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28 Jul, 2022 News Image

APEDA Organizes Seminar on Promotion & Export of Jackfruit and its Value-added Products

The national fruit of Kerala is becoming more and more well-known throughout the world as a "superfood" meat substitute, creating a huge opportunity for Keralan farmers and exporters.

Jackfruit, the official state fruit of Kerala, is known to have originated in India's western ghats. The largest fruit produced by a tree is rich in nutrients. Every component of this fruit or tree has nutritional and economic value.

The national fruit of Kerala is becoming more and more well-known throughout the world as a "superfood" meat substitute, creating a huge opportunity for Keralan farmers and exporters. According to National Horticultural Board statistics, Kerala produced the second-most jackfruit in 2021–22, with a share of about 14.01%, yet the state loses 35 crores worth of jackfruit each year.

To further tap the export potential of fruit and to strengthen the supply chain between producers and exporters to foray and expand the opportunities, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) organized a seminar in Ernakulam 'Export promotion on Jack fruit & its value-added products."

The General Manager of APEDA, V.K. Vidyarthi told Krishi Jagran that Jackfruit is mainly originated in India and that too specifically in southern parts of the country. But still, there is a lack of knowledge about the proper utilization, processing, and evaluation of Jackfruit.

He further added, 'We are working with the exporters of APEDA in the south and doing awareness programs as well as providing them with platforms. We are also doing trial shipments and marketing the fruit in the international market. We are spreading awareness that India has a good production base of Jackfruit.'

'Jackfruit is an important raw material for vegan products. We do have raw materials available but we have to work on making jackfruit a vegan product. Jackfruit has a meat-like texture and with the right process and flavor add-ons, we can work on making jackfruit a substitute for meat,' he said.

In both mainstream and ethnic markets around the world, jackfruit is rising in popularity. Regarding the export situation, India shipped different fresh fruits, including Jackfruit, valued at 388.41 million US dollars in 2021–2022 Around 7.1 percent of total, or 27.67 million US dollars, belongs to Kerala. The main markets for fresh fruits coming from India are Bangladesh, the UAE, Iran, and Nepal, whereas the main markets for fresh fruits coming from Kerala are the Maldives, the UAE, Qatar, Germany, and the USA, among other places.

The jackfruit is predicted to become the most sought-after fruit in the next years due to the increased awareness of the fruit's nutritional and health benefits. Kerala has the potential to become into one of India's top producing and exporting states for jackfruit.

Source: krishijagran.com

28 Jul, 2022 News Image

Government to roll out several programmes in the country and abroad for popularizing Millets and other nutri-cereals, says Union Agriculture Minister.

Government plans to hold several programmes in the country and abroad for popularizing Millets and other nutri-cereals. Besides, all Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, along with the State Governments, will promote the nutri-cereals in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) and Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE). This was stated by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, while chairing the meeting of Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the subject ‘International Year of Millets’.

At the initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India had proposed to the United Nations for declaring 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYoM). The proposal of India was supported by 72 countries and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2023 as International Year of Millets (IYOM) in March, 2021.

Addressing the meeting, Shri Tomar said the Government of India has planned activities for grand celebrations of IYoM- 2023. The action plan of IYOM-2023 focuses on strategies to enhance production, consumption, export, branding etc. The Government has also launched PLI scheme for promotion of Millets, he said.

As part of the Prime Minister’s announcement of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Government, on 31st March, 2021, approved a Central Sector Scheme, namely 'Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Food Processing Industry' with an outlay of INR 10,900 crores to be implemented for a period of seven years from 2021-2022 to 2026-27.

The primary objectives of this scheme include support to creation of global food manufacturing champions and support Indian brands of food products in the international markets. Specific food product segments having high growth potential have been identified for providing support under the scheme. These include ready to cook/ready to eat (RTC/ RTE) foods including millet based products.

Shri Tomar said a Committee of Secretaries under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary and a Core Committee chaired by Secretary, DA&FW and Secretary, DARE has been constituted to oversee the programmes and policies on popularizing Nutri-Cereals.

The Government has evolved the ‘Seven Sutras’ (themes) in the run-up to the IYOM, which will be rolled out by the concerned Ministry/Departments, - Enhancement of Production/Productivity (DA&FW/DARE), Nutrition & Health benefits (Ministry of Health/FSSAI), Value Addition, Processing & Recipe Development (Ministries of Food Processing Industries & Tourism), Entrepreneurship/Startup/Collective Development (Commerce and DA&FW), Awareness creation including Branding Labelling & Promotion (All Ministries), International Outreach (Commerce & Ministry of External Affairs) and Policy Interventions for Mainstreaming (Dept of Food & Public Distribution and DA&FW).

