The concept of Agri Export Zone (AEZ) was introduced in 2001, through EXIM Policy 1997-2001, to take a comprehensive look at a particular produce/product located in a contiguous area for the purpose of developing and sourcing the raw materials, their processing/packaging, leading to final exports. The concept hinged primarily on convergence of existing Central and State Government schemes to take care of financial interventions required at various stages of value chain; partnership among various stakeholders viz. Central Government, State Government, farmer, processor, exporter etc.; and focus on targeted products and areas to identify required policy interventions. Measures to promote exports from Agri Export Zone A. Financial Assistance Both Central as well as State Government and their agencies provide a variety of financial assistance to various agri export related activities. These extend from providing financial assistance for Training and Extension, R&D, Quality Upgradation, Infrastructure and Marketing etc. Central government Agencies like APEDA, NHB, Deptt. of Food Processing Industries, Ministry of Agriculture provide assistance, a number of State Governments have also extended similar facilities. All these facilities are dovetailed and extended to promote agri exports from the proposed Zones in a coordinated manner. Some additional features like providing grants from Market Access Initiative fund. B. Fiscal Incentives The benefits under Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme provided to service exporters in the Agri Export zones. Even service provided to ultimate exporters will be eligible for import of capital goods at a concessional duty for setting up of common facilities. They shall fulfil their export obligation through receipt of foreign exchange from ultimate exporters who shall make the payments from their EEFC account. Exporters of value added agri products will be eligible for sourcing duty free fuel for generation of power, provided the cost component of power in the ultimate product is 10% or more and the input-output norms are fixed by the advance licencing committee of the DGFT. In view of the power intensive nature of most of the value addition, almost all the exporters of value added agriculture produce will become eligible for such facility. Similarly, input-output norms can also be fixed for sourcing other inputs, like fertilizer, pesticides etc. duty free for cultivation purpose. Benefits Strengthening of backward linkages with a market oriented approach. Product acceptability and its competitiveness abroad as well as in the domestic market. Value addition to basic agricultural produce. Bring down cost of production through economy of scale. Better price for agricultural produce. Improvement in product quality and packaging. Promote trade related research and development. Increase employment opportunities. Notified Agri Export Zones In all 60 Agri Export Zones (AEZ) were notified by the Government till 2004-05. No new AEZs have been set up after 2004. The list of notified Agri export zones are as follows. State S. No. AEZ Project Districts Assam (1) 01 Fresh & Processed Ginger Kamrup, Nalbari, Barpeta, Darrang, Nagaon, Morigaon, KarbiAnglong and North Cachar districts. Andhra Pradesh including Telangana (5) 02 Mango Pulp & Fresh Veg. Chittoor District. 03 Mango and Grapes Districts of Ranga Reddy, Medak & parts Mahabobnagar districts. 04 Mango Krisha District. 05 Gherkins Districts of Mahboobnagar, Rangareddy, Karimnagar, Warangal, Medak Ananthapur and Nalgonda. 06 Chilli Guntur Bihar (1) 07 Lychee, Vegetables & Honey Muzaffar-pur, Samastipur, Hajipur, Vaishali, East and West Champaran, Bhagalpur, Begulsarai, Khagaria, Sitamarhi, Saran and Gopalganj. Gujarat (3) 08 Mango and Vegetables Districts of Ahmedabad, Khadia, Anand, Vadodra, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Bharuch and Narmada. 09 Value Added Onion Districts of Bhavnagar, Surendranagar, Amreli, Rajkot, Junagadh and Jamnagar. 10 Sesame Seeds Districts of Amerali, Bhav-nagar, Surendra-nagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar Himachal Pradesh(1) 11 Apples Districts of Shimla, Sirmour, Kullu, Mandi, Chamba and Kinnaur. Karnataka (4) 12 Gherkins Districts of Tumkur, Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Hassan, Kolar, Chitradurga, Dharwad and Bagalkot. 