The Food Corporation of India (FCI) sold 2.84 lakh tonnes (lt) of wheat in the open market through auction on Wednesday, taking the total to nearly 42 lt so far, since weekly sales of the grain from the government reserves began on June 28 under the open market sale scheme (OMSS) to control domestic prices.

 

The weighted average selling price of wheat was Rs.2,128/quintal on November 29 e-auction, which almost same as was in the previous week, official sources said. But, the weighted average selling price was Rs.2,279/quintal.

 

Record participation

There was a record participation of 2,420 bidders in the last wheat auction despite traders being kept out of the process and stringent checking happening to ensure only processors get the wheat so that atta (flour), maida and sooji prices will remain under control, an official source said.

 

The average selling price on November 15 auction dropped to Rs.2,233.61/quintal from Rs.2,251.79 in its previous week. But, the rates have started moving up in past two rounds of auction.

 

The government has increased the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat for next rabi marketing season (April-March) to Rs.2,275/quintal from Rs.2,125 in the 2023-24 season.

 

The Food Ministry has announced that wheat sales under the open market sale scheme (OMSS) will continue till March 31, 2024, and 101.5 lt will be offloaded to keep the prices in check. So far, 23 rounds of auction have been completed in which 41.81 lt of wheat have been sold, officials said, adding there may be another 17 rounds by March 31.

 

Govt steps to cool prices

'As seen by the interest of bidders in past few weeks, there could be another 48-50 lt of wheat FCI can sell maximum by March 31, taking the total to about 90 lt this year,' a flour miller said.

 

The government has taken a number of steps to keep wheat prices under check. While traders have been kept out of the auction by allowing only processors to take part, the per bidder quantitative cap has been hiked to 200 tonnes from 100 tonnes in each round from November 1 so as to ensure higher availability in the market.

 

The government has also introduced verification of last three months of electricity bills of the processing plant/unit before issuing the release order to the successful bidders. This is primarily done to keep traders out of the auction, directly or indirectly, officials said.

 

Besides, 2.28 lt of wheat has been allocated at concessional rates to cooperative organisations Kendriya Bhandar, NCCF and NAFED for converting the grain to atta and sell to the public under ‘Bharat Atta’ brand at a maximum retail price of Rs.27.50/kg. Of the 78,450 tonnes of indent placed by these agencies, the lifting was only 44,246 tonnes as of November 28.

 

Saffron, or Zaffran is one of the most precious spices in history and recently, Kashmir's Kishtwar saffron has been recognised with a GI Tag for its unique and outstanding quality.

 

Saffron is revered as one of the most – if not the most – expensive spices in the world. The delicate strands, hand-collected from the stigmas of crocus flowers can cost lakhs per kilogram. And among the most expensive, and highest quality saffron, comes from Kashmir. There are a few major growing regions that have won acclaim and recently, Kishtwar Saffron, from the Kishtwar Region of Jammu and Kashmir has been bestowed with the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry

 

A GI tag is a mark of quality, which acts as a mark of intellectual property and solidifies that the product originates from a specific geographical region and bears unique and valuable characteristics due to its place of origin. The origins of Kishtwar saffron can be traced to the scenic Kishtwar region, nestled in the mountainous landscapes of Jammu. Referred to locally as 'Kung' and nationally as 'Kesar,' this spice holds pivotal economic importance in this secluded district. Mandal, the saffron production area, encompasses around 120 hectares of cultivable land, establishing Kishtwar as a significant hub for saffron cultivation.

 

Kishtwar has gained renown for producing the most valuable saffron harvest, popularly known as Kumkum. This esteemed variety not only signifies the economic significance of saffron cultivation but also carries cultural value as a symbol of freshness and purity. Saffron, referred to by its Sanskrit name 'Kum-Kum' or 'Lohit,' holds a place as a cultural heritage in the region.

 

Aside from winning the GI tag, Kishtwar saffron was also awarded a Grade 1 quality rating when 1150 grams of saffron flowers harvested from Berwar underwent thorough physical and chemical analysis at the India International Kashmir Saffron Trading Centre (IIKSTC), Dussu Pampore. This process resulted in the extraction of 110 grams of fresh saffron filaments and 20 grams of top-tier dry Lacha saffron, subsequently designated as Grade 1.

