TMA SCHEME FOR SPECIFIED AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS

Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has revised the Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme for specified agriculture products.
It will be effected on or after 1st April, 2021, up to 31st March, 2022.

Important points:

It was launched in 2019, for providing financial assistance for the transport and marketing of agricultural products to boost exports of such commodities to certain countries in Europe and North America.
In the year 2018, the government approved an Agriculture Export Policy with an aim to double the shipments to USD 60 billion by 2022.
APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) works towards expanding the export potential of Indian agricultural and food products.
Under the TMA, the government reimburses a certain portion of freight charges and provides assistance for the marketing of agricultural produce.
The assistance, at notified rates, will be available for export of eligible agriculture products to the permissible countries, as specified from time to time.
The revised scheme has included dairy products among other agriculture products in its purview and increased the rates of assistance.
Rates of assistance have been increased, by 50% for exports by sea and 100% through the air.
TMA would be reimbursed through the Regional Authorities of DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade).

Agriculture Export Policy 2018

The vision of Agriculture Export Policy is to harness the export potential of Indian agriculture, through suitable policy instruments, to make India global power in agriculture and raise farmers income.
To provide an institutional mechanism for pursuing market access, tackling barriers and dealing with sanitary and phytosanitary issues.
Enable farmers to get the benefit of export opportunities in the overseas market.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority

APEDA is a non-trading, statutory body established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.
It functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Authority has its headquarters in New Delhi.
It has been mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the scheduled products viz. fruits, vegetables, meat products, dairy products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages etc.
It has also been entrusted with the responsibility to monitor import of sugar.
In 2017, APEDA launched a mobile app- “Farmer Connect” to allow farmers to apply online to facilitate their farm registration, tracking the status of application & approvals by State Government and Lab sampling by authorized Laboratories.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT

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