Indusfood, the largest integrated F&B trade show in South Asia, comes to Hyderabad. The 6th edition in the row and first in Telangana will be held at Hitex from January 8 to 10, 2023. 

 

The who’s who of the F&B industry in India and all over the globe is to participate in the show. It ?will be? organised by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI), an apex trade and investment promotion organisation notified in the Foreign Trade Policy. TPCI is also recognised and supported by the Department of Commerce, Government of India.

 

The show’s highlights include 1,200+ world class buyers from 80 plus countries interfacing with 550+ Indian exhibitors. It will be spread over an exhibition area covering 26,000 sq feet. It takes the lead in commemorating the International Year of Millets, 2023, with a special showcase of millets in its 6th Edition. Unprecedented number of start-ups to exhibit. It will have a special focus on Indian market opportunities with buyers representing modern trade, e-commerce QSRs, airlines and so on.

An export business of US$1 billion is expected to be closed at the show.

 

The show has grown rapidly to become the largest integrated F&B trade show in South Asia over the past five years. Speaking at the event, Mohit Singla, founder chairman, TPCI, said, 'Indusfood has provided a dedicated and powerful platform for the Indian F&B industry to promote its strengths and expand its horizons in the international market. Over the past five years, it has become the sole catalyst for robust growth in India’s processed food exports, by ensuring direct linkages with global buyers.'

 

India’s F&B exports were recorded at US$42 billion in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 6.7% YoY since 2017. Correspondingly, processed food exports have grown at a particularly robust pace of over 20% during the period to reach US$8 billion in 2021. During January-October, 2022, processed food product exports have further accelerated by 32% YoY to reach US$8.6 billion. 'We are positive that Indusfood 2023 will play a catalytic role in building on this strong growth momentum both internationally and in the domestic market,' Singla added.

Indian Bank, which has had a long presence in Sri Lanka, has received the regulatory go ahead to hold special rupee vostro accounts of three banks from the South Asian island nation which is struggling to tide over a serious foreign exchange crunch.

 

The Chennai-headquartered public sector bank is expected to activate the special accounts in about a week.

 

A vostro account in local currency would enable Lanka to import from India without dipping into its dwindling dollar supply. The INR vostro facility is part of a special trade settlement mechanism which was finalized by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in July 2022. The arrangement allows Indian importers to deposit rupees in vostro accounts that overseas banks open with banks in India and clearing of dues to Indian exporters from the surplus balances in the vostro accounts.

 

'RBI has given permission for three vostros..The accounts are expected to be functional any day now,' a person aware of the clearance told ET.

 

The INR vostro account --- a product of war and economic turbulence --- is considered as a tool to either overcome restrictions in the wake of US sanctions on Russian banks or continue cross-border trades amid a hard currency crisis.

 

'The vostro accounts would also help Lanka to utilize the rupee lines extended by India. It would contribute towards stabilizing the Lankan economy,' said a banker.

 

Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe recently said 2023 would be a 'critical year' for the troubled country. Last year’s balance of payments crisis had boiled over into a political turmoil in Sri Lanka.

 

For Sri Lankan institutions, Indian Bank, which had set up shop in the island nine decades ago, may be an obvious choice. The bank had opened its first overseas branch in Colombo in 1932. Since a decade it has had operations in Jaffna as well. Till now, State of India (SBI) is the other domestic institution with which a Lankan bank has opened a vostro account.

 

India's annual exports to Lanka is about $5 bn with oil, pharmaceutical products, sugar, ships, iron and steel, cotton and machinery being the main cargoes.

 

As the currency market in Lanka ran out of dollars, early last year most banks in India virtually stopped discounting letters of credit (LC) --- the basic trade finance instrument --- issued by banks in Lanka. Banks feared that when payments for its imports fall due, there would not be enough dollars in Sri Lanka.

 

'What we hear is that the government would pursue a similar vostro mechanism with banks in Bangladesh, and it may prefer to have it in place before the Bangladesh general elections in 2024,' said another banker. Bangladesh has been badly hit by a trade deficit and depleting forex reserves.