 

The quality of Kishtwar saffron stands out, even when compared to the well-known Pampore saffron from Kashmir. This superiority is attributed to various factors, including the quality of the land, climate conditions, and the meticulous technique of plucking flowers and separating the red and yellow carpels from the petals.

 

Since manual saffron production is a labour-intensive process, these achievements mark a significant win for the growers and producers of the area and stand as a testament to years of dedicated work. The GI tag and subsequent Grade 1 award are a big step towards improving the economic climate of Kishtwar for the growers and for the reputation of Kashmiri saffron. 

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) efforts to promote Millets production and exports on the occasion of International Year of Millets-2023 are commendable. Thus special measures have been taken to benefit the farmers.

 

On the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industries has been participating in the Millets Expos organized across the country, and is achieving good results through the production of millets with high nutritional values and exports to other countries.

 

Thus, it is playing a vital role in providing better benefits to the consumers as well as to the farmers and exporters. As a part of this, India’s Millets Food Expo organized for two days at Hitex Exhibition Center, Hyderabad under the IIMR is setting up stalls and creating awareness about Millets.

 

Mr. Tarun Bajaj, the director of the APEDA, New Delhi will inaugurate the Millets stalls set up under the APEDA, Hyderabad Regional Office. Mr. Manprakash Vijay, DGM, New Delhi, AGM Mr. R.P Naidu and Assistant Manager Raj Kumar will be present in this program.

India’s imports of almonds, beans, oranges, wines, lentils, pulses, several processed agro foods, sheep meat etc. from the state of South Australia (SA) have risen significantly since the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) came into effect a year ago, said Nick Champion, Minister for Trade & Investment – South Australia.

 

The minister who was on a six-day India tour spoke to The Hindu in Bengaluru: 'South Australia has been witnessing growing import demand for lentils, pulses and certain other food items following the zero-tariff rate India introduced last year, resulting in food, wine and agribusiness sector exports to India growing more than 200% in the 12 months until September 2023.'

 

He said his state was also seeing significant opportunities to grow its exports to India especially products such as food and wine, and premium food products building upon the eliminated tariffs on over 85% of Australian goods–which will rise to 90% by January 2026.

 

'Above all these, India is a fast-growing market for premium agri products, food items and high-value wines with consumers’ disposable incomes on the rise,' the minister observed.

 

India is South Australia’s fifth-largest export market, with exports worth AUD 1.1 billion of goods over the last 12 months–a figure that has risen by 11% in the previous year.

 

Beyond dine and wines

 

According to the minister, India and South Australia share common goals, particularly in the demand for clean, green premium produce, renewable energy, health, international education, critical technologies and space industries.

 

'As India seeks to grow its 3.5 trillion economy by underpinning it with digi-tech and innovation, energy transition and manufacturing, South Australia is poised to become a ‘partner of choice’ in areas such as e-commerce, renewable energy, critical technologies including IT, defence and space and international education,' Mr. Champion said.

 

During the exploratory tour, the minister met with his counterpart in Karnataka, Mr. M.B Patil and had engagements and roundtable meeting with with TCS, Wipro, Tata Electronics, Infosys, HCLTech, TechMahindra, and various start-ups focused on defence and aerospace sectors. He also met BigBasket to gauge possibilities of exporting more pulses, grains, and lentils from South Australia to India.. The minister also facilitated a special partnership between South Australian space-tech start up, HEX20 and Indian space-tech start-up AstroGate Labs.. The collaboration involves integrating HEX 20’s currently satellite bus platform with AstroGate’s laser communication solutions.

 

He said companies in South Australia’s innovation regions, Lot Fourteen and Tonsley, would be able to collaborate with Indian tech firms in AI, machine learning and innovation to accelerate development of IT products, services, applications, platforms and critical technologies for space, defence and renewables industries.

 

In order to create more avenues for South Australian and Indian businesses to connect, the state is currently in the process of hiring a Country Director to be based in Mumbai.

