The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that nutritious grains should again get a respectable place in our food plate. On the initiative of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets, under which the Group of Ministers has also been entrusted with the responsibility by the Prime Minister to promote nutri-cereals. Many programmes have been planned by the Central Government at the local, state, national and international levels.

 

Shri Tomar said this during his visit to the Millets Culinary Carnival at Dilli Haat today. Organized by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, this culinary festival is a major step towards celebrating the International Year of Millets (IYoM) - 2023 under the stewardship of India, where the use of millets in various cuisines is being displayed during live cookery shows in which eminent chefs from different parts of the country have also participated.

 

With the least water consumption, low carbon footprint, and the fact that millets can be grown even during drought conditions, the millets are referred to as climate-friendly crops. Millet forms an alternative food system in an era of rising demand for vegetarian foods. Millet contributes to a balanced diet as well as a safe environment. These are the gifts of nature to mankind. Millets are a storehouse of micronutrients such as B-complex vitamins and minerals that are lacking.

 

Organized in association with ICAR-IIMR, IHM (Pusa) and IFCA, the chief guest at the festival, Shri Tomar said that millets should not be discarded by saying that it is the food of the poor, rather it should be publicized the world over like Yoga and Ayurveda, since they all are important from the point of view of health. India is a leading producer and consumer of millet crops and their products. 'I look forward to many more such events to spread awareness about the consumption of millet and its health benefits,' said Shri Tomar.

 

Street play on Millets and Food Security was performed by the students of Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition, Pusa. Shri Tomar also inspected various stalls of millets and distributed prizes. Out of 26 teams that vied for awards to the Best Culinary dishes made of Millets, five teams were shortlisted. IHM Indore, Chitkara University and ICI Noida bagged the top three places, while IHM Bhopal and IHM Mumbai also participated in the final round.

 

Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Union Agriculture Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja, Additional Secretary Shri Abhilaksh Likhi, Director General, ICAR, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra and Director IIMR, Hyderabad, Ms. Ratnavati were also present in the programme along with other dignitaries.

 

Through the festival, the general public is getting an opportunity to taste the nutritious-delicious dishes being made from millet. Information about nutrition is being provided during this festival at Dilli Haat. This is also a great opportunity to promote the nutritional benefits of millets, an opportunity for entrepreneurship and a regular diet plan for the general public, in which many startups and other stakeholders have participated. Various attractions of the festival include panel discussion on 'Business Prospects for Small Scale Industries and Entrepreneurs', street plays and quiz competitions through which the virtues of millet are being disseminated. The festival will continue till July 31.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday said his ministry will soon seek the Cabinet nod for a proposal to allow emerging technology-based farm projects like hydroponics access the Rs 1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. Set up in 2020, the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) provides financing facility for setting up of post harvest infra projects at farm-gate and aggregation points. Loans are provided at interest subvention of 3 per cent per annum up to a limit of Rs 2 crore. The subvention is for a maximum period of 7 years.

 

'We are considering allowing more projects under AIF, for which we are soon going to seek approval from the Cabinet,' Tomar said after giving away awards to the best performing banks under AIF.

 

The changes to AIF have been proposed to allow emerging technology-based farm projects like hydroponics to borrow from AIF.

 

Last time, the government had made changes to AIF was in July 2021. Then, the government had allowed APMCs, state agencies, federations, cooperatives of farmers and self help groups to seek funds for infrastructure development projects.

 

Tomar said the infrastructure projects under AIF should be set up near farm-gate so that farmers get maximum benefit of it.

 

While the country has made strides in farm productivity, now the focus is on improving farmers' income. Therefore, the technology and necessary post harvest infrastructure need to be made available to the farming community so that their income rises, he said.

 

Tomar also said both states and banks need to address the gap in sanctioning fund through AIF for eligible beneficiaries.

