1.   

Australian Beef to Compete With Brazil, India as Demand Surges

India is poised to be the third-biggest beef and veal meat exporter this year after Australia and Brazil, with shipments of about 1.275 million tons, according to USDA data. Supplies from the U.S., ranked fourth by the USDA, may increase as more animals are slaughtered following a drought, Hansen said. Buffalo meat represented 86 percent of India’s total animal-product exports in the year ended March 31, 2011, according to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.

2.   

ASEAN-India forum makes agricultural proposals

The second ASEAN-India Working Group on Agriculture and Forestry produced 14 proposals on Thursday for cooperation, although the realization would be further discussed during a ministerial meeting in India next year. The Indonesian Agriculture Ministry Secretary General, Hari Priyono, said the proposals were tabled by three ASEAN countries. Indonesia submitted three proposals, Thailand two and Malaysia nine in the agriculture, plantation and animal husbandry sectors.

3.   

Andhra Pradesh plans 67,000-cr Agribusiness zone

After emerging as one of the pioneers in the investment regions of petroleum products and information technology, Andhra Pradesh is now weighing the benefits of promoting an Agribusiness Investment Region (ABIR) involving major agri clusters in three of its geopolitical regions. The proposed ABIR project in Andhra Pradesh, to be taken up in a public private partnership (PPP) model, involves setting up an integrated infrastructure for rural business and entrepreneurial development attracting total investments of around Rs 67,000 crore.

4.   

Maharashtra for removal of MEP for onions

The government of Maharashtra appealed to the central government to remove the minimum export price (MEP) mechanism for onions. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and deputy CM Ajit Pawar, during meetings in Delhi with the Prime Minister and finance minister, said the removal would lead to positive market sentiment and help growers get better prices for their produce. It would also lead to increase in onion exports. The state is a leading onion producer, with annual output of five million tonnes.