The Union Commerce ministry has abolished the compulsory registration rule for groundnut shelling units to export to countries outside the European Union (EU). This move may increase groundnut shipments from India. India exported about 512,000 tonne of groundnut in 2013-14 and in the current financial year, shipments are estimated to touch 700,000 tonne.
Till now, exporters had to buy groundnut from shelling units registered with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) while shelling units had to get themselves registered through Indian Oilseed and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC). This rule was made applicable in 2013. Though, many shelling units from Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh had opposed this rule and were engaged in several discussions with Commerce ministry and APEDA pressing for its removal.
As per the department of commerce letter to APEDA and IOPEPC, exporters would be allowed to purchase from unregistered shelling units or open market for exporting to countries outside the EU. Raw material, however, has to be mandatorily processed from APEDA grading, shelling-cum-grading and processing units.