 

On Friday, the minister inaugurated Pro-Wine Mumbai, where some 10 South Australian wineries are participating.

 

'As a newly-formed state government, we want to reiterate the high value our state places on its relationship with India. We are keen to work more collaboratively and closely with India, in ways that will see mutual benefits for both regions,' he added.

 

Some 43,598 Indians reside in South Australia. Also, India is its largest source of international students, with the student cohort growing 36% over the last year to over 14,000 enrolments.

Indian coffee exporters are beginning to see a pick-up in demand as buyers in key markets of Europe and West Asia among others have started placing orders for the new arabica coffee crop that’s currently being harvested.

 

'Demand is now picking up. People are accepting the war and there’s a feeling that arabica prices are lower than earlier and it’s better to buy,' said Ramesh Rajah, President, Coffee Exporters Association.

 

'The new coffee (arabicas) has started arriving. Many of the exporters are taking smaller orders but not getting into larger contracts as people are having contradictory reports on the upcoming crop size,' Rajah said.

 

This year, the harvest of arabicas has been advanced by a month due to the erratic rainfall pattern. The harvest of arabicas had began towards the end of October, but there’s a break now and suddenly the arrivals have slowed down, Rajah said. 'We expect better buying from next month,' he said.

 

The shipments of new arabicas for the crop year 2023-24 are expected to start from January. The exporters see coffee prices recovering from the current level. 'The robusta prices are good. We think it should retain at these levels, while arabica prices should recover from current levels,' he said.

 

Rajah expects the Indian green coffee shipments for the current financial year 2023-24 to remain at last year’s levels. The fourth quarter or Q1 of calendar 2024 should be on par at last year’s levels, he added.

 

Exports down

In the current financial year from April 1 till Nov 28, India’s total coffee shipments stood 6.5 per cent lower in volumes at over 2.44 lakh tonnes over same period last year’s 2.61 lakh tonnes. However, in value terms, the coffee shipments have been higher by around 6 per cent at $775 million over same period last year’s $733 million on higher prices. India had exported 3.96 lakh tonnes of coffee valued at $1.12 billion during fiscal 2022-23.

 

EUDR norms

Meanwhile, a section of exporters said they have started receiving enquiries from buyers for Indian coffees that are compliant to the proposed European Union regulation on deforestation free products (EUDR). From January 1, 2025, EUDR requires the EU based companies to ensure that the products they import are de-forestation free. 

 

The state-run Coffee Board held stakeholder consultations on Wednesday to put up a system to comply with the proposed EUDR norms. Panels comprising of faculty at the Indian Institute of Plantation Management and representative of growers and exporters have been formed to evolve a compliance mechanism for the EUDR norms that will come into effect from January 2025.

The Maharashtra government may absorb half the import duty impact levied by Bangladesh on oranges from India, said deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday. The duty hike had drastically brought down the consignment of Nagpur oranges to the eastern neighbour, which is the mainstay export market for growers here.

'A decision on subsidizing 50% of the import duty component borne by farmers will be taken soon,' said Fadnavis while addressing the closing ceremony of Agrovision, a farmers’ expo patronized by Union minister Nitin Gadkari.

 

Bangladesh began imposing duty on oranges from 2019. Another round of hike this year has taken customs duty to ?88 a kg for oranges. The hike makes the orange too costly for the Bangladeshi consumers.

 

CIL unveils roadmap to stop heavy-duty gear imports in 6 years

Coal India Ltd (CIL) plans to phase out import of heavy-duty mining equipment in six years, saving Rs 1,000 crore on customs duty annually. The roadmap proposed by an inter-disciplinary committee includes tender clauses to promote indigenous equipment and incentivize manufacturers to design, develop, and manufacture equipment in India. Standardization of equipment and emphasis on manufacturing aggregates will improve supply of spares, reducing repair time and improving machinery availability. The committee expects high demand for mining equipment in the next 10 years as coal remains the predominant energy source.

