Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 12 (ANI): 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.

This marked as a significant step towards positioning Chhattisgarh as a major hub for agricultural and processed food exports. 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, said Ministry of Commerce & Industry in a statement.

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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, it added.

Addressing the occasion, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai stated that the opening of the APEDA Regional Office in Raipur is a mission to integrate Chhattisgarh's farmers with the global economy.

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He highlighted the potential of the State's farmers, exporters and entrepreneurs in global agri-markets and expressed confidence that Chhattisgarh would emerge as a leader in high-value and sustainable agricultural exports, and thanked Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, for sanctioning the APEDA office in Chhattisgarh based on the request of the State Government, and assured full support to APEDA and the Department of Commerce in expanding exports of agricultural and organic products from the State.

The inauguration was attended by Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Medical Education, Government of Chhattisgarh, Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, along with other dignitaries. (ANI)

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