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05 Jan, 2024 News Image Arunachal ginger among 3 products of state to get GI tag.
Three items of Arunachal Pradesh have received the prestigious Geographical Indication tag, officials said on Wednesday. These are adi kekir (ginger), handmade carpets by Tibetan settlers and wooden items made by Wancho community.
Adi kekir is a variety of ginger produced in the East Siang, Siang and Upper Siang districts. It is known for its taste and size.
 
Handmade carpets by the Tibetan refugees who live in various parts of the state are famous for their typical designs, motifs and textures.
Wancho wooden craft items are unique as they feature human heads — tobacco pipes with head-shaped bowls and drinking mugs with warriors carrying heads. The artisans also make sculptures of Buddha, animals and dolls.
 
Nabard is supporting the initiative of the state government to promote these products, and is also providing financial assistanc, officials said.PTI
We also published the following articles recently
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This article discusses the stages of spiritual growth, which involve healing, purpose, discipline, and self-realization. It also explores the influence of evolved masters and Indic philosophy in guiding individuals through these stages. The four major schools of Indic philosophy, namely Jnana Yog, Karma Yog, Raja Yog, and Bhakti Yog, offer different paths to salvation. The article emphasizes that spiritual growth is a non-linear journey and highlights the importance of the grace of the divine throughout the process.
Packaged items to display price per unit
Starting Monday, manufacturers and importers of packaged items must mention the price per unit in addition to the overall MRP on packets. They are also required to mention the month and year of manufacturing. The new rule eliminates the option to mention the month and year of 'pre-packed or imported'. The unit price per kg or per litre must be mentioned for items weighing more than a kg or litre, and per gram or millilitre for items weighing less than a kg or litre. Packed items with more than one unit, like pencils or pens, must also mention the price per piece. The consumer affairs ministry has removed the 'specified quantities' norms for packaging for 19 types of items, giving manufacturers the freedom to decide quantities.
Charcoal to sunglasses, auction of unclaimed items today
An auction will take place at the office of the Chief Postmaster General in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The auction will feature a variety of unclaimed articles from different categories such as bags, clothes, electrical items, toys, and mobile phones. These items have been received between 2017 and 2023 and have not been claimed by their owners. The auction is being held due to reasons like the need for payment of tax or lack of proper addresses. Among the items, there are bags, cloth materials, watches, mobiles, fancy items, and toys, although many of the mobiles are in poor condition.

 Source:  timesofindia.indiatimes.com
05 Jan, 2024 News Image Development Of Agriculture-Horticulture Sector In North Eastern Region.
North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation  (NERAMAC) procured more than 140 MT of products like Pineapple, Avocado, Black Rice, Cashew nut, Large Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Black Pepper. It is a PSU under the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region that supports farmers of the region to obtain remunerative prices for their produce and to enhance the region's agricultural, procurement, processing & marketing infrastructure.
 
Under its umbrella brand ‘NE Fresh’, It also provided market linkages for fresh pineapple and other vegetables. NERAMAC has a product basket of 130+ products in the retail segment. 
 
Around 30 local entrepreneurs/MSMEs associated with NERAMAC for branding and marketing their processed products. Retail products are marketed through 12 stalls/retail outlets of NERAMAC covering seven cities/towns, including two, One Station One Product (OSOP) stalls at Kamakhaya and Dimapur Railway stations.
 
NERAMAC also launched the Brand ‘NERAMAC Premium’ for marketing of G.I.-tagged products. NERAMAC has facilitated the User Authorisation registration of 1308 farmers of NER for all 13 G.I.-registered Agri-Horti products during the year.  This is a significant milestone for the development of the agri-horti sector of the North East Region.
 
Under the scheme 'Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Produce Organisations (FPOs)' of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India, 205 FPOs have been formed across NER covering 15,500 farmers.  

 Source:  businessworld.in
05 Jan, 2024 News Image Sunderban Honey gets GI tag, certificates to be given soon.
Sunderban Honey’, which is exported to different parts of the country and abroad, has been registered and recognised as a GI (Geographical Indication) product.
 
