The government has fixed retail egg price to check the exorbitant price. But even after four days of the price fixed by the government, buyers are not being able to purchase egg.

 

Under this situation, the Ministry of Commerce has given approval to import four crore eggs from India initially.

 

Four orgnisations would be able to bring eggs from the neighbouring country and each orgnisation can import one crore eggs.  

Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Commerce Md. Haider Ali confirmed this information while talking to journalist on Monday.

 

He said the government on Sunday gave approval to four organisations to import four crore eggs -- each one for one crore --from India. Each imported egg will be sold at Tk 12 per piece at retail level.

 

The imported egg will be arrived in the country within a week of the opening of Letter of Credit (LC), he hoped. 

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma of Meghalaya unveiled strategy on September 14 aimed at catapulting the state into becoming the 'Fruit Wine Capital of India.' Speaking at the inauguration of the North East Wine Incubation Centre in Mawdiangdiang, Shillong, the Chief Minister outlined a comprehensive policy designed to foster a thriving ecosystem that intertwines tourism, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and job creation through the promotion of local fruit winemakers.

 

The inspiration for this innovative initiative struck Chief Minister Sangma when he encountered a homemade pineapple wine, modestly presented in a handcrafted label on a beer bottle. Despite the unassuming packaging, the quality of the wine inside left a lasting impression on him, sparking the vision to revolutionize professional wine production and packaging in the state.

 

'Despite the unimpressive packaging, the wine inside was exceptional. This experience, combined with discussions and observations, led to the realization that there is immense potential in the fruit wine industry in Meghalaya,' the Chief Minister shared.

 

He emphasized that the initiative connects tourism, agriculture, and job creation, presenting the potential to unleash latent capacities lying dormant within the state. Chief Minister Sangma stated, 'I am in public life to make a positive difference in even a single individual's life. That is my driving force. The activity that we are trying to do here is going to make a huge positive difference in people's lives.'

 

The Chief Minister expressed his confidence in achieving the goal of making Meghalaya the fruit wine capital of the country through collaboration with all stakeholders. The newly inaugurated wine incubation center is expected to provide a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to test and utilize machinery, fostering innovation and economic growth through wine production.

 

Addressing concerns about licensing and accessibility for winemakers, Chief Minister Sangma assured the public that licensing fees would remain nominal. He also announced that the government is actively streamlining the registration process to facilitate ease of access for local winemakers.

 

The inauguration of the North East Wine Incubation Centre, the first of its kind in the entire North East, was attended by Agriculture Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and Excise Minister Kyrmen Shylla.

 

In September 2020, the Government of Meghalaya amended the Meghalaya Excise Rules to legalize the production and sale of Homemade Wines under license. This amendment aimed to create opportunities for Wine Tourism and provide impetus to the horticulture sector for the commercial cultivation and production of indigenous fruits. The move has opened new avenues for winemakers, entrepreneurs, and farmers in the state.

 

The Meghalaya Farmers’ (Empowerment) Commission (MFEC) has been actively involved in promoting local fruit wines and meads. The commission has organized Wine Appreciation & Wine Making Certification Courses to encourage winemakers to transition to modern winemaking techniques and meet national and international wine standards.

In a landmark event today here, Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman & Union Agriculture Minister Sh. Narendra Singh Tomar unveiled initiatives focused on agri-credit (KCC & MISS) and crop insurance (PMFBY/RWBCIS). The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched three initiatives, namely the Kisan Rin Portal (KRP), KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyaan, an ambitious campaign aiming to extend the benefits of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme to every farmer across the nation and a manual on Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS). These initiatives aim to revolutionize agriculture, enhance financial inclusion, optimize data utilization, and improve the lives of farmers across the nation.

