To boost valuable groundnut production across Telangana, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) have joined forces to conduct 80 demonstration trials across the state.

 

The initiative funded by the Government of Telangana aims to expand groundnut production which is presently only cultivated on 0.3 million hectare of land in Telangana.

 

Director general ICRISAT Dr Jacqueline Hughes said she was delighted with the collaboration with the Government of Telangana and PJTSAU, that would likely see much-needed improvements to groundnut cultivation across the state, leading to improved farmer incomes.

 

'We look forward to drawing upon the institute's experience and expertise in developing inclusive and sustainable seed systems and value chains to deliver to farmers across Telangana, high quality, accessible, and lower cost seed.

 

Deputy director general - research at ICRISAT Dr Arvind Kumar congratulated all parties for the initiative aimed at not only boosting incomes but incentivising new farmers to enter into groundnut production.

 

Inaugural Capacity Building Program

About 300 farmers attended the inaugural capacity building program to accelerate the adoption of the new groundnut varieties held at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) in Palem, Nagarkurnool district, Telangana.

 

ICRISAT Accelerated Crop Improvement Research Program director, Dr Sean Mayes applauded participants for their involvement in the trials and said ICRISAT was pleased to be promoting another initiative to improve farmer incomes.

 

'We are pleased to partner with farmers and regional agricultural centres in Telangana to work together to enhance farmer profitability and importantly, learn from each other during this project,' said Dr Mayes.

 

During the capacity building program, participants were exposed to quality seed production techniques and potential innovations to promote groundnut production and value chains.

 

Leaflets in local language detailing good agricultural practices in groundnut were distributed to farmers at the event for on-going reference material.

 

Speaking at the training, Dr Sujatha, principal scientist (oilseeds), RARS-Palem said that access to new seed varieties for groundnut production remained a challenge, considering a farmer needs close to 100 kg of seed per acre of land.

 

'The availability of poor quality and mixed varieties of groundnut seed is also a concern that needs to be addressed and we are working with ICRISAT to ensure that new varieties will soon be available to farmers. said Dr M Sujatha, principal scientist (oilseeds), RARS-Palem

 

Dr Janila Pasupuleti, cluster leader-crop breeding, accelerated crop improvement, ICRISAT, added that the inability of farmers to adopt new seed varieties is partly due to their non-availability and fear of drawing lower profits.

 

She emphasised that farmer adoption of new groundnut varieties such as high oleic acid varieties would help them achieve higher yields, profit and potential new export opportunities while promoting best agricultural practices.

 

About the project

Groundnut Value Chain Innovations to Enhance Farmer Profitability and Promote Oil, Food and Confectionery Industries in Telangana is funded by the Government of Telangana and led by PJTSAU in collaboration with ICRISAT.

 

PJTSAU, with support from ICRISAT, is conducting location-specific research, identification of genotypes, and multi-location trials of varieties developed by ICRISAT to deliver suitable varieties to Telangana and improve groundnut seed systems in the state.

 

Seed production of India’s first high oleic acid groundnut varieties ‘Girnar 4’ developed by ICRISAT in partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Directorate of Groundnut Research (ICAR-DGR), was undertaken on four acres of land at RARS-Palem during this year's rainy season.

The sleepy world of makhanas just opened up with new shelf-worthy packaging for Indian and global consumers. If the optimism continues, makhanas can be Bihar’s next big thing.

 

The humble makhana, or the fox nut, is now India’s newest superfood. And with the recent Geographical Indication tag for the Mithila Makhana, it is set to go global too. Many in Bihar now anticipate a big business boom and the rise of makhana millionaires.

As a part of its strategy to give a boost to the export of organic agricultural products of Mizoram and the North Eastern Region.

 

As a part of its strategy to give a boost to the export of organic agricultural products of Mizoram and the North Eastern Region (NER), the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized a workshop-cum-buyer seller meet (BSM) on Thursday at Mizoram University in Aizawl.

 

After the BSM, a consignment of Hatkora (a local variety of citrus) sourced from farmers of the Mamit district of Mizoram was exported to London and another consignment of Hatkora is being exported to Bangladesh.

 

APEDA, which is the apex agricultural products export promotion organization under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, organized the buyer-seller meet in association with the Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce & Industries, Government of Mizoram and North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd (NERAMAC).

