Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday said that India and Tanzania are growing in terms of trade and investment 'The numbers are satisfying,' further noting that India is the third largest trading partner in Tanzania.

While addressing the media after the exchange of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Tanzania, she said, 'On trade and investment, the numbers are satisfying. We are growing. In investment Indian investors in Tanzania, the number is growing. The value of the projects is growing as well. On trade volumes, the numbers are growing. As we're speaking up to 2022, our figures were USD 3.1 billion. So this makes India the third largest trading partner in Tanzania and the fifth largest investor in our country.'

She further added that through this visit, both countries have managed to open more avenues of cooperation for economic development as well as political development.

'To us, Tanzania India is like an extended family member which is just a cost away. There's a story that before Gandhi's return to India he made a stop to Zanzibar on his way to South Africa. This and many more other tells signifies the historical brotherly ties and brotherly ties and friendship that span a century,' she said.

Tanzanian President further lauded PM Modi for successfully hosting the G20 Summit.

 

'My visit is occurring just a few weeks after the G 20 summit...I wish to commend honourable Modi and the government of the Republic of India for the successful hosting of the G 20 summit,' she said.

This visit is to reaffirm the commitment by Tanzania to enhance and deepen the historic friendship and bilateral cooperation that has existed over decades.

'It is also an opportunity for us to express our sense of gratitude for the invaluable support rendered by the government and the people of India to our socio-economic endeavours. Over decades we have been working together in the development of various sectors, as they have been mentioned by His Excellency,' Hassan said.

Marcha Dhan Utpadak Pragatisheel Samuh, a registered organization of paddy cultivators in West Champaran district, which had applied for the geographical indication tag two years ago, received confirmation of having clinched it on Friday.

'We had kept our fingers crossed as the publication in the journal of Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai was in fact an inbuilt invite for objections,' West Champaran district magistrate Dinesh Kumar Rai told this newspaper on Saturday.

The confirmation came six months after granting of the GI tag by the Chennai-based registry, to the 'Marcha Rice', an indigenous variety of paddy famous for its aroma and taste, which is grown in certain pockets of the district.

'This is the sixth agricultural product from Bihar that has bagged the GI tag,' Rai said, mentioning Jardalu mango, Katarni rice of Bhagalpur, Shahi litchi of Muzaffarpur, Magahi paan of Magadh region, and Makhana of Mithila that have earlier won GI tags. 'This GI tags opens a window of opportunities for increased production and an expanding market even overseas for the Marcha Rice now,' he said.

Marcha paddy is grown in select pockets of six blocks- Mainatar, Gaunaha, Narkatiaganj, Ramnagar, Lauriya and Chanpatia of the district.

'It doesn't find favour in fields across villages in these blocks however,' Dhiru Kumar Tiwari, a scientist from the Madhopur Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Bettiah) under the Dr RAjendra Prasad Agricultural University of Pusa in Samastipur said. Tiwari has been associated full-time in the Marcha Rice GI project for the last two years.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday clarified that addition of protein binders in milk and milk products are not permitted. Additives that have not been specified in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011, cannot be added, a release said.

 

Sources said this clarification comes at a time when certain players are adding protein binders to offer thicker texture in dairy products such as curd.

 

'Binding agents have emerged as an important and required class of ingredients to manufacture a wide range of new food products, especially semi-solid or solid foods. However, such application is known to affect the digestibility of the protein bound and thus can affect the biological and nutritive value of milk proteins. Protein binding also influences the bioavailability and distribution of active compounds,' the FSSAI noted in an advisory.

 

The food safety authority added that every dairy product has its unique and 'well-accepted' textural and other sensory characteristics. 'Hence, addition of any binding material like protein binders to milk and milk products is not warranted to modify the textural or sensory parameters,' it added.

 

The food safety authority pointed out that milk protein on its own is a good source of essential amino acids; they are easily digestible and do not contain any anti-nutritional factors like many plant-based proteins. 'In addition, milk and milk products contain a wide array of proteins with biological activities ranging from antimicrobial ones to those facilitating absorption of nutrients, as well as acting as growth factors, hormones, enzymes, antibodies and immune stimulants,' it added.

 

FSSAI said it remains 'dedicated' to maintaining 'natural integrity and quality' of food products and will continue to prioritise the health and well-being of the consumers.

