Import of Food Grains and Value-Added Food Products

Import as well as export of agri commodities including food-grains & value-added food products etc. are not carried out by the Central Government on its own account. Import/export of agri commodities is primarily undertaken by private entrepreneurs as per their commercial prudence, inter-alia, taking into account domestic demand/requirement. The details of import of food-grains and value-added food products like packed foods etc., during last three years are as follow;

India's Import of Foodgrains (Value in ₹ Crore)
Description	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23 (Upto Oct 22)
	Value	Value	Value	Value
Rice	78.75	24.67	49.80	21.42
Wheat	4.63	0.01	0.18	0.20
Other Cereals (Rye, Barley, Oats, Maize, Grain Sorghum, Buckwheat, Jawar, Bajra, Ragi, Canary Seeds Etc.)	1221.12	331.10	369.96	602.31
Pulses	10221.45	11937.59	16627.58	6381.73
Total Foodgrains	11525.95	12293.37	17047.52	7005.66

Source: DGCIS

India's Import of Value-added Food Products such as Packed Foods etc. (Value in ₹ Crore)
Description	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23 (Upto Oct 22)
	Value	Value	Value	Value
Preparations of Meat of Fish or of Crustaceans	53.42	58.43	91.41	41.33
Sugars and Sugar Confectionery	3208.78	5574.78	2242.33	1987.45
Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations	1833.97	2021.27	2713.93	2041.97
Preparations of Cereals, Flour, Starch or Milk; Pastry	729.24	877.13	1157.44	774.42
Preparations of Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts or Other Parts	791.29	648.59	997.06	674.27
Miscellaneous Edible Preparations	1419.86	1450.90	1883.58	981.10
Beverages, Spirits and Vinegar	5632.91	4838.21	6544.88	5185.32
Residues and Waste from the Food Industries; Prepared Anima	5065.63	4973.48	9291.15	4032.84
Total	18735.11	20442.78	24921.78	15718.70

Source: DGCIS

India is a net exporter of wheat, rice and other food grains such as rye, maize, sorghum, buckwheat, jawar, bajra, ragi and their import is negligible. In so far as pulses are concerned, the domestic demand exceeds indigenous production, necessitating imports. However, the production of pulses is gradually increasing (23.03 Million Tonnes in 2019-20 to 27.69 Million Tonnes in 2021-22).

The Government has been implementing National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and also providing funds under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) to States for improving the production of food grains including pulses. Domestic cultivation is also being encouraged through various other Central Sector Schemes of DA&FW viz. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan).

This information was given by the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 16 December 2022.