Prayagraj farmers to get export training to bypass middlemen | Hindustan Times
To help farmers secure better returns by eliminating middlemen, they will be trained in various aspects of agricultural exports, including marketing, documentation and quality management.
Freshly harvested export-quality green chillies in Jahanabad area of Fatehpur district in Prayagraj division. (HT)Under the initiative, farmers from three export-oriented clusters in Prayagraj division — aonla in Pratapgarh, and green chilli and banana in Fatehpur — will receive specialised training from three national-level institutions. Officials said the programme, covering 37 agricultural export clusters across Uttar Pradesh, will begin on November 23 and be conducted in three phases.
The initiative aims to equip farmers with the skills and knowledge to export their produce directly, reducing dependence on intermediaries who often take a substantial share of the profits, said Dr Dinesh Chandra, assistant agriculture marketing officer, Prayagraj division.
He said farmers from all export-oriented clusters were being trained in export procedures and documentation so they could independently access overseas markets.
The first phase, scheduled from November 23 to 27, will be held at the National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (NIAM), Jaipur, where farmers will learn agricultural marketing processes. The second phase, from December 1 to 3, will take place at the Sahyadri Rural Development Foundation in Nashik, focusing on agricultural entrepreneurship and marketing.
The final phase will be conducted at the National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM), Hyderabad, where farmers will be trained in integrated pest management to ensure their produce meets export requirements.
A Fatehpur green chilli farmer, Bhuvan Bhaskar, who will attend the programme, said middlemen currently take nearly 45% of export earnings. “Learning the export process will help us retain this share and boost our income,” he said.
The revised agricultural export policy is showing results, with over 5,000 farmers and farmer-producer organisations in Prayagraj division indirectly linked to global markets, according to official data.
Uttar Pradesh has recorded a steady rise in agricultural and horticultural exports. In 2022-23, the state exported 1,54,243.5 metric tonnes of such produce, generating a business of ₹18,991.43 crore. The export volume increased to 14,26,033.61 metric tonnes, worth ₹22,302.7 crore, in 2023-24. In 2024-25, exports reached 14,36,289.7 metric tonnes, valued at ₹24,028 crore. The upward trend continued in 2025-26, with exports touching 17,37,264.3 metric tonnes and business worth ₹30,878.4 crore.
In Prayagraj division, 2,835.22 metric tonnes of agricultural produce were exported till October in the current financial year, generating revenue of ₹12.29 crore for farmers, according to officials.
