Important Facts For Prelims
India Emerges as the largest Exporter of Gherkins
- 24 Jan 2022
- 4 min read
Why in News
Recently, India has become the largest exporter of gherkins in the world. India exported cucumber and gherkins (Pickling Cucumber) to the tune of 1,23,846 metric tonnes with a value of USD 114 million during April-October (2020-21).
- APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) has undertaken several initiatives for the development of infrastructure and enhancing the quality of processed gherkins, product promotion in the international market and implementation of food safety management systems in the processing units.
Key Points
- About Gherkins:
- Gherkin is a term generally used to refer to a savoury pickled cucumber. Gherkins and commercial cucumbers belong to the same species (Cucumis sativus), but are from different cultivar groups.
- Gherkin cultivation, processing and exports started in India during the early 1990s with a modest beginning in Karnataka State in South India and later extended to the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
- In these regions ideal soil type and the desirable temperatures of not less than 15 degrees Centigrade and not more than 35 degrees Centigrade make these regions desirable for Gherkins cultivation.
- Nearly 15% production of the world's gherkin requirement is grown in India.
- Gherkins is currently exported to more than 20 countries, with major destinations being North America, European countries and Oceanic countries such as USA, France, Germany, Australia, Spain, South Korea, Canada, Japan, Belgium, Russia, China, Sri Lanka and Israel.
- Significance:
- Gherkins are grown in contact with small and marginal farmers. Currently there are more than 1,00,000 small and marginal farmers who are engaged in the production of gherkins.
- This is the industry, which has showcased the true and successful model of contract farming, with which the industry is able to have a good quality control over the final produce as per the requirement of the international market.
- Contract farming can be defined as an agreement between farmers and processing and/or marketing firms for the production and supply of agricultural products under forward agreements, frequently at predetermined prices.
- Over 700 crore worth of Indian Gherkins are exported every year with an ever increasing demand because of the Quality Assurance given by the manufacturers.
- Apart from its export potential, the gherkin industry plays a key role in the creation of rural employment.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
- It is an authority established under an act of Parliament and under the administrative control of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- It has been mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the scheduled products viz. fruits, vegetables, meat products, dairy products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages etc.
- APEDA has also been entrusted with the responsibility to monitor import of sugar.
