Kenya is set to import its first genetically modified maize, the trade cabinet secretary has said, as the government seeks to ease food shortages caused by the country's worst drought in 40 years.

 

Local media reported that Kenya will on Friday authorise the duty-free importation of 10 million bags of maize over the next six months, and for the first time it will include genetically modified maize.

 

The imports will be the first since President William Ruto lifted a decade-long ban last month on the cultivation and importation of genetically modified crops, which authorities hope will improve crop yields and food security as millions face hunger.

 

'In view of the food situation in the country, I shall be signing instruments to allow duty free imports of GMO (genetically modified) and non GMO Maize for the next 6 months,' secretary Moses Kuria said on Twitter.

 

Annual rains have failed across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia for the last four seasons, forcing 1.5 million people out of their homes in search of water and food elsewhere.

The Odisha government has launched a mission to bring 10,000 hectares under organic coffee cultivation over the next few years, State Agriculture Production Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena has said. 

 

'Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has a significant area under coffee. We have also started well on coffee plantations and in Koraput distinct, adjoining Andhra, we get high-quality Arabica coffee. We have launched a mission to take up coffee plantation in 10,000 hectares over the next few years and gradually emerge as an organic coffee-producing State in the country,' Jena told businessline.

 

According to the Coffee Board, non-traditional areas in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and the North-East make up for 21 per cent of the total area under coffee cultivation. During 2021-22, coffee was cultivated on 99,380 hectares of non-traditional areas compared to 3.68 lakh hectares in traditional areas.

 

Among non-traditional areas, Andhra Pradesh has 94,956 hectares under coffee, while Odisha has 4,424 hectares and the North-East 4,695 hectares. A feature of the area under coffee in Odisha is that only Arabica is grown whereas Andhra and the North-East have some areas under Robusta coffee.  

 

By design

'In Odisha, coffee is grown in tribal areas. Most of the tribal areas are by default organic. No chemical fertiliser is used there. But we want these areas to be organic by design now in order to enjoy the advantage in marketing the coffee,' Jena said. 

 

The Odisha government is trying to enhance productivity through large-scale farm automation and mechanisation. 'In fact, 20 years ago our per capita power consumption was hardly one-fourth of the country’s average. We have now nearly caught up,' he said.

 

Currently, Odisha’s per capita power consumption is 2.4 kW hours against 2.7 kWh for the country. 'We are now giving a lot of emphasis on farm mechanisation and automation,' the State Agriculture Production Commissioner said. 

Panel responsible for preparing an actionable export and financial road map for 'One-District-One-Product' (ODOP) in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir has been reconstituted by the government on Thursday.

 

The GAD order read, 'In supersession of Government Order No 1257-JK(GAD) of 2022 dated October 18, 2022, sanction is hereby accorded to constitution of a Committee for preparing an actionable export and financial road map for 'One-District-One-Product' (ODOP) scheme in Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.'

 

According to the order, the Administrative Secretary Agriculture Production Department is now appointed as the Chairman.

 

It will constitute of members such as Administrative Secretary Industries and Commerce Department; Director Agriculture Jammu; Director Agriculture Kashmir; Director Horticulture Jammu; Director Horticulture Kashmir; Director Industries and Commerce Jammu/Kashmir; Director Handloom and Handicrafts Jammu/Kashmir; Managing Director JK Trade Promotion Organization.

 

The panel will also have Managing Director J&K Horticulture, Planning Marketing Corporation; a representative each of Development Commissioner, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India and Director General of Foreign Trade, Government of India; Chief General Manager NABARD as its members.

 

A representative of APEDA; Regional Director Reserve Bank of India; General Manager J&K UTLBC and Circle Head Punjab National Bank, Jammu will also be its members. 

The country’s coffee exports almost doubled to Rs 3,312 crore during April-September this fiscal against Rs 1,657 crore in the same period of 2013-14, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in a tweet.

 

'Indian coffee exports (are) hitting new milestones. India’s exports of coffee rose to almost two times in April-September 2022 over the same period in 2013,' he said.

India is Asia’s third-largest producer and exporter of the commodity. Indian coffee is one of the best coffees in the world because of its high quality.

 

India ships both Robusta and Arabica varieties, besides instant coffee. Arabica has high market value than Robusta coffee because of its mild aromatic flavor. On the other hand, Robusta has a 72% share in the total production of the commodity making it the majorly manufactured coffee type.