 

The BSM was organized to promote the exports of potential agri-horti products from Mizoram and provide market linkage to farmers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and Farmer Producer Companies from the northeastern state. The potential crops for export from Mizoram are pineapple, hatkora (citrus), dragon fruit, oranges, passion fruit, squash, anthurium flower, Mizo Ginger, Mizo chilli and grape wine.

 

Seventeen exporters and 58 FPOs participated in the BSM while 14 exhibitors representing the state government, coffee board, spices board, NABARD and NERAMAC attended the meet.

 

The exclusive BSM provided an opportunity for the producers and processors of Mizoram to showcase their products and promote the exports as well as their wholesale and retail sales.

 

The workshop-cum-buyer seller meet was inaugurated by Hon'ble Agriculture Minister Pu C Lalrinsanga of Mizoram. In his inaugural address, Hon'ble Lalrinsanga invited investors to participate in the agricultural growth story of Mizoram and promote the locally grown organic agricultural produc

India and the EU are scheduled to begin their third round of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations on November 28 and continue until December 9. On June 17, the two regions formally resumed talks on the proposed agreement after a break of nearly nine years. In Brussels, the two regions held their second round of discussions.

 

The signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2007 marked the beginning of discussions between the two parties, which continued until 2013. A number of problems, including the mobility of experts and the customs taxes on vehicles, caused the negotiations to break down. India and the EU and India are celebrating 60 years of bilateral ties in 2022.

 

 

India's second-largest trade partner after the US and the second-largest recipient of its goods is the EU at the moment. India's bilateral trade with the EU increased by 43.5 percent in 2021–2022, reaching $116.36 billion.

 

Market accessibility for digital commerce, agricultural products and geographical indicators (GI) are a few of the topics that will be discussed during the discussions in New Delhi. The India-EU negotiations are anticipated to cover an investment protection agreement.

 

A GI is generally a produced, agricultural or natural product that comes from a certain geographic region. Such a name typically carries a guarantee of quality and originality, which is mostly attributed to the location of its origin.

 

India anticipates growth in industries including textiles, leather, sports equipment and processed foods since the proposed FTA may put Indian exporters on an equal footing with exporters from rival nations like Bangladesh and Vietnam that already have privileged access to the EU market.

 

In May 2021, India and the EU decided to continue their pursuit of a comprehensive, ambitious, and win-win trade deal where they left off. Additionally, they decided to start separate discussions to tackle market access issues, implement globalisation and protect investments.

 

The FSSAI has issued a draft regulation specifying the standards of meat sausages.

 

The standard prescribed in the draft shall apply to meat sausages, fresh or cooked.

 

The draft proposed to add a clause 2A related to sausage in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, regulation 2.5, under sub-regulation 2.5.2, after the clause 2 related to Comminuted or Restructured Meat Products‘.

 

The definition says sausage is a product obtained by stuffing minced meat (pork, poultry or meat from other food animals) and other ingredients (fat/oil, salt, water, extenders, spices and so on) in casings (natural/artificial) which may be marketed as fresh (raw), fermented, cooked and/or smoked.

 

According to the draft, fresh sausages shall be prepared from one or more kinds of fresh, chilled or frozen meat, smoked sausages shall be prepared from one or more kinds of fresh, chilled or frozen meat and smoked with only hard wood or other non-resinous materials while cooked sausages shall be prepared from one or more kinds of fresh, chilled or frozen meat and cooked to attain the internal temperature of 75C and dry/fermented sausages shall be prepared from one or more kinds of fresh, chilled or frozen meat subjected to a controlled drying process.

 

The draft further lays that composition of finished product shall conform to the prescribed compositional requirements including Meat, Minimum (w/w) 50%, 60%, 65% for fresh, cooked & dry/fermented sausages respectively with Moisture, Maximum (w/w) 65%, 60% & 50% for fresh, cooked & dry/fermented sausages respectively and 3% total ash, Maximum.

The central banks of India and UAE are discussing a concept paper on promoting bilateral trade in rupee and dirham with a view to reduce transaction cost, a top official said on Friday.

 

India's Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir said that the concept paper for trade in local currencies was shared by India.

 

The central banks of both the countries will discuss the standard operating procedures and modalities, he told reporters in New Delhi.

