About APEDA

• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act,1985. 
• The Authority replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC).
• It functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Functions of APEDA

• Development of industries relating to the scheduled products for export by way of providing financial assistance or otherwise for undertaking surveys and feasibility studies, participation in enquiry capital through joint ventures and other reliefs and subsidy schemes;
• Registration of persons as exporters of the scheduled products on payment of such fees as may be prescribed;
• Fixing of standards and specifications for the scheduled products for the purpose of exports;
• Carrying out inspection of meat and meat products in slaughterhouses, processing plants, storage premises, conveyances or other places where such products are kept or handled for the purpose of ensuring the quality of such products;
• Improving of packaging of the Scheduled products;
• Improving of marketing of the Scheduled products outside India;
• Promotion of export oriented production and development of the Scheduled products;

Products monitored 

• • APEDA is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the following scheduled products:

• Fruits, Vegetables and their Products.

• Meat and Meat Products.

• Poultry and Poultry Products.

• Dairy Products.

• Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery Products.

• Honey, Jaggery and Sugar Products.

• Cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds.

• Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages.

• Cereal and Cereal Products.

• Groundnuts, Peanuts and Walnuts.

• Pickles, Papads and Chutneys.

• Guar Gum.

• Floriculture and Floriculture Products.

• Herbal and Medicinal Plants.

• In addition to this, APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility to monitor import of sugar.

APEDA authority

• APEDA Authority consists of the following members namely:
  • A Chairman, appointed by the Central Government
  • The Agricultural Marketing Advisor to the Government of India, ex-offical.
  • One member appointed by the Central Government representing the Planning Commission
  • Three members of Parliament of whom two are elected by the House of People and one by the Council of States
• Eight members appointed by the Central Government representing respectively; the Ministries of the Central Govt.

(i) Agriculture and Rural Development

(ii) Commerce

(iii) Finance

(iv) Industry

(v) Food

(vi) Civil Supplies

(vii) Civil Aviation

(viii) Shipping and transport

• Five members appointed by the Central Government by rotation in the alphabetical order to represent the States and the Union Territories
• Seven members appointed by the Central Govt. representing

(i) Indian Council of Agricultural Research

(ii) National Horticultural Board

(iii) National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation

(iv) Central Food Technological Research Institute

(v) Indian Institute of Packaging

(vi) Spices Export Promotion Council and

(vii) Cashew Export Promotion Council.

• Twelve members appointed by the Central Government representing
  • Fruit and Vegetable Products Industries
  • Meat, Poultry and Dairy Products Industries
  • Other Scheduled Products Industries
  • Packaging Industry
• Two members appointed by the Central Government from amongst specialists and scientists in the fields of agriculture, economics and marketing of the scheduled products.

Why in the news?

To promote agricultural crops exports and adherence to global practices, APEDA in collaboration with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), traders, exporters, agricultural scientists, Uttar Pradesh government & other institutions organized a meet at Varanasi.