The Scheme for Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) support which was notified till 30th September 2023 is now being extended till 30th June 2024 at the same rates to the existing export items. This will help our exporting community to negotiate export contracts in the present international environment on better terms. The Scheme is WTO compatible and is being implemented in an end-to-end IT environment.

 

In another development, in line with the Scheme framework, the RoDTEP Committee has again been constituted in the Department of Revenue to review and recommend the ceiling rates under the RoDTEP Scheme for different export sectors. The Committee held its first interaction today at Vanijya Bhawan in New Delhi with the Export Promotion Councils (EPCs)/Chamber of Commerce and discussed the methodology and other issues relating to the Scheme and its implementation. The EPCs in their observations emphasized the need for enhancing the RoDTEP budget allocation and for higher rates to be made available to all export items to help them secure greater market access abroad.

 

The RoDTEP Scheme was introduced by the Government as a duty remission scheme on exports and is being implemented from 1st January 2021. The Scheme provides a mechanism for reimbursement of taxes, duties and levies, which are currently not being refunded under any other mechanism, at the central, state and local level, but which are incurred by the export entities in the process of manufacture and distribution of exported products. Under the Scheme, a support of Rs. 27,018 crores has been extended for the 27 month period till 31.03.2023. The RoDTEP scheme operates under a budgetary framework and for FY 23-24, a budget of Rs 15,070 crores is available to support 10610 HS lines at the 8 digit level.

India has approved the export of 75000 tonnes of non-basmati rice to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the fourth country to which shipments of the grain have been allowed since an export ban was imposed in July to curb domestic inflation.

 

A government notification on Monday said shipments for UAE will be handled by the National Cooperative Export Ltd, a state-backed enterprise set up in January following a cabinet decision.

 

India, the world’s largest exporter of rice, barred overseas sales in July to cool high cereal inflation, which continues to be in double digits. The government at the time said it would allow shipments to friendly countries for their food-security needs once such diplomatic requests were cleared by the external affairs ministry.

 

Since the ban, India has allowed the export of over 1.4 million tonnes of white rice following requests by Singapore, Bhutan and Mauritius.

 

'As a nation alive to global food-security concerns, India will continue to offer rice to friendly countries after evaluating them provided the exported quantities are used for domestic consumption and not used for trade,' a food ministry official said.

 

The prohibition on exports of the staple by India, which has a 40% share in global trade, sent prices rocketing in world markets, with the FAO rice price index rising to its highest level in 15 years at 40.31% year-on-year in August 2023.

 

Besides, India has also exported broken rice to countries in need since the ban. It has allowed broken-rice shipments of 500,000 tonnes to Senegal, 200,000 tonnes to Indonesia, 100,000 tonnes to Mali and 50,000 tonnes to Gambia.

 

India’s ban on export of non-basmati white rice in July came three days after Russia pulled out of the Black Sea grain deal, sparking fears of a global food shortage. In September last year, the government stopped the export of broken rice. That ban is still in place.

 

To curb shipments of parboiled rice, India has also imposed a 20% tariff. In May last year, the country banned wheat export, but the country is not a major exporter of wheat.

 

The reasons for curbs on food export are domestic. The government is battling elevated food inflation amid fears of rice shortage due to the monsoon-disrupting El Nino weather pattern. The country is heading into a festive season when food demand soars. The Modi government also faces a general election next year and state assembly polls in five states this year.

The United States wants to increase agriculture exports to India and help in the dairy sector, said Ambassador Eric Garcetti on Tuesday as he called for a 'more ambitious' bilateral trade partnership.

 

India’s productivity in dairy has levelled off and American companies can help, he said at the 20th Indo-US Economic Summit organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce. US exports would involve the sale of feed grains to India.

 

A trade deal between the two countries has stalled after talks on USA’s demand that India procure its dairy products.

 

'The goal that we should be setting for each other is how we can be more ambitious. Not just settle for another deal. Not just settle, as we have done in the last few months, for bringing down the retaliatory tariffs and trade disputes between our countries. That’s not good enough,' said Garcetti.

 

India is reluctant to open its market to foreign agriculture products as a large share of its workforce is dependent on farming. Garcetti's comments assume significance as India and the US have solved some disputes over tariffs and market access.