'The honey collectors, popularly known as ‘maula’ take risks to venture deep into the forest of the Sunderbans for honey collection. Hence, this honey getting the GI tag has special significance,' said Ujjal Biswas, Minister in Charge of Science and Technology and Bio-Technology department which is also the nodal department for GI matters.
 
More than 2000 families in Sunderbans earn their living through honey cultivation. Every year from March- April, the Forest department issues boat licenses (BLC) to traditional honey collectors so they can enter the forest to collect honey. The entire collection is purchased and marketed by West Bengal Forest Development Corporation Ltd. (WBFDCL).
 
The application process of seeking a GI tag for the Sunderbans honey dates back to 2020 when a Pune-based organisation applied to the Centre for the tag for Sunderban honey. When the matter was brought to the notice of the Science, Technology and Bio-Technology department, they took it up with WBFDCL and collected all relevant materials and documents associated with this collection process that has been in place for four decades and made a fresh application for GI tag.
 
In December 2022, the GI authorities conducted an online meeting attended by state government officials concerned and a section of the ‘Maula’. The entire process was deliberated in detail and the GI authorities decided that WBFDC should be the original applicant. Finally, the state government has been informed that Sunderban Honey has been recognised for GI. 'The certificate will be handed over to us soon,' a WBFDCL
 
official said.
 
The state government ensures that the maulas get a minimum support price for the hard work and risk they take during honey collection. Individual janata insurance to the tune of Rs 5 lakh each is provided to everyone who ventures into the forest.

 Source:  millenniumpost.in
05 Jan, 2024 News Image Amit Shah launches tur dal procurement portal; sets 2027 as target to become self reliant in pulses.
Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated a tur dal procurement portal through which farmers can register and sell their produce to NAFED and NCCF at a minimum support price or market price. A similar facility will be launched in future for urad and masoor farmers as well as maize farmers, he said.
 
The minister also transferred via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) about Rs 68 lakh to 25 farmers towards payment for sale of tur via the portal.
 
Cooperative National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) undertake procurement of pulses on behalf of the government's in order to maintain a buffer stock.
 
After the launch, the Minister said before the sowing operation, tur farmers can register on the portal to sell their produce to NAFED and NCCF at minimum support price (MSP).
 
The registered tur farmers will have an option to sell to either NAFED/NCCF or open market, he said and added suppose the open market price of tur remains higher than the MSP, in that case an average rate will be arrived through a formula.
 
Shah further said more farmers were not taking up pulses farming as prices were not assured. With procurement via the portal, the initiative will bring a major reform in the agriculture sector and help achieve self-reliance in pulses production.
 
'Tur will be procured from farmers and it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee,' he added.
 
Stating that the country is still dependent on import of some varieties of pulses except for chana and moong, the Minister said, 'By December 2027, the country should become self reliant in pulses. We will not import even one kilo of pulses from January 2028.'
 
He appealed to Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS), Farmer Producers Organisations (FPOs) and progressive farmers to create awareness about the portal and encourage farmers to take advantage of this facility.
 
Pulses production has increased in the last ten years to 26.05 million tonnes in 2022-23 from 19.2 million tonnes in 2013-14 crop year (July-June), due to more than two times increase in the minimum support price, he said.
 
However, the domestic production of pulses is still short of consumption and depends on imports.
 
Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, Minister of State for Cooperation B L Verma, and Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Ashwini Choubey were also present at the event.
 

 Source:  economictimes.indiatimes.com
05 Jan, 2024 News Image Bharat Park to be set up in UAE: Piyush Goyal.
A goods show room and warehouses for Indian goods will be set up in United Arab Emirates (UAE), Commerce and Textiles Minister, Piyush Goyal said Thursday. The planned ‘Bharat Park’ will facilitate other countries of the world to buy Indian goods, he said during and event organised by the Synthetic and Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC).
 
Expressing concern on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Japan, Australia, UAE, and South Korea, he said that utilisation of benefits are very poor in India. He also said that Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will spend Rs. 40 crore for setting up 21 testing laboratories across the country.
 
