The government's research organisations ICAR and IARI have developed drought-tolerant variety of chickpea 'Pusa JG 16' that has potential to boost yield of chickpea in central India.

 

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya (JNKVV) Jabalpur, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior and ICRISAT, Patancheru, Hyderabad have developed drought hardy and higher yielding chickpea variety 'Pusa JG 16', according to a statement.

 

The variety will enhance productivity in the Central Zone’s drought prone areas consisting of Madhya Pradesh, Bundelkhand area of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Southern Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where terminal drought is a major problem and sometimes leads to 50-100 per cent loss of yield.

 

'Pusa JG 16 variety was developed by using genomic assisted breeding techniques that allowed precision transfer of drought tolerant genes from ICC 4958 in the parental variety JG 16. The drought tolerance of this variety was affirmed through national level testing by the All India Coordinated Research Programme of Chickpea,' it added.

 

This variety is resistance to fusarium wilt and stunt diseases, having short duration maturity (110 days) and a yield potential of 2 tonnes per hectare under drought stress conditions over the recurrent parent JG 16 (1.3 tonnes/hectares).

 

A K Singh, Director ICAR-IARI expressed happiness on the notification of chickpea variety 'Pusa JG 16' by the Ministry of Agriculture.

 

He emphasised that this variety will be a boon for the farmers of drought prone areas of Central zone of the country.

In its endeavour to boost agricultural export from the UT, the Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted an expert committee to formulate a comprehensive Export Promotion Policy for identified potential exportable agricultural commodities.

The primary assignment of the committee would be to develop commodity specific export promotion recommendations which inter alia shall include strategic and operational aspects of the export. Besides, it shall provide all necessary technical inputs to Agriculture Production Department within a set timeline of one month for finalization and implementation on ground.

The main objective of the Export Promotion Policy would be to increase annual agricultural exports from current Rs.190 crore to Rs.3000 crore over next 5 years. Besides, the policy would promote brand 'J&K' for its pristine agro-climatic conditions, uniqueness and near organic quality. It would also diversify the UT export base and thereby empower farmers with adequate export opportunities. The policy would create an ambient ecosystem for export agricultural commodities from J&K.

The policy would lay emphasis on bringing a paradigm shift in the approach from mere harvesting and selling of produce at local level to a demand driven supply activity with focussed attention on GI tagging, processing, stringent quality control, international certifications, traceability, branding and marketing of the produce. The diverse agro climatic conditions of J&K have resulted in development of niche crops offering adoption of holistic approach for promotion of agricultural exports. This shall help the growers in finding post-harvest solutions at better prices within or near the production belt.

Furthermore, the document inter alia shall also focus on market access initiative through assistance by Export Promotion Organizations, Trade Promotion Organizations, National Level Institutions, Research Institutions, Universities, Laboratories and Exporters etcetera for enhancement of exports by accessing new markets or by increasing the share in the existing markets. Besides, assistance shall also be extended in establishing quality control setup, national/international certifications, GI, transport and marketing assistance and all other prerequisite shall be duly taken care of for identified Agriculture Products like apple, basmati rice, walnut, almond, cherry, saffron, vegetables including red chilli & garlic, honey, wool, silk, pulses, lavender, aerometric plants etcetera. Likewise, services of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) shall also be utilized in achieving the envisaged goals.

The 32nd meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Horticulture Board (NHB) was held in New Delhi today under the chairmanship of the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Chairman of the Board, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. It was decided that the process of approval of horticulture projects will be simplified for the farmers. Instead of two stages, the process of approval will now be completed in one go and it will be completely digital, along with minimum documents will be required, as a result of which the farmers will not face any problem. Significantly, many projects which used to be approved in a time period of about 6 to 8 months, will now be approved in just 45 days.

 

As a follow up on this process, the scheme design, application filing system, documentation and approval process have been further simplified. The new simple design will come into effect from January 1, 2023. Union Minister Shri Tomar expressed the hope that this process will make the system more transparent and efficient, promote Ease Of Doing Business for the benefit of the farming community and generate more hi-tech commercial projects for NHB funding. In the new design, NHB has also taken initiative to promote convergence of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme with its credit linked subsidy schemes.

