Sector playbook
Agri and processed foods exporters: the four things you are leaving on the table.
Agri and processed food exporters have access to schemes most MSMEs do not realise exist. TMA (Transport and Marketing Assistance for Specified Agriculture Products) reimburses freight, APEDA reimburses packaging and quality testing, and basmati exports carry an additional scheme stack.
- Sector export value, FY 24-25
- Rs 4.04 lakh crore (FY 2024-25)
- Avg RoDTEP rate
- 2.1%
- RoSCTL stacking
- Not applicable
- HS chapters covered
- 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Top 20 HS codes in this sector
Sorted by RoDTEP rate. Click through for the detailed page on each code.
| HS code | Description | RoDTEP | Drawback | GST refund |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 210690 | Other food preparations, n.e.s. | 2.40% | 1.25% | 0.5% |
| 200799 | Other jams, fruit jellies, marmalades, fruit purees | 2.30% | 1.20% | 0.5% |
| 190531 | Sweet biscuits | 2.20% | 1.10% | 0.5% |
| 080132 | Cashew nuts, shelled | 2.10% | 1.00% | 0.0% |
| 090411 | Pepper of the genus Piper, neither crushed nor ground | 2.10% | 1.00% | 0.0% |
| 200490 | Other vegetables prepared/preserved by freezing | 2.10% | 1.00% | 0.5% |
| 080130 | Cashew nuts, fresh or dried, in shell | 2.00% | 0.95% | 0.0% |
| 090111 | Coffee, not roasted, not decaffeinated | 2.00% | 0.95% | 0.0% |
| 190540 | Rusks, toasted bread and similar products | 2.00% | 0.95% | 0.5% |
| 090210 | Green tea, in packings of <=3 kg | 1.90% | 0.90% | 0.0% |
| 090230 | Black tea, in packings of <=3 kg | 1.90% | 0.90% | 0.0% |
| 091030 | Turmeric (curcuma) | 1.90% | 0.90% | 0.0% |
| 091010 | Ginger | 1.80% | 0.85% | 0.0% |
| 081340 | Dried fruit mixtures, other than 0801-0806 | 1.70% | 0.80% | 0.0% |
| 081310 | Dried apricots | 1.60% | 0.75% | 0.0% |
| 100630 | Semi-milled or wholly milled rice (incl. basmati) | 1.50% | 0.70% | 0.0% |
| 151590 | Other fixed vegetable oils (e.g., sesame, rice bran) | 1.40% | 0.65% | 0.0% |
| 100640 | Broken rice | 1.30% | 0.60% | 0.0% |
| 150790 | Soya-bean oil and its fractions, refined, not chemically modified | 1.30% | 0.60% | 0.0% |
| 070961 | Capsicum/sweet peppers, fresh | 1.20% | 0.55% | 0.0% |
Quirks of this sector that cost exporters money
- 01TMA freight reimbursement caps at 50 percent for sea, 25 percent for air. Most exporters under-claim.
- 02Basmati rice has a separate notification regime under APEDA. Quote PB-1 vs 1121 codes carefully.
- 03Processed food exports to Gulf require Halal certification documented in your application.
- 04APEDA cold-chain infrastructure grants are available for perishable exporters but require pre-shipment registration.
- 05Spices Board RCMC and APEDA RCMC are separate. Many exporters assume one covers the other.
Schemes that apply
Three illustrative cases from this sector
Names redacted at customer request. Recovery numbers from FY 2024-25 audits.
Rs 22,40,000 annual
Karnal basmati, 92 cr turnover
TMA scheme not filed for KSA destinations for four quarters. Sea freight reimbursement claims were eligible against 41 bills.
Rs 5,80,000 annual
Cochin spices, 14 cr turnover
Pepper exports to specified destinations were eligible for Spices Board grants and parallel APEDA reimbursement. Both unclaimed.
Rs 8,20,000 annual
Andhra cashew, 47 cr turnover
Cashew shelled vs in-shell sub-code distinction was costing 0.1 percentage points. NIRYAT PROTSAHAN had also lapsed at the bank for two half-years.
Sector-specific FAQ
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