A SRTEPC statement said manmade fibre textiles sector is facing issues of inverted duty structure under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime. 'There is 18% GST on fibres, 12% on yarns and 5% on fabrics. This is leading to accumulated input tax credits with the manufacturers, which i@ adding to their cost,' the statement said.

 Source:  economictimes.indiatimes.com
05 Jan, 2024 News Image Indian economy outperforming peers, projected to grow at 6.2 per cent in 2024: UN.
India is projected to grow at 6.2 per cent in 2024, supported by robust domestic demand and strong growth in the manufacturing and services sectors, according to the United Nations.
 
The UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2024 report, released on Thursday, said that gross domestic product in South Asia is projected to increase by 5.2 per cent in 2024, driven by a robust expansion in India, which remains the fastest-growing large economy in the world.
 
'Growth in India is projected to reach 6.2 per cent in 2024, slightly lower than the 6.3 per cent estimate for 2023, amid robust domestic demand and strong growth in the manufacturing and services sectors,' said the report.
 
India's GDP is projected to increase to 6.6 per cent in 2025. The report notes that economic growth in India is projected to remain 'strong' at 6.2 per cent this year mainly supported by resilient private consumption and strong public investment. While manufacturing and services sectors will continue to support the economy, erratic rainfall patterns will likely dampen agricultural output, it added.
 
'Indian economy again outperformed its peers, not just this year but the last few years,' Chief of the Global Economic Division Monitoring Branch, Economic Analysis and Policy Division (UN DESA) Hamid Rashid told reporters.
 
He said that India's economic growth has consistently remained over six per cent and 'we believe this will continue in 2024 and 2025 as well.'
 
He said that although inflation was relatively high for India, it didn't have to raise rates as much and inflation has come down quite a bit.
 
'That has allowed the government to sustain the fiscal support that it needed,' he said adding that 'we didn't see significant fiscal adjustments or fiscal retrenchment in India.
 
'Overall, domestic consumption is growing, household spending has grown, employment situation has improved quite a bit. So we are very optimistic about India's growth outlook in the near term,' he said.
 
In response to a question on factors holding back India's economic growth, Director of the Economic Analysis and Policy Division Shantanu Mukherjee cited India's GDP growth rates of four years from 2022-2025 and said: 'I'm not sure that 7.7%, 6.3%, 6.2% and 6.6% is exactly holding something back.'
 
'In a kind of abstract sense, one would run the risk of overheating an economy if you grew at much faster rates at the size and complexity of India,' he said.
 
Mukherjee noted that the Indian government has recently modified its tax collection systems and 'those have also certainly helped and given a more stable playing field for businesses and other initiatives to progress.' Highlighting risks facing the economy, he said some of those risks are more global in nature.
 
'India still remains a very largely farm-based economy in many senses. And being in the tropics, it is very vulnerable to climate change. El Nino is a recurrent phenomenon but exacerbated by climate change. So should there be a shock to agricultural production, this could cause a major disruption in the economy.'
 
Mukherjee said that while he doesn't anticipate such a shock, 'but should there be one, this could be problematic.
 
'One of the reasons that the consumer price index in India remained relatively within bounds, allowing the central bank to not raise interest rates too much, was that food prices and fuel prices remained relatively stable. So any shock on those lines would boomerang through the economy,' he said.
 
Consumer price inflation in India is expected to decelerate from 5.7 per cent in 2023 to 4.5 per cent in 2024, staying within the two to six per cent medium-term inflation target range set by the Reserve Bank of India.
 
'The risk of a surge in inflation in the coming months cannot be ruled out, however, as potential increases in commodity prices and the adverse impact of climate events on food prices could disrupt the pace of disinflation,' the report said.
 
The labour market situation in South Asia remained fragile in 2023 despite improvements in some countries.
 
In India, labour market indicators improved over the year, with labour force participation increasing in August to its highest rate since the onset of the pandemic, the report said, citing the Reserve Bank of India.
 
The unemployment rate averaged 7.1 per cent in September, the lowest value in a year, with unemployment in rural areas falling despite weaker monsoon rains. Youth unemployment rates declined significantly during the first quarter of 2023 to the lowest value since the pandemic, it said.
 
