Odisha Farmers Make First Direct Export Of Garlic, French Beans To Dubai
The produce was aggregated from farmers in the economically backward Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts, with quality checks and traceability systems put in place to meet international standards
Bhubaneswar: Farmers from Odisha’s Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts have exported 1,000 kg of fresh agricultural produce to Dubai via Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, marking the state’s first structured, direct linkage between farmer collectives and an international market.
The consignment, dispatched on Wednesday, included garlic and French beans—exported for the first time from Odisha—along with baby potatoes, ivy gourd, pointed gourd and papaya. The produce was sourced from members of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), signalling growing institutional participation by small and marginal farmers in global agri-trade.
The export was facilitated under the Promotion and Stabilization of Farmer Producer Organisations (PSFPO) project, implemented by Palladium Consulting India Pvt Ltd with support from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and backing from the Gates Foundation.
Under the initiative, agri-business startup Villa Mart Private Limited was supported to connect farmer-led institutions with overseas markets. Palladium provided incubation support to Villa Mart, including assistance in sourcing produce, securing export licences, meeting certification norms and complying with international regulatory requirements.
The process—from documentation to quality certification—was coordinated to ensure smooth execution, demonstrating how structured institutional support can enable agri-business startups to link FPOs with global markets. The produce was aggregated from farmers in the economically backward Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts, with quality checks and traceability systems put in place to meet international standards.
Officials said the shipment is being treated as a pilot aimed at opening sustained overseas market access for fresh produce from Odisha. The Directorate of Horticulture facilitated the export by coordinating farmer participation and logistics.
The development comes as Odisha’s Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment is drafting a new Agri Export Policy focused on global market integration, structured private-sector engagement and enhanced farmer incomes.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to strengthening farmer livelihoods through innovative market strategies and global linkages,” said Soumya Ranjan Sahoo, Agri Business Expert at Palladium Consulting India.
Dr. Ramesh Chandra Biswal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Villa Mart, said the Dubai shipment marked a strategic shift from local operations to international trade. “Meeting global compliance standards was a new challenge, and the incubation and documentation support made this possible,” he said.
Senior officials from the agriculture department, Villa Mart and Palladium were present during the consignment dispatch, underscoring the collaborative effort behind the initiative.