 

While the Ukraine war and the sanctions on Russia paved the way for the special vostro accounts, the mechanism can be used to settle trade in rupees with any country. For instance, several banks in Belarus, a close ally of Russia, are keen to enter into a similar deal with India. 'A meeting between Indian and Belarusian banks is scheduled this month. The volume of trade with Belarus is much smaller compared to Russia though the country is an import supplier of fertilizer. We can sense the interest of Indian banks after the meeting,' said an industry official.

 

In giving greater flexibility to the vostro facility, RBI last November clarified that the rupee balances lying in the accounts can be hedged so that foreign companies can minimize their losses from foreign exchange fluctuations. Also, the central bank has allowed the transfer of balance in one special rupee vostro account to a similar account of another bank from the same country.

 

Agricultural diversification is key to reducing the risk in farming activities and the J&K Government is constantly employing the latest technological interventions to diversify the agriculture sector across Jammu and Kashmir.

 

Mushroom cultivation is one important tool in not only enhancing the agricultural income of the farming community but also securing it against rising changes in climate and soil resources.

 

With this in mind, the Government of J&K is implementing a full-fledged project on ‘Promotion of Round the Year Mushroom Cultivation’ (PRYMC) across the UT. The project to be implemented at a cost of around Rs 42 Cr over the next three years by the Agriculture Production Department of J&K will increase the production of Mushrooms by 3.5 times and revolutionise Mushroom Cultivation here, an official statement said.

 

The project will also increase employment generation by 3 times and more than 768 new enterprises are also being created in the process to ensure the sustainability of the interventions.

 

“Mushroom farming generates revenue and helps to reduce poverty. The production of mushrooms creates a significant amount of direct and indirect employment opportunities in the fields of cultivation and marketing, as well as providing opportunities for processing businesses and labour-intensive management,” said Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo.

 

He added that Mushroom farming requires little capital and little technical expertise, and it is even possible to grow mushrooms indoors on a small scale and easily earn a high return on investment. He further said that women can grow mushrooms in their homes with little investment and as a result, mushroom farming not only gives rural women more power but also fights poverty at its source.

 

‘Promotion of Round the Year Mushroom Cultivation’ is one among the 29 projects, which were approved by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after being recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of Agriculture and Allied Sectors in UT of J&K.

 

The prestigious committee is headed by Dr Mangala Rai, Former DG ICAR and has other luminaries in the field of Agriculture, Planning, Statistics & Administration like Shri Ashok Dalwai, CEO NRAA, Dr P. K Joshi, Secretary, NAAS, Dr Prabhat Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner MOA & FW, Dr H. S Gupta, Former Director, IARI, Sh. Atal Dulloo IAS, Financial Commissioner (Addl Chief Secretary) APD apart from the Vice Chancellors of the twin Agriculture Universities of the UT.

 

“Mushroom is an important cottage industry in rural areas. It leads to the economic betterment of small & marginal farmers, landless labourers, and women. Being a cash crop it is a good means of generating employment opportunities for the youth of the UT”, said Director of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Jammu, K.K Sharma, who is implementing the project in collaboration with SKUAST.

 

He added that the lack of availability of pasteurized compost & unorganized market were the major constraints in mushroom production and this project is going to address them in a significant way.

 

Under the project 26 pasteurized compost-making units, 10 spawn production labs and 72 controlled conditioned cropping rooms (2000 bags capacity), will be established in the span of three years. For the promotion of mushroom cultivation in non-traditional areas, 1.5 lakh subsidized pasteurised compost bags will be distributed among mushroom growers. Women empowerment through the establishment of 300 women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) will be undertaken.

 

The project also focuses on the value addition of the perishable commodity through the creation of four canning units and the distribution of 60 solar dryers among mushroom growers. In addition to this, an amount of Rs 2.1 Crs has been earmarked for research and development.

 

Under this emphasis will also be laid on the promotion of medicinal mushrooms and the introduction of new strains of mushrooms. It will also have a specific emphasis on the standardization of locally available substrates and documentation of conditions for their optimal growth.

 

The mushroom sector in J&K is about to witness a resurgence in the form of unprecedented institutional and capital support which will boost production, productivity as well as export of mushrooms from the UT.

 

This information was provided by the Department of information and public relations J&K.

