · Q75 · U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Mains) 2010
Which one of the following agricultural products fetches the largest foreign exchange for the country from its export?

Answer: (b) Basmati Rice
Top-10 agri exports Rs cr 2023-24 / 2024-25 / 2025-26 (to Nov): Marine 61043.68/62625.09/50118.32; Non-basmati rice 37804.48/55407.15/32552.14; Basmati 48389.18/50311.89/30909.04; Spices 35173.96/37701.99/24485.72; Buffalo meat 31006.99/34392.19/27865.41; Sugar 23390.17/18287.50/11515.99; Coffee 10644.82/15292.40/11377.26; Misc processed 13689.74/14201.66/9703.06; Tobacco 8713.32/12490.08/8370.56; Oil meals 14191.56/11368.57/6551.74; Total 404172.83/439784.38/302003.98.

PYQ · Q76 · U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2010
Which one of the following is the most valuable item in the agricultural export of India?

Answer: (c) Rice
See Q75.

PYQ · Q79 · U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2011
Preferred variety of Mango for export is:

Answer: (c) Alphonso
Alphonso, Maharashtra (Ratnagiri).

PYQ · Q62 · U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016
The amount of onion exported from India in 2015-16 was about:

Answer: (d) 12 lakh tonnes
APEDA: 2015-16 onion exports 12,01,245.29 t worth Rs 2,747.41 cr. 2024-25: 11,47,721.88 t fresh onion worth US$ 453.95 million.

PYQ · Q72 · U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2017
The category/categories of agricultural commodities exported from India is/are:

Answer: (d) All of the above
Traditional: cashew, coffee, tea, fruits, spices, castor oil, raw cotton, sugar, unmanufactured tobacco. Non-traditional with uncertainty: raw wood, raw jute, gums, resins, lac, vegetable oils (excl. castor). Good prospects: meat, floriculture, processed fruits/vegetables, wheat, rice, HPS groundnut, shellac, oil meals, sesame, niger.

PYQ · Q78 · 65th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2019
India's share in meat and meat preparation exports in the year 2017 was:

Answer: (d) 3%
3.0% in 2017; ES 2025-26: 1.9% (2021), 1.8% (2022).

PYQ · Q80 · Jharkhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2021
Which of the following mango variety is mostly exported from India?

Answer: (d) Alphonso
See Q79.

Question 1 of 8

One-liners

Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.

Most valuable item in India’s agri exports?

Rice.

Largest agri export 1997-2000?

Marine products.

Onion exported in 2015-16?

About 12 lakh tonnes.

Question 1 of 3

Topic 2 · What India imports — edible oils, pulses and the GM-food rule Part 1 of 2

Ch 4A · Module 4 — Agricultural Trade — Exports, Imports and Export Promotion

TOPIC 2 OF 3

4A.4.2 What India imports — edible oils, pulses and the GM-food rule

🏫 School → 🇮🇳 UPSC · NCERT-linked · latest official data

School
Class 10+2
BPSC
UPSC

Class levelClass 12 → UPSC

Time≈ 30 minutes

NCERT linkClass 12 India: People & Economy Ch 9

Builds onTopic 4A.3.2 (oilseeds, pulses)

Today’s class — by the end you will be able to

Name India’s largest farm import and its trend.
Know which pulses India imports most.
Explain import dependence on edible oil and customs duty policy.
Explain the US apples and GM-food rule.

Warm-up · think first

Your kitchen has mustard oil from Rajasthan and palm oil from Indonesia. Which is India’s single largest farm import?

Show answer

Edible oil (vegetable oils) — over half the value of agricultural imports.

AImport bill — four lines

Vegetable oils tower over everything else.

SELECTED AGRI IMPORTS (₹ crore)

Fig 4A.20 Source: Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2024-25. Economic Survey 2025-26: food & allied = 4.4% of total imports in 2024-25; edible oil alone 2.4%.

📌 Solves: Q73, Q81

CheckQuick check: Which farm import is the largest by value?

Vegetable (edible) oils.

BEdible oil dependence

We import more edible oil than we produce. Duty is adjusted to balance farmers and consumers.

Dependence

63.2% (2015-16) → 54.9% (2021-22) → 57% (2022-23).

Volume

Oil year 2024-25 (Nov–Oct): 163.6 lakh t of vegetable oils (edible 160.1 + non-edible 3.5), up 0.8% from 162.3 lakh t (SEA).

