Norway will help fund India’s ‘Hunger Project’ and help strengthen women leaders to protect the environment and promote food security in Uttarakhand.

 

The duration of the project would be three years, until September 2026 with a budget of Rs.44.7 million, an official said.

 

The hunger project organizes capacity-building training for elected women representatives (EWRs) and federations, focusing on strengthening van panchayats (forest councils) which in turn will ensure food security and livelihood opportunities for marginalized households.

 

The programme will strengthen elected women’s leadership in gram panchayats so that they can play a pivotal role in conserving forests and natural resources, devise and adopt strategies to promote sustainable living, food security and collaborate with members of van panchayats and the local community, especially women.

 

The project will be implemented in 3 districts, 9 blocks, 172 gram panchayats and 145 van panchayats of Uttarakhand involving 900 EWRs for the protection of standing forests and nurturing their immediate environment that is crucial to the community’s livelihoods and food security.

 

Additionally, it will enhance awareness of local communities via 334 Jagrukh Manchs to effectively combat climate change risks collectively, the official informed.

 

The expected outcome of the project includes capacity building of elected women representatives (EWRs) and federations, an advanced environment, friendly development agendas in Panchayats, strengthening institutional processes to manage and conserve forest commons, mitigate climate risks, ensuring food security and livelihood opportunities for marginalised households, the official added.

 

Queries sent to spokespeople of the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi and Indian ministries of finance, food & public distribution and climate change remained unanswered at press time.

 

The inter-governmental Panel Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (2007) suggests that the Himalayan Eco-system is particularly at risk of a rise in global temperatures and one of the states in India that is most at risk is Uttarakhand, which is one of the most ecologically sensitive, fragile and climatically vulnerable states of the country. Over 70% of its geographical area is under forests and predominantly rural and dependent on natural ecosystems for their livelihoods and sustenance. Availability and access to clean water sources is a challenge with many natural springs drying up. Citizens in the project intervention area, especially the poor have experienced the impact of natural disasters and environmental degradation, but their knowledge and awareness of long-term impact is low. Most importantly, for women living in these areas in particular, the impact of climate change means more hardship. In the villages, women are also responsible for fetching safe drinking water, collecting fodder for animals and managing other natural resources.

 

The Hunger Project will leverage the Uttarakhand government’s priority of making sustainable development an important element in the state’s growth strategy. Furthermore, the overall objective and interventions will consider the climate and environment policy priorities and commitments of the Indian government. Adaptation to climate risks will be focused upon, aligned with the Indian government’s stand for COP28. With India assuming G20 presidency in 2023 the five priority areas of work identified by the group- two areas include women leadership at the grassroots and women and girls as change makers for climate resilient action are in sync with the overall proposed program objective and priorities. Interventions will focus on mitigating the impact of climate change on food security mainly addressing eroded livelihood opportunities, nutrition security and adverse health impacts

 

Similarly, the Government of Norway’s priority themes of gender, environment, climate change, conservation of forests and food security will be advanced in three years during the project.

Fruits and vegetable exporters are agitated over the delay in issuing Nipah-free certification to Calicut International Airport by the Kerala Government after the virus was brought under control.

 

The exporters along with two Parliament members from Kozhikode urged the State government to issue Nipah free certificate to the airport which would help re-start the shipments that was disrupted following the outbreak the virus in September. They pointed out that the authorities have issued Nipah-free certificates to Kochi and Kannur airports after the easing of the restrictions for exports.

 

Impending crisis

MK Raghavan, MP from Kozhikode has sent a letter to the State Industries Minister P Rajeeve seeking his intervention in the matter. He urged the Minister to help avert an impending crisis being faced by farmers, traders and those working in the export sector. According to him, it was an unjustified discrimination against Calicut Airport for not issuing Nipah free certification especially when the Kannur airport which is close to the virus outbreak area has been given such certification.

 

Another Parliament member, Abdussamad Samadani, in a message to the State Health Minister Veena George said the absence of Nipah free certificate to the airport could make overseas buyers to look at other destinations for their shipments. It is pointed out that around 50 tonnes of fruits and vegetables were shipped through Calicut Airport on a daily basis.

 

Currently, shippers are depending on Kochi airport for getting required clearance certificates which, according to the exporters fraternity, is time-consuming and leading to cancellation of export orders.