To support the ever-increasing population, it is essential to increase the production of crops, boost agricultural activities and food trade in the same proportion. The world population is increasing continuously and it is estimated to reach 10 billion by the year 2050. The global agriculture market has grown from $11 trillion to $12.1 trillion in 2022, which is expected to grow to $16.67 trillion by the year 2026. Madhya Pradesh, located in the heart of the country, is an agricultural state. Agriculture contributes 47 per cent to its GSDP. That’s why Madhya Pradesh is proudly called 'Food Basket of India'. The state has bagged Krishi Karman Award for 7 times. In view of this, there are immense possibilities in agriculture and food processing sector in the state.

 

Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of oranges, spices, garlic, ginger, gram and pulses in the country. The area under cultivation of organic products is also significant in the state. It is the second largest producer of soybeans, wheat, maize, citrus fruits, onions and flowers. It is third largest producer of oilseeds, horticulture, chilly, aromatic, medicinal plants and milk. It is the largest producer and exporter of 'Sharbati Wheat'. Sharbati wheat flour is considered to be of the highest quality in the country.

 

The agro-climatic zone of the state is divided into 11 parts. This shows diversity in agricultural produce. The 10 major river basins and inland water bodies spread over 0.3 million hectare in the state, rivers and canals spread over more than 17 thousand kilometers, abundant availability of water from more than 60 thousand hectare small and big ponds further boost agricultural production in the state.

 

Madhya Pradesh has a lot of opportunities for investment in the agriculture sector, with a special focus on capital investment in the development of quality seeds, fertilisers, fodder production and supply, manufacturing of agricultural machinery and equipment and irrigation projects. Along with this, Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain and related digital services are also being promoted in the state to meet the current challenges in agriculture and food processing value chain.

 

Food Processing

 

The Madhya Pradesh government has taken initiatives to set up mega food parks, agro-processing clusters, integrated cold chain and value-added infrastructure, enhancing food processing and preservation capabilities. Several measures are also being taken to boost the agriculture, food and dairy processing sectors. Along with the Central Government initiative of PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing, the state government is working for capacity building of state entrepreneurs and providing support to farmer producer organisations, self-help groups and helping unorganised micro food processing enterprises to face the challenges. Producer cooperatives and cooperative societies enable micro enterprises to avail common services along their entire value chain.

 

The size of the world food processing market in the year 2021 was $5.7 trillion. The sector is expected to grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.60 percent by the year 2030, with Asia Pacific being the leading area in the region. Emerging markets like India, Indonesia, China, Malaysia will drive rapid global growth. Manufacturing and pre-production will rapidly move to these markets to get closer to the growing customer base. India’s food manufacturing industry is worth over US Dollar 400 billion and is expected to grow. It will reach US Dollar 535 billion by the year 2025-26. India has a strong position in food production globally and is ranked as the second largest producer of agricultural and allied sector products after China.

 

In this scenario, Madhya Pradesh is constantly working to strengthen the food processing industry. Several initiatives have been taken in the state such as setting up of government-funded food parks at 8 locations, 2 private mega food parks and 4 agro-processing clusters approved under APC. The state has increased its storage capacity to about 15 million metric tonnes and has a huge cold-storage handling area with a total area of 3 lakh 54 thousand square meters.

 

Madhya Pradesh government has collaborated with the World Economic Forum to develop a Food Innovation Hub to nurture talent in the food processing sector. The State already has 5 reputed institutes dedicated to educate the existing work force and add talented skilled force across the value chain for this sector. The Madhya Pradesh government is attracting industries with incentives besides the incentives of the Central government.

 

Madhya Pradesh has attracted investment in the recent past by providing favourable policy environment at the government level to renowned companies like Cadbury, ITC, Unilever. Madhya Pradesh government has formulated policies that support food processing industry. On the financial front, the incentive given to the food processing sector is one and a half times that of other sectors in the state. The state has increased its exports of agricultural products by an amazing over 18 percent CAGR from 9 thousand 600 metric tonnes worth Rs. 83 crore in the year 2005-06 to about one lakh 43 thousand metric tonnes worth Rs. 1 thousand 300 crore in the year 2021-22.