 

As of now, out of more than 23,000 applications received on the integrated portal of AIF, 13,700 applicants have been sanctioned amounting to Rs 10,131 crore AIF loans with a combined investment of around Rs 17,500 crore by various lending institutions, as per the official data.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary said banks' role is the key as AIF in future will give a big push to startups and farmer producer organisations.

 

So, banks needs not worry about sanctioning loans to applicants under AIF as the government gives credit guarantee, he said.

 

Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja asked banks to simplify the loan process for projects applied under AIF, and state governments to set up project monitoring units to expedite the applications under this scheme.

 

There is a huge demand for AIF for various projects. To reach out to them, banks should work on a campaign mode and take up 'one branch, one application' approach to make the AIF scheme successful, he said.

 

'There are one lakh bank branches in the country. If one application is cleared by one branch, then we will easily achieve the target set under AIF. This will also improve infrastructure in the farm sector,' he added.

Smt. Anupriya Patel, Hon'ble Minister of State, Commerce and Industry, Government of India at the India – Uzbekistan Business Forum organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry mentioned that the frequent high-level visits of the Heads of State of India and Uzbekistan have played a pivotal role in deepening the ties between the two countries. Uzbekistan is an important trade partner for India and given the close ties of the two countries, Smt. Patel emphasized on growing bilateral trade between the two countries. Accordingly, she urged both the countries to focus on diversifying the trade basket as multisectoral trade is the need of the hour. Smt. Patel further underscored the willingness of India to deepen its engagement with Uzbekistan particularly in infrastructure, hospitality and tourism, IT and, training and capacity building which could also be important for Uzbekistan.

 

Given the significance of the pharmaceutical and IT sector for Uzbekistan, H.E. Mr. Jamshid Khodjayev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan, in his keynote address invited Indian businesses to integrate and jointly produce pharma and IT products with Uzbekistan and work towards the development of several segments such as fintech and cybersecurity.

 

Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Co-Chair, India Uzbekistan Joint Business Council (From India) & Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises in his opening remarks stressed upon the potential of engagement between India and Uzbekistan in agriculture, tourism, health & pharma, and space.

 

Mr. Farkhodjon Toshpulatov, Deputy Chairman, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan mentioned that India is considered to be one of the leading partners of Uzbekistan and economic cooperation is Uzbekistan’s priority. He mentioned about Uzbekistan’s keenness to join efforts with India on mutually beneficial projects in pharmaceutical, agriculture, food processing etc.

The bilateral trade between India and Thailand reached an all time high of around USD 15 billion in 2021-22 as the domestic market remains attractive for Thai investors, said Union Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. The economic cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment and tourism have continued to flourish during recent years, Singh said on Saturday at the ongoing second edition of the North East India Festival, being held in Bangkok.

 

'Thailand is the fourth largest trading destination for India in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade between India and Thailand has reached an all time high of around USD 15 billion in 2021-22. The Indian market remains attractive for Thai investors,' he added.

 

Commerce, Culture and Connectivity define the future focus areas of cooperation between India and Thailand, Singh stressed.

 

'India provides huge opportunities for investment in infrastructure, including roads, ports, power sector, food processing, renewable energy, digital technology, logistics and electric vehicles,' he said.

 

Singh expressed happiness over the fact that businesses from both sides can enter into long-term partnerships for more diverse and resilient supply chains.

 

'India's Act East policy complemented by Thailand's Act West policy has provided the basis for building a multi-faceted partnership between the two countries. Northeast India is the gateway to Thailand and other South East Asian countries.

 

'We would welcome the business community of Thailand to explore the Indian market for greater trade and investment linkages with particular emphasis on Northeastern states,' the Indian minister said.

 

All the Northeastern states are rich in natural resources, minerals and forest wealth, exotic fruits and vegetables, and unparalleled scenic beauty, he stressed.

 

Echoing similar sentiments, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said: 'Thailand is historically and geographically very close to India's North East.'

 

He thanked the Indian government for organising the second edition of North East India Festival at Bangkok in the 75th year of India's diplomatic relations with Thailand.

