New Delhi, Jan 12 : The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) on Monday said it has inaugurated a regional office in Raipur to boost agri and processed food exports from Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh offers significant export potential across a wide range of products, including premium non-basmati rice varieties and Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products such as Jeeraphool Rice and Nagri Dubraj Rice.

According to Commerce Ministry, the state also produces a variety of fruits and vegetables including guava, banana, dragon fruit, jackfruit, custard apple, tomato and cucumber, along with important minor forest produce such as mahua, tamarind, herbal and medicinal plants, providing strong opportunities to expand its presence in global markets.

According to an official statement, this is a significant step towards positioning Chhattisgarh as a major hub for agricultural and processed food exports.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that the opening of the APEDA Regional Office in Raipur is a mission to integrate Chhattisgarhâ??s farmers with the global economy.

He highlighted the potential of the stateâ??s farmers, exporters and entrepreneurs in global agri-markets, adding that Chhattisgarh would emerge as a leader in high-value and sustainable agricultural exports.

CM Sai thanked Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, for sanctioning the APEDA office in Chhattisgarh based on the request of the state government and assured full support to APEDA and the Department of Commerce in expanding exports of agricultural and organic products from the state.

The APEDA Regional Office was inaugurated during the second edition of the India International Rice Summit, organised by the Rice Exporters Association of Chhattisgarh in collaboration with APEDA and other organisations.

According to a Commerce Ministry statement, the establishment of the APEDA Regional Office in Raipur marks an important milestone for Chhattisgarhâ??s agrarian economy.

The new office will facilitate farmers, producer groups, cooperatives and exporters by providing services such as export registration, advisory support, market intelligence, certification assistance, export facilitation, infrastructure development and market linkage support, said the ministry.

/IANS