 

In recent years, India’s specialty coffee has gained interest from coffee enthusiasts all over the globe, thus, making it a popular product. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation statistics, India is the eighth largest exporter of coffee. The country exports about 70% of its production, with exports being the highest from March to June.

 

Italy, Germany, Belgium, and the Russian Federation are among the major export destinations for Indian coffee with an average total share of about 45%. Libya, Jordan, Poland, the US, Australia, Slovenia, and Malaysia are among the other countries that import coffee from India.

Despite various headwinds, India's overall foreign trade has shown steady growth. The country's overall exports (merchandise and services combined) in October 2022 are estimated to be USD 58.36 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 4.03 per cent over the same period last year. Overall imports in October 2022 are estimated to be USD 73 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 11.82 per cent over the same period last year.

 

India's overall exports (merchandise and services combined) in April-October 2022 are estimated to be USD 444.74 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 19.56 per cent over the same period last year. Overall imports in April-October 2022 are estimated to be USD 543.26 billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 33.80 per cent over the same period last year.

 

Non-petroleum, and non-gems and jewellery exports in October 2022 were USD 21.72 billion, compared to USD 26.15 billion in October 2021.

 

Non-petroleum, non-gems and jewellery (gold, silver and precious metals) imports were USD 34.40 billion, compared to USD 32.88 billion in October 2021.

 

The non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports during April-October 2022 was USD 182.05 billion as compared to USD 176.52 billion in April-October 2021.

 

However, non-petroleum, non-gems and jewellery (gold, silver and precious metals) imports were USD 258.30 billion in April-October 2022 as compared to USD 198.58 billion in April-October 2021.

 

The estimated value of services export for October 2022 is USD 28.58 billion, as compared to USD 20.37 billion in October 2021. The estimated value of services import for October 2022 is USD 16.30 billion as compared to USD 11.64 billion in October 2021.

 

India's merchandise exports and imports rebounded strongly and surpassed pre-COVID levels during the current financial year. Despite weak tourism revenues, the country witnessed a significant pickup in net services receipts, with revenue receipts and payments crossing the pre-pandemic levels.

 

Net capital flows were higher at USD 65.6 billion in the first half of 2021-22 because of a revival in net external commercial borrowings, a continued inflow of foreign investment, additional special drawing rights (SDR) allocation, and higher banking capital, according to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF).

 

India achieved all-time high annual merchandise export of USD 421.9 billion in FY 2021-22 (against the export target of USD 400 billion, achieving 105.4 per cent of the target), an increase of over 43 per cent over USD 291.81 billion in FY2020-21 and an increase of 33.33 per cent over USD 313.36 billion in FY2019-20.

 

India's overall exports (Services and Merchandise) touched USD 676.2 billion in the financial year 2021-2022 as both services and merchandise hit record high exports in the financial year 2021-2022. India's overall exports were USD 526.6 billion and USD 497.9 billion in 2019-20 and 2020-21respectively, according to Invest India.

 

About 95 per cent of India's merchandise trade (by volume) is handled by its maritime transport.

 

Foreign Trade Policy 2021-26 is expected to focus on MSMEs and new export potential by identifying potential products and services in each district, mapping geographical indication (GI) products, and setting up district export promotion panels.

 

In March 2021, the central government announced plans to establish a new mechanism to increase import screening to protect domestic manufacturers. The policy is also expected to boost exports of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by adopting e-commerce platforms and support in identifying new sectors with significant export potential, revealed IBEF.

In a relief to exporters, the government on Thursday reduced the export obligation under a key incentive scheme for 192 products whose exports declined more than 5% on-year in FY22.

 

These products include certain types of silver, precious metals and concentrates, revolvers and pistols, wrist watches, citrus fruits and some textiles.

 

In a notification, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that its regional offices will re-fix the average annual export obligations under the EPCG scheme, which allows import of capital goods for pre-production, production and post- production at zero customs duty.

 

'This implies that the sector/product group that witnessed such decline in 2021-22 as compared to 2020-21 would be entitled for such relief,' the DGFT said.

 

Spices such as ginger and turmeric, woven cotton fabrics, cheese and curd, paint varnishes, garments, and tomatoes are also among the goods identified for the relief.

 

The relief comes amid India’s merchandise exports contracting a sharp 16.65% to $29.78 billion in October with key sectors such as petroleum products, engineering goods and textiles.

