1.   

Agri exports rise 12% in FY13

The country's agricultural and allied product exports have increased by 12 per cent to $33.54 billion in the 2012-13 fiscal, Parliament was informed today. "India's export of agricultural and allied products have increased from $29.8 billion in 2011-12 to $33.54 billion in 2012-13," Minister of State for Agriculture Tariq Anwar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Currently, global prices of wheat, rice and maize are higher as compared to last year, while prices of commodities such as cotton, edible oils and sugar are lower, he said.

2.   

India to be world’s top rice exporter for second straight year

India could export 8.3 million tons of rice this year, making it the world’s leading rice exporter for two years in a row, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said today. ndia last year surpassed Thailand as the top exporter for the first time in three decades, shipping 10.3 million tons of milled rice compared with Thailand’s 7.0 million. “We estimate that at he end of this year, India will remain the number one rice exporter, with Vietnam and Thailand slightly behind with 7.8 and 7.7 million tons, respectively,” said Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO’s regional representative for Asia.

3.   

Belgium evince interest in cooperation with Haryana

Belgium has evinced keen interest in mutual cooperation with Haryana in the field of food processing, renewable energy and technology. Ambassador of Belgium, Pierre Vaesen, along with Counsellor, Economic and Political Affairs, Antoine Delcout, who made a courtesy call on Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today, discussed various issues of mutual interest and expressed desire to exchange business expertise between Belgium and Haryana.

4.   

'Indo-Sri Lankan trade can touch $10 bn by 2016'

Indo-Sri Lankan trade can more than double to USD 10 billion by 2016 on the back of mutual liberalised tariff regime, a top Sri Lankan diplomat on Tuesday said here. "Our target is that by 2016, the bilateral trade should be able to touch USD 10 billion...," Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Prasad Kariyawasam said at a PHD Chamber function here. "But for this, we need to liberalise tariff regimes on both the sides, Kariyawasam said.