1.   

Agriculture Export Promotion Plan Scheme of APEDA to continue in 12th plan period with outlay of Rs 1100 crore

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for continuation of the Agriculture Export Promotion Plan Scheme of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) with four components in the 12th Plan period (2012-13 to 2016-17). These components are infrastructure development, transport assistance, market development and quality development.

2.   

Farm sector puts India everywhere at WTO

At the height of India's economic boom, the government had coined the "India Everywhere" slogan as it went about seeking investment in manufacturing and services sector. But on Wednesday, it was the farm sector that literally put India everywhere at the WTO ministerial meeting after commerce minister Anand Sharma used an unusually aggressive tone, while rejecting the proposal on the table. Just when almost a dozen trade ministers had made their statements, urging member countries to make compromises and settle for a deal here, Sharma launched an offensive, saying the formulations on food security and trade facilitation were unacceptable in their current form.

3.   

New Pusa variety to boost Basmati rice exports

With the commercialisation of the new Pusa Basmati 1509 variety, exports of basmati rice from India are set to exceed four million tonnes (mt) this year, 11 per cent more than last year. Developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute last year, Pusa Basmati 1509 was commercialised in the kharif sowing season this year. With an estimated output of 30,000 tonnes, the new variety offers a yield of 6.5 tonnes a hectare, against the popular Pusa 1121 variety’s yield of 4.5 tonnes a hectare.

4.   

Kolkata to Kunming: Indian and Chinese strategies converging to build land and trade ties in northeast

During Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Beijing visit in October, Kunming and Kolkata were declared sister cities. Much as Delhi and Beijing or Bangalore and Chengdu were. But Beijing and Delhi have shared little besides being the political capital of two emerging Asian giants and Bangalore and Chengdu are two huge icons of the new economy of China and India. On the other hand, Kolkata and Kunming have a popular forum that was started off by academics but has graduated into a platform for development of trade, business, cultural and academic exchange.