 

'The North East India Festival will help in pushing trade, tourism and people to people connect with both the regions,' Laksanawisit said.

 

The three-day festival showcasing the Northeastern region's rich diversity and opportunities began on Friday with the presence of a number of dignitaries, including central ministers of India and Thailand along with several chief ministers from the region.

 

Among those present include Chief Ministers of Meghalaya and Nagaland Conrad Sangma and Neiphu Rio, respectively, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy CM Chowna Mein, Assam's Textile Minister Urkhao Gwra Brahma and Revenue Minister Jogen Mahan, and Tourism Ministers of Mizoram and Arunachal Robert Rongmawaia Royte and Nakap Nalo, respectively.

 

As part of the festival, a trade meet was organised wherein around 60 buyers of Thailand interacted with MSME entrepreneurs and government agencies from India.

 

A B2B meet on tourism was also held and it was attended by 150 tour operators from Thailand who interacted with state tourism departments of Northeast, tour operators and policymakers of both the countries.

 

An exhibition of products of Northeast such as cuisines, crafts and tourism potential is also being held.

Union minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal affirmed the commitment to use the Chabahar port to manifest the trade opportunities with Central Asian countries, he was speaking in Mumbai after inaugurating the Chabahar day conference.

 

Significantly, India has helped Iran in building the Chabahar port and an associated rail line, which enables trade without being dependent on Pakistan for the movement of goods between India and Central Asian countries. Pakistan had earlier denied the use of its territory for the transit of goods between India and Central Asia.

 

Strategic importance of Chabahar port

Chabahar is strategically located in South-Eastern Iran at the mouth of the Gulf of Oman and favours India to ship goods and do trade with Afghanistan and Central Asian countries like Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. However Sonowal urged all the attendees, representatives and stakeholders from the region to further suggest ideas to reduce the transportation time and cost further to make a cheaper, shorter, faster, and more reliable route from India to Iran and Central Asia.

 

This is additional to India's initiative, International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which is aimed at reducing the time taken for Export-Import (EXIM) shipments to reach Russia, Europe and enter the Central Asian markets. 

 

The Chabahar port is a key part of India's Indo-Pacific vision to connect Eurasia with the Indian Ocean region. India's Minister of State for Shipping, Shripad Naik, said India's economic activities with Central Asia is getting boosted with the development of trade ties with the land-locked region. "This infrastructure linkage will prosper the trade and bilateral relations between all these countries," Naik said.

 

Iran has provided incentives for trade via Chabar port

The deputy head of Iran's ports and maritime organisation (PMO) Jalil Eslami, during the event stated the importance of the Chabahar port and that it is contributing majorly in the economic prosperity of India and Iran. He added further on the role Iran has played in unleashing the trade potential between both countries. Eslami informed that Iran has announced major incentives for increasing trade between India and Iran via the Chabahar port. 

The ball has been set rolling for wheat flour ( atta) exporters awaiting government approval since July 12, when such approvals were made mandatory, as the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has now operationalised the portal for application, a person tracking the development has said.

 

The inter-ministerial committee (IMC) on wheat is expected to take up the first set of applications filed on the portal for clearance when it meets on Thursday next week, a person tracking the development said. Applications for exports filed subsequently will be considered the following Thursday and so on, he added.

 

'After the IMC clears the applications, the exporters will need to get quality clearance from the Export Inspection Council(EIC) before they are given the final nod,' the source told BusinessLine.

 

Earlier this month, the government had amended the  export policy on wheat flour, making it compulsory for all exporters to get a nod from the IMC starting July 12. Subsequently, the DGFT came up with another notification stating that exporters of wheat flour will need to get a quality certification from the EIC, or one of the four identified Export Inspection Agencies, in addition to an approval from the IMC.

 

To ensure quality

The DGFT clarified that the reason for the amendment was to ensure quality and the export of wheat flour, otherwise, remained free. The additional quality check for wheat flour comes on the back of a ban on export of wheat, announced by the government on May 13 2022, in response to wheat crop getting hit due to unprecedented heat wave and spiralling domestic prices. 

