Goyal hails first frozen French fry export from Uttarakhand
Synopsis
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has flagged the first-ever export of 24 tonnes of frozen French fries from Kashipur, Uttarakhand to Iraq — a milestone in India's push to shift from raw commodity exports to value-added agricultural products and diversify into Middle Eastern markets.
Key Takeaways
24 tonnes of frozen French fries were exported for the first time from Kashipur, Uttarakhand to Iraq .
Union Minister Piyush Goyal highlighted the shipment on 21 July 2026 as a significant milestone for India's agri exports.
The export aligns with India's Agricultural Export Policy of 2018 , which targets USD 60 billion in agri exports through value-addition and market diversification.
APEDA under the Commerce Ministry has been the nodal agency promoting such value-added food exports.
The consignment benefits potato farmers, food processors, and MSME exporters in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar region.
Expansion to other Gulf and Middle East markets is the next milestone trade watchers will track.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday, 21 July 2026 highlighted the first-ever export of 24 tonnes of frozen French fries from Kashipur, Uttarakhand to Iraq, calling it a significant milestone for India's value-added agricultural exports.
Context
Goyal shared the development on X, writing: 'From farm to fries to global markets! The first-ever export of 24 Tonnes of Frozen French Fries from Kashipur, Uttarakhand to Iraq marks a significant milestone, reflecting the growing global demand for India's value-added agricultural products.' The post was accompanied by two images and a link to an official government press release.
The shipment originates from Kashipur, a town in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand, a region that has emerged as a growing agro-processing hub owing to its potato cultivation and expanding cold-chain infrastructure. The consignment marks the first time frozen French fries produced in the state have been exported commercially.
Policy Backdrop
The export aligns with India's Agricultural Export Policy of 2018, which set a target of raising agri exports to USD 60 billion by encouraging food processing, cold-chain development, and market diversification away from raw commodities. The Commerce Ministry, through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), has been actively promoting value-added products to improve farmer incomes and strengthen trade balances.
Successive administrations have channelled investment into food-processing clusters across states like Uttarakhand, enabling producers to move up the value chain from raw potato to finished, shelf-stable products. The Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme has further supported small and medium processors in building the capacity required for export-grade output.
Stakeholders and Impact
The shipment directly benefits potato farmers in Uttarakhand's hill and Terai districts, food-processing units in and around Kashipur, and MSME exporters seeking to tap Middle Eastern markets. Iraq is an established food-import partner for India, and this consignment is part of a broader Commerce Ministry effort to diversify agricultural export destinations toward the Gulf and wider Middle East.
For the processing industry, a successful first export opens a commercial pathway and signals to other producers in the region that international-grade frozen food manufacturing is viable at scale from Uttarakhand. It also demonstrates that India can compete in a processed-food category long dominated by exporters from Europe and North America.
What's Next
Trade watchers will look for follow-on orders from Iraq and potential expansion to other Gulf Cooperation Council markets as the benchmark for whether this milestone translates into sustained export volumes. The Commerce Ministry is expected to push for additional bilateral sanitary and phytosanitary protocols with Gulf countries to ease future food-product clearances.
The rollout of further food-processing clusters under the PMFME scheme and any new cold-chain investments in Uttarakhand will determine how quickly the state can scale up value-added agri exports beyond this inaugural shipment.
Point of View
And a first-of-its-kind consignment gives diplomats and trade negotiators a concrete reference point for future bilateral food-trade talks. Whether the milestone becomes a trend will depend on sustained cold-chain investment and regulatory harmonisation, neither of which is yet guaranteed.
NationPress
22 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of India's first frozen French fry export from Uttarakhand?
It marks the first time frozen French fries produced in Kashipur, Uttarakhand have been commercially exported, signalling India's growing capacity to ship value-added processed agricultural products rather than raw commodities.
Where were the frozen French fries exported from India sent?
The 24 tonnes of frozen French fries were exported to Iraq, reflecting India's push to diversify agricultural export destinations toward the Middle East.
What role does APEDA play in India's agri exports?
APEDA, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority under the Commerce Ministry, promotes and facilitates the export of processed and value-added agricultural products from India.
How does this export relate to India's Agricultural Export Policy?
India's Agricultural Export Policy of 2018 set a target of USD 60 billion in agri exports by encouraging food processing and market diversification — the Kashipur shipment is a direct outcome of that policy direction.
Which scheme supports food processors in Uttarakhand for such exports?
The Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme has supported small and medium food processors in building export-grade production capacity in states like Uttarakhand.