 

The meeting also discussed in detail the new initiative of NHB- Swachh Plant  Programme, under which the problem of availability of planting material to the farmers will be solved by spending Rs 2100 crore with the assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB). This will largely solve the problem of planting material, especially for many commercially important fruits. This programme will go a long way in providing a major contribution to the much needed quality planting material for horticulture crops in the country.

 

Under NHB, a new vertical has been created towards promotion of organic and natural farming, which will oversee all aspects of the organic sector such as planning, monitoring, area expansion-production, market promotion for value chain development and infrastructure development. In this meeting, the progress of the cluster development programme being run by the Board was also discussed, on which it has been decided that the approval process of applications will be completed at the earliest. The decisions taken in the previous meeting of the Board of Directors were approved in today’s meeting.

 

Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary and Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja, Additional Secretary Shri Abhilaksh Likhi, Joint Secretary Shri Priyaranjan, government and non-government members presented suggestions in the meeting.

On Tuesday, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that a total of 2,359 trips of Kisan Rail trains have been operated on 167 routes and approx. 7.9 lakh tonnes of consignments have been transported.

 

Once a demand is received from farmers and other stakeholders, Kisan Rail’s routes are decided. For the supply of rakes and operation of the train, arrangements are made by the concerned Zonal Railway (duly considering the operational feasibility of the proposed route), the minister further said.

 

It is pertinent to mention here that in the Union Budget 2020-21, an announcement was made by the finance minister 'to build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of milk, meat, and fish. The Indian Railways will set up a ‘Kisan Rail’ – through PPP arrangements.' 'There shall be refrigerated coaches in Express and Freight trains as well,' the finance minister added.

 

To carry out the budget announcement (2020-21), a committee was constituted on Krishi Udan and Kisan Rail. The committee constituted a sub-committee for detailed deliberation and preparation of concept notes under the convenership of the Executive Director of the Railway Board.

 

Consequently, on 7th August 2020, the first Kisan Rail was flagged off from Devlali (Maharashtra) to Danapur (Bihar) by Narendra Singh Tomar (Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare) and Piyush Goyal (the then Minister of Railways), for transportation of perishable agriculture/horticulture products, fisheries, dairy, etc. On 28th December 2020, the 100th service of Kisan Rail was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the route from Sangola (Maharashtra) to Shalimar (West Bengal).

 

After due deliberation with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the Ministry of Railways has started operating Kisan Special Trains for the transportation of perishable horticulture/agriculture products, dairy, fisheries, etc. These trains provide multi-commodity and multi-consignor/consignee services. They run in a time-tabled manner and have stoppages at all major stations.

 

Farmers, mainly small and marginal farmers, often find it difficult to sell their produce in markets beyond a certain distance, primarily due to factors such as the non-availability of affordable transport, delay in transit resulting in damage/decay to produce, and the reluctance of road transporters to carry small sized consignments.

 

To solve such problems which have been preventing small and marginal farmers from reaching larger markets, an announcement was made in the Union Budget 2020-21 regarding Indian Railways to set up a ‘Kisan Rail’.

Speaking at the academic session on rural development during Kashi Tamil Sangamam, experts from diverse areas of agriculture underlined the need to further promote organic farming and called upon the farmers to engage in industry along with farming here on Wednesday.

 

President of Zoho Schools of Learning, Rajendran Dhandapani, emphasised the call for 'Make in India.' Zoho Corporation was founded in 1996 and became a $1.0 billion company this year. Along with developing software for computers and mobile, Zoho is involved in developing rural areas primarily through free education and innovative curriculum. It ensures incentives and jobs after graduation for the students. Elaborating on the activities and contribution of Zoho, Dhandapani said the company aspires to reach villages and offer rural students the opportunity to learn graphics and computer-related software. He added that prioritising customers, workforce and society, Zoho contributes to the call for 'Make in India' and more such organisations need to come forward to ensure rural development.

