Context: Recently, Centre has revised the “Transport and Marketing Assistance” (TMA) scheme for Specified Agriculture Products’.

About ‘Revised Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme’

• The revised TMA scheme will be available for exports affected on or after 01.04.2021 up to 31.03.2022.

The following major changes have been made in the revised scheme

• Dairy products, which were not covered under the earlier scheme, will be eligible for assistance under the revised scheme.
• Rates of assistance have been increased, by 50% for exports by sea and by 100% for exports by air.

Advantage: Enhanced assistance under the revised scheme is expected to help Indian exporters of agricultural products to meet rising freight and logistics costs.
About Transport and Marketing Assistance(TMA)

• Launched by: Ministry of Commerce & Industry in 2019.

The objective of the Scheme: The scheme aims to provide assistance for the international component of freight and marketing of agricultural produce.

• The assistance will help mitigate the disadvantage of higher freight costs faced by the Indian exporters of agriculture products.

Coverage: All exporters, duly registered with relevant Export Promotion Council as per Foreign Trade Policy, of eligible agriculture products, shall be covered under this scheme.

• The scheme covers freight and marketing assistance for export by air as well as by sea (both normal and reefer cargo).

Duration of the Scheme: The scheme was initially applicable for exports affected during the period from 01.03.2019 to 31.03.2020 and was later extended for exports affected up to 31.03.2021.