13 Rose Onion Bangalore Urban Bangalore (Rural), Kolar 14 Flowers Bangalore(Urban) Bangalore(Rural), Kolar, Tumkur, Kodagu and Belgaum 15 Vanilla Districts of Dakshin Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Shimoga, Kodagu, Chickamagalur. Jammu & Kashmir (2) 16 Apple Districts of Srinagar, Baramula, Anantnag, Kupwara, Badgaum and Pulwama. 17 Walnuts Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Kupwara and Srinagar., Jammu Region, Doda, Poonch, Udhampur, Rajouri and Kathua. Jharkhand (1) 18 Vegetables Districts of Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Lohardaga. Kerala (2) 19 Horticulture Products Districts of Thrissur, Kollam, Ernakulam, Kottayaam, Alapp-uzha, Pathanum-thitta, Thiruvantha-puram, Idukki and Palakkod. 20 Medicinal Plant Wayanad, Mallapuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kollam, Pathana-mittha, Thiruva-nanthapuram Madhya Pradesh (5) 21 Potatoes, Onion Garlic Malwa, Ujjain, Indore, Dewas, Dhar, Shajajpur, Ratlam, Neemuch and Mandsaur. 22 Seed Spices Districts of Guna, Mandsaur, Ujjain, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Shajapur and Neemuch. 23 Wheat (Duram) Three distinct and contiguous zones :- Ujjain Zone comprising of Neemach, Ratlam, Mandsaur and Ujjain Indore Zone comprising of Indore, Dhar, Shajapur and Dewas Bhopal Division, comprising of Sehore, Vidisha, Raisen, Hoshangabad, Harda, Narsinghpur and Bhopal. 24 Lentil and Grams Shivpuri, Guna, Vidisha, Raisen, Narsinghpura, Chhindwara. 25 Oranges Chhindwara, Hoshangabad. Betul. Maharashtra (8) 26 Grape and Grape Wine Districts of Nasik, Sanghli, Pune, Satara, Ahmednagar and Sholapur. 27 Mango (Alphonso) Districts of Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Raigarh and Thane. 28 Kesar Mango Districts of Aurangabad, Beed, Jalna, Ahmednagar and Latur. 29 Flowers Pune, Nasik, Kolhapur and Sangli. 30 Onions Districts of Nasik, Ahmednagar, Pune Satara, Jalgaon and Solapur. 31 Pomegranate Districts of Solapur, Sangli, Ahmednagar, Pune Nasik, Latur, Osmanabad. 32 Banana Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Buldhana, Wardha, Parbhani, Hindoli, Nanded. 33 Oranges Nagpur and Amraoti. Orissa (1) 34 Ginger and Turmeric Kandhamal District. Punjab (3) 35 Vegetables Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Sangrur, Ropar and Ludhiana. 36 Potatoes SinghpuraZirakpur (Patiala) RampuraPhul, Muktsar, Ludhiana, Jullunder. 37 Basmati Rice Districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Kapur-thala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahar) Rajasthan (2) 38 Coriander Kota, Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar& Chittoor 39 Cumin Nagaur, Barmer, Jalore, Pali and Jodhpur Sikkim (2) 40 Flowers (Orchids) & Cherry Pepper East Sikkim. 41 Ginger North, East, South & West Sikkim. Tripura (1) 42 Organic Pineapple Kumarghat, Manu, Melaghar, Matabari and Kakraban Blocks. Tamil Nadu (4) 43 Flower Dharmapuri. 44 Flowers Nilgiri District. 45 Mangoes Districts of Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Virudhunagar and Tirunelveli. 46 Cashewnut Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Sivaganga. Uttar Pradesh (4) 47 Potatoes Agra, Hathras, Farrukhabad, Kannoj, Meerut, Baghpat and Aligarh. 48 Mangoes and Vegetables Lucknow, Unnao, Hardo, Sitapur and barabanki. 49 Mangoes Saharanpur, Muzzfarnagar, Bijnaur, Meerut, Bhagpat and Bulandshahar. 50 Basmati Rice Districts of Bareilly, Shahajahanpur, Pilibhit, Rampur, Badaun, Bijnor, Moradabad, J B Phulenagar, Saharanpur, Mujjafarnagar, Meerut, Bulandshahar, Ghaziabad. Uttarakhand (4) 51 Lychee Udhamsingh Nagar, Dehradun and Nainital . 52 Flowers Districts of Dehradun and Pantnagar. 53 Basmati Rice Districts of Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Dehradun and Haridwar. 54 Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Districts of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Dehradun and Nainital. West Bengal (6) 55 Lychee Districts of MurshidabadMalda, 24 Pargana (N) and 24 Pargana(s). 56 Potatoes Districts of Hoogly, Burdwan, Midnapore (W) UdayNarayanpur and Howrah. 57 Mango Malda and Murshidabad 58 Vegetables Nadia, Murshidabad) and North 24 Parganas. 59 Darjeeling Tea Darjeeling. 60 Pineapple Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri. Source : Ministry of Commerce & Industry