Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) Scheme

GS 3: Economy | Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, and Railways etc.

Why in News?

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has laid out a detailed procedure for claiming benefits under the Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme.

Highlights:

  • It aims at boosting agricultural exports.
  • The scheme for providing financial assistance for transport and marketing of agriculture products to boost exports of such commodities to certain countries in Europe and North America.
  • The level of assistance would be different for different regions as notified from time to time for export of eligible products. The scheme covers freight and marketing assistance such as SEO Services for export by air as well as by sea.

Objectives:

  • The scheme aims to provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce.
  • To mitigate disadvantage of higher cost of transportation of export of specified agriculture products due to trans-shipment.
  • To promote brand recognition for Indian agricultural products in the specified overseas markets.

Coverage & Eligibility:

  • All exporters, duly registered with relevant Export Promotion Council as per Foreign Trade Policy, of eligible agriculture products shall be covered under this scheme.
  • The Scheme would be applicable for a period as specified from time to time. Presently the Scheme would be available for exports from 1.3.2019 to 31.03.2020.

APEDA:

  • The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is a non-trading, statutory body established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.
  • 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 in New Delhi, five Regional offices and 13 Virtual offices.
  • In 2017, APEDA launched a mobile app- “Farmer Connect” to allow farmers to apply online to facilitate their farm registration, tracking the status of application & approvals by State Government and Lab sampling by authorized Laboratories.
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