 

The objective of the exercise is to reduce the cost of transactions, he added.

 

India and the UAE had already signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in February to give a fillip to bilateral trade and economic ties.

 

The free trade agreement was aimed at providing significant benefits to Indian as well as UAE businesses, including enhanced market access and reduced tariffs.

 

Following the free trade pact, bilateral trade is expected to increase from the current USD 60 billion to USD 100 billion in the next five years.

 

Bilateral trade between India and the UAE stood at USD 43.3 billion in 2020-21. Exports were worth USD 16.7 billion and imports aggregated at USD 26.7 billion in 2020-21. The two-way commerce stood at USD 59.11 billion in 2019-20.

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said the International Year of Millets (IYOM) – 2023 will provide an opportunity to increase global production, efficient processing and better use of crop rotation and promote millets as a major component of the food basket. Tomar said that on the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millet.

 

'Through this, our aim is to increase the domestic and global consumption of Millets,' said Tomar, addressing the High Commissioners/Ambassadors based in Delhi during the Luncheon hosted jointly by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of External Affairs as a pre-launch celebration of the IYOM23.

 

Tomar said the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is working in mission mode to increase millet production and consumption in collaboration with other Central Ministries, all State Governments and other stakeholder organisations.

 

'The time has come for the Public Distribution System to shift the focus of distribution programs from basic calories to provide a more diverse food basket that includes millets to improve the nutritional status of pre-school children and women of reproductive age,' Tomar said.

 

Considering the nutritional value of millets, Tomar said Government of India had notified millet as a nutritious -cereal in April-2018 and millet has also been included under the Poshan Mission campaign.

 

Under the National Food Security Mission (NFMS), nutritious cereal component for Millets is being implemented in 212 districts of 14 States. Apart from this, many types of assistance is given to the farmers by the States.

 

Tomar said funding is also being done by the Ministry of Agriculture for supporting sustainable production, creating awareness for higher consumption, developing market and value chain and research-development activities.

 

The Union Agriculture Minister said more than 66 Startups have been given more than Rs 6.25 crore, while 25 Startups have been approved for further funding. 'Government is providing support to Start-up entrepreneurs for recipes and value-added products to promote consumption of millet,' Tomar said.

 

India has more than 500 startups working in the millet value-added chain, while Indian Institute of Millets Research has incubated 250 startups under RKVY-Raftar.

 

Tomar said the NITI Aayog and the World Food Program intend to identify and solve the challenges in a systematic and effective manner. 'The partnership will focus on mainstreaming millets and support India in taking the lead globally in knowledge exchange using the opportunities in the form of the International Year of Millets,' he said.

 

Addressing the High Commissioners/Ambassadors based in Delhi, Minister of External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar said, Millets have increasing relevance in the world today in the backdrop of Covid, climate change, and conflicts.

 

Dr Jaishankar stressed that millets are important for food security as well as international relations. He said Covid was a period that reminded the world what a pandemic could do to food security. He said climate changes can lower production and disrupt trade. He suggested that in international relations, much greater attention ought to be given to food security.

 

In his address, Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Manoj Ahuja said, pandemic has brought increased focus on the needs to augment the income of small and marginal farmers and millet can be one of the best options for the same. He said, climate friendly crop millet can be grown with less water consumption, less carbon emission and even in drought.

 

Millet is a storehouse of micronutrients, vitamins and minerals. International Year of Millets will raise awareness about the contribution of millets for Food Security and Nutrition, motivate stakeholders for continuous production and quality improvement of millets and attract attention to increase investment in research and development services.

 

Asia and Africa are the major production and consumption centres of millet crops. India, Niger, Sudan and Nigeria are the major producer of millet.

 

Jowar and Proso Millets (Common Millet) are the most cultivated millets in the 112 and 35 countries respectively. Sorghum and pearl millets covers more than 90% area and production. Remaining production comes from Ragi (Finger Millets), Cheena (Proso Millets), Foxtail Millets (Kangni) and other non-segregated millets.

 

India is the major production country of Millet in which Kangni, Kutki or small millet, Kodon, Gangora or Barnyard, china and Brown top are included with Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and small millets. Most of the states in India grow one or more millet crop species. During the last 5 years, our country produced more than 13.71 to 18 million tonnes of millets with the highest production in 2020-21.

