MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Government has appointed a committee under the State Agriculture Commissioner to draft a new Agriculture Export Policy. The State already leads in export of grapes, pomegranates and onions and the policy will focus on multiplying export of bananas, vegetables and rice.

The State Cooperative and Marketing Department has issued a resolution announcing appointment of the Committee, which comprises nine Government officials from various Departments.

The State Government has already planned to develop six clusters to export oranges, pomegranates, grapes, onions, banana and mangoes. The new policy will be in consonance with the Centre’s Agriculture Export Policy which aims at reinvigorating the entire value chain from export-oriented farm production and processing to transportation, infrastructure and market access.

Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, in his recent address at the first State level awareness programme on agriculture export policy held in Pune, said that to achieve the purpose of the policy, clusters have been identified across the Country for development of agriculture exports.

He also stressed on attractive packaging to increase the demand for the identified products. The Indian Institute of Packaging has been roped in for working on packaging standards for international markets.