 

In the One District-One Product (ODOP) scheme, Madhya Pradesh has identified 24 primary products related to agriculture and horticulture. They include Kodo-Kutki, Bajra, Orange/Citrus, Custard Apple, Mango, Tomato, Guava, Banana, Betel, Potato, Onion, Green Pea, Chilly, Garlic, Ginger, Coriander, Mustard Products, Sugarcane Products, Amla and Turmeric. The production of oranges makes the state ideal for setting up orange processing industries. Several mango based food processing industries are in various stages of establishment in Betul, Katni, Anuppur, Rewa, Singrauli and Raisen districts in the state.

 

Based on the climate and capabilities of different districts, the state government has encouraged farmers to grow such produce, which can lead to production of processed food products such as juice, jam, squash, syrup, beauty products, perfume, essential oil, pulp, dried mango powder, chutney, mango.

 

Apart from the food processing sector, dairy activities form an important part of the rural economy of Madhya Pradesh, which are also an important source of employment and income. Most dairy products are sold as milk. Therefore, there is tremendous potential for value addition and overall dairy processing in this sector. Currently, liquid milk accounts for 48 per cent of the state’s total market share. The fastest growing segments include curd, paneer, UHT milk, flavored milk and buttermilk.

 

Madhya Pradesh is the third largest milk producing state. Milk production is continuously increasing. The contribution of the state in the total milk production of the country is 8.6 percent. Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Dairy Federation- apex body MPCDF- alone has registered an average milk procurement of 9 lakh 13 thousand KGPD. Major companies-enterprises involved in dairy processing include Amul, Sanchi, Anit Industries, Saurabh and Pawanshree Food International. Overall, the state has immense investment opportunities in the entire agriculture, food and dairy processing value chain.

Reuters has reported that the State Administration for Market Regulation will stop testing chilled and frozen foods for Covid-19 from 8 January. It will also no longer require all imported chilled and frozen foods to enter centralised warehouses for disinfection and testing before they reach the domestic market.

 

According to Reuters, China’s meat trade cheered the imminent end of testing and disinfecting chilled and frozen foods for the virus more than two years after Beijing started the controversial practice, adding substantial costs to the trade.

 

The dropping of measures follows a similar announcement from the customs authority on 28 December that it will stop testing cold-chain food arriving at the country’s ports. China started testing chilled and frozen food imports for the Sars-Cov-2 virus in June 2020 after an outbreak of the disease in a wholesale market in Beijing led authorities to believe the virus had spread from imported produce. Six months later, Beijing recommended testing on ambient products too, even as scientists said the risk of coronavirus infection through contact with contaminated surfaces was low.

 

The practice was controversial with trade partners and significantly slowed the shipment of food to China. Major aquaculture exporters like Ecuador, Indonesia and Russia saw week-long bans on their goods after some of their cold-chain products tested positive. Ecuador’s shrimp exports were severely affected by the screening protocols, with three companies receiving a full ban in 2021 that was only resolved after lengthy negotiations. According to the SCMP, Chinese customs officials issued remote inspections of 182 cold chain import companies and suspended 60 businesses from importing into China over contamination fears in the first six months of 2022.

 

Aquaculture Asia Pacific reports that in July of 2022, authorities in the coastal city of Xiamen were testing freshly caught fish, crabs and shrimp for Covid-19 as the city struggled to contain a spiralling outbreak. The policy drew criticism from experts who said it was a 'waste of resources' while videos of health workers swabbing fish and crabs drew ridicule on Chinese social media and complaints that China’s zero-Covid policy had gone too far.

 

'The cancellation of testing and disinfection requirements will definitely benefit the meat trade in terms of reducing extra cost and speeding up movement of goods,' said Huang Juhui, founder of Beijing Means Consulting Co.

 

Now, local governments no longer need to test ambient foods or other goods for the virus, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on its website, but it was not clear if the products would still be subject to checks at customs. Chilled and frozen foods will continue to be tested, however, but exporters will not face import suspensions when their goods test positive at customs checks. The steps come amid growing efforts to support China’s flagging economy.

India’s just-signed two 'significant' Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with UAE and Australia have resulted in strong double-digit growth in exports to these countries, said Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel.

