Export performances of principal commodities in India during April to November in 1998 are listed below:
1. Plantations:
Plantation crops primarily comprise tea and coffee. Exports of plantation crops increased during April to November, 1998 by 31.8% in rupee terms. Exports of coffee increased by 15.3% during this period to Rs 1,225 crores from 1,062 crores during the same period of last year.
Exports of tea increased from Rs 971 crores during April to November, 1997 to Rs 1,454 crores during April to November, 1998 registering a positive growth of 49.7%.
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2. Agriculture and allied products:
This group comprises a wide variety of agricultural products covering cereals, pulses, tobacco, spices, nuts and seeds, oil meals, guar gum meals, castor oil, shellac, sugar and molasses, processed food, meat and meat products, etc.
Share of items under the group ‘agricultural and allied products’ was 11.3% in total exports during April to November, 1998. During April to November, 1998, the exports of agricultural and allied products showed an increase of 13.8% from Rs 8,919 crores during April to November, 1997 to Rs 10,151 crores during April to November, 1998.
The items which have indicated a significant increase during this period as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year are rice, guar gum meal, castor oil and miscellaneous processed items.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The items which recorded decline in exports are other cereals, tobacco (unmanufactured), sesame and niger seed, groundnut, oil meals, sugar and molasses, meat and meat products, spirit and beverages and pulses.
3. Marine products:
The exports of Marine products are Rs 2,973 crores during April to November, 1998, as against Rs 2,990 crores during April to November, 1997, indicating a decrease of 0.6%.
4. Ores and minerals:
Ores and minerals are traditional items of exports. Their contribution in the total exports is about 2.4% during April to November, 1998. The main items of exports in this category are iron ore, manganese ore, chrome ore, aluminium, mica and coal.
During April to November, 1998, the exports of ores and minerals were valued at Rs 2,183 crores registering a decline of 10.8% over the same period of last year.
Iron ore and processed minerals have shown a sharp decline during this period and mica has registered a positive growth of 20% during April to November, 1998, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.
5. Leather and leather manufactures:
The value of exports of leather manufactures has increased from Rs 3,694 crores during April to November, 1997 to Rs 4,269 crores during April to November, 1998, showing a positive growth of 15.6%. Leather goods account for 4.1% share in the total exports during April to November, 1998.
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‘Footwear’ exports constitutes 29% of the exports of leather and leather products and exports of leather footwear declined by 19.4% during April to November, 1998, as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.
Most of the leather products are exported to developed countries like Germany, France, US, UK, Italy, Japan and CIS countries.
6. Gems and jewellery:
Gems and jewellery are major export items accounting for about 17.3% of our total exports during April to November, 1998. The export of gems and jewellery during April to November, 1998, amounted to Rs 15,583 crores as compared to Rs 17,672 crores during the corresponding period of last year, showing a positive growth rate of 33.5%.
7. Chemical and allied products:
Chemical and allied products have a positive growth of 1.8% during April to November, 1998, over the same period of the previous year in rupee terms.
Plastic and linoleum products in the international market are very competitive and stringent environmental and public health controls need to be maintained. Quality control in terms of packaging standards and delivery schedules require further attention, if a continuous increase is to be maintained.
8. Engineering goods:
The share of engineering goods contributes 10.9% to the total exports during April to November, 1998. The main items under the group ‘Engineering Goods’ are ferro alloys, non-ferrous metals, machine tools, machinery and instruments, transport equipments, residual engineering items, etc.
Exports of engineering goods ammoniated to Rs 9,834 crores during April to November, 1998, as against Rs 10,139 crores during April to November, 1997, showing a decline of 3%. Other products covered under this group are capital goods and consumer durables.
9. Electronic and computer software:
In the event of technological advancement and breakthrough in industrial infrastructure, electronics and computer software industry has been identified as a thrust sector for export.
The non-traditional sector consists broadly of consumer electronics, control instrumentation and industrial electronics, computer systems, communication equipment, components and software.
Electronic goods excluding software have a share of 1.4% of India’s exports during the period April to November, 1998. Exports of electronic goods excluding software during April to November, 1998, are valued at Rs 1,220 crores as compared to Rs 1,886 crores during April to November, 1997, showing a decline of 35.3%.
10. Textiles:
Textiles including carpets, handicrafts and raw cotton are the major traditional export items accounting for nearly 27.7% share in the total exports during April to November, 1998.
Total value of Indian textiles exports during April to November, 1998, increased to Rs 21,588 crores from Rs 20,039 crores during the corresponding period of the previous year showing a positive growth rate of 7.7%.
Coir and coir manufactures recorded the highest growth in this sector of about 33.3% followed by natural silk textiles (30.1%), readymade garments (24.9%), jute manufactures (8.3%) and man- made textile made-ups, etc. (0.7%).
Cotton yarn fabrics, made-ups, etc. and wool and woolen manufacture recorded a negative growth of 10% respectively. Handicrafts recorded a positive growth of 36.3% during April to November 1998, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Raw cotton including waste and carpets showed a decline of 78.6% and 8.3% respectively during April to November 1998.
11. Handicrafts:
The main items of exports of handicrafts are various types of handmade carpets and works of art, such as metal art ware, textiles (hand printed), wood wares and zari goods.
Exports of carpets declined during April to November, 1998, to Rs 1,278 crores from Rs 1,394 crores during April to November, 1997, indicating a negative growth of 8.3% during April to November, 1998.
Handicrafts exports increased to Rs 1,865 crores from Rs.13,678 crores during the corresponding period of the last year showing a positive growth of 36.3%.