Title: Determinants of export competitiveness of fresh fruits in India

Authors: Poulomi Bhattacharya

Addresses: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Hyderabad Off-Campus, II Floor, S.R. Sankaran Block, TSIRD Campus, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500030, India

Abstract: This paper tries to examine the determinants of export competitiveness of major fruits in India using annual data from 1971 to 2012. While few studies discuss the overall competitiveness of agricultural commodities in India, there is hardly any attempt made to examine the competitiveness of fresh fruits and its determinants. The results based on ARDL model find a long-run relationship between export competitiveness of fruits along with its major determinants. The results obtained from the long-run elasticity show that per capita GDP of major fruits importing countries, domestic price of fruits, investment in agricultural sector, and real effective exchange rate significantly influence the export competitiveness of fresh fruits in India. Influence of such demand side factors on fresh fruits competitiveness emphasises the role of tapping new markets for fresh fruit exports from India. The findings of this study call for government patronage towards ensuring the quality standards of fresh fruits to make the product acceptable in the international market.

Keywords: fresh fruits competitiveness; price; per capita GDP; Narayan and Popp unit root test; ARDL model; error correction model; India.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSE.2019.096567

International Journal of Sustainable Economy, 2019 Vol.11 No.1, pp.61 - 80

Received: 13 Mar 2018
Accepted: 17 Jul 2018
Published online: 05 Dec 2018 *

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