The report also noted that the Reserve Bank of India has been cautious about opening the country's financial markets and has been implementing appropriate risk management systems.
 
The UN said global economic growth is projected to slow from an estimated 2.7 per cent in 2023 to 2.4 per cent in 2024, trending below the pre-pandemic growth rate of three per cent.
 
This latest forecast comes on the heels of global economic performance exceeding expectations in 2023. However, last year's stronger-than-expected GDP growth masked short-term risks and structural vulnerabilities, it said.
 
The better-than-expected performance for 2023 is chiefly driven by several large economies, notably the US but also Brazil, India and Mexico, Mukherjee told reporters.
 
The UN's flagship economic report presents a sombre economic outlook for the near term. Persistently high interest rates, further escalation of conflicts, sluggish international trade, and increasing climate disasters, pose significant challenges to global growth.
 
The year '2024 must be the year when we break out of this quagmire. By unlocking big, bold investments we can drive sustainable development and climate action, and put the global economy on a stronger growth path for all,' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

 Source:  economictimes.indiatimes.com
05 Jan, 2024 News Image Indonesia asks India to export 900,000 tonnes of onions.
Indonesia has sought 900,000 tonnes of onions from India amid the ban on exports, a top Indian government official said. This assumes significance as Indonesia is India’s largest trade partner in Asean, and imports onions mostly from the US, India and New Zealand.
 
The request comes after India imposed a 40% export tax on onions last August, followed by a minimum export price of $800 per tonne in October, to stabilize domestic supply and prices due to a crop shortfall. Despite these measures, high prices led to a complete export ban in December, effective until the end of the 2023-24 financial year.
 
India accounts for about a fourth of the global onion output and is the largest exporter after the Netherlands and Mexico.
 
In April-October of the ongoing financial year, India exported 1.4 million tonnes (mt) of onions, including 36,146 tonnes to Indonesia. During the corresponding period of FY23, it exported 1.35 mt of the kitchen staple. In FY23, India’s onion export totalled 2.5 mt, including 116,695 tonnes to Indonesia, according to data from the commerce and industry ministry and exporters.
 
'The Embassy has not received any information on this issue. Factually, Indonesia is also a producer of onion, particularly small size red onion. In 2023, Indonesia has imported onion with total of 194,107 tonnes, and out of this, total import from India is only 79,000 tonnes,' the Indonesian embassy in New Delhi said.
 
Queries sent to the spokespeople of consumer affairs, food & public distribution and commerce and industry ministries remained unanswered till the time of publishing this story.
 
'After the export ban, our containers were detained at the port gate. We have requested the government to allow the export of containers which have been cleared by customs,' said Sanket Hoge, a Mumbai-based agri export consultant.
 
'The exporters sold onion at Rs.20 a kg in the local market after paying Rs.45 for crops, packing, labour, stuffing, transport freight, clearance charges, and sea freight. Around Rs.25 per kg losses are faced by the exporters for each container,' he said. Exporters also suffered heavy losses at the Bangladesh border.
 
Production challenges, including erratic rains and extended dry spells, have impacted onion output in the kharif and late kharif (monsoon sowing) seasons. This led to a sharp decline in cultivation area and production, intensifying the political debate ahead of the national election.
 
On Wednesday, the average retail price of onion was at Rs.41.12 a kg, 49.6% higher than the previous year, according to official data.
 
Onion cultivation area declined nearly 96% year-on-year to 8.6 million hectares (mh) in top grower Maharashtra in the 2023-24 kharif season. Production of the vegetable fell 94% year-on-year to 750,000 tonne in the state.
 
In Karnataka, the second largest grower, acreage shrank by about 75% to around 11 mh and production by 43.3% from the previous kharif season to 770,000 tonnes, according to agriculture ministry sources.
 
As per the government’s preliminary assessment, India may have produced 3 million tonnes (mt) and 1.5 mt of onion in the 2023-24 kharif and late kharif seasons, respectively. This is significantly lower than the 4.1 mt and 2.4 mt produced in the respective seasons last year.
 
