A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES OF GUJARAT AND MAHARASHTRA

Abstract

India's agricultural exports have undergone major changes in recent years. In this context, this study analyzes the trends in agricultural exports from India, changes in comparative advantage observed in India's agricultural export scenario over the past decade, and prospects for further increase in agricultural exports. Exports have increased significantly over the past decade. There are significant differences between different product groups. In Gujarat and other resins, the growth rate was 41.5%. 27% is found in meat and offal. Meat and meat products accounted for 26.6%. Sugar and spices account for 24-25%, and grains account for 16.4%. Growth rates for seafood, tea, and coffee were low. Different growth trends have led to changes in the composition of exports. The study shows a significant export share of Gujarati grains (3.3-6.9%), Gujarati and other resins (1.0-7.5%), cotton (14.1-17.3%), spices (2.3-3.3%) and solid sugar. It has been pointed out that there is an increase in (3.9-4.3%). However, the proportion of some raw materials has decreased, especially seafood (14.0-7.6%), fruits and nuts (6.1-3.5%), and coffee and tea (5.4-3.5%). . The study also analyzed the comparative advantage of Indian exports using Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA). RCA improved over time for cotton, corn, and certain fruits and vegetables, but declined for some spices, rice, and wheat. India is gradually losing its competitive advantage when it comes to spices and other raw materials from plantations, especially compared to Asian countries. Therefore, this study identified yield improvement through total factor productivity (TFP) growth as a potential factor to boost India's exports, leading to the generation of exportable surplus.