 

India’s goods exports in FY22 were $422 billion as against $291.8 billion in FY21.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that the UK government remains committed to working 'as quickly as possible' towards a successful conclusion to the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) talks with India, as the majority of the substantive negotiation conversations were completed at the end of last month.

 

At a House of Commons session on the G20 Summit in Indonesia on Thursday, the British Indian leader updated Parliament that he reviewed progress on the FTA during his first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi since taking charge at 10 Downing Street.

 

He was questioned by Opposition Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer and his own Conservative Party MPs on the timeline for the completion of the agreement with India.

 

'I discussed the free trade agreement with India, and both the Prime Minister of India and I committed our teams to working as quickly as possible to see if we can bring a successful conclusion to the negotiations,' said Sunak.

 

'Without negotiating all these things in public, I am pleased that the majority of the substantive negotiation conversations were concluded by the end of October. We will now work at pace with the Indian teams to try to resolve the issues and come to a mutually satisfactory conclusion,' he said.

 

More broadly, he reiterated the UK government's stance since the Diwali deadline for the FTA was missed, that he would not 'sacrifice quality for speed' because it is important to take the time to get trade deals right.

 

Sunak was questioned about his other discussions with Modi and whether he raised issues such as India's stance over the Russia-Ukraine conflict and also the UK being an exception within Europe to not be offered the e-visa facility - something he confirmed was discussed and will remain on the government's agenda.

 

On India's 'non-aligned' position on the Ukraine conflict, he claimed 'enormous comfort' from the fact that the G20 communique 'contained strong language of condemnation about Russia's aggression'.

 

'Our relationship and partnership with India are much broader than just a trading relationship. I was pleased to discuss increasing our security cooperation with India,' said Sunak.

 

'We also announced the mobility scheme to enable young people from India to come here and young Brits to go there, which is a sign of what is possible. Such exchanges are positive both for our countries and for the young people who benefit,' he said, with reference to the new UK-India Young Professionals Scheme launched at the summit earlier this week involving 3,000 new reciprocal visa offers annually for under-30s - dubbed as 'good for both Indian students and British students who want to go back and forth'.

 

On the new scheme, Labour's Indian-origin MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi questioned the move against the backdrop of 'dog whistle' anti-immigrant rhetoric from Home Secretary Suella Braverman's 'incendiary remarks against international students that so incensed people in India'.

 

The Labour Leader also attacked Braverman for putting the FTA deal with India in doubt after indicating that she would not support it, with reference to her controversial remarks on Indians being the largest group of visa overstayers.

 

'The Home Secretary is rightly focused - there is nothing 'dog whistle' about it - on clamping down on illegal migration, which the British people rightly expect and demand, and it is something that she and this government will deliver,' Sunak said in defence of his Cabinet minister.

Prices of rice shipped from top exporter India edged up this week on an uptick in overseas demand and as aggressive government buying of paddy to encourage higher domestic output jacked up traders' procurement costs.

 

India's 5% broken parboiled variety rates rose to $373-$378 per tonne from last week's $370-$375, amid higher export demand as well.

 

'The government has been buying new season paddy crop at revised higher prices. Exporters need to pay more to secure supplies,' said an exporter based in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

 

India raised the price at which it will buy the new-season common paddy from farmers by 5.2%, the biggest increase in five years, as New Delhi encourages farmers to boost acreage and output.

 

Meanwhile, output from neighbouring Bangladesh's second-biggest rain-fed rice crop could hit 17 million tonnes, exceeding the target of 16 million tonnes, as farmers raised acreage to cash in on higher prices, a senior agriculture ministry official said.

 

Bangladesh has been struggling to shore up stocks following widespread flooding.

 

Prices of Thailand's 5% broken variety scaled the highest since early October at $410-$425 per tonne.

 

Traders attributed the increase to gains in the baht, which decreases exporters' margins from overseas sales and prompts them to hike prices.

 

'Global markets are slowing because countries have stocked up on rice from their experience during the pandemic and war between Russia and Ukraine, which led to hoarding,' said a Bangkok-based trader.

 

Vietnam's 5% broken rice prices were unchanged at $425-$430 per tonne, free-on-board.

 

'Demand for Vietnamese rice is higher than previously anticipated and I think this year's exports will exceed the official target of 6.3-6.5 million tonnes,' a Ho Chi Minh City- based trader said.