Millets are a rich source of Protein, Fibre, Minerals, Iron, Calcium and have a low glycemic index. India is a major producer of Millets, accounting for 80% of Asia’s production and 20% of global production. India’s average yield of Millets (1239 kg/hectare) is also higher than Global average yield of 1229 kg/haq. Major Millets crops grown in India and their percentage share of production are Pearl Millet (Bajra) – 61% share, Jowar (Sorghum) – 27%, and Finger Millet (Mandua/Ragi) – 10%.

The Government has taken several steps for promotion of Millets. To create domestic and global demand and to provide nutritional food to the people, The National Year of Millets was celebrated in 2018. In view of the nutritional value of the millets, the Government also notified Millets as nutri-cereals in April, 2018 and Millets were included under the POSHAN Mission Abhiyan. Over 500 Startups are working in Millet value chain while the Indian Institute on Millet Research, has incubated 250 Startups under RKVY-RAFTAAR. More than Rs.6.2 crores has been disbursed to over 66 Startups while about 25 Startups have been approved for further funding.

Today’s Meeting of the Consultative Committee was attended by the Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje and Shri Kailash Choudhary. Members of Parliament who attended the meeting were Shri Asit Kumar Mal, Shri Bellana Chandrasekar, Smt. Jaskaur Meena, Shri Pradeep Kumar Chaudhary, Smt. Rama Devi, Secretary, DA&FW, Shri Manoj Ahuja, Shri S. Ramalingam, Shri Shrinivas Dadasaheb Patil and Shri Ram Shakal. Secretary, DARE and Director General of ICAR, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra and Senior Officers of the Ministry and ICAR also participated in the deliberations.

Source: pib.gov.in

28 Jul, 2022 News Image

Bilateral Trade between India and GCC grew from US$ 87.35 billion in FY 2020-21 to US$ 154.66 billion in FY 2021-22

Bilateral Trade between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council grew from US$ 87.35 billion in FY 2020-21 to US$ 154.66 billion in FY 2021-22, registering an increase of 77.06% on a year-on-year basis. Since FY 2017-18, on a compounded annual growth rate basis, bilateral trade between India and the GCC has grown by 10.57%.

Details of India’s exports to the GCC during the last five financial years is as follows:

India's Exports to GCC
Values in USD Billion
S.No.	Country	2017-2018	2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022
1	BAHRAIN	0.56	0.74	0.56	0.53	0.90
2	KUWAIT	1.37	1.33	1.29	1.05	1.24
3	OMAN	2.44	2.25	2.26	2.36	3.15
4	QATAR	1.47	1.61	1.27	1.28	1.84
5	SAUDI ARABIA	5.41	5.56	6.24	5.86	8.76
6	UAE	28.15	30.13	28.85	16.68	28.04
	GCC Total	39.39	pib.gov.in
28 Jul, 2022 India s overall (merchandise plus services) exports increased from USD 52.8 billion in June 2021 to USD 64.9 billion in June 2022 Government has taken the following measures to boost exports: Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20) extended upto 30-09-2022. Assistance provided through several schemes to promote exports, namely, Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) and Market Access Initiatives (MAI) Scheme. Rebate of State and Central Levies and Taxes (RoSCTL) Scheme to promote labour oriented textile export has been implemented since 07.03.2019. Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme has been implemented since 01.01.2021. Common Digital Platform for Certificate of Origin has been launched to facilitate trade and increase Free Trade Agreement (FTA) utilization by exporters. 12 Champion Services Sectors have been identified for promoting and diversifying services exports by pursuing specific action plans. Districts as Export Hubs has been launched by identifying products with export potential in each district, addressing bottlenecks for exporting these products and supporting local exporters/manufacturers to generate employment in the district. Active role of Indian missions abroad towards promoting India’s trade, tourism, technology and investment goals has been enhanced. Package announced in light of the COVID pandemic to support domestic industry through various banking and financial sector relief measures, especially for MSMEs, which constitute a major share in exports. This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Smt. Anupriya Patel, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today. Source: pib.gov.in
28 Jul, 2022 India wheat prices jump to record high, limit scope for govt-to-govt deals. Indian wheat prices jumped to a record high, despite a ban on exports, amid strong demand and dwindling supply from a crop damaged by heatwave. The price rally has reduced chances of India supplying substantial amounts of wheat under government-to-government deals with countries struggling to secure shipments amid the disruption of the war in Ukraine. Most of the farmers have sold their crop. Negligible supplies are coming up for sale even though demand is robust, said Gopaldas Agarwal, a trader based at Indore in central India. Local wheat prices jumped to a record 23,547 rupees per tonne on Wednesday. That was up nearly 12% from recent lows that followed the government's surprise ban on exports on May 14. Supplies in grain markets were much lower this year than normal, showing that 2022 production had dropped far more than the government had estimated, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm. The government's estimate of 106.41 million tonnes is nowhere close to the reality. Supplies are suggesting production of around 95 million tonnes, he said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service has pegged production at 99 million tonnes. India, the world's second-biggest wheat producer, harvested 109.59 million tonnes in 2021. The government estimated less output this year because of a heatwave in March and April. Lower supplies are also reflected in government wheat procurement, which so far this year is down 57% on the same period of 2021, at 18.8 million tonnes. The government will have little stockpile to intervene in the market until the new-season supplies become available in March 2023, said a New Delhi based dealer with a global trading firm. Supplies are tightening. India may allow exports of (a) small quantity to Sri Lanka or Nepal, but large shipments are unlikely under government-to-government deals, the dealer said. When New Delhi banned wheat exports, it said it would allow overseas shipments to countries that requested supplies to meet their food security needs. India exported 3.5 million tonnes of wheat in the second quarter, mainly to Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, up from 1.1 million tonnes a year earlier. Supplies in grain markets were much lower this year than normal, showing that 2022 production had dropped far more than the government had estimated, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm. The government's estimate of 106.41 million tonnes is nowhere close to the reality. Supplies are suggesting production of around 95 million tonnes, he said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service has pegged production at 99 million tonnes. India, the world's second-biggest wheat producer, harvested 109.59 million tonnes in 2021. The government estimated less output this year because of a heatwave in March and April. Lower supplies are also reflected in government wheat procurement, which so far this year is down 57% on the same period of 2021, at 18.8 million tonnes. The government will have little stockpile to intervene in the market until the new-season supplies become available in March 2023, said a New Delhi based dealer with a global trading firm. Supplies are tightening. India may allow exports of (a) small quantity to Sri Lanka or Nepal, but large shipments are unlikely under government-to-government deals, the dealer said. When New Delhi banned wheat exports, it said it would allow overseas shipments to countries that requested supplies to meet their food security needs. India exported 3.5 million tonnes of wheat in the second quarter, mainly to Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, up from 1.1 million tonnes a year earlier. Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