World

India ≈ 10% of world oilseed output (ICRA) but demand is much higher.

Duty

Customs duty is reviewed often — cut to cool prices, raised to protect farmers. It is not zero on all oils.

Q82: Statement 1 (imports > domestic production) ✔; Statement 2 (no duty on any imported edible oil) ✘ → 1 only.

📌 Solves: Q82

CPulses imported most

Lentil (masoor) topped in 2015-16; tur and lentil are the big two now.

Import of pulses (lakh tonnes)

Pulse	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Tur (pigeon pea)	4.43	8.40	8.94
Lentil (masoor)	11.16	6.67	8.58
Urad	3.35	6.12	5.25
Gram	2.94	2.02	0.61
Moong	0.82	1.96	0.32
Peas	0.46	0.01	0.01
Others	1.65	2.43	1.49
Total	24.81	27.60	25.21

Source: Directorate of Pulses Development Annual Report 2023-24.

📌 Solves: Q74

DUS apples and GM food — a 2024 UPSC pair

Read both statements against the facts.

US APPLES TO INDIA

Fig 4A.21 Statement I (“India does not import US apples”) is false.

GM food rules

Law / body	Role
Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006	No import, manufacture or sale of GM food without FSSAI approval
GEAC (MoEFCC), 1989 Rules under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986	Approves GM organisms; only Bt cotton is commercially cultivated; GM mustard (2022) is before the Supreme Court

Answer Q64: Statement I incorrect, Statement II correct → (d).

📌 Solves: Q64

Students ask, teacher answers

🙋 StudentWhy not just grow more oilseeds?

👩‍🏫 Teacher

Oilseeds are mostly rainfed with low yields; palm oil is cheap globally. NMEO aims to raise both (Topic 4A.3.2).

Common traps

India levies no duty on any edible oil.

Duty exists and is revised from time to time.

Pulses are India’s biggest farm import.

Edible oils are.

Practice ladder — climb level by level

🏫 School level

1 markIndia’s main agricultural import item?

Edible oil.

🎓 Class 10+2 level

2 marksWhy does India import pulses though it is the largest producer?

Consumption exceeds production; yields are low.

🏛️ BPSC level

PYQ patternPulse imported most in 2015-16? (a) Moong (b) Lentil (c) Urad (d) Tur

(b) Lentil.

🇮🇳 UPSC level

PrelimsGEAC has allowed commercial cultivation of only one GM crop. Which?

Bt cotton (a non-food crop).

💡 Exam tip: For “largest import” questions, edible oil is the safe answer across all recent years.

Previous-year questions solved in this topic (5)

Q74 · Q82 · Q73 · Q81 · Q64

Arranged in chronological order of exam year in the Questions panel →

Homework / activity

Read the label of cooking oil at home — imported or domestic?

Exit ticket — tick what you can do

I know edible oil is the largest agri import.
I can read the pulses import table.
I know the GM-food approval chain.

60-second recap

Veg oils: ₹1.67 lakh cr (2022-23), ₹1.23 lakh cr (2023-24).
Edible-oil import dependence ≈ 55–57%.
Lentil topped pulses imports in 2015-16.
US apple duty removed Sept 2023.
GM food needs FSSAI; GM crops need GEAC.

Where this lesson comes from

Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2024-25.
Solvent Extractors’ Association data; Economic Survey 2025-26.
Directorate of Pulses Development AR 2023-24; FSS Act 2006; EPA 1986 Rules 1989.

⭐ Key Points for Exams

Largest agri import: vegetable/edible oils (>50% of agri imports).
Veg oil imports ₹1,67,270 cr (2022-23).
Lentil was the largest pulse import in 2015-16.
GM food import needs FSSAI approval; GEAC under MoEFCC.

📌 Quick-Fire One-Liners

Question: India’s main agricultural import item? Answer: Edible oil.
Question: Only GM crop allowed for commercial cultivation? Answer: Bt cotton.
Question: Pulse imported most in 2015-16? Answer: Lentil (masoor).

Topic

Questions

MCQs — previous-year questions in exam-year order

Answer this question, then use Next.

PYQ · Q74 · U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016
Which of the following pulses was imported in the largest quantity in 2015-16?

Answer: (b) Lentil
Imports lakh MT 2020-21/21-22/22-23: Tur 4.43/8.40/8.94; Urad 3.35/6.12/5.25; Lentil 11.16/6.67/8.58; Moong 0.82/1.96/0.32; Chana 2.94/2.02/0.61; Peas 0.46/0.01/0.01; Others 1.65/2.43/1.49; Total 24.81/27.60/25.21.