 

Delivering keynote address on the occasion, Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman assured full cooperation of banks for success of Ghar Ghar KCC Abhiyan. She said that the government under Prime minister Narendra Modi has allocated enough money under KCC scheme to ensure easy short-term loans to farmers and their onboarding for the scheme. The finance minister commended Ministry of Agriculture for its initiatives and successful implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). She said that over 1,40,000 crores of insurance amount has been disbursed to farmers so far against a premium amount of Rs. 29,000 crore. She also appreciated real time estimation for rice and wheat crop output and called for the estimation to be extended to Dalhan and Tilhan crops so that better planning can be done for their imports, if needed. The finance minister said that real time estimation of crops will help the economy  and ensure right prices for farmers at the end of crop season. Smt. Sitharaman also called for full automation of regional rural banks and cooperative banks and directed Department of Financial services to study the gap between loan sanction and loan disbursement for these banks.

 

Union Agriculture Minister Sh. Narendra Singh Tomar in his address highlighted the importance accorded to agriculture and rural economy under the current government. He informed that budget for Ministry of agriculture has increased from Rs. 23,000 crore in year 2013-14 to Rs. 1,25,000 crore in 2023-24. Talking of WINDS manual, the minister said the aim is to ensure real time weather information so that farmers can take right precaution for their crops at the right time. Shri Tomar said that use of technology and transparency is important for agriculture and this government has taken necessary steps in this regard.  The agriculture minister informed that there are around 9 crore beneficiaries under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and the aim of KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyaan is to connect around 1.5 crore beneficiaries who are not yet connected to KCC scheme. Shri Tomar also thanked Ministry of Finance and banks for providing around 2 crore KCCs to farmers even during Corona pandemic. The minister asserted that it was agriculture and rural sector which kept the economy going even during the pandemic.

 

Shri Ritesh Chauhan, JS (Credit) and CEO, PMFBY made a detailed presentation on the initiatives. He informed that Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has seen record enrolment this year because of technological interventions made.

 

The launch was also attended by Minister of State for Agriculture Sushri Shobha Karandlaje and Sh. Kailash Chaudhary, Secretary Agriculture Sh. Manoj Ahuja, Secretary DFS Sh. Vivek Joshi, OSD (Credit) Sh. Ajit Kumar Sahu, CEO-PMFBY Sh. Ritesh Chauhan, Chairman NABARD Sh. Shaji KV and many dignitaries from allied departments and agri-sector.

 

The launch event epitomizes the Government of India's dedication to innovation and efficient service delivery for agriculture, with the aim of sustaining and doubling farmers' income. Initiatives like the Kisan Rin Portal (KRP), Ghar-Ghar KCC Abhiyaan, and WINDS Manual embody the government's commitment to farmers' prosperity, innovation, technology infusion, and objective service delivery. These efforts will further the goal of agricultural transformation and sustainable economic growth for the farming community across the nation.

 

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

Kisan Rin Portal (KRP)

 

Developed collaboratively by MoA&FW, the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAH&D), Department of Fisheries (DoF), RBI, and NABARD, KRP is poised to revolutionize access to credit services under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC). It will also assist farmers in availing subsidized agriculture credit through the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS).

 

The KRP portal serves as an integrated hub, offering a comprehensive view of farmer data, loan disbursement specifics, interest subvention claims, and scheme utilization progress. By fostering seamless integration with banks, this pioneering portal enables proactive policy interventions, strategic guidance, and adaptive enhancements for more focused and efficient agriculture credit and optimum utilization of interest subvention.

 

Ghar-Ghar KCC Abhiyaan: Door to Door KCC Campaign

 

The event also marks the commencement of the 'Ghar Ghar KCC Abhiyaan,'. MoA&FW's commitment to universal financial inclusion is underscored by this campaign, ensuring that every farmer has unhindered access to credit facilities that drive their agricultural pursuits. The campaign will begin from 1st October 2023 to 31st December 2023.

 

MoA&FW has diligently verified existing KCC account holders' data against the PM KISAN database, identifying account holders who match with the PM KISAN database and those who, although PM KISAN beneficiaries, do not have KCC accounts. This campaign plays a pivotal role in reaching out to non-KCC account holder PM KISAN beneficiaries and fostering the saturation of KCC Accounts among eligible PM Kisan beneficiary farmers.