 

She was inaugurating the 5-day India International Jewellery Show (IIJS Signature) organised by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) on Thursday.  Ms. Patel said talks were going on with Canada, EU and the U.K., and Union Minister Piyush Goyal had promised to operationalise two more FTAs this year.  'IIJS Signature has always had a rich legacy and this ‘green’ expo edition is special as it has special booths for women entrepreneurs and showcased products of budding jewellery designers,' she said.  'Efforts made by GJEPC to make the 5-day IIJS Signature has given an opportunity to indigenous jewellers from diverse parts of the country to showcase their versatile collections to international buyers from over 50 countries,' she said.  'With $40 billion worth of exports, the gems & jewellery sector is a prominent contributor to growing Indian exports year on year,' she added.  Ms. Patel said that the Ministry had taken several steps such as implementation of simplified regulatory framework for gem & jewellery exports through e-commerce, reduction of duties for imports of diamonds, a new gold monetisation policy, and hallmarking norms.  'The government is committed to promoting gem & jewellery exports,' she said.  GJEPC is organising the IIJS Signature and India Gem & Jewellery Machinery Expo (IGJME) at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, from Jan. 5 to 9.     This year, IIJS Signature has record number of 800 foreign visitors from 600 companies from 50 countries. Delegations have come from 10 countries: U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Iran, Bangladesh, Nepal, UAE, Bahrain and Russia. For the first time, a delegation has come from Saudi Arabia with 18 prime buyers. Vipul Shah, Chairman, GJEPC said, 'This year, the show has become bigger, better and greener than ever before. India’s overall gem and jewellery exports in this year saw a growth of 8.26% as compared to last year.' 'The last quarter of this fiscal year is very crucial as it demands a strong growth to achieve this year’s target of $45.7 billion. Post the operationalisation of India-UAE CEPA, the gem & jewellery industry witnessed around 25% growth in exports to UAE. And now with India-Australia ECTA, we will witness similar growth in exports to Australia in the coming months. We also look forward to the FTAs with U.K. and Canada,' he added. 

Sweden will take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 January 2023 at a transformational inflection point in European and global politics. The change of guard in the Council presidency has implications for the EU and its ties with other countries across the globe including India.

 

In recent years, India’s relations with Europe have qualitatively strengthened, with volatile international dynamics, including simultaneous tensions with China and the need for greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, adding a renewed strategic element to the partnership. Despite differing positions on Russia’s war in Ukraine with India maintaining neutrality and Europe imposing nine packages of sanctions to punish Russia, differences are being well-managed through effective communication and a better understanding of each other’s strategic compulsions, without hijacking the entire relationship.

 

Beyond closer ties with the EU and traditional European powers like France, India has also creatively enhanced its ties with smaller European states with significant engagement to expand its presence throughout Europe. In this context, the Nordic region comprising Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Iceland has emerged amongst the brightest spots in India’s ties with Europe. Two bilateral India-Nordic summits, with the United States being the only other country that has a summit-level collaboration with the region, have taken place resulting in continued collective engagement.

 

Amongst the Nordics, ties with Sweden are progressing most rapidly, with immense bilateral collaboration in the realms of trade, innovation, and energy transition. In 2018, Sweden hosted the first India-Nordic summit under PM Lufven’s leadership with PM Modi being the first Indian leader to visit Sweden in 30 years. In 2019, the Swedish King visited India. The momentum has carried forward towards the second India-Nordic summit in 2022 despite the backdrop of difficult global circumstances of post-pandemic economic recovery and the war in Ukraine. On the question of India’s increased oil purchases from Russia, Sweden’s Minister for International Development and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell referred to this as India’s ‘internal policy’, stating that Sweden would not interfere. Given how relations between the two countries are already progressing rapidly, the Swedish presidency comes at an favourable juncture for India.

 

The role of the rotating six-month presidency of the Council of the EU has often made a definitive and positive impact on Europe’s ties with India. During the French presidency in January 2022, France prioritised European cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and held the Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Paris, coinciding with India’s interest to ensure an equitable distribution of power in the region. The subsequent Czech presidency in mid-2022 put cooperation with Taiwan on the EU agenda, as European tensions with China coincided with increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait tension, again aligning with India’s interest in balancing China. Most importantly, during the Portuguese presidency in January 2021, when relations with India were labelled a top priority, the historic EU-India Leaders Meeting was held in a 27+1 format previously extended only to the United States. This led to the much-needed relaunch of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement negotiations that were stalled for almost a decade since 2013. Thus, the efforts of the Portuguese put the India-EU FTA firmly back on the table, with three rounds of negotiations taking place since the revival of talks in June 2022.