 

The Calicut Airport authorities have also taken up the matter with the Principal Secretary, requesting him to issue Nipah-free certification at par with Kochi and Kannur airports. The exporters are having seasonal additional orders due to the ensuing festivals which are also likely to be affected due to the non-declaration of Calicut Airport as Nipah-free. The outbound cargo is mainly sourced from the border districts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Yesterday, India imposed a minimum export price of $800 per ton for onions, much higher than the prices at which importers were buying. The export price will remain effective until December 31 this year, said a notification issued by India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade. The move is apparently to discourage exports and contain the price in the Indian market.

 

Importers were quoting $150-$205 per ton of Indian onions before the minimum export price was imposed, said Dipankar Ghosh, Organising Secretary of the Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association in Bhomra, a land port in the southwest region bordering India. Import price will increase by over four times, and landing price of the bulbs will be over Tk 100 a kg at the port, he said.

 

The curb on export by the Indian authority comes two and a half months after it slapped 40 percent duty on the export of onions to tame escalating prices in its domestic market. The move is likely to fuel a price hike of onions in Bangladesh, which meets a portion of its demand through imports from mostly India.

The Ministry of Commerce of commerce issued a notification in this regard on Monday (30 October.)

 

Interested importers are requested to apply to the Ministry of Commerce for permission to import potatoes, it added.

 

Potato prices have soared in recent times. The price of potatoes has risen to Tk60-70 per kg this week, Tk10 more than last week, despite the government's fixed rate of Tk35-36 per kg.

 

The commerce ministry on 14 September fixed the maximum retail prices of potatoes at Tk35-36 per kg. The market analysis of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) indicates that after price regulations, the price of potatoes had decreased to Tk45.

 

However, within the past month, potato prices have surged by 12%.

 

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension, the annual demand for potatoes in the country is 85-90 lakh tonnes. In the fiscal year 2022-23, 1.12 crore tonnes of potatoes have been produced in the country.

 

Despite concerns raised by the Cold Storage Association regarding reduced potato production, the government has not acknowledged this issue.

 

'Even though the government has provided information indicating a potato production of over 10 million tonnes this year, potato production has not exceeded 8-8.5 million tonnes in reality,' said Mostafa Azad Choudhury, president of the Cold Storage Association.

 

Earlier on 7 October, the Ministry of Agriculture gave an opinion opposing the plan of importing potatoes aiming to control prices in the domestic market.

 

As a result, the Ministry of Commerce could not allow businessmen to import potatoes back then.

The Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Shri Rohit Kumar Singh today held a meeting with Mozambique High Commissioner, H.E. Ermindo A. Pereira to discuss trade and related issues pertaining to tur (Pigeon pea).

 

Shri Singh conveyed concerns over procedural hurdles that cropped up since July, 2023 in Mozambique causing delays in shipment of tur exports consignments from the country. He requested the High Commissioner to intervene for ensuring seamless export of tur from Mozambique, just as the Government of India had put in place necessary policy measures to make the imports smooth and seamless. In this regard, Secretary Consumer Affairs appraised H.E. Ermindo A Pereria about the tur export consignments awaiting clearance at Mozambican ports and stressed the need for expeditious clearance. It was also emphasized that the bilateral MoU for trade in tur needs to be upheld as it embodies the commitment of India and Mozambique toward producers and consumers of the two countries.

 

High Commissioner, H.E. Ermindo A Pereria stressed the importance of trade relation between India and Mozambique for overall agriculture agricultural eco system in Mozambique. He assured that necessary steps will be initiated to resolve the current issues concerning tur trade and to ensure smooth flow of tur exports from Mozambique to India.

 

The meeting between Secretary Consumer Affairs and High Commissioner of Mozambique at this juncture is significance as smooth flow of imports from Mozambique will augment availability of tur during the coming months and ensure availability and affordability to Indian consumers.

India and Vietnam have shown a steady growth pattern and there is immense scope for investments and trade between both the countries, Indian envoy has said.

 

As both the countries are growing rapidly, the thrust areas have been emphasised on infrastructure, manufacturing and connectivity for increased bilateral trade and investments between India and Vietnam, Ambassador Sandeep Arya told PTI at the North East India Festival (NEIF) being held.

 

A steady growth pattern has been witnessed in the trade between the two countries with $15 billion in total trade, out of which India exports about seven billion dollars and Vietnam about eight billion dollars, he pointed out.

 

Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) have also grown by about eight times during the last ten years while the export growth of domestic enterprises was three times during the same period between the two countries.