 

3. Launch of WINDS Manual

 

The Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS) initiative stands as a pioneering effort to establish a network of Automatic Weather Stations & Rain Gauges at the taluk/block and gram panchayat levels. This initiative creates a robust database of hyper-local weather data, supporting various agricultural services.

 

This comprehensive WINDS manual launched today provides stakeholders with an in-depth understanding of the portal's functionalities, data interpretation, and effective utilization. It guides States and Union Territories in establishing and integrating with the WINDS platform, fostering transparent and objective data observation and transmission. It also offers practical insights into leveraging weather data for improved crop management, resource allocation, and risk mitigation.

The government on Friday launched an unified portal for agri-statistics (UPAg) that will empower stakeholders to access credible and objective data for taking informed decisions. The UPAg, developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, is a crucial component of digital public infrastructure for agriculture.

 

The portal aims to address the data related governance challenges such as lack of standardised and verified data, which make it difficult for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to make informed decisions.

 

After launching the portal, think tank Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand said it is a groundbreaking move to address the complex governance challenges facing Indian agriculture.

 

'This innovative platform, designed to streamline and enhance data management in the agricultural domain, marks a significant step towards a more efficient and responsive agricultural policy framework,' he said in a statement.

 

He also stated that higher the objectivity of data, lower is the scope of judgment in policy making, which translated into stable, transparent and informed decisions.

 

Stating that the portal should ensure data credibility, Chand said a research suggests that one US dollar invested in data generated USD 32 impact.

 

Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said UPAg Portal was being envisaged as a public good wherein users will benefit by reduced search costs and access to credible, granular and objective data.

 

The UPAg portal will have key features such as 'data standardisation', 'data analysis', 'granular production estimates', 'commodity profile reports', and 'plug and play'.

 

The portal will standardise data on prices, production, area, yield, and trade, making it accessible in one location, eliminating the need to compile data from multiple sources.

 

It will perform advanced analytics, offering insights such as production trends, trade correlations, and consumption patterns, aiding policymakers in making informed decisions.

 

The portal will generate granular production estimates with increased frequency, enhancing the government's ability to respond to agricultural crises swiftly.

 

It will also produce commodity profile reports using algorithms, minimizing subjectivity and providing users with comprehensive insights.

 

That apart, users will have the flexibility to use the portal's data to prepare their own reports, promoting data-driven decision-making, the statement said.

 

According to the ministry, this initiative aligns with the principles of e-governance, bringing smartness, transparency, and agility to India's agriculture sector.

Malaysia will talk to the Indian government to find a 'best solution' over the South Asian country's rice export restrictions, Malaysia's agriculture minister said on Monday, amid concerns over rising prices and supply shortages.

 

State-run Malaysian rice importer Bernas will also be negotiating with other suppliers like Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, Mohamad Sabu told parliament.

 

Like other countries in Asia, Malaysia has seen lower supplies and an increase in rice prices in recent weeks as hot weather threatens harvests, with countries led by top exporter India restricting shipments to curb inflation and ensure food security.

 

Malaysia has asked rice millers in the country to increase their monthly production by 20% for a year, Mohamad said, adding that current domestic rice shortages were expected to be resolved within a month.

 

Malaysia currently has 900,000 metric tonnes in rice stockpiles, enough to cover the country's needs for four to five months, Mohamad said.

India is exporting wheat and rice to food insecure, vulnerable and neighbouring countries on their request to meet their demands, a senior government official said today.

 

In general, there is a ban on the export of wheat, broken rice and non-basmati white rice.

 

Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi said India has allowed exports of 3 lakh tonnes of wheat to Nepal on July 21 and 14,184 tonnes to Bhutan.

 

Similarly, the government has permitted the export of broken rice to Senegal (5 lakh tonnes), Gambia (5 lakh tonnes), Indonesia (2 lakh tonnes), Mali (1 lakh tonnes), and Bhutan (48,804 tonnes).

 

'The Government of India has the commitment that in case of food insecure,  vulnerable countries and neighbouring countries request, it will provide with the required quantity of rice or wheat,' he said.

 

The government also allowed exports of non-basmati rice to Bhutan (79,000 tonnes), Mauritius (14,000 tonnes) and Singapore (50,000 tonnes) through the National Cooperative Exports Ltd (NCEL).