 

Last year, India agreed to allow the import of pork and pork products from the US as a part of a bilateral trade deal which will facilitate exports of Indian mangoes and pomegranates. Earlier this year, India lifted retaliatory tariffs on US apples, chickpeas, lentils, almonds and walnuts.

 

India agreed last week to bring down the import duty to 5-10 per cent on some fresh and processed food items as part of a larger dispute settlement between New Delhi and Washington at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Duties will be reduced on import of frozen turkey and duck, as well as blueberries, and cranberries.

 

Garcetti said the need is to do away with 'even the smallest of friction between the two countries in terms of trade', reduce tariffs further and create a predictable regulatory environment.

 

India, as of 2022, was the thirteenth largest destination for $200 billion worth of US agriculture exports, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Of the $2.2 billion worth of US agriculture exports to India, almonds made up for almost half ($1 billion), followed by cotton ($494 million), and ethanol ($211 million), the USDA said in a report last year.

 

India was the largest export destination for US soybean oil, the second-largest for tree nuts, and the fourth-largest for ethanol. The US is India’s fifth-largest supplier of agricultural goods, representing 6 percent of the total import market, behind Indonesia, Malaysia, Argentina, and Brazil.

 

The US is willing to explore ways to get Indian food pre-approved for its market and vice versa by aligning standards, Garcetti said. Robert M Califf, the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) commissioner, led a delegation to India last week for discussions.

 

India has the highest number of USFDA approved pharmaceutical plants outside the US, more than 665.

Organic produce grown by farmers in Gujarat is now finding a market in the United States (US).

The One Gujarat Organic Farm Producers Co-operative Society — set up as an exclusive organic FPO and touted to be first in Gujarat — on Monday shipped its first export order to the US. Organic produce, especially millets, grown by 45 farmers from across the state, was shipped.

'In line with the mandate and vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and marking the International Year of Millets, our shipment consists of organic/natural millets, basically the five positive millets — foxtail millets (korralu), browntop millets (andu korralu), little millets (samalu), kodo millets (arikalu) and barnyard millets (oodalu) — apart from seed spices, powder spices and pulses,' said Devesh Patel, president of the organic FPO that was registered in 2021.

The FPO currently has 340 farmers as shareholders from across Gujarat. 'We had registered the FPO as co-operative society on the lines of Amul. We are proud that ours is the first organic FPO that has exported organic products to the US and that too millets,' he said.

The value of the 1,500kg organic products that will be shipped from Nhava Sheva, Navi Mumbai is Rs 5.55 lakh. 'But it is the first step. The a San Francisco-based entrepreneur has imported it as sample after which bulk orders will be placed,' he said.

Within a span of less than two years, the FPO has registered a turnover of Rs 1.5 crore through domestic sales of organic products sold under brand name ‘Or Farm’.

'In addition to selling organic products produced by farmers registered with us, we are also selling those produced by organic farmers of other states. For instance, when there was a requirement of apples, we facilitated it by procuring it from northern states,' he said.

 

After the organic products were shipped, ‘Bharat to America export’ programme was organized in the presence of Anand Agricultural University vice-chancellor Dr K B Kathiria and others

Farmers were provided training on criteria for certification for export of organic products, processing and marketing the agriculture produce.

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Millets, known for their rich nutrition content, are becoming more popular and sought-after products, thanks to the efforts of NGOs, nutritionists, and the University of Agricultural Sciences in Dharwad. The university is actively promoting millet cultivation among farmers in North Karnataka and working on value-addition of millet products. In order to support small and marginal producers, a Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA) has been launched. Additionally, the government is incentivizing millet cultivation, and various workshops and initiatives are being held to promote millets for nutrition and economic growth.

Area under millet farming doubles with govt push

The superfood raagi, also known as millet, is making a comeback in Goa as farmers are showing increased interest in cultivating it. Around 50,000 hectares of land are currently being used for millet cultivation, thanks to awareness programs and incentives provided by the government. The harvest season is expected to begin in October, and experts are exploring the potential of growing other varieties of millets in Goa's humid climate.

