India's 'promising economic performance' continues to be backed by resilient growth, robust economic activity indicators, price stability and steady external sector performance, the finance ministry said Thursday. However, geopolitical tensions such as those roiling West Asia, remain a concern although risk perceptions over them have softened, offering a potential upside for growth, the ministry said in its monthly economic report for March.

The Centre is working systematically with farmers in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh for the first time to sow kharif pulses such as tur, urad and moong even before sowing for the season starts, with a promise to procure an unlimited quantity of their produce at the minimum support price (MSP).

The government has extended the deadline for accreditation of halal certification bodies and registration of export units by three months till July 4 this year. Last year, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had notified the policy conditions for halal certification process for meat and meat products and had directed the existing bodies to seek accreditation from National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) for i-CAS (Indian Conformity Assessment Scheme) Halal till April 5, 2024.

Wheat procurement in the country reached 119.26 lakh tonnes (lt) until April 23, against 159.23 lt year-ago, official data show. Though there is a drop in Punjab, as much as 31.64 lt was bought in last six days from April 19 for the Central Pool stock, which indicates that the procurement is back on track. Procurement by the food Corporation of India (FCI) got affected by untimely rains earlier this month in Punjab resulting in higher grain moisture.