In the previous rabi season, onion production stood at 24.6 mt. Average monthly domestic consumption was 1.4-1.7 mt, but that may be lower now depending on the price.
 
In the 2022-23 crop year, India had produced 30 mt of onions.
 
'If we look at the data of the last few years, onion farmers have been suffering losses. Despite unseasonal rains, hailstorms and the current drought, the farmers are standing strong, making their way through the conflicting conditions,' Hoge said.
 
Farmers borrow from banks or cooperative societies for crop cultivation, but in the last few years, the debt burden on farmers has increased significantly, he said. 'The central government did not give any direct subsidy when onions were being sold at Rs.2 per kg. However, the government intervenes regularly to control rising market prices,' Hoge added.
 
The absence of exporters from markets due to the ban has depressed onion prices, with further declines anticipated in the coming days.

 Source:  livemint.com
04 Jan, 2024 News Image We will maintain export figures of last year despite global slowdown: Goyal.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday exuded confidence that during this fiscal, the country will maintain the last year's export figures despite slowdown in global trade.
He said that India's exports of goods and services rose to USD 776 billion in 2022-23 from USD 500 billion two years ago.
'Globally growth has been negative, international trade is in the negative territory, estimates are that this year international trade may fall, and in that perspective after having grown so rapidly we are looking at a phase of consolidation...
'and I expect that the current year, we will maintain our figures of last year and strengthen our processes and our domestic capacities, capabilities to be able to grow at much faster rates in the years to come,' Goyal told reporters here.
Cumulatively, the country's merchandise exports in April-November 2023-24 contracted by 6.51 per cent to USD 278.8 billion. The estimated value of services export during the eight-month period stood at USD 220.66 billion.
He added that both the foreign affairs and commerce ministries are working together to boost exports.
Earlier, speaking at the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024 and ODOP Awards Ceremony 2023, he said that the the country is not 'anti-imports' and wherever required, companies can import goods.
'Aatmanirbhar Bharat is not about stopping imports,' he added.
Further he said that before the forthcoming general elections, the country's economy is expected to touch USD 4 trillion.
At the event, Goyal and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conferred the ODOP (One District One Product) awards onto the selected states, districts and Indian missions which led a drive towards fostering innovation and achieving excellence under this initiative.

 Source:  business-standard.com
04 Jan, 2024 News Image ODOP and Geographical Indicators are acting as effective tools in promoting traditional Indian products: Dr. Jaishankar.
The ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024’ was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Union Minister of External Affairs, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Guest of Honour, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today. During the event, the Ministers gave the National One District One Product (ODOP) Awards 2023 to the winners.
 
While addressing during the inauguration ceremony, Shri Goyal said that the Government under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi is working as one family for a better future for the 140 crore Indians. He lauded the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024’ as representative of whole of the government approach that the Prime Minister has brought to the fore and which has been the hallmark of the government over the last 10 years.
 
Shri Piyush Goyal said that when India talks about economy, Indian ambition and target is not for small changes, the economy will reach the US$ 5 trillion target in a few years and will become the third largest GDP in the world by 2027. He said that this target can be achieved by 140 Crore Indians working as a team as per the Panch Pran of Amrit Kaal enunciated by the Prime Minister.
 
Dr. S. Jaishankar said that the ODOP initiative has the potential to drive the growth of the tourism sector which in turn will push employment generation. He added that while making in India is 'very' crucial, branding and promotion of products are important as it helps in increasing demand. He said that ODOP and Geographical Indicators (GI) are acting as effective tools in promoting traditional Indian products.
 
Dr. Jaishankar said that ODOP showcased India to the world at the various G20 events organized across the country during India’s G20 Presidency, where the ODOP artisans, sellers and weavers got a lot of visibility at the global stage during the events. He said that the government mainly gifts ODOP products to foreign delegates and this was widely done during the G20 events organized in India. He said that the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry are working together along with Indian missions to boost the country's outbound shipments.
 
Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh; Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Smt. Rachna Shah and Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Trade Promotion Organisation, Shri Pradeep Singh Kharola attended the inauguration ceremony.
 
Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024 is being hosted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The ODOP Awards recognise the substantial efforts and successes in promoting the ODOP Initiative, bringing together Districts, States, and Indian Missions abroad to celebrate their contributions towards this innovative national endeavour.
 
The Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav and National ODOP Awards ceremony are a celebration of India's journey towards self-reliance, showcasing the nation's rich cultural heritage, diverse talents, and innovative spirit. The Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024, taking place from 3rd to 10th January at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, is a dynamic event crafted to display India's economic strength and cultural richness. It is organized into various zones, each distinctively showcasing the nation's technological advancements and economic developments, alongside a colourful assortment of local products from different States and Union Territories. These zones collectively highlight the richness of India's heritage and its burgeoning entrepreneurial spirit.
 
The ODOP Awards edition for this year, garnered considerable interest, facilitated through the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal from 25th June to 31st July 2023. The overwhelming response, characterized by 580 applications from 535 districts, 26 States/UTs, and 19 Indian Missions Abroad, illustrated a nationwide dedication to promoting competitive spirit, encouraging innovative practices, and enhancing the quality of public service delivery. This enthusiastic participation signifies a collective commitment to the goals and ideals of the ODOP initiative.
 
The Ministers and dignitaries launched the ODOP compendium which is a testament to the work and efforts of States/UTs, Districts, and Indian Missions abroad, whose contributions are recognized and celebrated through the ODOP Awards, 2023. The profiles documented there in are the blueprints of resilience, adaptability, and visionary governance. They highlight the commitment of our local governments to embrace good governance and to replicate successful models across varied contexts. A digital launch of the next edition of the ODOP Awards 2024 was also released by the Ministers.
 
There are a total of 24 Awards across 3 categories – for Districts, States and Union Territories and Indian Missions Abroad which were received by their representatives at the ceremony. Indian Missions Abroad joined the ceremony virtually.
  1. List of Awardees for ODOP Awards 2023
    • Districts Awards (Agriculture)

Rank

District

State

Product

Award
  1.  

Alluri Sitharama Raju

Andhra Pradesh

Araku Coffee

Gold
  1.  

Uttarkashi

Uttarakhand

Red Rice

Silver
  1.  

Shopian

J&K

Apple

Bronze
  1.  

Kandhamal

Odisha

Turmeric

Bronze
  1.  

Bathinda

Punjab

Honey

Special Mention
  1.  

Burhanpur

Madhya Pradesh

Banana

Special Mention

 

  • Districts Awards (Non-Agriculture)

 

District

State

Product

Award
  1.  

Kakinada

Andhra Pradesh

Uppada Jamdani Saree

Gold
  1.  

Banda

Uttar Pradesh

Shazar Stone Craft

Silver
  1.  

Srikakulam

Andhra Pradesh

Ponduru Cotton Sarees

Bronze
  1.  

Kurnool

Andhra Pradesh

Handloom silk sarees

Bronze
  1.  

Annamayya

Andhra Pradesh

Madanapalle Silk Sarees

Special Mention
  1.  

Guntur

Andhra Pradesh

Mangalagiri handloom

Special Mention

 

  • States (Category A)

 

State

Award
  1.  

Uttar Pradesh

Gold
  1.  

Gujarat 

Silver

3.

Maharashtra 

Bronze

4.

Punjab

Bronze

5.

Rajasthan

Bronze

 

  • States (Category B)

Rank

State

Award
  1.  

J&K

Gold
  1.  

Uttarakhand  

Silver
  1.  

Meghalaya

Bronze
  1.  

Sikkim  

Bronze

 

  • Mission Aboard

Rank

State

Award
  1.  

Consulate General of India, Vancouver

Gold
  1.  

Consulate General of India, New York

Silver
  1.  

High Commission of India, Nicosia

Bronze
The ceremony represents a notable step in our nation's progress towards the 'Vocal for Local' initiative. It provides a platform for exchanging best practices and discussing strategies for the ODOP initiative's future. The event brought together senior government representatives from State and UT, District Administrations, and Indian Missions abroad, recognizing their important roles in this national effort.
 

