Post-reform analysis of comparative advantage of India in export of tropical tuber crops

Exports of commodities from tropical tuber crops have been contributing on an average Rs 30–40 crores annually in earning foreign exchange to the exchequer since 2013–14. Lack of policy support for such commodities is resulting in losing comparative advantage in different trade regions and the cheaper imports for example cassava starch strongly impacting the domestic cassava starch industry. This paper is an attempt in analysing the trends in the comparative advantage for commodities from tropical tuber crops in the post-reforms period since 1991. Results indicated that India lost its comparative advantage for cassava starch after 2000 to its competitors like Thailand, Vietnam. India retained its comparative advantage in the SAARC region throughout the period of study for all the tropical tuber crops based commodities while in the ASEAN and IOR-ARC region for sweetpotato tubers, roots and tubers nes and Flour, roots and tubers nes. Protection measures of Govt. of India in the form of imposed safeguard duties on cassava starch imports may not be sufficient to protect the domestic starch industry as there has been steep growth in starch imports. Policy support is very much essential for this group of crops for their sustained role in food and nutritional security.