 

Mushk Budji -- the indigenous aromatic rice variety from Kashmir -- is likely to get a major boost in its yield with the Jammu and Kashmir authorities planning to expand its cultivation area to 5,000 hectares in the next three years, a senior official has said. According to experts at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), this high-cost traditional variety of rice was on the verge of extinction and was pushed to a few pockets of the Valley because of its susceptibility to blast disease.

 

Besides, non-uniformity in the produce, lack of quality seed, poor yield potential due to the mixing of strains and also due to area expansion under high-yielding paddy varieties led to shrinking of acreage under it, they said.

 

Mushk Budji, mostly grown on over 250 hectares in five villages of Kokernag in south Kashmir, received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in August due to the concerted efforts by the agriculture department and SKUAST.

 

'The niche crop is grown in particular climatic conditions and we are exploring various areas in different parts of the Valley to expand its acreage.

 

'We aim to bring 5,000 hectares of land under crop cultivation in the next three years under the holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors scheme,' Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, the director of the Department of Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare, Kashmir, told PTI.

 

Last year, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved the Holistic Development of Agriculture and Allied Sectors programme, with an outlay of Rs 5,013 crore over the next five years and covering 29 projects.

 

The aim is to transform the agriculture economy and put Jammu and Kashmir on a new trajectory of growth, boosting exports and heralding a new phase of farmer prosperity and rural livelihood security in the Union territory.

 

'We have been successful in expanding the Mushk Budji to Budgam and are expecting more farmers to grow the crop, leading to its increased production to meet the growing demand,' Iqbal said.

 

According to the experts, as part of the programme to revive the cultivation of Mushk Budji, Sagam and adjoining villages in Kokernag in Anantnag district were identified in 2013.

 

Officials said the success of Mushk Budji in Anantnag led to a variety of testing programmes in non-traditional areas under similar ecologies. The agriculture department with the help of SKUAST-Kashmir brought in a new variety of Mushk Budji seeds.

 

'The new seed is resistant to diseases and changing climatic conditions. With the setting up of farmers producers organization, we are endeavouring to make Mushk Budji tap the national and international markets,' Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal said.

 

Referring to the week-long 'GI Mohatsav' which started at 'Kashmir Haat' in Srinagar on October 2, he said 100 GI-tagged agriculture and horticulture products both within and outside Jammu and Kashmir are on display.

 

Attending the event, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat from Sagam village of Kokernag said over 500 farmers from nearly half a dozen villages are growing Musk Budji and will benefit immensely from the GI tagging of their produce.

 

'We are selling one kg Mushk Budji for Rs 260 and have received a lot of response in Srinagar. We have also received calls from Dubai for the product,' he said.

 

In Sagam village, Ghulam Mohammad, an elderly farmer, said they stopped growing the crop a long time ago and started afresh sometime back with the government's support.

India and Tanzania will sign 15 agreements covering different areas of cooperation, Tanzanian Foreign Minister January Yusuf Makamba said ahead of the bilateral talks between visiting President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. The presidential visit from Tanzania to India is taking place after a span of more than eight years.

 

'This is a very important visit for Tanzania. The big announcement we expect here is regarding the elevation of the bilateral relations into a strategic partnership. We expect that commitments on enhancement of trade and investment will be announced. We expect an announcement on about 15 agreements covering different areas of cooperation, both government to government but also with private entities,' Makamba told PTI on Sunday.

 

The Tanzanian foreign minister, who has already taken part in bilateral discussions with his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, is optimistic that India, as a significant partner in the Official Development Assistance (ODA), might announce an extension of a water project in the African country.

 

Appreciating India's initiative for trade settlement in national currencies, he noted that it offers several benefits, including advantages related to exchange rates and preservation of foreign exchange reserves.

 

'There are some technical details that are being worked out. Two teams are working from two central banks to fix some unclear provisions from this initiative to make sure that it creates an opportunity for an explosion of trade between our two countries,' Makamba emphasised.

 

India and Tanzania have also been collaborating to enhance defence cooperation through initiatives, such as capacity building, training, technology transfer, joint patrols and military exercises.

 

'Defence cooperation is one of the pillars of our strategic partnership. Now, in terms of the specifics about the kind of equipment needed by Tanzania, that will come later in a detailed conversation between technical teams. The needs assessment will be carried out and the capacity of India to supply these will be determined and agreements may be reached at a later stage,' Makamba said.

 

The Tanzanian president will receive a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan here on Monday morning, followed by an in-depth bilateral dialogue with Modi.

Seeking Indian government support for imports, the UAE food industry said that huge demand is there in the Middle East countries for chicken, dairy, basmati rice, frozen marine goods and wheat products from New Delhi. The UAE industry has sought the support of the Indian government in smooth certification processes, more coordination with Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), and harmonisation of standards.

 

They also said that high quality packaging of Indian products would help boost New Delhi players to increase exports of food and food products in countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

 

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who was in the UAE, last week held detailed discussions with these importers and discussed ways to increase exports from India.

 

'There is huge scope for India to export frozen products in these countries,' Global Food Industries LLC Head of Sales UAE (Frozen and Beverages) Nissar Thalangara said.

 

A representative of Oman-based Khimji Ramdas Group said that there is a demand for Indian basmati rice and reduction of minimum export price (MEP) on this rice will help India boost exports.

 

The government is considering reducing MEP to USD 850 per tonne from USD 1,200 per tonne at present.

 

Another importer from GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries raised the issue of halal certification.

 

India has a well-established halal meat certification system.

 

Allanasons Pvt Ltd Executive Director Fauzan Alavi said the free trade agreement between India and the UAE is helping in promoting exports of meat products.

 

'We see more opportunities to increase our exports from India to UAE,' Alavi said.

 

Sharing similar views, Choithrams Head (Retail Procurement) Kirti Meghnani said the focus on packaging of products will help Indian exporters to increase trade with the UAE and other Gulf region nations.

 

Appcorp Holding Chairman Nitesh Ved suggested that setting up of an APEDA office here will help the food industry.

 

Another importer from GCC group said that there is a demand for products made by Indian cottage industries and for that India has to look at issues pertaining to standards, packaging and labelling.

 

The India-UAE trade agreement was implemented in May last year.

 

Bilateral trade between the countries increased to USD 84.9 billion in 2022-23 from USD 72.9 billion in 2021-22.

Renowned agricultural economists, scientists, policymakers, academicians, farmers and entrepreneurs are set to converge in Kochi for four days, starting October 10, to attend the 16th Agricultural Science Congress (ASC). This landmark event promises to serve as a dynamic platform for discussions on the transformation of the agri-food system for achieving sustainable development goals. 

 

Organised by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), the Agricultural Science Congress is being held for the first time in Kerala, hosted by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

 

Union Fisheries Minister Parshottam Rupala will inaugurate the function on October 10.  Himanshu Pathak, Secretary to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will deliver the presidential address.

 

With a comprehensive agenda, the 16th ASC will feature five plenary lectures by prominent figures in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. The Congress will also host three panel discussions on quality education for transforming agri-food systems, innovations in information dissemination and farming systems for enhancing nutrition and sustainability. In addition, four symposiums covering an array of topics, including coastal agriculture and livelihood, mainstreaming millets, and youth empowerment and gender equity have also been scheduled at the meet.

 

A key highlight of the 16th ASC will be the Farmer-Scientist Interface session, facilitating a direct exchange of knowledge and experiences between the farming community and leading researchers. 

 

An Agri Expo to be held on the side-line of the event will showcase innovative agricultural technologies of public and private sector research institutes, universities, agro-industries, extension agencies and NGOs.

To promote the consumption of millets or ‘Shree Anna’ among the Central Armed Police Personnel, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) hosted a 'Millets FPO Exhibition for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) under the Ministry of Home Affairs' on 6 October 2023, at the BSF Camp in Chhawala, New Delhi. More than 30 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) from around the country, showcased a variety of products including raw millet grains, ready-to-cook (RTC) items, and ready-to-eat (RTE) products etc, to approximately 1,000 attendees from various paramilitary forces.

 

The Exhibition was inaugurated by Shri Faiz Ahmad Kidwai, Additional Secretary, DA&FW, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. He was joined by Smt. Maninder Kaur, Additional Secretary, DA&FW and Smt. Shubha Thakur, JS (Crops), DA&FW.

