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28 Nov, 2022 News Image Chabahar port development to boost INSTC: Iran
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has said that the development of Chabahar Port is important for the completion of the International North South Transit Corridor (INSTC).
 
Kani recently visited India and met the External Affairs Minister and Foreign Secretary.
 
There has been a flurry of engagements between India and Iran this year, with a focus on strengthening connectivity mechanisms, especially INSTC and Chabahar Port.
 
Iran is central to India’s plan to increase engagement with Russia and Central Asia, besides the rest of Eurasia. Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan are reportedly entering into a trilateral arrangement to smoothen functioning of the INSTC. The corridor has led to a massive increase in India-Russia trade this year.
 
Iran’s exports to India increased 35% year-on-year to $361 million in the first seven months of 2022, bulk of which were food items. In the January-July period, India’s exports to Iran surged 54% year-on-year to $1.243 billion.
 
In late May, the then Iranian ambassador to India said the two countries are trying to diversify the channels of payments to expand bilateral trade.
 
India is expanding its maritime partnership with Iran alongside the recent moves to boosting infrastructure in the strategically located Chabahar Port. The two sides have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Mutual Recognition of Seafarer’s Code of Conduct for Unlimited Voyages coinciding with a visit of ports, shipping and waterways and Ayush minister Sarbananda Sonowal to Iran. This will result in training exercises of Iranian seafarers in India.
 
The MoU will open new vistas of cooperation in the Western Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as both India and Iran are IOR states, said people aware of the matter. India is eyeing a trilateral maritime cooperation involving Oman and Iran in the long run.
 
The Iranian government is also ready to conclude a long-term contract with India, prioritising the development of transit of goods through the Chabahar port. This contract will also aim at ramping up activities of the INSTC.
 
Sonowal had visited the Shahid Beheshti terminal at the Chabahar Port to hand over six mobile harbour cranes to the Indian Ports Global Chabahar Free Trade Zone at the port. During the visit, the two countries decided to form a joint technical committee for the smooth functioning of the port.
 
The Chabahar Port is likely to act as a catalyst for unlocking the huge trade potential in the region. India has pitched to link the port with the INSTC for optimum use by the Central Asian states and other Eurasian states. The corridors are expected to provide an option parallel to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. There are also plans to link the INSTC with the Northern Sea route via the resource-rich Russian Arctic. India is also pitching to connect Chabahar Port with Southeast Asia and East Asia.

 Source:  economictimes.indiatimes.com
28 Nov, 2022 News Image Area coverage reported under Wheat is 152.88 lakh ha as compared to 138.35 lakh ha of the corresponding period of last year

The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar informed that

Rabi area coverage has increased by 24.13 lakh ha over last year.

Taking stock of the Rabi crops position with senior officials, Shri Tomar expressed satisfaction that so far, area coverage reported under Wheat is 152.88 lakh ha as compared to 138.35 lakh ha of the corresponding period of last year, as major Wheat growing states have reported increased area coverage as compared to last year. For Wheat, there is an increase in area coverage by 14.53 lakh ha over last year and this has been the highest ever since last four years.

As on 25.11.2022, total area sown under Rabi crops reported was 358.59 lakh ha (which is 57% of the normal Rabi area) as compared to 334.46 lakh ha of the corresponding period of last year. Thus, Rabi area coverage has increased by 24.13 lakh ha over last year. (Details are given at Annexure)

Shri Tomar hoped that with favourable soil moisture condition, better live water storage position and comfortable availability of fertilisers across the country, Rabi crops area coverage is expected to accelerate further in the coming days and a good Rabi harvest can be expected.

Present live water storage in 143 important reservoirs across the country is 149.49 Billion Cubic Meter (week ending 24th November, 2022) which is 106 percent of the corresponding period of last year and 119 percent of average storage of last 10 years of the corresponding period. Soil moisture condition during 15-21 November, 2022 is more than the average of the past 7 years of the corresponding period in most of the districts. Availability of fertilizers against requirement for Rabi season is also comfortable across the country.


 Source:  pib.gov.in
25 Nov, 2022 News Image Indonesia's Bulog aims to import up to 500,000 T rice before year-end -chief.
Indonesia food procurement agency Bulog planned to import up to 500,000 tonnes of rice before the end of the year to improve reserves of the staple food, chief executive Budi Waseso told a parliament committee on Wednesday.
 
Bulog also planned to procure another 500,000 tonnes of rice from local farmers, he said.

