An importer group in the Philippines is believed to have bought around 110,000 tonnes of animal feed wheat in a tender, European traders said on Friday.

 

Traders said two 55,000 tonne consignments were purchased, the first at an estimated $378 a tonne c&f and the second at an estimated $376.50 a tonne c&f.

 

Sellers were believed to be trading houses CHS and ETG.

 

Shipment of the first consignment had been sought during Oct. 5-25 if sourced from the Black Sea/European Union or Oct. 21-Nov. 10 from Australia.

 

Shipment of the second consignment had been sought during Oct. 20-Nov.9 if sourced from the Black Sea/European Union or Nov. 5-25 if from Australia.

 

It is believed the Philippines group made no purchase of 50,000 tonnes of feed corn also sought, which had been requested for shipment between Oct. 1-20.

 

Two other importer groups in the Philippines are also tendering for feed wheat on Friday, one seeking 50,000 tonnes and the other 40,000 tonnes.

 

Importer interest in wheat has been sparked this week with wheat futures set for biggest weekly drop in 3-1/2 months on expectations of an agreement to set up a safe Black Sea shipping corridor for Ukraine’s grain exports.

Over the past two years, Goa has submitted a total of five proposals for the geographical indication (GI) tag, for items unique to the state — mancurad mango, bebinca, Taleigao brinjal, coconut feni, and the seven-sided okra (saat-shiro bhendo).

 

This was revealed by agriculture minister Ravi Naik, responding to a question tabled by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, a former agriculture minister. The five items are currently awaiting the GI tag.

 

The application for the mancurad mango was filed on December 14, 2020, and its formality check report (FCR) is currently pending with the GI registry in Chennai.

 

The status is the same with the bebinca, for which the application was filed on April 5, 2021.

 

For the seven-sided okra, the application of which was filed on November 8, 2021, and the Taleigao brinjal, filed on March 27, 2022, the FCR deficiency is yet to be received from the GI registry.

 

 

In the case of coconut feni, an amendment was filed for the original GI application, which was that of cashew feni. It was filed on March 10, 2021.

 

In addition to these, GI applications are also in the process of being filed for Goa cashew kernel, Goa hilario mango, Agassaim brinjal and the korgut rice.

 

'The GI application for Kunbi sari is under process of documentation, and the same will be submitted once weavers trained to weave kunbi saris with a proper dobby (border), so as to claim originality,' Naik said.

 

In yet another response, Naik said that out of the 164 applications that received subsidy for setting up of poly houses in Goa till date, only 48 are presently functioning.

 

He attributed the reasons for the non-functioning of the remaining poly houses to damage to the cladding material and damage to the poly house structure.

 

These poly houses mainly grow orchid, gerbera, gladiolus, bush pepper, ginger and vegetables.

 

After the implementation of a free trade agreement, India's exports to the UAE rose by 16.22 per cent to $837.14 million from May June this year, sources said on Friday.

 

Exports during the same period of the previous year stood at $720.31 million.

 

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries came into force on May 1.

 

Under the pact, domestic exporters from various sectors like textiles, agriculture, dry fruits, gems and jewellery are getting duty-free access to the UAE market.

 

'India's exports to UAE which were in negative growth trajectory post the outbreak of Covid-19 to April 2022 have witnessed a rebound since May 2022, that is, post the signing of the agreement,' the sources said.

 

Post the signing of the CEPA, exports grew by 16.22 per cent to $837.14 million in May-June 2022, one of the sources said.

 

Shipments of plain gold jewellery increased by 62 per cent and 59 per cent in May and June to $135.27 million and $185.78 million, respectively.

 

Colin Shah, Chairman, GJEPC (Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council), said that plain gold jewellery exports have been the immediate beneficiary of the India-UAE CEPA.

 

'I urge all exporters to maximise their returns and make optimum use of the benefits available through this pact,' he has said. 