 

In his inaugural speech, Shri Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, AS, DA&FW, highlighted how over 75,000 FPOs are working to support small farmers with resources and market connections. He pointed out that 34 millet FPOs from Rajasthan, UP, MP, and Haryana had gathered for the mega event with a dual aim to showcase the variety of millet products in the country and establish direct links with CAPF canteens and departmental stores for future procurement.

 

Smt. Shubha Thakur, JS (Crops), DA&FW, expressed gratitude to the paramilitary forces for their eagerness to embrace millets. She also commended the 34 FPOs for their range of millet products on display & looked forward to a fruitful collaboration between Millet FPOs & paramilitary forces

 

The exhibition served as an opportunity for the FPOs to interact directly with the armed forces and their families, introducing them to the wide array of home-grown, millet-based products. Additionally, the procurement officers and chefs/cooks also got a chance to witness the diversity of products, ease of millet procurement and linkages with FPOs for future procurement for their respective units during the exhibition.

 

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs took a ground-breaking decision to introduce 30% millets in the meals of personnel of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). In alignment with the celebration of the International Year of Millets, this decision aimed to promote millets as an energy-rich food choice for paramilitary personnel and to support their physically demanding routines, as millets are loaded with fiber, minerals, and essential nutrients. In August 2023, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) also organized a culinary training session for more than 250 chefs and cooks working with paramilitary forces, including the Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Security Guard, Sashastra Seema Bal, and various government canteens. The successful training session acquainted participants with a variety of millet-based recipes, ranging from simple snacks to wholesome meals, which they were eager to incorporate in the daily menus of their canteens and mess facilities.

 

Over 34 Farmer Producer Organizations showcased and sold their unique range of products to Commandants, Second-in-Commands, Quartermasters, Chefs/Cooks, and their families during the exhibition. Notable highlights of the exhibition included ready-to-eat products like Foxtail Millet Khakhra, Bajra Cookies, Jowar Ladoos, Millet Rusk, Ragi Namkeen,Cakes etc. Guests were not only impressed by the remarkable versatility of these ready-to-eat millet-based sweets and savories, but they also expressed a keen interest in learning more about millet flours and ready-to-cook items, such as Ragi Idli Mix, Millet Upma and Millet noodles, to incorporate into their daily diets.

 

Live cooking counters were also set up for the officers and Jawans to sample various,delectable millet-based dishes such as Sorghum (Jowar) Pasta with Vegetables and Mayonnaise Cream, Finger Millet (Ragi) Noodles with sautéed vegetables, Millet Pongal with curd, Sorghum Chaach, Finger Millet (Ragi) Ladoo with Dry Fruit Mix, Millet Sewai, Pearl Millet (Bajra) Puff Snacksetc.

 

Adding to the celebration of millets at the exhibition were the selfie booths shaped like Sorghum, Ragi, and Pearl Millet. These selfie booths, designed to represent a 'happy millet family,' were a big hit with the families of the Jawans.

Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) is committed to empowering Indian businesses by expanding exports to new markets, and it aims to collaborate with existing ones to foster growth amid economic slowdown and geopolitical challenges, a senior official said on Sunday. The external trade-focused bank does not see any concern so far for its exposure in Canada, and the situation has the attention of the government, the official said.

 

'With the economic slowdown in the key markets, the bank is focusing on trade facilitation measures to boost exports in new markets and help existing markets grow,' India Exim Bank Deputy Managing Director Tarun Sharma told PTI in an interview.

 

'We feel the issue has adequate attention from the government, and perhaps there will be no long-term ramifications. We have not heard anything untoward from any of the companies that we have supported, who are dealing with Canada in terms of trade or investment,' he said when asked about the ongoing India-Canada diplomatic row.

 

Asked about its strategy, Sharma explained that among its measures to boost exports, the bank is focusing on new emerging markets like African, Latin American and South Asian markets for incremental exports. In addition, GIFT City's new subsidiary will also play a vital role in factoring overseas transactions.

 

The India Exim Bank had forecast a 4.8 per cent decline in India's total merchandise exports in Q2 (July-September) of FY24, shadowed by continued slowdown in select major trade partners, including advanced economies.

 

Under the Trade Assistance Programme (TAP), India Exim Bank provides support through credit enhancement to trade instrument(s), thereby enhancing the capacity of commercial banks/financial institutions in India to support cross-border trade transactions, involving markets where trade lines are constrained or where the potential has not been harnessed.