 Source:  nasdaq.com
25 Nov, 2022 News Image No stock-holding limit likely for wheat.
The government on Wednesday ruled out imposing a stocking-holding limit for wheat anytime soon to curb a spike in the retail prices of the cereal. Sanjeev Chopra, secretary, department of food and public distribution, told FE that though there has been a marginal increase in retail and wholesale prices of wheat in recent weeks, the situation may not warrant imposition of stock holding limit.
 
'The government is regularly monitoring the price scenario of wheat and other essential commodities,' he said.
 
Sources said that the government, however, is likely to ask traders to declare their wheat stocks soon.
 
According to the department of consumer affairs’ price monitoring cell data, the modal retail price of wheat and flour (atta) on Wednesday rose to Rs28/kg and35/kg, respectively, from Rs 23/kg and Rs 28/kg three months ago.
 
Wheat output in the 2021-22 crop year (July-June), as per the agriculture ministry, has declined by around 3% on year to 106.8 million tonne (mt) because of heat waves during the flowering stage of the crop in March.
 
The annual domestic consumption of wheat is estimated around 84–85 mt. India has exported around 4.5 mt of wheat in the current fiscal, out of which around 2.1 mt was shipped prior to the imposition of ban on export in May 2022.
 
Meanwhile, the Food Corporation of India’s wheat stock had declined to 21 mt on November 1, a six-year low, against the buffer requirement of 13.8 mt for the beginning of the next year.
 
The FCI’s procurement in the 2022-23 season fell by more than 56.6% to only 18.8 mt against 43.3 mt purchased from the farmers in the previous year. 'Reduction in wheat procurement during the 2022-23 season was due to increase in market price and demand supply mismatch on account of geopolitical situation,' according to a food ministry note.
 
Sources said that the FCI is likely to offer 2-3 mt of wheat under the Open Market Sale Scheme to bulk buyers to curb rising prices of the grains in the current marketing year (2022-23), despite the stocks hovering around the buffer.
 
As per the latest assessment, the wheat stocks held with the FCI on April 1, 2023 would be around 11.3 mt against a buffer of 7.5 mt. 'We are considering a proposal to offer wheat to bulk buyers from our stocks,' a official said.
 
In May 2022, India banned wheat exports for ensuring domestic supplies.
 
Inflation in cereals was 12.08% in October, up from 11.55% in September. Meanwhile, wheat retail inflation rose by 17.6% in October 2022.
Meanwhile, rice inflation also increased by 10.2% in October, 2022 while prices rose by 9.2% in the previous month.
 
'There is negligible hike in retail prices of rice and prices are under control,' the food ministry’s note stated.
 
India’s rice production in the current kharif season for the 2022-23 crop year (July-June) is expected to decline by around 6% to 104.99 mt against 111.76 mt in 2021-22, according to the first advance estimate of foodgrain production released by the agriculture ministry recently.
 
The government also banned broken rice exports as well as put additional export duties of 20% on the certain varieties of non-basmati rice exports.

 Source:  financialexpress.com
25 Nov, 2022 News Image Algeria buys durum wheat in tender -traders.
Algeria’s state grains agency OAIC is believed to have purchased durum wheat in an international tender which closed on Wednesday, European traders said on Thursday.
 
The volume bought was unclear. Trader estimates of the purchase on Thursday ranged between 300,000 and 450,000 tonnes.
 
Traders estimated prices at around $495 per tonne c&f for consignments in large panamax-sized bulk carriers and between $502 and $503 a tonne c&f for smaller handysize ships.
 
More detailed assessments of prices and tonnes bought are possible later.
 
Shipment was sought in three periods: Dec. 16-31, 2022, Jan. 1-15 and Jan. 16-31. Algeria does not disclose the results of its tenders and purchase reports are based on trade assessments.

 Source:  nasdaq.com
25 Nov, 2022 News Image Bangladesh: Letter sent to Commerce Ministry for allowing import of additional 20,000 tonnes of rice.
The Food Ministry has sent a letter to the Commerce Ministry for allowing six more private companies to import 20,000 tonnes of rice to keep the rice market stable.
 
The letter, signed by Additional Secretary Mojibor Rahman, has been sent to the senior secretary to the Commerce Ministry recently seeking permission to import 13,000 tonnes of boiled rice and 7,000 tonnes of not-boiled rice.
 
The ministry asked to allow these persons or agencies to import specified quantity (with maximum of 5 percent coarse grains) of boiled and Atap rice.
 