Indonesia has scrapped its export levy for all palm oil products until Aug. 31 in a fresh attempt to boost exports and ease high inventories, finance ministry officials said on Saturday, adding the move would not disrupt government revenues.

 

The decision by the world's biggest palm oil exporter could further depress prices, which have fallen by about 50% since late April to their lowest in over a year.

 

Indonesian palm oil producers have been struggling with high inventories since the country imposed a three-week export ban through to May 23 to reduce domestic cooking oil prices.

 

Since lifting the ban, Jakarta has implemented rules on mandatory local sales - known as the domestic market obligation (DMO) - to keep produce at home to be made into cooking oil.

 

At the same time, it has tried to clear up storage tanks by cutting export taxes and launching a shipment acceleration programme, but exports remained slow and companies have blamed the DMO rules, as well as problems with securing cargo vessels.

 

The levy removal is intended to further support exports, Febrio Kacaribu, the ministry's head of fiscal policy agency, told reporters on the sideline of a G20 finance meeting in Bali.

 

'In the context of government revenues, (the impact) won't be too big,' he said.

 

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said a progressive palm oil export levy would be applied starting Sept. 1, with the rate set between $55 and $240 per tonne for crude palm oil, depending on prices.

 

High palm oil stocks have forced mills to limit purchases of palm fruits. Farmers have complained their unsold fruits have been left to rot.

 

There were 7.23 million tonnes of crude palm oil in storage tanks at the end of May, data from the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) showed on Friday.

 

GAPKI welcomed the new measure, but it recommended the DMO rules be removed too, its secretary general Eddy Martono said.

 

'For now remove the DMO ... until stocks drop to 3 million to 4 million tonnes. Our problem now is the inventory is too high,' he told Reuters.

The Centre has received proposals envisaging an investment of Rs 23,000 crore under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday.

 

The AIF set up in 2020 aims at providing a medium-long term debt financial facility till 2025-26 for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support.

 

AIF with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore will be disbursed through loan by 2025-26, ministry officials had said earlier.

 

'So far, we have received proposals worth Rs 23,000 crore, of which the proposals worth Rs 13,000 crore is under consideration,' Tomar said while briefing about the outcome of the two-day National Conference of State Agriculture and Horticulture Ministers.

 

He said this fund will be given as a loan to the interested people with 'impressive proposals'.

 

Union Minister for State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje said the loan will be given at a minimal interest rate of three per cent.

 

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has invited proposals for financial assistance to set up infrastructure projects under various schemes of the PM Sampada Yojna.

 

The main components for availing assistance include, Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC), Creation/Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC), Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (Cold Chain), Setting up/ Upgradation of Food Testing Laboratories (FTL)  and Operation Greens – Long Term Interventions (OG).

 

The notice issued by MoFPI says that the last date for submitting applications online is till 17:00 Hrs on August 10, 2022, and no physical mode for submission of proposals shall be accepted.

 

The MoFPI in its notice has also laid a list of deficient infrastructure under the Operation Greens - Long Term Interventions for all the states along with the product/agri-produce.

 

Meanwhile, in a similar move, the MoFPI has invited proposals for availing incentives for ‘Organic Products’ under the PLI scheme for the processing sector.

 

This incentive, according to the MoFPI, was for SME categories of applicants having Udyam Registration certification and minimum Rs 1crore sales in FY 2020-21 for each of the organic products proposed to be incentivised. The last date for filing the application was set for July 29, 2022.

Continuing with the trend from the previous year, the exports of agricultural and processed food products rose by 14 percent in the first three months of the current Financial Year 2022-23 (April-June) compared to the corresponding period of FY 2021-22.

 

For the year 2022-23, the government had set an export target of USD 23.56 billion for the agricultural and processed food products basket under APEDA. The initiatives taken by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry have helped the country in achieving 25 percent of the total annual export target in the first three months of the current fiscal.

