Argentina will export lemons, eggs and fishmeal to India

Argentina has entered into agreements to start export to India lemons, fresh eggs and egg products, fish and bone meal and chia seeds, during the state visit of President Mauricio Macri in this country.

According to Secretary of State for Food, Macri, and Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, have signed the procedures for the approval of export protocols for these products. Argentina, meanwhile, allowed the entry of millet and guar seed from the Asian country.

The secretary of the agribusiness, Luis Miguel Etchevere, affirmed that the country could "be a strategic partner to provide food in quantity and quality to India". He added: "Argentina has 44 million inhabitants and our agro-industrial sector produces 440 million, with a potential of 600 million by 2025".

In addition, Etchevehere signed two cooperation plans with its Indian counterpart, Parshottam Rupala. One of them will accelerate sanitary and phytosanitary approvals of products of common interest by the respective regulatory authorities and improve market access. The second aims to improve the scope of agricultural cooperation between the two countries, including through the exchange of technologies to increase productivity and reduce post-harvest losses and enhance resilience to climate change.

According to official data, 62% of trade between Argentina and India is agro-industrial. Exports to this Asian power totaled US $ 1450 million in 2018, or 7.8% of India's imports of food and beverages. The main export product is soybean oil, while the main product imported is vegetable fiber.