NEW DELHI : In a significant step towards positioning Chhattisgarh as a major hub for agricultural and processed food exports, the Regional Office of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was inaugurated at Raipur during the 2nd India International Rice Summit held in Chhattisgarh. The inauguration was attended by Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Medical Education, Government of Chhattisgarh, Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, along with other dignitaries.

Chhattisgarh, with its rich and diverse agri-ecosystem, offers significant export potential across a wide range of products. These include premium non-basmati rice varieties and Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products such as Jeeraphool Rice and Nagri Dubraj Rice. The State also produces a variety of fruits and vegetables including guava, banana, dragon fruit, jackfruit, custard apple, tomato and cucumber, along with important minor forest produce such as mahua, tamarind, herbal and medicinal plants, providing strong opportunities to expand its presence in global markets.

The establishment of the APEDA Regional Office in Raipur marks an important milestone for Chhattisgarh’s agrarian economy. The new office will facilitate farmers, producer groups, cooperatives and exporters by providing services such as export registration, advisory support, market intelligence, certification assistance, export facilitation, infrastructure development and market linkage support. Recently, the APEDA Regional Office in Raipur also facilitated the export of fortified rice kernels from Chhattisgarh to Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea.