PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 9 -- Pratapgarh's GI-tagged aonla (Indian gooseberry) is set for a larger presence in international markets, with local entrepreneurs securing export orders worth around Rs.20 crore from buyers in the UK, US, Poland, Mauritius, Ireland and the UAE at the recently concluded UP International Trade Show (UPITS) in Greater Noida. The development is significant for Pratapgarh, which produces around 82,000 metric tonnes of aonla annually from orchards spread across nearly 8,850 hectares. The district has around 550 units manufacturing different aonla-based products, ranging from processed food items to other value-added products, officials said. "After being selected under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, the aonla business in Pratapgarh has grown significantly. The response at UPITS has further opened opportunities for local entrepreneurs in overseas markets," said deputy commissioner (industries) Sahab Sharan Rawat. Eleven entrepreneurs from Pratapgarh participated in UPITS-2026, including two under ODOP, four under ODOC, two GI-tagged products, two MSME and one under the CM Yuva scheme. Officials said the participants received export enquiries and orders from more than half a dozen countries in Europe and the Gulf region, with the total business value estimated at around Rs.20 crore. The global interest in aonla products has been driven by growing awareness about health benefits as well as efforts to promote agricultural exports, officials said. Under the UP Agricultural Export Policy-2019, incentives are being provided to farmers, farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and agri-entrepreneurs, officials said. Assistant agriculture marketing officer of the Prayagraj division, Dinesh Chandra, said these incentives had encouraged farmers and entrepreneurs to look beyond domestic markets. More than 5,000 farmers and FPOs in the division are now indirectly linked to global markets, he said, adding that aonla has emerged as the division's second-largest agricultural export after rice. Pratapgarh's aonla was granted a Geographical Indication (GI) certificate on March 31, 2023, giving the local produce a distinct identity in domestic and international markets. Entrepreneurs said the GI tag had helped improve the visibility of their products at major trade events. Anurag Khandelwal of Shri Sai Fruit and Agri Development, who has been in the aonla products business for around a decade, said his annual turnover was about Rs.2 crore. His firm secured orders worth Rs.2.5 crore from Mauritius, the UK, Poland and the UAE at UPITS. Similarly, Dilip Mishra of Deepanjali Grih Udyog said his eight-year-old business received orders worth Rs.3.3 crore from Ireland, Poland, the US and the UAE during the trade show....