 

As Europe battles soaring inflation and an energy crisis, the Swedish Council presidency could not have arrived at a better time. Given their successful state models that combine high levels of economic growth with social welfare, the wealthy Nordic nations, out of which Sweden has the highest GDP, exert sizeable sway at the EU level. Sweden is amongst the world’s most pro-free trade nations, largely depending on exports for its prosperity. Thus, it is no surprise that Sweden has highlighted the need to strengthen Europe’s economic competitiveness amongst its top priorities during the presidency, with progress on the EU’s impending trade deals with India, Australia, Indonesia, and Latin American countries high on the agenda. This is in refreshing contrast to the protectionist French presidency, which was good for India through a security lens, but where trade deals were frozen given their potential impact on farmers and other voter constituencies ahead of the French presidential election in April.

Bangladesh seeks WTO-recognised Net Food Importing Developing Country (NFIDC) status to continue providing agricultural export-credit subsidy even after its LDC graduation, as its current edible imports outweigh exports.

 

As the graduation process is on stream, the Ministry of Commerce has applied to the World Trade Organization for inclusion of Bangladesh in the NFIDC list, or else a global accord will bar it from handing out such subsidy.

 

According to data sent to the WTO by the commerce ministry, Bangladesh imported different edible food products worth around $10.60 billion in the fiscal year (FY) 2021-22 to meet high demand amid a global dearth.

 

Of the items, U$ 2.5331 billion, U$ 2.064 billion, U$ 1.5972 billion, U$ 1.18 billion, U$ 717 million, U$ 568.90 million and U$ 546.20 million went for import of edible oils, wheat, oilseeds, sugar, pulses, maize and rice respectively.

 

On the other hand, Bangladesh exported only U$ 796 million worth of such food items in the same fiscal.

 

Bangladesh has to send its export and import data of different food and agricultural items for successive three years to prove its eligibility for the status.

 

Accordingly, it has officially submitted the information on export and import of such products for the first time under the three-year proviso to the WTO committee on Agriculture.

 

A country can be recognised as a net food-importing developing country as per the WTO provision if it surpasses its imports of different edible products, especially agricultural and food items, its export turnover in three-year trade out of five recent years.

 

Currently, the government provides up to 20-percent cash subsidy/assistance on different agricultural and food products against export.

 

Contacted, Additional Secretary (Director General of WTO wing) under the ministry Md. Hafizur Rahman said, 'We expect that we will able to get ourselves included in the list of NFIDC before graduation from LDC category as we have already provided the import and export info of some food items for the first year out of three years.

 

'If Bangladesh is included in the list of NFIDC, it will be able to provide subsidy/cash assistance on various edible products, including agricultural and food exports, until 2030 next and it will also get some facilities in importing such food items.'

 

The initiative has been taken considering the graduation from LDC to guard against any possible external shock to the export earnings as many developed countries would not provide duty-free facility or trade preferences to Bangladesh after its graduation from LDC in 2026, says a senior official.

 

Presently, 64 developing countries are eligible as beneficiaries of the NFIDC Decision on the basis of a list established by the WTO Committee on Agriculture.

 

The list comprises the 48 least-developed developing countries as recognized by the UN Economic and Social Council plus the following 16 developing-country WTO members which notified their request to be listed and have submitted relevant statistical data concerning their status as net importers of basic foodstuffs during a representative period.

 

The 16 countries are Barbados, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Peru, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Venezuela.

 

At its meeting of 21 November 1995, the Committee on Agriculture adopted a decision on establishment of a WTO list of net food-importing developing countries eligible as beneficiaries in respect of measures provided for in the NFIDC Decision, according to Article 16 of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA).

 

'Any developing-country member of the WTO which was a net importer of basic foodstuffs in any three years of the most recent five-year period for which data are available and which notifies the Committee of its decision can be listed as a Net Food-Importing Developing Country…,' it states.

 

In the course of the Uruguay Round negotiations on agriculture, a group of net food-importing developing countries raised concerns that the benefits of agricultural-trade liberalization and reform could be diminished or outweighed in the short to medium term as structural surpluses in many developed countries declined and world-market prices recovered from the artificially low levels that had prevailed as a result of dumping and extensive use of export subsidies, according to a document of the WTO.