 

'The clearance process should not take much time if an exporter has all documentation in order. The EIC and its agencies are also well equipped to carry out quality tests as they have been performing such tests on other items such as rice,' the source said.

 

Exporters will need to submit the purchase order copy of invoice and documentary evidence in case the firm is ISO 22000 compliant, according to the DGFT notification.

Prices of all varieties of rice have increased by up to 30% since the beginning June, due to higher demand from Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia and also a shortage in paddy acreage in several states.

 

The costlier staple grain will pinch the Indian households that are already facing the brunt of high inflation.

 

The area covered under paddy, the primary crop during the kharif season, was 13.3% less across the country till July 29 from the same period last year, as farmers in the major producer states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal slowed sowing due to poor rains. Odisha and Chhattisgarh too have witnessed lower sowing. While this has raised concerns about a shortage in grain output, higher export demand fanned prices further.

 

'Bangladesh has started importing rice from India which has impacted the preferred varieties of rice in Indian households like sona masoori, whose prices have gone up by 20%,' BV Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, told ET.

 

As on July 29, the area under paddy cultivation in the six northern and eastern states mentioned earlier is lagging by 3.7 million hectares compared with the same time last year. The deficit is close to a tenth of India's kharif rice acreage of 39.7 million hectares.

 

At an average yield of 2.6 tonnes per hectare, the lower acreage has put close to 10 million tonnes of production at stake.

 

India rice production, including the winter harvest, in fiscal 2022 was 130 million tonnes, and exports were 21 million tonnes. The country is targeting an output of 112 million tonnes of rice in the ongoing kharif season.

 

Suraj Agarwal, CEO of Kolkata-based Tirupati Agri Trade, said: 'Prices of all varieties of rice have gone up by 30%. The ratna variety of rice, whose price was Rs.26 per kg, has shot up to Rs.33 ... Prices of basmati rice have also shot up by almost 30%, from Rs 62 per kg to Rs 80, as demand is very strong from Iran, Iraq and Saud Arabia.'

In a positive response to requests received from the Bhutanese government, India has made special trade concessions on export of wheat and sugar to the country, Indian Embassy in Bhutan said.

'Responding to requests received from the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Government of India has made additional trade concessions for Bhutan. As a special gesture, India has authorised the export of wheat and sugar to Bhutan, as per Bhutan's requirements, i.e. 5,000 MT of wheat and 10,000 MT of sugar, to be imported by the Food Corporation of Bhutan Limited and other leading industries in Bhutan,' the Embassy said.

 

Earlier this year, due to sudden changes in the global market affecting the price and availability of wheat and sugar, the Government of India had restricted the export of these two commodities to strengthen India's food security.

 

In keeping with the special and friendly relations with Bhutan, the Government of India responded positively to requests received from the Royal Government of Bhutan for wheat and sugar.

 

Previously, India had made various trade concessions for Bhutan including lifting the restriction on import of potato only from Bhutan, allowing the import of fresh wholly produced ginger from Bhutan, supplying Nano Urea / Nano Nitrogen Fertilizer (Liquid) to Bhutan at a special concessional rate, and supplying coal to Bhutan.

 

Despite the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and disruptions in the global supply chains, India has been extending the fullest cooperation and support to Bhutan in order to ensure smooth movement of commodities during this period.

 

'Our close trade and economic ties are a reflection of the exceptionally close and friendly relations between India and Bhutan that have existed over decades. In view of this special relationship, notwithstanding global supply chain disruptions and shortages of various commodities, India has decided to accommodate Bhutan's special requests,' it added.

 

The Embassy added that the Government and the people of India stand resolutely committed to the long term well-being and prosperity of the Government and the people of Bhutan.

 

India and Bhutan share a unique and time-tested bilateral relationship, characterised by utmost trust, goodwill and mutual understanding. Compared to other bilateral ties in India's neighbourhood, the relationship with Bhutan is relatively trouble-free and cordial.