 

'We have supported incremental exports by supporting over 275 transactions in 30 countries through 45 banks in emerging markets. And we have covered over three-quarters of a billion dollars of transactions supporting about 95 Indian companies across diverse sectors, including agro products, automotive, textiles, machinery, engineering goods.' Sharma said.

 

Sharma informed that its newly established subsidiary Exim Finserve at the international financial services centre in GIFT City, Gujarat, will have a long-term impact supporting the growth of exports from India.

 

'This month, we are doing our first set of transactions, exports happening to the United States, and we are again very confident that both the trade assistance program and factoring will cover the entire gamut of pre-finance services in India, both on documentary credit basis and open terms,' Sharma said.

 

With Exim Finserve, exporters can obtain receivables financing, protection against non-payment risk, and receivables management services. As a result, exporters will have improved cash flow and reduced payment risk, allowing them to explore new markets.

 

Amid the headwinds, Sharma remains optimistic about a 12-15 per cent growth in loan book and expects a revival in the third and fourth quarters of the current fiscal. Net Loan Portfolio in 2022-23 was Rs 1,34,523 crore.

 

Sharma said 80 per cent of its exposure is in foreign currency and the rest in the Indian currency.

 

India's appetite for walnuts shipped from California is growing steadily as more people learn about their health benefits and the daily consumption of the key dry fruit in the country is likely to double in the next 10 to 15 years, a top industry official has said. California walnuts account for 99 per cent of the commercial US supply and close to 50 per cent of the world trade. Germany is the top export market, followed by the Middle East and Turkiye.

 

In India, the consumption peaked in 2020 before Covid-19 disrupted the global supply chains and upended walnut exports to the country from nearly 19,000 metric tonnes in 2020 to just 6,500 metric tonnes last year.

 

'The desire for walnuts in India has been growing very steadily, year after year, as more people understand the health benefits and also eat them other than just at the time of the festive season,' Pamela Graviet, Senior Director, Global Programs, California Walnut Commission & Board, said.

 

'The maximum level was just under 19,000 metric tonnes in 2020. That was the height of Covid-19. California experienced supply chain issues and it was very difficult to get the walnuts into India in a timely manner. In 2021-22, we saw exports of California walnuts to India decline pretty rapidly and now we're starting to see them increase again,' she said on Friday.

 

The California Walnut Commission (CWC) has adopted a slew of measures, including roping in food connoisseurs, dieticians, researchers and social media influencers, to ramp up its business in India and create awareness about the nutritional and medicinal benefits of walnuts, which have been cultivated for over a millennium.

 

'Since 2012, we have had educational programmes talking about the health benefits of walnuts, as well as different ways to use them, not only in traditional Indian dishes but also in other types of cuisine,' Graviet said.

 

'To reach every corner, we don't have a budget large enough. But what we try to do is we try to work with influencers that are either chefs or those in fitness or lifestyle that are teaching the local population. We need either new recipes or new ideas,' she said.

 

The California walnut industry, which comprises over 4,000 walnut growers and nearly 75 handlers, sees a huge market for its products in India and is pulling out all stops to tap into it.

 

'The International Nut & Dried Fruit Council does an analysis of consumption around the world. And when we look at the number of walnuts that are available in India, and then across the population, the consumption is about two walnuts per person per year.

 

'It's very, very small. So, there's a tremendous opportunity for growth. And, we see that over the next 10-15 years, that consumption will double or probably triple,' Graviet said.

 

As the demand increases, the CWC is there to help fill the gap by providing education through events that also give some hands-on experience with California walnuts, she noted.

 

Walnuts are one of the oldest known tree fruits, dating back to 10,000 BC. Medical practitioners have known for time immemorial that the walnut has health-giving qualities. It took 20th and 21st-century science to assess and analyse the nutritional assets and medical benefits of the walnut, and there are many, including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fibre, and numerous vitamins and minerals.

 

Research has shown the diverse benefits of walnuts through many clinical studies. Because of the strong evidence of the walnut's potential role in cardiovascular health, the US Food and Drug Administration approved one of the first qualified health claims for a whole food in March 2004, according to a statement.

 

'Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease,' it said.

 

In addition to heart health, studies have shown that walnut consumption may benefit people with diabetes and cancer, promote bone health, assist with weight management, improve cognitive performance and counteract some effects of ageing.