 

On September 9 last year, the government banned the export of broken rice to check rising retail prices and boost domestic supply.

 

On July 20, it banned exports of non-basmati white rice to boost domestic supply and keep retail prices under check during the upcoming festive season.

 

The wheat export was banned in May. 

The four companies are: Mrs Mim Enterprise, Tiger Enterprise, Prime Energy and Arnob Trading, said a notification issued by the Ministry of Commerce on Sunday (17 September).

 

According to the notification, the companies can only import eggs from bird0flu and influenza-free countries.

 

The companies also must pay the determined taxes and show a bird-flu and influenza-free certification from the country where they are importing the eggs.

 

In August, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said egg imports would be allowed in coordination with the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock if the price does not come down soon.

 

The egg market became volatile a few months ago, but the price started to fall after the commerce ministry announced to monitor the market. Egg prices went as high as Tk15 each. The government set the price of an egg at Tk12.

 

Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said the price of eggs should not be more than Tk12 a piece at the retail level as the production cost per egg is around Tk10.50.

 

Egg producers said before the pandemic, the daily production of eggs in the country stood at around five crore pieces. But during the pandemic, many farms have been closed due to chronic losses.

 

The Bangladesh Poultry Industry Central Council said the current daily egg production has fallen below four crore pieces due to the closure of many layer farms.

 

Market insiders have alleged that banking on the supply-demand gap, a class of unscrupulous traders are making extra profits. Even some farmers are selling eggs at higher prices.

 

Abu Luthfe Fazle Rahim Khan, senior vice president of the Breeders Association of Bangladesh, told The Business Standard, 'There is a big mismatch between demand and supply because we do not know what our actual demand is. Sometimes when the price is high, the production increases, and when the production is high, the price falls leaving producers in the lurch.'

 

'But despite the high production cost of eggs at present, the retail price should not be more than Tk13 a piece,' he added.

 

According to producers, feed prices have gone up due to rising prices of various ingredients, which increased the cost of production.

 

To reduce the cost, there are alternative ingredients for feed production, which traders want to import duty-free.

Export of oilmeals increased to 3.54 lakh tonnes (lt) in August against 2.81 lt in August 2022, recording a growth of 25.74 per cent. According to Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), the overall export of oilmeals stood at 19.45 lt during April-August 2023-24 as against 15.21 lt in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, up by 27.85 per cent.

 

BV Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, said India was out priced in the international market in soyabean meal last year.

 

Stating that export revived during the current year, he said India exported 4.81 lt of soyabean meal during April-August of 2023-24 against 1.07 lt in the corresponding period of 2022-23.

 

Mentioning that export of rapeseed meal is performing much better, he said the country exported 11.55 lt rapeseed meal in the first five months of 2023-24 against 10.77 lt in April-Aug of 2022-23.

 

India exported 1.51 lt (2.04 lt) of ricebran extractions, and 1.46 lt (1.29 lt) of castorseed meal during the period. Referring to the ban on the export of de-oiled ricebran, he said the country annually exports 5-6 lt of de-oiled ricebran mainly to Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Thailand. During April-July of this year, the country exported about 1.5 lt of de-oiled ricebran.

 

However, the Government has prohibited export of de-oiled ricebran with effect from July 28 until November 30. This decision could have far-reaching negative consequences for domestic ricebran processors and export of de-oiled ricebran. 'Neighbouring countries are the major export destinations for many solvent extraction units in eastern states, including West Bengal, producing de-oiled ricebran,' he said.

 

Major importers

During April-August, South Korea imported 3.82 lt of oilmeals (4.52 lt) from India. This included 2.91 lt of rapeseed meal, 68,732 tonnes of castorseed meal, and 21,600 tonnes of soyabean meal.

 

Vietnam imported 2.85 lt of oilmeals (2.52 lt) from India during April-August. This included 90,540 tonnes of ricebran extraction, 1.44 lt of rapeseed meal, 49,044 tonnes of soyabean meal, and 748 tonnes of groundnut meal.