 

In response to these concerns, and as an integral part of the Uruguay Round outcome, Ministers at Marrakesh in April 1994 adopted a Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries (the NFIDC Decision), the document reads.

 

Experts say as per the Agreement on Agriculture Bangladesh can no more provide export-credit subsidy and will need to comply with a number of obligations under the Agreement as a developing-country member.

 

The recent increased food prices across the globe would benefit NFIDCs in the long term because substituting imports with local produce would be cheap, thus causing local production to increase, they add.

 

Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) distinguished fellow Prof Mustafizur Rahman says if Bangladesh can convince WTO members that it is a net food-importing developing country (NFIDC), which it is, it will be allowed to continue with many of the flexibilities which LDCs are eligible for.

 

The economist says Bangladesh will get some facilities, like various types of trade support and food assistance, during the current food crisis across the world if it is put on this list.

 

Besides, it will be allowed to carry on necessary subsidies on the export of different food products.

 

Under the WTO's SCM agreement, LDCs and Members with a GNP per capita of less than $1,000 per year are exempt from the prohibition on export subsidies. Currently, per-capita income of Bangladesh is far above the US$1000 mark.

The State government has been according top priority to agriculture and as many as 33 district agriculture officers in place of nine officers was a testimony to that, remarked Agriculture Minister S.Niranjan Reddy and Finance Minister T. Harish Rao.

 

The ministers inaugurated Telangana Agriculture Officers’ Association calendar and diary here on Wednesday and addressed the gathering. “Soon after formation of Telangana State, Chief Minister K.Chandrasekhar Rao took the suggestions of agriculture officers and designed polices based on that. Extension officers were appointed in large numbers. The government is ready to offer promotions to the employees within a week, provided that the unions come forward without any conditions,” said Mr. Harish Rao while addressing the gathering.

 

Stating that the production of paddy has increased from 68 lakh MT in 2014 to 2.49 crore MT in 2022, Mr. Harish Rao said that Telangana was the only State offering investment support (Rythu Bandhu) to farmers and so far, Rs.65,000 crore was credited to the accounts of farmers.

 

Informing that power infrastructure was developed with an investment of Rs.36,000 crore and round-the-clock power for farm sector is being extended by spending Rs.10,500 crore a year, the Minister said that the Kaleshwaram project has changed the face of Telangana for the better and the State was able to export rice to neighbouring states.

 

Mr. Niranjan Reddy stressed the need for protecting soil health, and pointed out that many people educated and settled abroad were returning here to take up farming as the conditions in the State had significantly improved. He informed that new clusters would be established shortly.

'The northeast is extremely important. It is a melting pot of cultures. It has abundant natural resources and a pleasant climate. Northeast is our country's heaven, and Meghalaya's geographical scenario is such that we can develop it if we try with all our efforts,' said the Union Minister later that day at the ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, while addressing the North East Krishi Kumbha - 2023 and 49th Foundation Day. 

 

Tomar expressed happiness that agriculture has become a priority. 'With the passage of time, there is a need to adapt to new technologies. It is critical that these technologies reach every farmer in India, in Meghalaya, and help them increase their income,' he said. 

 

'Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, every aspect of agriculture has been addressed. Under his leadership, initiatives such as PM-Kisan, Fasal Bima Yojana, promotion of digital agriculture, infrastructure development fund in agriculture sector, and providing easy loans to farmers across the country have been facilitated,' said the Union Minister, emphasizing the government's efforts to improve the sector.

 

Farmers, according to the minister, should always be treated with dignity. 'A farmer not only provides for his family but also contributes to the agricultural economy of the country, and our government's priority has always been to ensure farmer prosperity and agricultural development,' the minister added.

 

While claiming that India is now not only a food producer but also an exporter, the Minister emphasized the importance of quality production over quantity. Earlier, the Minister emphasized the importance of Agri-startups and stated that the Agriculture University's College of Agriculture would play a significant role in developing modern agricultural methods for increased productivity.

 

'I am pleased that organic farming can be found in the Northeast. In recent days, the Northeast Region has had the highest share of agricultural exports of organic products,' he said. The Minister went on to say that, despite its challenges, the Northeast can harness its resources and contribute to livelihood generation, natural farming, and much more.