 

Farmer, agriculture analyst and organic plant protection specialist, Mahendran M Manivasan, cited the situation during the corona pandemic when despite the world coming to a halt, the agriculture sector did not stop functioning. He said, 'As farmers, we are responsible for producing food that is free from chemicals, which is possible through organic farming.'

 

He also explained the importance of organic farming and organic farmers and highlighted that India has the largest number of organic farmers in the world. He concluded his speech by discussing the methods of organic farming and the role of government in further boosting organic farming.

 

A farmer, Shardul Vikram Chaudhary, lauded the efforts by APEDA and FPOs to make Varanasi an agricultural export hub. He said that FPOs from Purvanchal connect farmers with Union government stakeholders, state departments and private players. This helps farmers get a better and bigger market for their produce which in turn helps increase their incomes. He informed that export of rice, mangoes and green chillies to the Gulf, Dubai, London, Bangladesh and Qatar has been taking place for the past three years.

 

Padma Shri awardee agrarian Chandrashekhar Singh said that agriculture is the foundation of the Indian economy. He recalled attending the agricultural field organisation at BHU in 2007, where many scientists met to discuss agricultural nuances. He reiterated that 'organic farming is a must if we seek to do sustainable farming'.

 

The famous Tandur red gram of Telangana has got geographical indication (GI) tag. The GI application had been filed by the Yalal Farmers Producers Company Limited on September 24. The GI registration process was facilitated by Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University.

 

With this, the total number of GI registrations in the country has reached 432 and and over 1,000 applications have been filed till date. With Tandur GI registration, Telangana has got its 16th GI product registered.

 

Tandur red gram is a local variety of pigeon pea which is mainly grown in the rainfed tract of the Tandur and nearby region of Telangana. The fertile deep black soil with huge deposits of Attapulgite clay mineral specifically in Tandur region along with huge limestone deposits can be attributed to the specific quality traits of Tandur red gram. It contains about 22-24% protein, which is almost three times that of the protein content in cereals. It has good taste, better cooking quality as well as enhanced storage quality, sources said.

 

Now with the GI tag and registration, individual farmers and dal mill owners of Tandur will have to register themselves as authorised users and start branding Tandur red gram with GI tag to get better prices as the tag is an assured symbol of quality.

The global meat substitute market is forecast to flourish at a stupendous CAGR of 33.6% to reach US$235 bn by the end of the 2022-2032 assessment period, concludes a recently published Fact.MR study. As of 2021, the market was valued at US$10 bn. An increasing tilt towards consumption of meat analogues amid mounting environmental and health concerns is attributed as one of the primary reasons behind the market’s growth.

 

As per the study, sales of meat substitutes expanded at a CAGR of 38% from 2017-2021. The trend of healthy eating acquired massive momentum during the pandemic crisis, which is also one of the key reasons behind the industry’s rapid expansion. Prominent manufacturers are experimenting with different combinations, while simultaneously retaining the meaty texture and taste of traditional animal-based foods.

 

With the ever widening popularity of vegan foods, demand for meat substitutes is expected to take a turn for the better. According to the Vegan Society, over 60,000 products from more than 2,500 companies are registered globally, including 18,000 food & beverage items. In 2021 alone, the society registered over 16,000 products with the vegan trademark.

India having a diverse culture is home to various arts and crafts mastered by many generations over the years. Adding to the present collection of GIs, 09 new items from various states of India such as Gamosa of Assam, Tandur Redgram of Telangana, RaktseyKarpo Apricot of Ladakh, Alibag White Onion of Maharashtra etc. have been given the coveted GI Tags. With this the total number of GI Tags of India comes to 432. The top 5 states holding maximum number of GIs are Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.  