Adopt organic farming to protect soil health: Guv

The governor of Bihar, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, has called on farmers to switch to organic farming, citing the negative impact of excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on soil health. Speaking at a natural farming conference, Arlekar emphasized the need for natural farming methods to produce safe and healthy food for humans, animals, and birds. Former Union agriculture minister, Radha Mohan Singh, also highlighted the environmental consequences of chemical farming and the benefits of organic farming in terms of cost reduction and environmental health. Several scientists and agricultural experts also addressed the conference.

With Exhibitors seeing more than 75,000 Business-to-Business (B2B) export orders and more than 3 lakh visitors, the five-day International Trade Show-2023, which was held at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida, concluded on Monday.

 

Officials said there were more than 200 stalls at the trade show in which more than 300 women entrepreneurs also participated.

 

'Women who have established small businesses under the Uttar Pradesh Rural Livelihood Mission of the UP government were also given a chance here. Around 500 foreign buyers from 60 countries participated in the trade show,' said an official.

 

Among the guests present on the last day were Narayan Rane, Union Minister for MSMEs; Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Union MoS for MSMEs; Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, UP Industrial Development and Export Promotion Minister; and Rakesh Sachan, UP’s Minister for MSMEs.

 

Officials said that there were comparatively fewer people on the first day of the trade show.

 

'However, it started increasing from the next day. Around 48,000 people came on the second day, around 70,000 people on the third day, around 88,000 people on the fourth day and the numbers crossed the 90,000 mark on the fifth and final day of the trade show,' said the government.

 

The event also gave a common platform to artisans to display their work under the ‘One District One Product (ODOP)’ initiative.

The government has extended the time period for existing stock limits under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 in respect of tur and urad from 30th October, 2023 to 31st December, 2023 and also revised the stock holding limits for certain stockholding entities. As per the notification issued today, the limit for stock with wholesalers and also big chain retailers at depot has been reduced from 200 MT to 50 MT, and the limit for miller has been reduced from last 3 months production or 25% of annual capacity, whichever is higher to last 1 month production or 10% of annual capacity, whichever is higher.

 

The revision in stock limits and extension of the time period is to prevent hoarding and elicit the continuous release of Tur and Urad in sufficient quantities to the market and make tur dal and urad dal available at affordable prices for the consumers.

 

As per the latest order, stock limits have been prescribed for tur and urad until 31st December, 2023 for all States and Union Territories. Stock limits applicable to each of the pulse individually will be 50 MT for wholesalers; 5 MT for retailers; 5 MT at each retail outlet and 50 MT at depot for big chain retailers; last 1 month of production or 10% of annual installed capacity, whichever is higher, for the millers. In respect of importers, the importers are not to hold imported stock beyond 30 days from the date of Customs clearance. The respective legal entities are to declare the stock position on the portal (https://fcainfoweb.nic.in/psp) of Department of Consumer Affairs and in case the stocks held by them are higher than the prescribed limits then, they shall bring the same to the prescribed stock limits within 30 days of issue of the notification.

 

Earlier the government had, on 2nd January, 2023, issued stock limit notification for tur and urad in order to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation and also to improve affordability to the consumers. The Department of Consumer Affairs is closely monitoring the stock position of tur and urad through stock disclosure portal which has been reviewed on weekly basis with the State Government.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has stated that there should not be any nutritional info on the label of an alcoholic beverage. The food regulator has notified amended regulations, in this regard, stating that except energy content, the label should not carry any nutritional info.

 

Called the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) First Amendment Regulations, 2023, the regulation read, 'Alcoholic beverage shall not contain any nutritional information on the label except energy content in kcal. Such declaration related to energy content shall be voluntary'.

 

Also, the food authority has updated the regulations related to malt or grain whisky under the FSS (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018. The notified regulations define the single malt and single grain whisky under the notified regulation.

 

These regulations lay that ‘Single Malt’ whisky is a distillate obtained from fermented mash that uses malted barley without adding any other grain, which is distilled in pot still only and produced in a single distillery.

 

While, ‘Single Grain’ whisky is a distillate obtained from a fermented mash that uses malted or un-malted grain, and produced in a single distillery, single grain whisky shall not include single malt whisky and blended malt whisky or blended grain whisky.

 

The draft of these regulations was made available to the public in May, 2022, and based on the objections and suggestions received, these regulations called the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) First Amendment Regulations, 2023, were notified and shall come into force on March 1, 2024.

