KERALA has done it; export growth

Kerala is considered to a weakling when it comes to trade, industrialization and insipite of the fact that it has one of the best natural harbour in the World and world renowned from the dawn of the Christ era about its far flung trade. India’s trade with Arab is legion, and it was the fairytale land eyed by almost all the European powers and voyagers starting from Vasco-da-Gama. Its natives have gone to forlorn countries and cities to earn, work like no other and have created a brand for Kerala labourer as the ‘best hardworker’ from anywhere.

In addition to all the banks putting their anchor here to get a pie of the NRI remittance, and even though their CR ratio is a deep wide, they make profit by deploying funds elsewhere.

But a little known fact, which makes Kerala proud, went unnoticed. It is something unprecedented. I refer to the Economic Survey 2009-10 laid on Feb 25, 2010 in Parliament give flattering account of Kerala’s exports. In Page 171 of the Economic Survey, under Table 7.16 ‘State wise Exports of top 15 States’ are highlighted. Growth rate percentage of different states (reference to US $) between April-September 2009-10 show that Maharashtra had a negative growth of 49.1%, West Bengal 49.1%, Gujarat 27.1%, Delhi 55.2%, UP 51.1%, Andhra 12.3% while only two States came out with positive growth. In the first place is Kerala with 9.2% growth while Haryana posted a positive growth of 0.1%. This is despite the fact that Kerala’s export sectors get poor help and support in the form of benefits of Chapter III Schemes of the Foreign Trade Policy, and has negligible Duty Drawback benefit and poor support under Schemes like Assistance to States for Infrastructure Development for Exports which had an outlay of Rs 570 Cr during 2009-10.

Kerala’s share in total exports of the Country was 2.6% (2008-9). Its growth rate percentage in US $ compared to its earlier year was 101. Maharastra accounted for 24.1% of the total Indian exports in 2008-9 followed by Gujarat (21.7), Tamilnadu (10), and Karnataka (6.6). Kerala’s exports consisting of Spices, Marine products, Cashew, Coir, Coconut products, Service exports, Ayurvedic products, agricultural powders, have done extremely well. It was individual entrepreneur initiative that was responsible for the coaster drive of Kerala, which gets the first position in terms of export growth rate. Well done Kerala Exporters. Well done Kerala entrepreneurs. Kerala can do it.