 

'There is immense potential for growth of trade and investments between the two countries and is particularly relevant for North Eastern states,' the ambassador said.

 

The most important factor for increasing trade relations between Vietnam and North East India is civil aviation connectivity, he said.

 

'Guwahati is already among the approved list of airports and as such the Government of India's approval is not really necessary to start operations in the sector.  Any airline that wants to fly to Guwahati does not require specific approval which is required for many other airports,' Arya said.

 

There is a group of airports as part of the ASEAN arrangement and there is a very strong case for air connectivity between Vietnam and North East India, he added.

 

From the North Eastern states there are nearby ports in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Kolkata in India which presents it as an ideal area, providing direct shipping services.

 

Besides, the extension of the India Myanmar Thailand (IMT) Highway and multimodal transport through Myanmar also presents a strong case for trade promotion and investment opportunities, he added.

 

There is also immense scope for investments in the digital connectivity sector and India is doing fairly well in this technology, Arya said.

 

'UPI is something we are working on to have digital connectivity for cross-border payments and we are talking to the State Bank of Vietnam and Reserve Bank of India in this regard,' the ambassador said.

 

Vietnam's manufacturing sector has a very important role to play and its electronics goods sector comprises a major sector of their exports.

 

The garment sector is also an area where Vietnam is growing very rapidly and there is a lot of opportunity in yarn, and cotton among others, Arya said.

 

Gems, jewellery, handicrafts, textiles, bamboo and agro-based products are some of the areas for investment for enhancing India's exports to Vietnam, he said.

 

'The Indian embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate here is focussing on investment mapping with India in electronics, manufacturing, power and electrical equipment, machinery, auto-components, agriculture products, food processing in aquatic, dairy and fruits, traditional medicine and herbs, tourism infrastructure, garments, footwear among others for export to Vietnam,' the ambassador said.

 

Vietnam is, therefore, an excellent opportunity when the NE states are looking towards Southeast Asia, he added.

 

Tourism is a huge strength of Vietnam and there are immense possibilities in this sector in the North East as well, Arya pointed out.

 

'It was an excellent idea to hold the North East India Festival (NEIF) in Vietnam which is a rapidly growing economy with a lot of trade happening with various countries, immense investment opportunities, value and supply chain linkages, strong growth in the field of tourism, cultural exchanges and overall standing of the country is changing rapidly,' Arya said.

 

The Festival brought in more collaboration and opened vistas for more exchanges in culture, traditions and opportunities for the North Eastern states of India, the ambassador added.

 

The third edition of the three-day North East India Festival will conclude on Sunday.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday urged the countries participating in the G7 trade ministers meeting to enhance collaboration on a regulatory framework to facilitate cross border trade. The Group of Seven (G7) trade ministers meeting was held in Osaka, Japan.

 

Under its G7 presidency this year, Japan has invited India, along with a few other invitee countries (Australia, Chile, Indonesia, and Kenya) to participate in the outreach programme held on October 28.

 

In the meeting, Goyal 'urged the governments to collaborate on a regulatory framework to ease the movement of supply chains and facilitate cross border trade,' an official statement said.

 

He said the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical events have highlighted the vulnerabilities of the existing supply chains leading to increase in commodity prices and global inflation.

 

The Russia-Ukraine war, conflict between Israel and Hamas and global economic uncertainties are impacting flow of goods across the world. India's exports have also been impacted due to these reasons.

 

The minister encouraged public-private partnership, investment in critical infrastructure and the need for innovation and digitalisation of supply chains.

 

Goyal highlighted the need for supply chain diversification and skilling and re-skilling of the personnel.

 

During the session, representatives from the governments, private sector and international organisations like OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and WTO (World Trade Organization) also participated.

 

'Suzuki made a presentation on their experience in India. Suzuki mentioned how they developed a reliable and trusted vendor base in India and achieved over 95 per cent indigenisation in their supply chains in India,' the commerce ministry said.

 

G7 is an intergovernmental forum comprising seven important countries of the world. It accounts for over half of the global network wealth, 30-43 per cent of global GDP and 10 per cent of the world's population.

India and the UK on Saturday reviewed the progress of negotiations of the proposed free trade agreement (FTA), talks for which have reached the final stage. The progress was reviewed by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch in Osaka, Japan.

 

Both ministers are in Japan for the Group of Seven (G7) trade ministers meeting in Osaka.