Exempt KU non-teaching staff from poll duty

Congress leaders urge DC and district election officer not to appoint non-teaching staff of Karnatak University for election duty as BLOs, citing staff shortage and inconvenience to students and teachers during semester exams. HDMC election officials are being criticized for harassment of a non-teaching staff member who attempted suicide. Ahinda leader demands state government accept caste census during winter session to ensure justice for Ahinda community. Caste census report will help determine conditions of caste population for welfare purposes. Sri Siddhalingeshwar Seva Sangha to organize idol installation ceremony at Sri Siddhalingeshwara temple, with participation from political and religious figures.

Adani Group to bid for duty-free shops at Macau international airport

Indian airport major Adani Group has set up a company in Macau, MTRPL Macau Ltd, to bid for the tender of duty-free liquor & tobacco shops at Macau International Airport. Adani Enterprises' subsidiary, Mumbai Travel Retail Pvt Ltd, has completed the incorporation process of MTRPL Macau Ltd with an authorised share capital of 25,000 Macanese pataca (MOP), the official currency of Macau.

The Centre of Excellence for Vegetables at Gharaunda in Haryana has set up 'Aagun' dryers for processing farm produce and 'PronGO' cold storage boxes for storing and transport of farm produce at optimum temperature till it is sold in the market. The Centre of Excellence was set up as part of a government-to-government cooperation between India and Israel to bring innovative technologies to farmers to enhance food availability and farmer incomes.

 

A media statement said an NGO Advit Foundation, with CSR support from Axalta Coating Systems, has assisted with procurement of the dryer and the cold storage boxes.

 

The dryer allows for converting excess food harvest such as tomato, cucumber, carrot, okra among others, into high-value dried products; and the cold storage boxes allow for storage and transportation of vegetables and fruits such that no withering or deterioration in their quality takes place from farm-to-market.

 

Working concept

The dryers and cold storage boxes work on the concept of 'Phase Change Materials' that enable heating and cooling without the need for constant electricity. 'Phase Change Materials' store and release energy, allowing for flexibility in temperature maintenance and its control without having to rely on grid-electricity or batteries or generators.

 

In 'Aagun' dryer, a pre-determined drying temperature could be set at 45-50 degree Celsius depending on the vegetable or fruit to be dried. Solar heat during the day is used to maintain this temperature, and 'excess' solar heat is stored in the 'Phase Change Materials'. This stored heat gets released during non-sunshine hours and at night and gives uniform drying.

 

This leads to better quality dried products, with higher nutritional value, aroma, colour and taste owing to uniform drying without temperature fluctuations. The statement said nearly 15-20 kg of vegetables can be dried in 24 hours in the 'Aagun' dryer. The cost of operation is virtually zero, and the drying is more hygienic and less time consuming as compared to conventional drying under the sun, it said.

 

The 'PronGO' cold storage box maintains 0-8 degree Celsius temperature without electricity for upto 120 hours. It can also be mounted on two-wheeler vehicles and taken to the market. The box comes with a 'recharge station', a solar energy operated refrigerator, for storing thermal energy in the 'Phase Change Materials'.

 

The 'Aagun' dryer and the 'PronGO' cold storage storage box have been designed and made in India by the Gurugram-based Pluss Advanced Technologies, which is a subsidiary of Carborundum Universal, a Murugappa group company.

 

Quoting Charu Jain, Director of Advit Foundation, the statement said: 'A strategic intervention through indigenous innovations will allow us to ensure that the farmers get a fair price for their produce, food spoilage is reduced, and the food availability is increased.'

Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan has said Indonesia is close to securing rice shipments from India, despite the partial ban imposed by New Delhi.

 

Speaking to reporters after a hearing with the House of Representatives on Monday, Zulkifli said the import deal was still under negotiation but proceeded to answer, 'it’s close, hopefully it will work out,' when asked about the progress of the talks, without divulging details.

 

Separately, State Logistics Agency (Bulog) president director Budi 'Buwas' Waseso said India kept an open mind about exporting rice to Indonesia despite the ban imposed months ago.

In the first Indian study of its kind, UK researchers led by a University of Reading team explored the process of co-flowering with crops to attract bees and boost crop yields as a result.

 

The research published in the ‘Journal of Applied Ecology’ on Monday focused on the moringa crop, a nutrient-rich 'superfood' in southern India. By planting companion marigold flowers and red gram crops alongside Moringa trees in orchards, the research team increased the abundance and diversity of flower-visiting insects, ultimately improving pollination and boosting crop yield.

