Odisha’s Farm Exports Reached Dubai Landing Garlic And French Beans
Farmers from Odisha’s Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts have done farm exports of 1,000 kg of fresh agricultural produce to Dubai via Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar. It marked the state’s first structured, direct linkage between farmer collectives and an international market.
The consignment included garlic and French beans-exported for the first time from Odisha, with baby potatoes, ivy gourd, pointed gourd and papaya. It was dispatched on Wednesday. The produce was sourced from members of Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs). It indicated growing institutional participation by small and marginal farmers in global agri-trade.
Farm Exports Allowed Under The Promotion And Stabilisation Of FPOs Project
The farm exports were enabled under the Promotion and Stabilisation of Farmer-Producer Organisations (PSFPO) project. It was implemented by Palladium Consulting India Pvt Ltd along with the support from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and backing from the Gates Foundation. Under the initiative, agri-business startup Villa Mart Private Limited was supported to connect farmer-led institutions with overseas markets.
The process, which includes documentation for quality certification, was coordinated to ensure smooth execution, demonstrating how structured institutional support can allow agri-business startups to link FPOs with global markets. The produce was aggregated from farmers in the economically backward Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts, with quality checks and traceability systems put in place to meet international standards.
According to the officials, the shipment is being treated as a pilot intended to open sustained overseas market access for fresh produce from Odisha. The Directorate of Horticulture facilitated the farm exports by coordinating farmer participation and logistics. The development emerges as Odisha’s Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment is drafting a new Agri Export Policy that focuses on global market integration, structured private-sector engagement and improved farmer incomes.