 

According to the Quick Estimates data released by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), the overall export of products under APEDA ambit (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) increased to USD 5987 million in April-June 2022 from USD 5256 million over the same period of the last fiscal. The export target for April-June 2022-23 was USD 5890 million. The APEDA basket excludes Tea, coffee, spices, cotton and marine exports.

 

The exports of fresh fruits & vegetables registered 8.6 percent growth, while processed food products like cereals and miscellaneous processed items reported an impressive growth of 36.4 percent (April-June 2022-23) compared to corresponding months of the previous year.In April-June, 2021, fresh fruits and vegetables were exported to the tune of USD 642 million that increased to USD 697 million in the corresponding months of the current fiscal.Other cereals’ export increased from USD 237 million in April-June 2021to USD 306 million in April-June 2022 and the export of meat, dairy and poultry products increased from USD 1023 million in April-June 2021 to USD 1120 million in April-June 2022.

 

Rice exports witnessed a growth of 13 percent in the first three months of FY 2022-23, while the export of meat, dairy & poultry products increased by 9.5 percent and export of other cereals increased by 29 percent.The export of rice increased from USD 2412 million in April-June 2021 to USD 2723 million in April-June 2022.The dairy products were exported to the tune of USD 1120 million in the first three months of the current fiscal from million in the same period last year.

 

'We continue to provide technical and financial assistance to various stakeholders in the agricultural goods value chains for boosting exports of unique products from the country. Through creating a necessary eco-system of exports along with collaboration with key stakeholders in the agri-exports value chains, we are aiming to sustain the growth in India’s agricultural and processed food exports in the current fiscal as well,' M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, said. 

 

India’s agricultural products exports had grown by 19.92 per cent during 2021-22 to touch USD 50.21 billion. The growth rate is remarkable as it is over and above the growth of 17.66 per cent at USD 41.87 billion achieved in 2020-21 and has been achieved in spite of unprecedented logistical challenges in the form of high freight rates and container shortages, etc.

 

The rise in the export of agricultural and processed food products is the outcome government’s various initiatives taken for the export promotion of agricultural and processed food products such as organising B2B exhibitions in different countries, exploring new potential markets through product-specific and general marketing campaigns by the active involvement of Indian Embassies.The government has also taken several initiatives to promote products having registered geographical indications (GI) in India by organizing virtual Buyer Seller Meets on agricultural and food products with the United Arab Emirates and on GI products, including handicrafts with the USA.

 

In order to ensure seamless quality certification of products to be exported, the government has recognised 220 labs across India to provide services of testing to a wide range of products and exporters.

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that the Agriculture sector and farmers are developing rapidly in the country. On the call of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to double the farmers' income, many farmers have succeeded in doubling or more than doubling their incomes as a result of the collective efforts of all including the Central and State Governments, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). To commemorate the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, an e-publication has been prepared by compiling success stories of 75,000 farmers out of lakhs of farmers whose incomes have increased. Also a State-wise brief publication on Doubling Farmers Income has also been prepared. These were released by Agriculture Minister Shri Tomar on the occasion. The e-publication is available on the ICAR website. Shri Tomar also distributed awards to scientists and farmers on the 94th foundation day of ICAR.

 

Addressing the function organized at ICAR Pusa Campus, Delhi, Shri Tomar said that today is a historic day as the ICAR had decided last year that in the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav year, the success stories of 75,000 farmers would be documented whose incomes have doubled or more than doubled. This compilation of successful farmers will prove to be a milestone in the history of the country, he said. Shri Tomar also released other publications of ICAR. He said that the foundation day of ICAR should be celebrated as ‘Sankalp Diwas’. On this occasion, resolutions for the whole year should be taken and they should be fulfilled by the next Foundation Day.

