APEDA Full Form and Composition

APEDA full form is Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. This Authority is responsible for issuing the APEDA Registration Certificate, which is a mandatory requirement for Indian businesses to export scheduled agricultural & processed food products from India. In this blog post, we shall explain what APEDA is, when it was established, and more. 

What is APEDA Full Form?

APEDA full form in agriculture is Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. This authority was established in 1985 through an Act of Parliament known as the “Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Act, 1985”. 

The APEDA Act came into effect and APEDA began operations on February 13, 1986. This authority replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC) to promote exports of scheduled agricultural products. The main objective of APEDA is to promote and develop exports of scheduled agricultural and processed foods from India. 

Without APEDA registration, no Indian business can export scheduled agricultural products from India to other countries. To secure this registration, you need to apply through the official portal of Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

List of Scheduled Items Governed by APEDA

Some of the common scheduled agricultural items governed by APEDA include :-

• Fruits, Vegetables and their Products

• Meat and Meat Products

• Poultry and Poultry Products

• Cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds

• Alcoholic and Non Alcoholic Beverages

• Cereal and Cereal Products

• Groundnuts, Peanuts and Walnuts

• Pickles, Papads and Chutneys

• Basmati Rice

• Dairy Products

• Guar Gum

• Floriculture and Floriculture Products

• Herbal and Medicinal Plants

• De-oiled rice bran

• Green pepper in brine

• Cashew Nuts and its Products

• Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery Products

• Honey, Jaggery and Sugar Products

To export any of the above-mentioned products, securing APEDA Registration Certificate is mandatory.

APEDA Head Office and Regional Offices

APEDA head office and regional offices are as follows :-

Head Office

• New Delhi

Regional Offices

• Mumbai

• Bengaluru

• Kolkata

• Telangana

• Visakhapatnam

• Guwahati

• Ahmedabad

• Varanasi

• Chandigarh

• Bhopal

• Chennai

• Kochi

• Tripura

• Srinagar

• Jammu

• Ladakh

Composition of APEDA

The composition of APEDA comprises the following members :-

• A Chairman appointed by the Central Government.

• An Agricultural Marketing Advisor to Government of India.

• A Member appointed by the Central Government to represent Niti Aayog.

• Three Members of Parliament. Out of them, two are elected by Lok Sabha and one by Rajya Sabha. 

• Eight members appointed by the Central Government to represent the following Ministries of the Central Government :-
  (i) Agriculture and Rural Development.
  (ii) Commerce.
  (iii) Finance.
  (iv) Industry.
  (v) Food.
  (vi) Civil Supplies.
  (vii) Civil Aviation.
  (viii) Shipping and Transport.

• Five members appointed by the Central Government to represent the States and Union Territories on the recommendations of the respective State Governments or Union Territories.

• Seven members appointed by the Central Government to represent the following institutions :-
  (i) Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
  (ii) National Horticultural Board.
  (iii) National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation.
  (iv) Central Food Technological Research Institute.
  (v) Indian Institute of Packaging.
  (vi) Spices Export Promotion Council.
  (vii) Cashew Export Promotion Council.

• Twelve members appointed by the Central Government to represent the following sectors :-
  (i) Fruit and Vegetable Products Industry.
  (ii) Meat, Poultry and Dairy Products Industry.
  (iii) Other Scheduled Products Industry.
  (iv) Packaging Industry.

• Two members appointed by the Central Government from among specialists and scientists in the fields of agriculture, economics and marketing of scheduled products.

Key Roles of APEDA

The key roles of the APEDA authority are as follows :-

• It promotes and exports scheduled agricultural products.

• The authority grants APEDA registration certificate to exporters, authorizing them to engage in the export of scheduled agricultural products from India in accordance with the provisions of the APEDA Act.

• It ensures quality as well as standardization of scheduled agricultural products meant for export. It does so by prescribing and enforcing quality control.

• APEDA acts as the Secretariat for India's National Programme for Organic Production (abbreviated as NPOP). It oversees the accreditation of certification bodies for the programme, sets organic standards for exports and promotes Indian organic products at an international level.

Conclusion

APEDA full form in horticulture is Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. It was established in 1986, under APEDA Act 1985 and replaced erstwhile Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC). If you want to export any scheduled agricultural products, such as basmati rice, jaggery, milk and milk based products, herbal and medicinal plants, etc., you need to secure APEDA registration. To apply for this registration, the process needs to be completed online via the official portal of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. 

If you need assistance in securing this registration, do not hesitate to connect with our APEDA experts at Registrationwala. We will help you file an application with the APEDA authority and assist you in obtaining the APEDA registration certificate in a smooth and timely manner.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is APEDA full form in agriculture?

A. APEDA full form in agriculture is Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.

Q2. Why was APEDA established?

A. It was established with the objective to promote and develop exports of scheduled agricultural and processed foods from India.

Q3. When was APEDA established?

A. It was established on 13 February 1986.

Q4. Under which Act was APEDA established?

A. It was established under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act, 1985.

Q5. Is APEDA registration required to export basmati rice from India?

A. Yes, APEDA registration is required to export basmati rice from India. This is because basmati rice is a scheduled product under APEDA Act 1985.

Q6. Which Authority’s approval is required to export scheduled products?

A. The approval of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority is required to export scheduled products from India to other countries. 

Q7. Is APEDA’s approval required to export cashews from India?

A. Is APEDA’s approval required to export cashews from India. This is because cashew nut is a scheduled product under APEDA Act 1985.

Q8. Where is the APEDA head office located?

A. The head office of APEDA is located in New Delhi. Its address is :- 3rd Floor, NCUI Building, Siri Institutional Area, August Kranti Marg.

Author: Dushyant Sharma

Hey there, I'm Dushyant Sharma. With the extensive knowledge I've gained in past 8 years, I have been creating content on various subjects such as banking, insurance, telecom, and all the important registration and licensing processes for various companies. I'm here to help everyone with my expertise in these areas through my articles.