The government will deploy field verification and remote sensing in the agricultural system across the country to get better crop production estimates after traders spotted a 10 million-tonne hole in wheat projections. The government was criticized for its unrealistic wheat crop production estimates for the 2023-24 (October-March) crop year. While the agriculture ministry estimated wheat production to be 112.7 million tonnes, the industry pegged it at 101-103 million tonnes for the current season.

 

'With regard to the production estimates, I agree there has been a mismatch between the agriculture and trade figures,' food and public distribution Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Monday. 'We are reporting 112 million tonnes while the trade reports 102-103 million tonnes, leaving a gap of 10 million tonnes. To ensure that this kind of disparity which is there in the figure is kept to a bare minimum, you will see things changing in the next one or two years to make the figures we are quoting become more driven by the ground reality.'

 

Citing Karnataka’s use of field verification and remote sensing for fruit, Chopra said, 'A similar thing is going to happen in agri-stack which is being put in place by the agriculture department. This will be rolled out very shortly across the country in a phased manner and will enable us to get a more realistic figure or closer to the ground reality.' Agristack or India Digital Ecosystem for Agriculture which has been under development since 2020 with public consultations in 2021 is a federated structure and ownership of data is with the states. Access to the Federated Farmers‘ database is available with the government.

 

Chopra stated, 'To make heat-tolerant varieties of wheat more common and rightly available, the agriculture ministry and ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) have been working.' Because of climate change effects, wheat crops in terms of noth quantity and quality often get affected due to heatwaves during the growing stage in January-March.

 

To improve wheat crop productivity, the agriculture ministry and ICAR are working closely with state governments, and they target to increase wheat yield by 20% in three years, the food secretary said.

 

'To ensure not only the food security but also wheat security, the Centre plans to procure and distribute 2.8 million tonnes of millets as against last season’s a little over 700,000 tonnes,' Chopra said.

 

The food secretary assured that there are no shortages of wheat in the country and shared the break-up.

 

'If we do a calculation going by the most conservative estimates of 100 million tonnes of wheat production last year, 26 million tonnes wheat was procured by the government in the ongoing season, and there are 39 million tonnes of wheat that have not disappeared. Besides, FCI (Food Corporation of India) had a stock of 8.4 million tonnes of stock at the beginning of the season. Flour millers are also holding some stock.

 

'We have 8.7 million tonnes of wheat available for market intervention at the end of the year as projected. We also have a buffer of 7.6 million tonnes. So, there is adequate stock available in the country. The government has all the policy instruments available and will intervene as the situation demands as we have been doing in the past,' he said.

India on Monday said that it has allowed the export of 75,000 tonnes of non-Basmati white rice to the UAE.

 

In a notification, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said: 'Export of 75,000 MT of non-Basmati white rice to the UAE is permitted through National Cooperative Exports Limited.'

 

India exported $2.2 billion of non-Basmati white rice in FY23 of which Kenya, Madagascar, Benin and the UAE were among the top destinations.

 

In July, India prohibited the export of non-basmati white rice but said that exports will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their governments.

 

Last month, the country decided to allocate export quotas of non-basmati white rice to Bhutan, Mauritius and Singapore. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, in a statement, said that exports of 79,000 metric tons of non-basmati white rice would be allowed to Bhutan, 50,000 tons to Singapore and 14,000 tons to Mauritius.

 

In a remarkable display of collaborative effort, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare spearheaded by the National Center for Cold Chain Development (NCCD), continues its dedicated mission to sensitize cold chain stakeholders across the nation. The resounding success of their recent endeavor, the India Cold Chain Conclave organized in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, stands as a testament to their unwavering commitment.

 

Attended by a distinguished assembly of around 400 delegates, including luminaries such as Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta and Advisor to Governor Shri Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, the conclave served as a platform for constructive dialogue and knowledge exchange. This grand assembly organized on 20th September, was further graced by the esteemed presence of J.S (Horticulture), Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Priya Ranjan Verma; COO, NCCD, Sh. Asheesh Fotedar; Director Horticulture Kashmir, Sh. Ghulam Rasool; Chairman PHDCCI-Kashmir, Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Sh. Ganai and several other concerned officials.