PYQ · Q82 · I.A.S. (Pre) 2018
Consider the following statements: 1. The quantity of imported edible oils is more than the domestic production of edible oils in the last five years. 2. The Government does not impose any customs duty on all the imported edible oils as a special case. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: (a) 1 only
Import dependence 63.2% (2015-16) to 54.9% (2021-22), 57% (2022-23). SEA: veg oil imports oil year 2024-25 (Nov 24-Oct 25) 163.6 lakh t (edible 160.1, non-edible 3.5) vs 162.3 in 2023-24 (+0.8%). ICRA: India ~10% of world oilseed production. Duty structure reviewed from time to time.

PYQ · Q73 · I.A.S. (Pre) 2019
Among the agricultural commodities imported by India, which one of the following accounts for the highest imports in terms of value in the last five years?

Answer: (d) Vegetable oils
Rs crore 2019-20..2023-24: Veg oils 68558.16, 82123.26, 141531.78, 167269.99, 123078.72; Pulses 10221.45, 11937.59, 16627.58, 15780.56, 31071.63; Fresh fruits 14137.09, 15764.86, 18342.09, 19957.70, 22663.76; Spices 10186.93, 8070.53, 9684.74, 10694.88, 12051.24.

PYQ · Q81 · R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2021
India's main agricultural import item is:

Answer: (d) Edible oil
Edible oil >50% of agri-imports; ES 2025-26: food & allied 4.4% of total imports 2024-25, edible oil 2.4%.

PYQ · Q64 · I.A.S. (Pre) 2024
Statement-I: India does not import apples from the United States of America. Statement-II: In India, the law prohibits the import of Genetically Modified food without the approval of the competent authority. Which one of the following is correct?

Answer: (d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
June 2023 WTO disputes settled; India removed retaliatory duty on US apples Sept 2023 (20% extra duty since 2019); imports US$145 mn (2018-19) to 5.27 mn (2022-23), then surged. FSS Act 2006 needs FSSAI approval for GM food; GEAC (MoEFCC, 1989 Rules under EPA 1986). Only Bt cotton commercial; GM mustard 2022 pending in SC.

Question 1 of 5

One-liners

Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.

India’s main agricultural import item?

Edible oil.

Only GM crop allowed for commercial cultivation?

Bt cotton.

Pulse imported most in 2015-16?

Lentil (masoor).

Question 1 of 3

Topic 3 · Export promotion schemes and marketing bodies Part 1 of 2

Ch 4A · Module 4 — Agricultural Trade — Exports, Imports and Export Promotion

TOPIC 3 OF 3

4A.4.3 Export promotion schemes and marketing bodies

🏫 School → 🇮🇳 UPSC · NCERT-linked · latest official data

School
Class 10+2
BPSC
UPSC

Class levelClass 12 → State PCS

Time≈ 25 minutes

NCERT linkClass 11 Business Studies — international trade; Class 12 India: People & Economy Ch 9

Builds onTopic 4A.4.1

Today’s class — by the end you will be able to

Trace VKUY → VKGUY → MEIS → RoDTEP.
Know what NAFED does.
Tell which agencies export farm goods and which do not.

Warm-up · think first

A mango grower in Malihabad wants to sell in Dubai, but the trip to the port costs too much. What could the government do?

Show answer

Give an export incentive that offsets transport and other costs — that was the idea of the Vishesh Krishi Upaj Yojana.

AFrom VKUY to RoDTEP

One scheme, four names over twenty years.

EXPORT INCENTIVE CHAIN

Fig 4A.22 Main objective all through: promote agricultural exports.

VKGUY covered: agricultural produce and value-added products; gram udyog products; minor forest produce; forest-based products; others notified. It compensated high transport costs from village to port/airport.

📌 Solves: Q172, Q173, Q174

BWho markets, who exports?

Match the body to its job.

Agencies

Body	Est.	Main job
NAFED — National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation	2 Oct 1958	Apex body of marketing cooperatives; procurement, storage, inter-state trade, export; PSS agency for pulses/oilseeds
State Trading Corporation (STC)	1956	Exports/imports including farm goods
MMTC	1963	Minerals & metals; also farm trade
IFFCO	1967	Fertiliser manufacture and marketing — not an agri exporter
APEDA	1985	Promotes processed food and agri exports
MPEDA	1972	Marine product exports (Topic 4A.5.2)

NAFED

Agricultural marketing (apex cooperative).

