1.   

Panel approves new global food safety measures

The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, for food safety, has recently agreed on a new set of regulations -- including the maximum level of melamine in the liquid milk formula for babies -- to protect the health of consumers across the world. Other measures adopted include new food safety standards on seafood, melons, dried figs, nuts and spices and food labelling.

2.   

India's PEC tenders to export 60,000 T wheat

Indian state trading company PEC has issued an international tender to export 60,000 tonnes of milling wheat in September, the company said on Wednesday. The wheat is stored at warehouses at Krishnapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh state and the bidding deadline is Aug. 16. This is part of an Indian government programme to cut huge wheat stocks, taking advantage of current high global grain prices.

3.   

Irradiation changes to help South Asian mangoes, traders claim

Pakistani and Indian mango exports to the U.S. should benefit from the proposal to allow more irradiation centers in southern states, industry figures have claimed. U.S. importer Mangozz.com owner Jaidev Sharma, welcomed the move even though he said he didn’t expect import overheads to be reduced by new treatment facilties.

4.   

Draft policy on industry-farmers partnership: Ex-President Pratibha Patil's 'unfulfilled dream

Just one week before Pratibha Devisingh Patil was to demit office as President of India, her secretariat in Rashtrapati Bhawan sent a draft policy on industry-farmers partnership to Prime Minister's Office for consideration. Patil who took personal interests in formulating a farmers' centric policy by involving corporate India urged the PMO to take interests and direct agriculture ministry to initiate the process of formulating a full-fledged policy, an official close to Patil told ET.