 

Shri Tomar said that India is an agricultural country and Agriculture is such a sector in which continuous work needs to be done and solve new challenges. At present, the challenge is to promote Traditional Farming as well as move forward using technology. It is the effort of the Prime Minister that there should be a change in the life of the villagers, poor and farmers, so that infrastructure is improved in the rural areas, life should be easy and Agriculture should be converted into a profitable venture. Towards this goal, multi-faceted efforts have been made. Funding is being done by implementing schemes to create new jobs. People are being linked with employment, employment opportunities are being created in the agriculture sector.

 

'When an educated person picks up Agriculture as a profession, then by combining technology with qualification and experience, so many employment opportunities can be created, so that the problem of employment can be solved,' he said.

 

Union Minister Shri Tomar said that it has been 93 years since the setting up of the ICAR. 'Since its establishment in the year 1929 till date, about 5,800 seed-varieties have been released by it, including about 2,000 of these varieties released in the eight years since 2014 till now. This is a very important achievement. These include seed varieties of horticultural, climate friendly and fortified varieties. Today we are facing the challenge of Climate Change, so this is the matter of biggest concern to the scientists. We have to come out with a roadmap in this direction and present the results before the country so that India’s agricultural exports improve further. In this, the role of other scientists of all KVKs and ICAR institutes is important,' he said.

 

Shri Tomar said that the New Education Policy was born on the vision of the Prime Minister, now Agriculture curriculum is being included in the school education. 'How agricultural education institutions should adopt the New Education Policy, this work has been done by ICAR, its fruitful results will be seen in the future,' he said.

 

Shri Tomar also asked ICAR and KVK to make determined efforts in the field of agricultural productivity including increasing the production of pulses, oilseeds and cotton. Earlier, the Agriculture Minister interacted online with some farmers from different parts of the country. In the discussion of the Agriculture Minister with the farmers of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat etc., it emerged that their incomes and standard of living is improving due to government schemes and institutional support.

 

In the programme, the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala suggested documenting the history of achievements of the ICAR. He appreciated ICAR for developing new seed varieties of nutrient-enhancing crops. He said that the attention of research centers should be drawn towards the innovations taking place in Agriculture and allied sectors while encouraging them to do excellent work in this sphere. He said that on the initiative of the Prime Minister, the International Year of Millets would be celebrated next year under the leadership of India. In view of this, ICAR should focus on promoting Nutritious Cereals globally.

 

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary said that along with the farmers, the scientists of ICAR have contributed a lot in agricultural development. Under the leadership of PM, the government is working keeping in mind the goal of increasing the income of farmers, providing them facilities and support. The budget of agriculture was about Rs 22,000 crore 8 years ago, which has now been increased to Rs 1.32 lakh crore. Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, farmers are being given Rs. 6,000 in 3 installments every year directly into their bank accounts while the problems of small farmers are being resolved through the FPOs. The new 10,000 FPOs will prove to be a milestone and through them the farmers will be able to sell their produce easily not only the country but in any corner of the world.

 

NITI Aayog member Dr. Ramesh Chand said that the resolution talked about by Shri Tomar is important in itself. Every institute should make its own resolution so that it becomes everyone's resolution. Whatever ICAR has achieved by involving the KVKs, it has done by making the people as partners. In the last 75 years, the success of green revolution has come from genetic improvement. The Government of India is walking on two paths with great responsibility. One is the traditional method. And the second - Science.

 

Continuing its tradition to incentivize the individual Employees and Teams for the outstanding performances across the Organizations and make them more efficient, responsive & productive apart from improving their levels of job satisfaction, the Minister gave away 15 Awards in 4 major Categories. The Categories included National Award of Excellence for Agricultural Institutions, National Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research, National Award for Application of Agricultural Technologies and National Award for Innovations & Technology Development by the Farmers.

 

This Year, the ICAR selected 92 Awardees under 15 different Awards including 4 Institutions, 1 All India Coordinated Research Project, 4 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, 67 Scientists and 11 Farmers of whom 8 were Women Scientists and Farmers.

 

The Chief Guest and the dignitaries released the various ICAR Publications and Technologies on the occasion.

