Varanasi: The export of agri produces, especially fresh vegetables, from east UP region resumed after a gap of almost eight months on Tuesday with a consignmnet of 2 metric tonnes fresh vegetables including bitter guard, round guard and elephant foot sent to UAE market from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) assistant general manager CB Singh said, “The consignment of fresh vegetables sent to UAE on Tuesday marked the revival of green vegetables export from east UP region after Covid second wave.”
Several roundtable meetings were held for activation of international flights stuck due to Covid-19, he said adding that now with beginning of flight services the APEDA ensured to resume export of agri produces, especially vegetables from this region. Singh said, the cargo flights for exporting goods and perishable items were available either from Lucknow or Delhi only when international flights were not available from Varanasi in view of Covid-19 and sending consignments via Lucknow and Delhi will increase the cost of transportation.
Initially, APEDA focussed on farm producer organisations of Varanasi only but now the produces are being sourced from FPOs in Bhadohi and Prayagraj, he said. From these FPOs, 1MT of fresh okra and 1MT of other vegetables including bitter guard, pointed guard, elephant foot and others were procured and sent by a flight of Air India Express, he added.
Source:thetimesofindia.com