 

According to the fourth advance estimates for the year 2021-22, about 16 million tonnes millets have been produced in India, which is about 5 percent of the national food grain basket. It has the highest market share of 9.62 million tonnes, followed by jowar with a production of 4.23 million tonnes. Ragi is another important millet, which contributes to the production of 1.70 million tonnes and the production of other millets is 0.37 million tonnes.

 

Millets provide an alternative food system in times of increasing demand for vegetarian foods. Millets contribute to a balanced diet as well as a safe environment. These are the gifts of nature to mankind.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has taken several initiatives to promote domestic and international millets. A series of pre-launch programs and initiatives were also organized on the MyGov platform for the International Year of Millet 2023 to create awareness and a sense of public participation about this ancient nutritious grain (millet). MyGov has become a very important and successful medium for raising awareness through contests.

Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution and Textiles, Government of India, and His Excellency Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf, Secretary General, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), held a Joint Press Conference, in New Delhi today, to announce the intent to pursue negotiations on the India-GCC FTA. 

 

With forward-looking and solution-oriented deliberations, bilateral engagements witnessed significant progress on all matters of mutual interest across the entire gamut of bilateral economic relations between India and the GCC nations. 

 

Both sides agreed to expedite conclusion of the requisite legal and technical requirements for formal resumption of the FTA negotiations. The FTA is envisaged to be a modern, comprehensive Agreement with substantial coverage of goods and services. Both sides emphasized that the FTA will create new jobs, raise living standards, and provide wider social and economic opportunities in India and all the GCC countries. Both sides agreed to significantly expand and diversify the trade basket in line with the enormous potential that exists on account of the complementary business and economic ecosystems of India and the GCC. 

 

It may be noted that the GCC is currently India’s largest trading partner bloc with bilateral trade in FY 2021-22 valued at over USD 154 billion with exports valued at approximately USD 44 billion and imports of around USD 110 billion (non-oil exports of USD 33.8 Billion and non-oil imports of USD 37.2 Billion). Bilateral trade in services between India and the GCC was valued at around USD 14 billion in FY 2021-22, with exports valued at USD 5.5 Billion and imports at USD 8.3 Billion. 

 

GCC countries contribute almost 35% of India’s oil imports and 70% of gas imports. India’s overall crude oil imports from the GCC in 2021-22 were about $48 billion, while LNG and LPG imports in 2021-22 were about $21 billion. Investments from the GCC in India are currently valued at over USD 18 billion.

A 100-acre dedicated market space integrated with world-class infrastructure, services from banking to storage, processing, and packaging under one roof, options for offline and online trading, legalisation of field trade, and ownership of farmers. These are some of the planned features of the private agriculture market initiated by Sahyadri Farmer Producer Company (FPC).  

 

The FPC has bagged a license, the first in the country, to set up a private agricultural mandi (market) at Dindori, in Nashik district. The market will come up over the next three months at a cost of ?25 crore. 

 

'We are ensuring that world-class infrastructure is set up at our mandi in Nashik, where farmers will have a say in trading. Auction and storage facilities are being readied. About 90 per cent of infrastructure already exists. We have a 4,000-tonne storage capacity for grapes and raisins. Storage of another 20,000 tonnes is getting ready. We are focusing on horticulture commodities,' Sahyadri FPC MD Vilas Shinde told BusinessLine. 

 

ROING, 26 Nov: The first consignment of 6 mts of oranges from Dambuk in Lower Dibang Valley (LDV) district to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar was flagged off by LDV DC Somya Saurav in a virtual flag-off ceremony on Saturday, in the presence of MLA Gabriel D Wangsu, Agriculture Secretary Bidol Tayeng, APEDA General Manager UK Vats, Agriculture Director Anong Lego, Agriculture Marketing Director Tadu Game, APEDA AGM Sunita Rai, and Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board (APAMB) CEO Okit Palling, besides representatives of the Lulu Group, and farmers of the Dambuk farmer-producer company.

 

The APAMB exported the first consignment of oranges to the UAE and Qatar in collaboration with the APEDA, the central government, and the Dubai-based Lulu Group International. The oranges will be launched at the Lulu Group’s ‘hypermarkets’ in the UAE and Qatar.