Comparative Advantage in Export of Major Agricultural Commodities in India: A Post-reforms Analysis Lakra Kerobim*, Bairwa Shoji Lal, Meena Lokesh Kumar, Kushwaha Saket Department of Agricultural Economics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India *Corresponding author: kerobim.l@gmail.com
Online published on 29 May, 2014. Abstract With the withering away of protectionist policies, the trade pattern of India is likely to march in the direction of its comparative advantage. The paper attempts to assess India's revealed Symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) in export of major agricultural commodities. This study evaluates the structure of comparative advantage in India and the change in the scenario over a period of 21 years from 1991 to 2011. The present study has ascertained the changes in comparative advantage status of India's major agricultural exports vis-a-vis global players during the post-reforms period. It has been observed in the study that in exports of certain commodities like rice, tea, tobacco, spices, groundnuts and castor oil, India has been able to maintain its comparative advantage, but several other commodities like coffee, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, cotton and sugar, etc. have been negatively affected. India has been found losing out its comparative advantage in export of some of the agricultural commodities to other global competitors during the period of post economic reforms. Top Keywords Agricultural commodities, agricultural exports, comparative advantage, and economic reforms. Top |