 

'Planting wildflowers on agricultural land is a tried and tested method seen in many arable fields and orchards in the UK and across Europe. This farming technique is known to boost insect pollinator numbers,' said Dr Deepa Senapathi, of the University of Reading.

 

'We worked with farmers in South India to design the best co-flowering crops and boost the numbers of native bees and other insect pollinators visiting the moringa orchards,' she said.

 

The study, carried out by ecologists from the UK university and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, worked with smallholder farmers in the Kannivadi region of Tamil Nadu in 24 moringa orchards. They helped them plant red gram and marigold flowers in 12 orchards while the other 12 had no co-flowering crops planted in them.

 

Flower visitor numbers and diversity were 50 per cent and 33 per cent higher in sites with red gram and marigold flowers compared to those without. Sites with higher numbers of flower visiting insects also showed better quality of crops, with bigger moringa pods. The sites with red gram and marigold flowers which had previously suffered from a lack of pollination saw higher yields. Numbers of harvestable moringa fruits increased by 30 per cent in the orchards with co-flowering crops, compared to those without.

 

'Greater yields and higher quality fruit will translate to a healthier and better food supply for smallholder communities. The farming communities can also use the red gram as a protein source in their diets and receive extra income from selling the marigold flowers,' noted Senapathi.

 

The study was produced as part of the TROPICAL project, led by the University of Reading team using UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund, to investigate how research evidence from the UK could be used in tropical landscapes where pollinator-dependent crops are grown.

 

India has many crops of high economic and nutritional value, such as mango and moringa, where there is potential to significantly increase and improve crop pollination services. The researchers note that intensive farming practices, using large amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, and loss of natural habitats have negatively impacted biodiversity in India, including native bees and other pollinators.

 

Smallholder farmers in the tropics, whose crops depend on native pollinators, are particularly vulnerable to these impacts. The results of the study show how farmers can boost yields while also managing their lands in a more sustainable manner, the team concluded. 

India has told a WTO grouping with a major interest in farm trade that it will not discuss any new issue in the agriculture segment like imposition of export restrictions before a permanent solution is found with regard to public stockholding of food grains, an official said. This position was cleared during a mini-ministerial virtual meeting of about 28 WTO (World Trade Organisation) member countries on agriculture issues on November 28.

 

In the meeting, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal put forward New Delhi's approach to the issue saying that public procurement and stockholding of food grains serve the twin objectives of food security and income support to marginal farmers.

 

The 19-member Cairns group, which includes agri-exporting nations, lobbies for agricultural trade liberalisation. It was formed in 1986 in Cairns, Australia. Its members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, and Peru.

 

 

Group members want the WTO to discuss comprehensive agriculture trade reforms such as not imposing export restrictions.

 

The group's representative was present in the virtual meeting.

 

'India has made it clear that no new issue in the agri sector can be discussed in the WTO before finding a permanent solution to a mandated issue of the public stockholding,' the government official, who did not wish to be named, said.

 

India recently criticised Cairns member countries during a WTO meeting on public stockholding of foodgrain for food security purposes in Geneva, stating that members are monopolising time to discuss their submission on domestic support.

 

On the public stockholding issue, India is pushing the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members to find a permanent solution as the issue is important for the country which has to support its marginal farmers and feed the poor people.

 

Developed countries that are major agri exporters allege that foodgrain bought at MSP if offloaded in the global market can distort prices so there should be a cap on support measures. It is strongly opposed by India.

 

In India, the government procures rice at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) and provides it to the poor through a public distribution system.

 

About 80 developing members, including the African Group, G33 Group, and Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific Group, have been assertive, emphasising that this is a high-stakes issue because an outcome on public stockholding must be at the core of any potential agriculture package at MC13.

 

The 13th ministerial conference (MC13), the highest decision-making body of the WTO, is scheduled in Abu Dhabi in February next year.

 

To break the long-lasting stalemate in agriculture negotiations, the WHO chief has called for a mini-ministerial meeting on November 28.