 

Several initiatives have been undertaken by DPIIT in collaboration with various stakeholders where exclusive GI products showcased Indian tradition, culture and enterprising activities under a single umbrella:

 

GI Pavilion (Aahar 2022) at ITPO, New Delhi for five days (26th -30th April 2022), India GI fair (26th-28th Aug 2022) was organized at the India Expo Center and Mart, Greater Noida. A weekly GI Mahotsav was conducted (16th -21st October 2022) at Trade facilitation Center, Varanasi. An exclusive GI pavilion was set up at IITF 2022 which was organized by ITPO from 14th -27th November 2022 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

 

Further, giving a boost to build up cross-cultural societies within the country, such activities will not only promote the transfer of diverse products amongst the states but will also contribute in building a better vibrant cultural society in the future.

 

Recently, the Govt. has supported the promotion of GIs by approving an expenditure of Rs. 75 Crores for 03 years for promotion at awareness programmes.

The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, signed in April this year, is the most strategic pact between the two countries that will bolster bilateral ties, Consul General of Australia in Kolkata Rowan Ainsworth said.

 

Speaking at an interactive session organised by the Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) and Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce (IACC) here on Wednesday, Ainsworth said the agreement will provide preferential market access for Indian goods in Australia.

 

The pact is a major milestone in building stronger economic ties with India, the envoy said.

 

She said that according to the pact, India needs to eliminate 96 tariff lines for goods imported from Australia, while Australia needs to eliminate 85 per cent tariff lines on imports from India.

 

Ainsworth also said tariffs will be eliminated in the mineral sector, making way for competitive rates on Australian imports.

 

Australia trades in about 6,500 tariff lines, while India has over 11,500 tariff lines.

 

The IndAus ECTA was inked by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan in a virtual ceremony, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

 

Under the pact, Australia would provide duty-free access in its market for over 6,000 broad sectors of India, including textiles, leather, furniture, jewellery and machinery.

 

Goyal had said the agreement would help in taking bilateral trade from USD 27.5 billion at present to USD 45-50 billion in the next five years.

 

Chairman of EEPC India Arun Kumar Garodia said the pact will generate employment opportunities for around 10 lakh people over the next few years.

Export data show that from January to September 2022, India exported about 153,000 tons of fresh or refrigerated potatoes suitable for the production of potato chips. This is an increase of about 42% compared with the last year. During the season 2022, largest amounts were exported in March, which was approx. 27,000 tons, followed by June.

 

The top countries importing fresh or refrigerated potatoes from India in season 2022 were the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.

 

Oman was the country that imported the largest volume fresh or refrigerated potatoes from India during 2022, with a volume of about 35,000 tons, an increase of about 16% over the same period last year.

 

The price per ton of fresh or refrigerated potatoes exported from India in 2022 ranged from USD 250 to USD 550 per ton, compared with the export unit price of USD 200 to USD 400 per ton in 2021, an increase of about 25 to 30 %.

 

MS International jumbo potato bags

 

India also exports fresh potatoes for the Table potato market, but the quantities destined to this market is more limited. Although there is a vast scope for the export of Table Variety potatoes, the price is a major concern. Pakistan and Bangladesh offer a lower prices than India, limiting the business opportunities.

 

For potato season 2023, the prices are expected to increase compared to 2022. The primary reasons for this price increase are the rise in the price of Seed Pootatoes, Fertilizers, and Fuel. The major rising factor, Ocean Freight, is expected to be under control during 2023.

 

India ranks 2nd globally in terms of potato production. The major states producing potatoes in India are Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Potatoes can be distinguished based on the market they are destined for: Table Potatoes, and Potatoes for Processing. In India, Gujarat is the major hub for potatoes for processing.

 

In Gujarat State, the North region is well known for producing the best quality of potatoes for processing. These potatoes are used in the manufacturing Potatoes Chips and French Fries. The variety of potatoes include Lady Rosetta, Hermes, FC5, Taurus, Santana, Innovator.

 

M S International is India's leading exporter of potatoes for processing. They are located in the best-quality potato-producing region of Gujarat and procure material directly from farms.

 

They are equipped with Cold Storage facilities and Grading, Sorting, and Packing Line of the world-renowned brand Allround. This allows them to serve its customers with the best quality material, timely delivery and in a packaging format that is the most convenient for the customer.