28 Jul, 2022 Services offered by FSSAI now under GST; 18% for licence Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi Government has withdrawn the exemption given to the FSSAI on service tax and has issued notification to bring services offered by the food authority under Goods and Services Tax (GST). Now services like issuing of Central licence will attract 18% service tax. Consequently, the FSSAI has issued a notice regarding application of GST on services provided by the food authority including services such as issue of Central licence, product approval fee, food safety mitra fee, import clearance fee and so on. 'It is brought to the notice of all the stakeholders that GST at the prescribed rate would be applicable on all services provided by the FSSAI commencing 18th July, 2022,' reads the notice adding that the rates for various services would be revised accordingly. Under the serial number 47A of the Central tax rates of the GST Act issued in 2017, services by way of licensing, registration and analysis or testing of food samples supplied by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to Food Business Operators attracted nil tax. Now these services will attract 18% service tax. According to industry insiders this cost eventually will be borne by consumers only and will add up to the retail cost. The consumer will end up spending more on household items be it flour, almonds or imported fruits. Amit Lohani, convener, Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI), said, 'The decision of recently added imposition of GST, including that on the services offered by FSSAI, is anticipated to have a direct impact on food price inflation. As businesses can only absorb so much of the financial burdens on their balance sheet and eventually they will be forced to translate the impact on the consumers as the prices will increase.' He added, 'Increased tax burden like that in this specific case creates an economic ripple effect downstream, in a complex web of businesses that have symbiotic relationships. A rollback of the subject implementation can help the overall trade outlook see a positive light otherwise the effect of execution will finally reach down to the bottom of the employment or consumption pyramid. We humbly would like to submit it to the current administration to revoke the said implementation attributing to the burning issues like high inflation topped with a need for reduced compliance, lower administrative costs, and our commitment towards ease of doing business.' Source: fnbnews.com
28 Jul, 2022 Jordan issues new tender to buy 120,000 tonnes wheat 27 July 2022, New Delhi: The budget allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has been increased from Rs 1,31,531.19 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 1,32,513.62 crore in 2022-23. The schemes implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare are for the benefit of all farmers including women and small and marginal farmers. Jordan’s state grain buyer has issued an international tender to buy 120,000 tonnes of milling wheat which can be sourced from optional origins, European traders said on Wednesday. The deadline for submission of price offers in the tender is Aug. 2. Shipment in the new tender is sought in a series of possible combinations in 60,000 tonne consignments. Possible shipment combinations are in 2022 between Dec. 1-15 and Dec. 16-31 and in 2023 between Jan. 1-15 and Jan. 16-31. Jordan bought 60,000 tonnes of wheat in its previous tender for 120,000 tonnes on Tuesday. CBOT wheat targets $8.24 to $8.42-3/4 range A separate tender from Jordan to buy 120,000 tonnes of animal feed barley closes later on Wednesday. Source: brecorder.com
28 Jul, 2022 New UK parliamentary panel to promote trade, investment ties with India. A new cross-party UK parliamentary panel has been created to promote trade, investment and people-to-people ties with India, backed up by British Indian think tank 1928 Institute. The India (Trade and Investment) All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) was formally registered last week as part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of India's independence and is made up of 25 members of Parliament and peers of different political affiliations. With a stated goal to promote trade and investment between India and the UK for the mutual betterment of their citizens, whilst building an inclusive living bridge between the two countries, the new APPG hopes to support the ongoing India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations and promote its benefits once concluded. Given 75 years of India's Independence, the creation of an All-Party Parliamentary Group focused on India will set the tempo between the UK Parliament and India/Indians, said Navendu Mishra, Indian-origin Opposition Labour Party MP for Stockport in north-west England and Co-Chair of the new APPG. Investment in people is the best way to ensure economic stability and this APPG intends to benefit the peoples of both the UK and India. In particular, I'm looking forward to bringing investment to Stockport and to the Greater Manchester region, both from stronger cultural ties and from utilising the trade agreement, he said. Furthermore, what better way to celebrate the 75 years of Independence then to strengthen the living bridge between the countries and to solidify an equal partnership between these two great nations, he added. From trips across different parts of Britain to visits to India, the India (Trade & Investment) APPG said it will work with diverse stakeholders and encourage beneficial collaborations. It's a new chapter in the story of the Indo-British trade partnership and I'll be working tirelessly to ensure that we get the best possible FTA and that it is utilised after. The group's establishment coincides with the 75th year of India's Independence and it will be a parliamentary driving force behind the UK-India story in the years to come, said Lord Karan Bilimoria, Indian-origin businessman and Co-Chair of the APPG. This APPG will be the conduit which not only connects UK and Indian policymakers but connects businesses and entrepreneurs to drive growth. The APPG will ensure that dialogue and engagement will cut across all levels of business, particularly encouraging a wider lens on female led business and start-ups, added Baroness Sandy Verma, the President of the new group. The APPG is chaired by Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman and includes other Indian-origin parliamentarians as vice-chairs, including Lord Meghnad Desai, Baroness Usha Prashar, Labour MP Virendra Sharma and Tory MP Gagan Mohnidra. We are honoured to facilitate the APPG as its Secretariat and look forward to collaborating with diverse partners to champion trade, investment, and development, said the 1928 Institute, a University of Oxford spinout focussed on Indian diaspora research in the UK. We intend to create an energised, inclusive, and pluralistic space to accelerate the improvement of material conditions for all. Our vision spans opportunities from Pembrokeshire to Punjab, and we encourage you to get in touch to help shape this nascent space, it said. The new APPG will officially kick-start its activities when Parliament resumes after its summer recess under a new Prime Minister in September. APPGs are informal, cross-party groups in the UK formed by MPs and members of the House of Lords who share a common interest in a particular policy area, region or country and have no official status within Parliament. Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