 

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were formally established in 1968 with the appointment of a resident representative of India in the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu. The India House (Embassy of India in Bhutan) was inaugurated on May 14, 1968, and Resident Representatives were exchanged in 1971.

 

Ambassadorial level relations began with the upgrading of residents to embassies in 1978. The basis for bilateral relations between India and Bhutan is formed by the Indo-Bhutan Treaty of 1949, which provides for, among others, 'perpetual peace and friendship, free trade and commerce and equal justice to each other's citizens.'

 

This relationship becomes even more important because four Indian states, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and West Bengal - share a 699-kilometre-long boundary with Bhutan. India is important to Bhutan in multiple ways. It is Bhutan's largest trading partner - both as a source and a market for its goods.

 

As a landlocked country, most of Bhutan's third-country exports also transit through Indian ports. Similarly, Bhutan is also important to India. Bhutan was one of the first nations to recognize the independence of India in 1947.

 

India considers Nepal and Bhutan as important frontiers in its Himalayan foreign policy of mutual trust and cooperation.

With a vision to promote sustainable trade and create market linkages, a mega Buyer-Seller Meet (BSM) was today organized by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry in association with Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) under the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative at SKICC here.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Vivek Bharadwaj highlighted various strengths of J&K that play vital role in boosting our economy by way of exports. He underlined the importance of following up even after the BSM is completed as it allows sellers to understand market demand through buyers.

 

Delivering the keynote address at the Buyer-Seller Meet, Additional Secretary, DPIIT GoI, Sumita Dawra spoke about harnessing the immense potential of ODOP products by extending market access. She emphasized the world-class quality of Kashmiri products and discussed ways to address challenges to facilitate trade.

 

MD, JKTPO, Dr Devansh Yadav on the occasion spoke about the potential of the exquisite products of Handicraft & Handlooms, importance of e-commerce and relevance of the ODOP initiative in achieving the goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

 

Director Handloom and Handicraft, Kashmir, Tariq Ahmad Zargar, while speaking on the occasion enlightened the gathering about the different products and their potential market. He deliberated on the supply chain hurdles faced by traders/artisans during the COVID-19 pandemic and initiatives by the Government in promoting Handicraft and Handloom with an aim to boost the morale of the artisans and weaver society.

 

Notably, the Jammu and Kashmir Buyer-Seller Meet is building new synergies by connecting more than 40 sellers to 15 buyers from major brands and creating new market linkages for products of Handicraft & Handlooms which include Pashmina shawls, papier mache, walnut wood carving, silk carpets, basoli Painting and much more.

 

The Buyer-Seller Meet witnessed the presence of different national brands like Reliance Retail, FabIndia, Pashmina.com, Oma Living, etc. having their products available in over a million retail outlets across the world. Sellers, Traders, Farmers, and Aggregators from various districts of Jammu & Kashmir showcased their products which are unique to valley including world-famous Kashmiri saffron, Hand-knotted carpets, Pashmina shawls, Kashmir Willow bats, crewel, and more.

 

This BSM is a direct outcome of the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self Reliant India). DPIIT, under its initiative of One District One Product, VocalForLocal, is committed to promoting and expanding market access for Jammu & Kashmir’s wide range of unique handloom & handicraft products. With multiple interventions such as industry engagement, buyer-seller meets, e-commerce onboarding, & assistance in the registration & certification of goods, the ODOP initiative is creating new synergies for Jammu & Kashmir’s exquisite products.

 

The Buyer Seller Meet provided a platform where different Government departments and institutions came together to boost the trade of selected products. Jammu & Kashmir agriculture, horticulture, and industries department worked together to bring quality products as per market requirements and it was imperative to connect these best-in-class products with renowned brands to improve earning potential of artisans and farmers. Focused trade discussions were facilitated between the buyers and sellers resulting in the signing of 30 Letters of Intent for handicrafts and handloom products amounting to Rs 10.50 crore.