The state government is setting up a separate terminal at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad to facilitate the export of perishable agricultural produce.

The Rs 8-crore project is likely to be completed in the next five months and will be made operational immediately. Being developed as a single-window facility, it will have Customs clearance facility to expedite the loading and transport of such perishable commodity.

Simultaneously, the state government is also constructing a Rs 8-crore ‘Integrated Pack House’ with a ripening chamber for vegetables and fruits, at Naroda,

Gujarat’s biggest wholesale fruit market.

The commodities meant for export will be collected here, treated as per international standards to ensure they do not get spoiled during transportation and are packed properly for export.

Joint Secretary (Agriculture) P M Asari told The Indian Express that the facility is being developed following a detailed survey regarding demand of fruits and vegetables in the world market from Gujarat. According to him, the exports will not be confined to any particular region, but all over the world.

Good production of quality vegetables and fruits notwithstanding, the state has been unable to exploit the world market even with the opening of the international borders for trade and commerce of agricultural commodities, due to a lack of storage facilities.

According to statistics available with the state Agriculture Department, production of horticultural crops has increased significantly in the last couple of years. During 2007-08, the production of fruits, vegetables, spices and flowers was 60.20 lakh tonnes, 74.03 lakh tonnes, 9.67 lakh tonnes and 0.84 lakh tonnes respectively. In 2006-07, it was 53.58 lakh tonnes, 60.63 lakh tonnes, 6.29 lakh tonnes and 0.55 lakh tonnes respectively.

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