The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was established in 1985 by the Government of India to promote and develop exports of agricultural and processed food products. APEDA monitors the export of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, confectionery and other food products. It is headed by a Chairman and comprises representatives of various ministries and industries related to food processing and export. APEDA operates from its head office in New Delhi and has five regional offices and 13 virtual offices across India to serve exporters.

1. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA) was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the
Parliament in December, 1985. The Act (2 of 1986) came into effect from 13th
February, 1986 by a notification issued in the Gazette of India: Extraordinary: Part-
II [Sec. 3(ii): 13.2.1986). The Authority replaced the Processed Food Export
Promotion Council (PFEPC).
1.1 ASSIGNED FUNCTIONS
In accordance with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority Act, 1985, (2 of 1986) the following functions have been
assigned to the Authority.
o Development of industries relating to the scheduled products for
export by way of providing financial assistance or otherwise for
undertaking surveys and feasibility studies, participation in enquiry
capital through joint ventures and other reliefs and subsidy
schemes;
o Registration of persons as exporters of the scheduled products on
payment of such fees as may be prescribed;
o Fixing of standards and specifications for the scheduled products for
the purpose of exports;
o Carrying out inspection of meat and meat products in slaughter
houses, processing plants, storage premises, conveyances or other
places where such products are kept or handled for the purpose of
ensuring the quality of such products;
o Improving of packaging of the Scheduled products;
o Improving of marketing of the Scheduled products outside India;
o Promotion of export oriented production and development of the
Scheduled products;
o Collection of statistics from the owners of factories or establishments
engaged in the production, processing, packaging, marketing or
export of the scheduled products or from such other persons as may
be prescribed on any matter relating to the scheduled products and
publication of the statistics so collected or of any portions thereof or
extracts therefrom;
o Training in various aspects of the industries connected with the
scheduled products;
o Such other matters as may be prescribed.
1.2 PRODUCTS MONITORED
APEDA is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of
the following scheduled products:
Fruits, Vegetables and their Products.
Meat and Meat Products.
Poultry and Poultry Products.
Dairy Products.
Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery Products.
Honey, Jaggery and Sugar Products.
Cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds.
Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages.
Cereal and Cereal Products.
Groundnuts, Peanuts and Walnuts.
Pickles, Papads and Chutneys.

2. Guar Gum.
Floriculture and Floriculture Products
Herbal and Medicinal Plants
In addition to this, APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility to
monitor import of sugar.
1.3 COMPOSITION OF THE APEDA AUTHORITY
As prescribed by the statute, the APEDA Authority consists of the following members
namely:
A Chairman, appointed by the Central Government
The Agricultural Marketing Advisor to the Government of India, ex-officio
One member appointed by the Central Government representing the Planning
Commission
Three members of Parliament of whom two are elected by the House of
People and one by the Council of States
Eight members appointed by the Central Government representing
respectively; the Ministries of the Central Govt. dealing with
o Agriculture and Rural Development
o Commerce
o Finance
o Industry
o Food
o Civil Supplies
o Civil Aviation
o Shipping and Transport
Five members appointed by the Central Government by rotation in the
alphabetical order to represent the States and the Union Territories
Seven members appointed by the Central Govt. representing
o Indian Council of Agricultural Research
o National Horticultural Board
o National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation
o Central Food Technological Research Institute
o Indian Institute of Packaging
o Spices Export Promotion Council and
o Cashew Export Promotion Council.
Twelve members appointed by the Central Government representing
o Fruit and Vegetable Products Industries
o Meat, Poultry and Dairy Products Industries
o Other Scheduled Products Industries
o Packaging Industry
Two members appointed by the Central Government from amongst specialists
and scientists in the fields of agriculture, economics and marketing of the
scheduled products.
1.4 ADMINISTRATIVE SET UP
Chairman – Appointed by the Central Government

3. Director – Appointed by APEDA
Secretary – Appointed by the Central Government
Other Officers and Staff - Appointed by the Authority
Section 7 (3) of the APEDA Act provides for appointment of such officers and
employees by the Authority as may be necessary for the efficient performance of its
functions.
The total sanctioned staff strength is 100 in different categories of A, B, C & D.
At present, APEDA has a total of 30 female employees in Group A, B and C
categories. The welfare of the female employees is also well looked after. APEDA
has provided a separate ladies room within the office premises.
As per Govt. norms, the reservation for physically handicapped persons is 3% of the
total strength in all grades. APEDA has total sanctioned staff strength of 100 out of
which two are physically handicapped employees. The requirement of 3% will be
completed in subsequent recruitments.
1.5 APEDA’S PRESENCE
APEDA has marked its presence in almost all agro potential states of India and has
been providing services to agri-export community through its head office, five
Regional offices and 13 Virtual offices.
Head office
• New Delhi
Regional offices
• Mumbai,
• Kolkata,
• Bangalore,
• Hyderabad and
• Guwahati
Virtual offices
• Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala),
• Bhubaneshwar (Orissa),
• Srinagar (J&K),
• Chandigarh,
• Imphal (Manipur),
• Agartala (Tripura),
• Kohima (Nagaland),
• Chennai (Tamil Nadu),
• Raipur (Chattisgarh),
• Ahmedabad (Gujarat),
• Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh),
• Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and

4. • Panaji (Goa)
The Virtual offices have been established in association with respective State
Governments / agencies. Basic information about APEDA, its functions, registration
and financial assistance schemes etc. is being made available to entrepreneurs /
prospective exporters by these virtual offices.