1.   

APEDA issues additions to regulation of peanut, peanut product exports

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has issued some additions to the regulation of export of peanuts and peanut products through control of aflatoxins. The announcement issued on January 30, 2013, said that exporters shall ensure that all peanut and peanut product (PPP) units from whom they source the produce have provided their data (name and address, capacity, etc.

2.   

Decision by CCEA to give nod to proposed processed food exports lauded

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs' (CCEA) recent decision to approve the commerce department's proposal to allow the export of 14 processed and value-added agricultural products even in the event of restrictions on the export of basic farm produce is being seen by the food processing industry as a welcome step, as it would boost the growth prospects of the sector by around 10 per cent in the current financial year (2012-2013).

3.   

Khurshid to visit Latin America to strengthen trade ties

External affairs minister Salman Khurshid is visiting Chile and Argentina in order to strengthen bilateral trade ties with the region and gain greater access in that market for Indian businesses. Khurshid is visiting Chile from February 5-7 and Argentina from February 7-8 with the aim of “strengthening and deepening relations with Latin America and Caribbean,” stated an official statement.

4.   

Harvesting agri-exports

India’s agricultural exports have been a bright spot in an otherwise dismal balance of payments landscape in recent times. At $37.1 billion in 2011-12, such exports far exceeded imports of $17.2 billion in that year. But it is not just being a net agri-exporter – the surplus here rose from $14 billion in 2010-11 to almost $20 billion last fiscal, even as the country’s overall merchandise trade deficit ballooned to $ 190 billion from $ 131 billion during the same period – that is heartening.