 

India exported 3.49 lt of oilmeals (3.17 lt) to Thailand during April-August. This included 3.37 lt of rapeseed meal, 6,115 tonnes of soyabean meal, 4,666 tonnes of ricebran extraction, and 701 tonnes of castorseed meal.

 

Bangladesh imported 3.82 lt of oilmeals (1.66 lt) from India during April-August. This included 27,771 tonnes of ricebran extraction, 1.90 lt of rapeseed meal, and 1.63 lt of soyabean meal.

Under the roof of Anuga, the trade fair Anuga Dairy is the leading international trade fair for the milk and dairy industry. Good registration figures are being recorded for the coming edition of Anuga. Around 500 companies are taking part at this year's Anuga Dairy.

 

Among others, the following exhibitors are represented in Hall 10.1 of the Cologne fair grounds: Bayernland/DE, Caeseria Cioffi/IT, DMK/DE, Fayrefield/GB, Garmo/DE, Geris Dairy/NL, Goldsteig/DE, Granarolo/IT, Hochwald Foods/DE, Hoogwegt/NL, IN.AL.PI./IT, Milchwerke Schwaben/DE, Milcobel/BE, Nordex/DK, St. Paul/NL and Vandersterre/NL.

 

This year's Anuga Dairy boasts a very international line-up. In total, 24 country participations are taking part in the trade fair. Alongside Germany, the top countries of origin are above all Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and France. Further participations have been confirmed from among others Bulgaria, Denmark, Dubai, Estonia, Great Britain, Lithuania, Austria, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, USA and Cyprus.

 

Particularly with a view to its key theme 'Sustainable Growth', Anuga is dedicating special attention to the 'Dairy Alternatives', the so-called milk alternatives, which are recording a stronger presence than in previous years, above all in the scope of Anuga Innovations. Plant-based milk and cheese alternatives are not only extremely popular among the consumers, they are also becoming increasingly more important for Anuga Dairy. Over 80 exhibiting companies will present plant-based and vegan alternatives at Anuga Dairy.

 

Regarding the classic milk and dairy products, the manufacturers are above all relying on new flavours like cheese enriched with green or red pesto or with a high protein content as well as on the implementation of regional ingredients such as herbs, meadow-grazed or hay milk as well as organic milk from grass-fed cows.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has started a nationwide surveillance study on milk and milk products this month, in a bid to curb adulteration of such items, an official of the country's apex food regulator said on Monday.

 

The exercise will continue till October, and the regulator is expected to submit its report to the Health Ministry by December, FSSAI Advisor (Quality Assurance) Satyen K Panda said.

 

'The surveillance survey will cover 766 districts across the country and over 10,000 samples will be collected during the exercise. Two agencies have been engaged for the purpose,' he told PTI.

 

'Quality Council of India, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the National Dairy Development Board will conduct the survey for FSSAI,' Panda said.

 

'The scope for the survey includes milk, khoa, chenna, paneer, ghee, butter, curd, and ice cream. The test parameters are adulterants, normal quality and compositional parameters, contaminants, antibiotic residues and microbiological indicators,' he said.

 

The study was initiated to assess milk and milk products sold in the country for compliance with Food Safety and Standards Regulations, and also to identify hotspots for adulteration. 'One of the objectives of the survey is to devise corrective action strategies,' Panda said.

 

The rationale behind choosing milk is its indispensable role in food culture either as a fresh fluid or as a processed dairy product, he said.

 

'We are hopeful of submitting a report on the findings of the survey to the health ministry by December,' Panda said.

 

The regulator has conducted five surveys on milk and milk items since 2011. FSSAI had, in 2022, conducted a milk survey in 12 states, including 10 where the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) was prevalent. It also undertook the PAN India Milk Products Survey, 2020 to understand the true picture of the safety and quality of milk products being sold in the market during festivals.

 

In all, 2,801 milk product samples from organised and unorganised sectors were collected from 542 districts across the country for the 2020 study.

 

These products were tested for all the quality and safety parameters, including pesticide residues, heavy metals, crop contaminants and melamine.