 

There was more demand from European customers, especially for fragrant rice, and key markets such as Philippines and China, but domestic supplies are running low, traders said.

Forty four years after the famous song ‘Khaike Paan Banaras Wala’ from the film ‘Don’ gave ‘Banarasi Paan’ a distinct status, the iconic symbol of Banaras is set to get a unique identity in the form of GI tag.

 

Not only ‘Banarasi Paan’, but Mathura’s ‘Peda’, Agra’s ‘Petha’ and Kanpur’s ‘Sattu’ and ‘Bukunu’ would also get tags as part efforts of Uttar Pradesh government to provide wider recognition to local goods.

 

After the success of the One District One Product (ODOP) — the ambitious scheme of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state government, aiming to provide wider recognition to local goods, will bestow GI Tags upon major UP delicacies such as Mathura’s ‘Peda’, Agra’s ‘Petha’, Kanpur’s ‘Sattu’ and ‘Bukunu’, among others.

 

The State’s Agricultural Marketing and Agriculture Foreign Trade Department has ramped up preparations to provide GI (Geographical Indications) tags to special delicacies of Uttar Pradesh representing different districts.

 

Applications have already been submitted seeking GI tags for agricultural and processed products like ‘Chausa’ mango, ‘Banarasi Paan’ of Varanasi, ‘Imarti of Jaunpur and the registration process is in the final stage.

 

A total of 36 products of the state, including six related to agriculture, have been given GI tags. A total of 420 products of India are registered under GI tag, out of which 128 products are related to agriculture.

 

On behalf of the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Agricultural Foreign Trade, a presentation was made on the possibilities regarding agricultural products of the state in the Geographical Indication Webinar on the topic ‘Invaluable Treasure of Incredible India’ before Chief Secretary DS Mishra.

 

Additional Chief Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi gave information about the benefits and importance of agricultural products with GI tags. At present, the six products of Uttar Pradesh registered with GI tag include Allahabadi Surkha guava, Malihabadi Dussehri mango, Gorakhpur-Basti and Devipatan’s Kala Namak rice, Western UP’s Basmati, Baghpat’s Rataul mango and Mahoba’s Desavari paan (betel leaf).

 

Registration of 15 products in final stage.

 

There are about 15 agricultural and processed products whose registration process for GI tagging is almost in the final stage. These include Varanasi’s Langra mango, Bundelkhand’s Kathia wheat, Pratapgarh’s amla, Varanasi’s Lal Peda, Varanasi’s Red Stuffed Chilli, Gourjeet mango of UP, Chiraigaon Karonda of Varanasi, Chausa mango of West UP, Adam Cheeni Rice of Purvanchal, Banarasi Paan, Varanasi’s Thandai, Jaunpur’s Imarti, Muzaffarnagar’s Gur, Varanasi’s Tirangi Barfi and Ramnagar’s Bhanta, a release said.

 

The potential agricultural and processed products that have been mentioned for GI tagging include Malwan’s Peda, Mathura’s Peda, Fatehpur Sikri’s Namak Khatai, Agra’s Petha, Aligarh’s Chamcham sweets, Kanpur Nagar’s Sattu and Buknu, Pratapgarh’s Murabba, Maigalganj’s Rasgulla, Sandila’s Laddu and Balrampur’s Tinni rice.

 

Apart from this, Paniyala fruit of Gorakhpur, groundnut, jaggery-sugar, rose of Hathras, Jamun of Bithoor, Hathi Singar (vegetable) of Farrukhabad, Yakuti mango of Barabanki, green chili of Ambedkarnagar, Maize of Gonda, Sawa Kodon of Sonbhadra, Khataria wheat of Bulandshahar, Jaunpur’s Maize, Arhar of Bundelkhand are also included. The list also featrures products like Lucknow’s Revdi, Safeda Mango, Sitapur’s Groundnut, Ballia’s Sathi Rice, Saharanpur’s Desi Til, and Jaunpur’s radish. Due to the efforts of the government, soon these products will seek GI tag nomination.

 

The GI tag provides legal protection to an agricultural product found in a region. Unauthorized use of agricultural products can be curbed by GI tag as it increases the importance of agricultural products produced in a particular geographical area. GI tag is treated as a trademark in the international market. This promotes exports, as well as increases local income and by identifying specific agricultural products, it is easy to export and promote them in India as well as in the international market.