 Source:  pib.gov.in
04 Jan, 2024 News Image Indonesia seeks 900,000 tonne onion from India amid export ban.
Indonesia has sought 900,000 tonne of onion from India amid the ban on exports, a top government official said. This assumes significance as Indonesia is India's largest trade partner in ASEAN, and imports onions mostly from the US, India and New Zealand.
 
The request comes after India imposed a 40% export tax on onions last August, followed by a minimum export price of $800 per tonne in October, to stabilize domestic supply and prices due to a crop shortfall. Despite these measures, high prices led to a complete export ban in December, effective until the end of the 2023-24 financial year.
 
'After India’s export ban on onion, traders and importers in Indonesia have been requesting Indian onion, and there is a demand for 900,000 tonnes of onions worth $100,000. Hence, a request has been sent to the Indian government,' the official said.
 
India accounts for about a fourth of the global onion output and is the largest exporter after the Netherlands and Mexico.
 
In April-October of the ongoing financial year, India exported 1.4 million tonne (mt) of onions, including 36,146 tonne to Indonesia. During the corresponding period of FY23, it exported 1.35 mt of the kitchen staple. In FY23, India’s onion export totalled 2.5 mt, including 116,695 tonnes to Indonesia, according to data from the commerce and industry ministry and exporters.
 
'The Embassy has not received any information on this issue. Factually, Indonesia is also a producer of onion, particularly small size red onion. In 2023, Indonesia has imported onion with total of 194.107 tonne, and out of this, total import from India is only 79.000 tonne,' the Indonesian embassy in New Delhi said.
 
Queries sent to the spokespersons of consumer affairs, food & public distribution and commerce and industry ministries remained unanswered till the publishing time of this story.
 
'After the export ban, our containers were detained at the port gate. We have requested the government to allow the export of containers which have been cleared by customs,' said Sanket Hoge, a Mumbai-based agri export consultant. 
 
'The exporters sold at ?20 a kg in the local market after paying ?45 for crops, packing, labour, stuffing, transport freight, clearance charges, and sea freight. Around ?25 per kg losses are faced by the exporters for each container,' he said. Exporters also suffered heavy losses at the Bangladesh border.
 
Production challenges, including erratic rains and extended dry spells, have impacted onion output in the kharif and late kharif (monsoon sowing) seasons. This led to a sharp decline in cultivation area and production, intensifying the political debate ahead of the national election.
 
On Wednesday, the average retail price of onion was at ?41.12 a kg, 49.6% higher than the previous year, according to official data.
 
Onion cultivation area declined nearly 96% year-on-year to 8.6 million hectares (mh) in top grower Maharashtra in the 2023-24 kharif season. Production of the vegetable fell 94% year-on-year to 750,000 tonne in the state.
 
In Karnataka, the second largest grower, acreage shrank by about 75% to around 11 mh and production by 43.3% from the previous kharif season to 770,000 tonnes, according to agriculture ministry sources.
 
As per the government’s preliminary assessment, India may have produced 3 million tonnes (mt) and 1.5 mt of onion in the 2023-24 kharif and late kharif seasons, respectively. This is significantly lower than the 4.1 mt and 2.4 mt produced in the respective seasons last year.
 
In the previous rabi season, onion production stood at 24.6 mt. Average monthly domestic consumption was 1.4-1.7 mt, but that may be lower now depending on the price.
 
In the 2022-23 crop year, India had produced 30 mt of onions.
 
'If we look at the data of the last few years, onion farmers have been suffering losses. Despite unseasonal rains, hailstorms and the current drought, the farmers are standing strong, making their way through the conflicting conditions,' Hoge said.
 
Farmers borrow from banks or cooperative societies for crop cultivation, but in the last few years, the debt burden on farmers has increased significantly, he said. 'The central government did not give any direct subsidy when onions were selling at ?2 per kg. However, the government intervenes regularly to control rising market prices,' Hoge added.
 
The absence of exporters from markets due to the ban has depressed onion prices, with further declines anticipated in the coming days.

 Source:  livemint.com