 

The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta lauded the approach of bringing this important conclave to Srinagar and pressed for increasing the capacity of CA stores in valley to benefit the growers. Advisor to Governor Sh. Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar pointed out the importance of the event and extended full support to farmers, growers and CA enterprise.

 

The Joint Secretary (Horticulture), Sh. Priya Ranjan spoke about the importance of sustainable cold chain and how NCCD is propelling the development of Cold chain sector with focus on energy, technology, climate which in turn will bring more investment opportunity to the UT of J&K.

 

Joint Secretary, Sh. Priya Ranjan articulated the pressing need for sustainable cold chain development in the Himalayan region. He emphasized the strides made in establishing comprehensive guidelines and executing extensive studies, awareness campaigns, and capacity-building initiatives. These concerted efforts are crucial considering the challenges we face in a world where resources are under threat due to a burgeoning global population.

 

As we stand at the precipice of a future fraught with challenges, the imperative to balance economic progress with environmental preservation has never been more pronounced. The vision of sustainable development resonates deeply, offering a blueprint for a harmonious coexistence between progress and the protection of our precious ecosystems.

 

In this era of rapid technological advancement and heightened consumer expectations, the cold chain sector assumes a pivotal role. Preserving the integrity of perishable goods with environmentally conscious and energy-efficient cooling solutions has become paramount. The urgency to address climate change concerns and mitigate the impact of conventional refrigerants on our environment has never been more acute.

 

The COO, NCCD, Sh. Asheesh Fotedar spoke about the work NCCD has been doing relentlessly in the development of Cold chain and how importantly this event was designed and brought to Srinagar by NCCD to cater to the sustainable development of Cold chain in valley, which has witnessed an unprecedented growth in last six to seven years.

 

The JS along with Director Horticulture, COO NCCD visited the IIKSTC at Pampore to see the infrastructure which has been created for the benefit of farmersand reiterated Government commitment towards holistic development of saffron sector.

 

Under the able guidance of JS (Horticulture, MOA&FW) Sh. Priya Ranjan along with Sh. Asheesh Fotedar, COO of NCCD, Director Horticulture Sh. Mir visited IGC-Lassipora which has become a major hub of modern CA stores in the South Asia tobore witness to the transformative strides taken for the benefit of farmers.

 

This hands-on approach showcases a dedication to progress that transcends rhetoric, underscoring the tangible impact of their initiatives.

 

The Directorate of Horticulture, represented by Sh. Mir, along with Sh. Priya Ranjan and Sh. Asheesh Fotedar, extended their gratitude to JKPICCA for their invaluable support to the 1st India Cold chain conclave – Himalayan Chapter which was concluded at SKICC on 20th September 2023.Sh. Priya Ranjan lauded their collective vision for sustainable cold chain development in the valley as beacon of hope for a brighter, more environmentally-conscious future.

 

Sh. Asheesh Fotedar reiterated that NCCD stands committed to providing unwavering support and technical assistance to the association, Cold Chain owners, growers, and other stakeholders, ensuring the continued growth of the cold chain sector in the region.

 

The JKPICCA president, Sh. Majid Wafai,Sh. Izaan Javeed and other young entrepreneurs of valley thanked NCCD for bringing a National Level Conference to Kashmir valley. They also lauded the way NCCD brought international speakers, financial institutions, energy specialists etc. to Kashmir for this conclave and put development of CA stores valley on an international map. The president JKPICCA also requested to make this event a yearly event in Kashmir for the benefit of local farmers, growers, enterprises who otherwise have limited access to global changes that are happening on the Cold chain industry. The JKPICCA also requested NCCD that JKPICCA represents the largestlocal Cold chain enterprise in Valley and next event should be allowed to be organized by JKPICCA.

 

The COO NCCD assured that NCCD is working hard to bring awareness among masses and it would be given a thought and decision regarding this would be taken at appropriate time keeping in mind the benefits of local famers, growers and NCCDs vision of making this industry more energy efficient and climate friendly.

 

The conclave received invaluable support from key partners, including the JKPICCA directorate of horticulture, BEE, and ISHRAE, all of which contributed to the resounding success of the program. This collective effort underscores the growing recognition of the vital role played by sustainable cold chain development in India.