India's August Farm Exports Split: Rice, Marine and Meat Rise, Spices and Tea Fall

India's merchandise exports reached $43.81 billion in August 2026, up 26.1% from $34.73 billion in August 2025, but the farm trade behind that headline was uneven. Rice, marine products, meat-dairy-poultry, cereal preparations, coffee and cashew all posted gains, while spices, fruits and vegetables, oilseeds, oil meal and tea fell, according to trade data reported by Rural Voice.

Over the first five months of the fiscal year, April to August 2026, total exports came to $215.91 billion against $183.21 billion a year earlier, a rise of 17.8%. Several agricultural import lines grew faster than any export category, led by pulses, fertilisers and fruits and vegetables.

Rice holds, marine and meat accelerate

Rice exports were worth $918 million in August 2026, 4.1% above the $881 million of August 2025. For April–August the total stood at $4.812 billion against $4.71 billion, an increase of 2.2%, leaving rice the largest single agricultural earner of the period but among the slowest growing.

Marine products rose 27.8% in August to $761 million from $596 million. Cumulative April–August shipments gained 14.3%, moving from $3.194 billion to $3.651 billion.

Meat, dairy and poultry products recorded the sharpest monthly increase, up 37.1% to $694 million from $506 million. Across the five-month period the category advanced 43.9%, from $2.177 billion to $3.132 billion.

Cereal preparations rose 7.4% in August to $309 million from $288 million, taking the April–August figure to $1.443 billion from $1.37 billion, up 5.3%. Coffee exports gained 17.1% to $163 million from $139 million, with the five-month total at $924 million against $902 million, up 2.5%. Cashew exports edged up 3.6% to $27 million from $26 million, and 1.5% to $111 million for April–August.

Spices, tea and oil meal lose ground

Five categories fell in both August and the cumulative period:

• Spices: $289 million in August, down 13.3% from $333 million; April–August at $1.696 billion versus $1.832 billion.
• Fruits and vegetables: $276 million, down 11.4% from $312 million; April–August down 10.3% to $1.40 billion from $1.561 billion.
• Oilseeds: $86 million, down 16.7% from $104 million; April–August down 18.9% to $454 million from $561 million.
• Oil meal: $51 million, down 48% from $99 million; April–August down 21% to $375 million from $474 million.
• Tea: $94 million, down 12.5% from $107 million; April–August down 15.6% to $355 million from $421 million.

Pulses and fertiliser imports climb

Pulse imports jumped 77% in August to $203 million from $115 million, and 38.5% over April–August to $1.165 billion from $841 million. Imports of fruits and vegetables rose 33.9% in the month to $354 million from $264 million, and 30.5% over the five months to $1.752 billion.

Fertiliser imports increased 13.6% in August to $1.886 billion from $1.66 billion. The cumulative April–August bill reached $8.206 billion, 53.2% above the $5.355 billion of the same period a year earlier — the steepest rise among the categories tracked.

Edible oil imports were flat in August at $2.027 billion, level with August 2025. For April–August, however, they rose 11.3% to $9.18 billion from $8.25 billion.