 

Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General, ICAR also addressed the programme. Deputy Director General (Agriculture Extension) Dr. A.K. Singh delivered the welcome address. Assistant Director General Dr. Pawan Kumar Agrawal proposed the vote of thanks. Maharashtra MP Dr. Anil Bonde, ICAR officials, Vice Chancellors of Agricultural Universities, scientists and progressive farmers were also present. Programmes were also organized on the Foundation Day in 731 KVKs and ICAR institutions of the country, in which thousands of farmers along with local MPs, MLAs and other public representatives participated.

India’s decision on international trade via national currencies can be considered a milestone event not only enabling Rupee-Rouble trade but also New Delhi’s trade in the immediate and extended neighbourhood including Iran and Central Asia and South Caucasus.

 

The new decision is expected to boost trade via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). INSTC will not only use Bandar Abbas Port of Iran but also Chabahar Port.

 

The internationalization of the rupee could lead to multipolar financial structure originally envisaged by the BRICS. The Central Asian states and Southern Caucasus have strong links with the Russian systems and India’s trade with this region in national currencies would come handy for businessmen here.

 

Multipolar financial structure could be lead to multipolar world order and could create more complex systems of economic interdependence between major countries, a decrease in interstate conflict due to this and the more equal balance of power between them, and the development-driven policies that this would inspire their governments to promulgate as a result, experts said.

 

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday stressed on Rupee-Rouble Arrangement and BRICS reserve currency amid global economic slump.

The United Arab Emirates has pledged $2 billion to help develop a series of 'food parks' in India to tackle food insecurity in South Asia and the Middle East, a joint statement said on Thursday.

 

Speaking in Jerusalem at a virtual summit with UAE, Israeli and Indian leaders, U.S. President Joe Biden said the investment could 'increase India's food yields in the region three-fold in just five years'.

 

The parks would bring farmers, processors and retailers together using advanced climate technology to minimise waste, conserve water and maximise crop yields, focusing at first on crops including potatoes, rice and onions.

 

The four countries would also advance renewable energy projects in India, including wind and solar energy plants, they said.

 

The projects would be supported by the Israeli and U.S. private sectors, Biden said at the summit on food security and clean energy amid fears of global food shortages caused by the war in Ukraine.

 

Russia and Ukraine are the world's third and fourth largest grain exporters, respectively, while Russia is also a key fuel and fertiliser exporter.

 

The war has disrupted their exports, pushed world food prices to record levels and triggered protests in developing countries already contending with elevated food prices due to COVID-related supply chain disruptions.

 

POTATOES, BANANAS

 

Economic fallout from the pandemic, climate change, food insecurity and volatile energy markets, Biden said, had been 'made worse by Russia's brutal and unprovoked attack' on Ukraine.

 

'All these issues require cooperation and coordination, and none of us can mount a comprehensive response on our own,' Biden said.

 

U.N. agencies warned this month that the war in Ukraine and climate change could push starvation and mass migration to unprecedented levels.

 

Apart from benefiting local farmers, the food parks would help reduce trade barriers and unify food safety standards, Indian foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said in New Delhi.

 

They would also provide India with an opportunity to benchmark its perishable food products for global export and allow Indian produce access to the strategic Gulf markets starting with UAE, Kwatra said.

 

He said Indian states Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh - both ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party - were exploring setting up these parks, which would initially cultivate bananas, potatoes, rice, onions and spices.

 

Gulf Arab states import as much as 80-90% of their food and while their oil wealth renders them less vulnerable to rising global food prices than poorer countries in the region, disruptions threaten their supply chains.

 

India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, depends on Gulf state for meeting most of its oil needs.

 

Wealthy Gulf states have invested heavily in farmland overseas and have been investing domestically more in agritech, which is also a fast-growing sector in Israel.

 

Crop yields are relatively low in India, which despite being a major farm goods producer, lacks regular irrigation for around half its farmland. Venture capital firms are increasingly pouring money into local agritech start-ups.