28 Jul, 2022 India has not imposed any country specific ban on imports, minister Piyush Goyal informs Parliament. India has not imposed any country-specific ban on imports, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal informed Parliament in reply to a question on whether the central government has taken or proposed to take any steps to impose a ban on Chinese products. India and China, are both members of the WTO, and any trade restriction imposed must be WTO compliant. Government has from time to time reviewed and taken WTO compliant measures to address the concerns raised by various stakeholders to have a holistic global trade strategy, he said further in his reply. However, as per the import policy of the government, all goods imported into India are subject to domestic laws, rules, orders, regulations, technical specifications, environment, and safety norms. ...Government takes appropriate action including a ban on goods if these are found to violate these regulations or have implications for national security, Goyal added. There had been several calls to shun Chinese products after a border clash with China in 2020 in which 20 Indian soldiers and several PLA soldiers were killed. Following the event, India imposed a ban on 59 apps including Tik Tok, UC Browser, and other apps. Almost all the apps banned have some preferential Chinese interest and the majority have parent Chinese companies. The Centre regulates imports on the grounds of public morals, protection of human, animal, or plant life and health, protection of patents and copyrights, and protection of national treasures of artistic, historical, and archaeological value, among others. The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) is empowered to recommend restrictions on imports. Further in his reply, he said in order to support and expand domestic capacities, the government has implemented policies to promote domestic manufacturing like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes for various key sectors in line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat policy to reduce dependence on imports, with an estimated outlay of Rs 197,000 crore. In addition, to promote the semi-conductor industry, the Government has formulated a scheme amounting to Rs 76,000 crore. Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
27 Jul, 2022 Centre targets bringing more area under organic farming: Tomar Government offering assistance to set up hi-tech nurseries for exotic fruits The Government is planning to bring 6.5 lakh hectares of land under organic farming in the country through Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Tomar told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Tomar said currently 59.12 lakh hectares have already been brought under organic farming as certified by National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) and Participatory Guarantee System (PGS). Citing the report published by Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Statistics 2022, the Minister said India ranks fourth in terms of certified area globally. The US, European Union (EU) and Canada are the three major destinations for the export of Indian organic products. India exported 1.86 lakh tonnes (lt) of organic products valued at $326.15 million to the US in 2021-22. This was followed by EU and Canada at 1.70 lt (valued $302.39 million) and 40,677 tonnes (valued $49.01 million), respectively. Exotic fruits To a separate query on the promotion of exotic fruits’ cultivation in the country, Tomar said the assistance is provided under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme for the promotion of exotic/foreign fruits such as dragon fruit, kiwi, passion fruit, etc., in the country. Under MIDH, assistance is provided for setting up new hi-tech nurseries, small nurseries, tissue culture (TC) units and upgradation of existing TC units, for production and distribution of good quality seeds and planting material of fruit crops, including exotic/foreign fruits, he said. Drone assistance to Kerala Answering to a question on the use of drones in agriculture, the Minister said the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, so far, has provided funds amounting to Rs.2.25 crore to the Kerala government for the purchase of 14 drones for its demonstration in 4,000 hectares through farmer producer organisations. The department has also provided Rs.52.50 crore to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for purchase of 300 drones and their demonstrations in 75,000 hectares through 100 krishi vijnan kendras and 75 ICAR institutions across the country. Crop yield One of the Lok Sabha members wanted to know whether yield across many crops in east Asian countries, especially of China, is far higher than that of India. Answering to this, Tomar said the yield of a crop depends on various factors such as weather extremities, rainfall, soil type, agro-climatic condition, irrigation facilities, types of crops cultivated, use of fertilisers and pesticides, length of growing seasons, technology used, etc. He said the yield level of China and some other East Asian countries in certain crop categories is higher than that in India. At the same time, the yield level of India is higher than China and some other East Asian countries in some other crop categories. Multiple crops are grown by farmers in India in a year, he said. R&D in agri sector Replying to a member’s query on research and development in agriculture sector, Tomar said ICAR Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) has developed a clear roadmap for next 10 years harnessing the power of science and innovation for securing food and nutritional security of the people, farmers’ prosperity and to enhance natural resource base to promote inclusive growth and sustainable development of Indian agriculture sector. The focused areas of research and developmental include genetic enhancement of plants, animals, fish for higher productivity under increased intensity of biotic and abiotic stresses; productivity enhancement through sustainable intensification and mechanisation of agriculture and food system; and development of energy-efficient technologies and farming practices among others. Fodder Replying to a separate query on the shortage of straw fodder this year and increase in its price, Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, said the shortage of straw fodder is generally reported in some States during summer months. He said the cost of straw fodder was also comparatively higher as compared to other months due to non-availability of greens and more demand for fodder. Source: thehindubusinessline.com
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