IFFCO

Fertilisers.

FCI

Procurement & storage of foodgrains (1965).

📌 Solves: Q191, Q192, Q193

CheckQuick check: Which one does not export farm goods: NAFED, STC, IFFCO, MMTC?

IFFCO.

Students ask, teacher answers

🙋 StudentIs RoDTEP an agri-only scheme?

👩‍🏫 Teacher

No — it refunds embedded taxes for all exporters, including agri.

Common traps

NAFED deals mainly with agricultural implements.

With agricultural marketing.

VKUY aimed at pulses and oilseeds production.

At exports.

Practice ladder — climb level by level

🏫 School level

1 markNAFED is connected with?

Agricultural marketing.

🎓 Class 10+2 level

2 marksWhat replaced MEIS in 2021?

RoDTEP.

🏛️ BPSC level

PYQ patternApex organisation for marketing cooperatives: (a) FCI (b) NAFED (c) NCU (d) NAMB

(b).

🇮🇳 UPSC level

Prelims“Vishesh Krishi Upaj Yojana” was meant to (a) boost pulses (b) boost cash crops (c) promote agri exports (d) drought areas

(c).

💡 Exam tip: Remember the chain VKUY 2004 → VKGUY 2006 → MEIS 2015 → RoDTEP 2021.

Previous-year questions solved in this topic (6)

Q191 · Q172 · Q192 · Q173 · Q174 · Q193

Arranged in chronological order of exam year in the Questions panel →

Homework / activity

Write one line on each: NAFED, APEDA, MPEDA, IFFCO.

Exit ticket — tick what you can do

I can trace the export scheme chain.
I know NAFED’s role.
I know IFFCO is a fertiliser body.

60-second recap

VKUY 2004 → VKGUY 2006 → MEIS 2015 → RoDTEP 2021.
Aim: promote agri exports.
NAFED (1958): apex marketing cooperative.
IFFCO: fertilisers, not exports.

Where this lesson comes from

Foreign Trade Policy 2004-09, 2015-20; DGFT notifications on RoDTEP.
NAFED, APEDA, MPEDA websites.

⭐ Key Points for Exams

VKUY (2004) → VKGUY (2006) → MEIS (2015) → RoDTEP (from 1 Jan 2021).
NAFED est. 2 Oct 1958 — apex agricultural marketing cooperative.
IFFCO is a fertiliser cooperative.

📌 Quick-Fire One-Liners

Question: Main objective of VKGUY? Answer: Promotion of agricultural exports.
Question: Apex body for marketing cooperatives? Answer: NAFED.
Question: Scheme that replaced MEIS? Answer: RoDTEP.

Topic

Questions

MCQs — previous-year questions in exam-year order

Answer this question, then use Next.

PYQ · Q191 · U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1995
NAFED is mainly connected with:

Answer: (c) Agricultural marketing
Est. 2 Oct 1958; apex coop under MoA&FW.

PYQ · Q172 · U.P.P.C.S. (Spl.) (Mains) 2004
'Vishesh Krishi Upaj Yojana' is related to:

Answer: (c) Thrust in export of agricultural products
Started 2004 under EXIM Policy 2004-09; renamed VKGUY 2006; merged into MEIS 2015; MEIS withdrawn 1.1.2021, replaced by RoDTEP.

PYQ · Q192 · U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2007
The apex organization for marketing cooperatives at the national level is:

Answer: (b) NAFED

PYQ · Q173 · U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2009
'Rashtriya Vishesh Krishi Upaj Yojna' is mainly concerned with:

Answer: (d) Exportable agricultural produce

PYQ · Q174 · U.P. U.D.A./L.D.A. (Spl.) (Pre) 2010
The main objective of Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojna is:

Answer: (a) Promotion of agricultural export
Compensates transport costs; covers agri produce, gram udyog, MFP, forest products.

PYQ · Q193 · U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2017
Which of the following agencies is not engaged in exporting agricultural goods from India?

Answer: (c) IFFCO
IFFCO = fertilisers.

Question 1 of 6

One-liners

Write your answer, then submit to see the correct answer.

Main objective of VKGUY?

Promotion of agricultural exports.

Apex body for marketing cooperatives?

NAFED.

Scheme that replaced MEIS?

RoDTEP.

Question 1 of 3