After successfully exporting trial shipments of fresh bananas to countries like the Netherlands through sea route, India is now targeting to increase exports of the fruit to Russia, an official said on Monday.

 

India witnessed a tenfold rise in exports of bananas in the past decade, said the recent report on export statistics and future projections released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

 

Russia, the world's top exporter of peas, announced on Saturday a fixed 5% export duty on peas, chickpeas and lentils from Jan. 1, effectively lowering the duty by 30% after exports of pulses slowed and left large volumes unsold.

 

The Indian coffee sector benefitted to a great extent from the surging trend in global prices during 2024, which was largely driven by the tight supplies from large producers such as Brazil and Vietnam among others, where erratic climate impacted the output. The buoyancy trend is seen continuing into the new year with prices expected to remain firm in the medium till the supplies normalise.

 

The Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare has released progress of area coverage under Rabi crops as on 30th December 2024.

 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar began his three-day Qatar visit on Monday. The purpose of the visit is to review bilateral trade, investment, energy, security, cultural and political relations between the two nations.

 

India’s exports to Australia grew 14% since the signing of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) with textiles, chemicals, and agriculture growing substantially, and new lines, including gold studded with diamonds and turbojets highlighting the diversification enabled by the agreement, the government said Sunday.

 

India has deepened its diplomatic and economic ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council region this year with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting three of the six GCC countries – including Kuwait where no Indian PM had been after Indira Gandhi.

 

Bangladesh interim government has started importing rice from India. The first consignment of 27,000 tonnes of rice has arrived in Bangladesh through Chittagong port.

The consignment is part of an agreement to buy 200,000 tonnes of rice from India, a food official of Bangladesh said on Friday.