According to the conditions of rice import, the permitted importers have to market all the rice in Bangladesh by December 31. The quantity of imported rice, storage and marketing information should be informed to the District Food Controller concerned.
 

 Source:  unb.com.bd
25 Nov, 2022 News Image Triggering competition. India s first private agri mandi set to come up with world-class infrastructure.
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 Rs. 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. 
 
Online, offline trading 
Horticulture trade mainly takes place at the fields and farmers often complain that traders go missing without paying fully. 
 
'Now, all processes in such field trades will be documented. Also, farmers can store their produce at our market. Traditional APMCs [agricultural produce market committees] have established monopolies. Here there will be no monopoly as farmers are the owners of the market,' said Shinde. 
 
Sahyadri FPC has readied a special software for online trading. 'We want to provide an end-to-end ecosystem to our members. There is a huge domestic market available for our farmers, but there is no marketing system. The existing marketing system is not sufficient,' Shinde added. 
 
Nashik farmers say grapes never come to APMCs for trading, and Sahyadri FPC offers them an opportunity to bring their produce to its market. Farmers have been complaining that the raisin markets in Tasgaon and Pimpalgaon are dominated by a few groups, forcing farmers to depend on them for a better price. Now, they hope to find a better solution at the Sahyadri APMC.  
 
Competing with quality 
'Private markets will trigger competition. Farmers are going to benefit. FPC market will pose a challenge to traditional APMCs. FPCs are crop- and member-specific and will concentrate on bringing their produce into the system. Competition is a must for improving the market system,' said Shinde. 

 Source:  thehindubusinessline.com
25 Nov, 2022 News Image Tamil Nadu will send 100 farmers to Israel for training: Minister.
Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare MRK Panneerselvam on Thursday said the State government is planning to send within a year 100 farmers to Israel to learning new farming techniques.
 
He said this at the two-day Indo-Israel conference on women empowerment in agriculture, organised at Centre of Excellence (COE) for cut flowers, in Thally.
 
The event was organised to mark 30 years of diplomatic relationship between India and Israel. Also, Israel has been supporting Indian farmers through various technologies like water conservation. 'Over 7,000 farmers from Tamil Nadu have undergone various training at COE since its inception in 2017,' the minister said.
 
Over 100 women horticulture officers from across the country took part in the conference, organised by TN department of horticulture - plantation crops, with the support of MASHAV - Israel in India, under Indo-Israel agricultural project. Four women experts from Israel will train the participants about new techniques of agriculture and innovation, among others.
 
Krishnagiri Collector Dr V Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy, Director of Horticulture and Plantation Crops R Brindha Devi and Consul General of Israel to South India, Tammy Ben Haim, were those who took part in the conference.

 Source:  newindianexpress.com
25 Nov, 2022 News Image India, GCC agree to resume negotiations for FTA: Piyush Goyal.
India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have agreed to resume negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.
 
In 2006 and 2008, both sides had negotiated a trade pact, but that had come to a standstill due to some reasons.
 
'We have agreed to pursue the free trade agreement between GCC and India and resume the negotiations and conclude the same at the earliest,' Goyal told reporters here at a joint press conference with GCC secretary-general Nayef Falah M Al-Hajraf.
 
Goyal also said teams from both sides would decide on the next round of talks.
 
GCC is a union of six countries - Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain - in the Gulf region. The council is India's largest trading bloc.
 
India's exports to GCC member countries grew 58.26% to about $44 billion in 2021-22 as against $27.8 billion in 2020-21, according to data from the commerce ministry. Bilateral trade in goods increased to $154.73 billion in 2021-22 from $87.4 billion in 2020-21. Services trade between the two regions was valued at around $14 billion in 2021-22, with exports aggregated at $5.5 billion and imports at $8.3 billion. GCC countries contribute almost 35% of India's oil and 70% of its gas imports.

 Source:  economictimes.indiatimes.com
25 Nov, 2022 News Image International Year of Millets (IYOM) 2023 will provide an opportunity to globally promote millets as the nutritious cereals Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.
The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri 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. Shri Tomar said that on the initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millet (IYOM).
 
'Through this, our aim is to increase the domestic and global consumption of Millets,' said Shri 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.
 
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.
 
Shri 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,' he 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.
 
Shri 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, Shri 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 Shri Manoj Ahuja said, pandemic has brough 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.
 
Minister of State for External Affairs Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi, Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi, Secretary, West, Shri Sanjay Verma and about 100 High Commissioners/Ambassadors based in Delhi and senior officials of both the Ministry took part in the event.  

 Source:  pib.gov.in