 

'Discussed the progress of India-UK free trade agreement negotiations with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch,' Goyal said on social media platform X.

 

Negotiations between senior officials of India and the UK are on to bridge differences on issues such as rules of origin and services sector, with an aim to conclude the talks for the proposed FTA at the earliest.

 

India and Britain launched the talks for a trade agreement in January 2022, with an aim to conclude them by Diwali last year (October 24, 2022), but the deadline was missed due to political developments in the UK.

 

There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments and intellectual property rights. An investment treaty is also being negotiated as a separate agreement between India and the UK.

 

These investment treaties help in promoting and protecting investments in each other's country. The main point of contention in this pact is the mechanism for settlement of disputes.

 

The Indian industry is demanding greater access for its skilled professionals from sectors like IT, and healthcare in the UK market, besides market access for several goods at nil customs duty.

 

On the other hand, the UK is seeking a significant cut in import duties on goods such as scotch whiskey, automobiles, lamb meat, chocolates and certain confectionary items. Britain is also looking for more opportunities for UK services in Indian markets in segments like telecommunications, legal and financial services (banking and insurance).

 

The bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to USD 20.36 billion in 2022-23, from USD 17.5 billion in 2021-22.

 

Further, Goyal also held bilateral meetings in Osaka with US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai; World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi; Japanese trading and investment major Matsui and Co; Director and Chair of Board of Directors Tatsuo Yasunga, and Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell.

 

'Held a productive discussion on scaling up the India-US trade and investment ties with USTR Katherine Tai,' he said.

 

With the WTO chief, the Indian minister deliberated upon greater cooperation to ensure free and fair trade among member countries.

India's mango exports rose 19 per cent to USD 47.98 million during the April-August period this fiscal, the commerce ministry said on Friday. In volume terms, the shipments increased to 27,330.02 tonnes during the first five months of this fiscal from 22,963.78 tonnes in the year-ago period, it said.

 

Of this, the maximum were exported to the US, it said.

 

India has exported 2043.60 tonnes of mangoes to the US in the first five months of the current fiscal, an increase of 19 per cent over the same period last year, the ministry said.

 

The other major destinations include Japan (43 tonnes), New Zealand (111 tonnes), Australia (58.42 tonnes), South Africa (4.44 tonnes), and Iran, Mauritius, Czech Republic, and Nigeria.

 

As part of its initiative to promote export of mangoes, the Centre invited the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspector for pre-clearance of mangoes at irradiation facilities at Vashi, Nashik, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad.

 

'The export of mangoes in the first five months of the current fiscal (stood at) USD 47.98 million, which is 19 per cent higher than the previous years' value of USD 40.33 million in the same period,' it said.

 

It added that inspectors from South Korea have also been invited for pre-clearance of mangoes for exports to that country.

 

This has allowed India to export 18.43 tonnes of the fruit after being treated at the authorised Vapour Heat Treatment facility under the joint supervision of the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine, and Storage (DPPQS), India and Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA), South Korea.

 

The Indian government on Saturday imposed a $800 per tonner minimum export price on onions being shipped from the subcontinent amid an increase in the cost of the root vegetable across the country.

 

'Export of onions is ‘free’. Minimum Export Price (MEP) of US $800 F.O.B per Metric Ton (MT) is imposed till 31st December, 2023,' a notification from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) read.

 

The DGFT notification indicates that the export poicy change will go into effect starting Sunday, October 29. The notification also laid out exceptions to the new regulation, stating that onions designated for export and already handed over to Customs are exempt as well shipments for which export duty has been paid before the notification was sent out.

 

'Where onions consignment has been handed over to the Customs before this Notification and is registered in their system / where onions consignment has entered the Customs station for exportation before this Notification,' the notification said.

 

The average wholesale price of onions at the benchmark Lasalgaon APMC in Maharashtra have jumped close to 60% in the last fortnight, rising 18% in the last one week. The maximum price for the best quality onion touched Rs 50/kg in Delhi on Wednesday as well as in some markets of Maharashtra. Onion prices are expected to continue to rise till December, when the new kharif crop is expected to hit the markets after a delay of nearly two months.

 

In the national capital, onion prices have further risen to Rs 65-80 per kg in the retail market. Mother Dairy, which has around 400 Safal retail stores in the Delhi-NCR, is selling loose onions at Rs 67 per kg. E-commerce portal Bigbasket is selling at Rs 67 per kg, while Otipy at Rs 70 per kg.