Archive News

Back

From Date

To Date

Keyword

03 Aug, 2023 News Image

Russian wheat may shore up domestic stock

New Delhi: The Centre is considering import of 9 million tonnes of wheat from Russia via a government-to-government deal to augment domestic stocks amid rising prices, said people aware of the matter. The All-India Consumer Wholesale Price of wheat was up 6.2% to ?2,633 per quintal on Wednesday, from ?2,480 a year ago.

Prices have risen as the government has imposed stockholding limits and sold the grain in the open market to traders amid concerns about a shortfall in domestic production.

"The possibility (of imports) is being discussed at the highest levels," said a person aware of deliberations that are at an early stage.

All-India retail inflation in cereals and products was 16.3% in June. Wholesale cumulative inflation in FY24 till June-end was 7.6%, having spiked 10.7% in FY23. "Wheat, rice and coarse cereals have seen double-digit inflation over the past six months," rating agency Crisil said in a report on Monday.

A combination of low production, declining stocks and rising demand has fuelled the price rise. The government pegged India's wheat production at a record 112.7 million tonnes (mt) in 2023, but traders and millers estimate harvest at 101-103 mt due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms in February-March in the northern, central and western plains, which damaged the ripening crop.

The Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture recently estimated India's wheat production at around 108 mt.

Wheat output fell to 107.7 million tonnes in 2022, from 109.6 mt a year earlier because of a heat wave in March.

The low harvest and rising demand depleted wheat stocks, causing market prices to inch up.

The central pool held 30.1 mt of wheat as of July 1, higher than the buffer norm of 27.6 mt but less than half the 60.3 mt it did in July 2021.

The Centre's wheat purchases under its minimum support price (MSP) programme amounted to 26.14 million tonnes, below the target of 34 mt, triggering a rally in prices during the harvest season, when they are usually low.

In June, the food ministry had to impose a stock limit on the cereal for the first time since 2008.

India, the second largest producer of wheat, is mostly self-sufficient in foodgrain, although it did import wheat in 2016-17 after back-to-back droughts reduced output.

The global geopolitical situation is also driving wheat prices. "Russia pulling out of the Black Sea grain deal has also raised inflationary risks since Russia and Ukraine are the world's largest suppliers of wheat and sunflower oil," Crisil said.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

03 Aug, 2023 News Image

Food Corporation of India has 1923 warehouses with capacity of 371.93 LMT for storage of Central Pool foodgrains

As on 01.07.2023, Food Corporation of India has a network of 1923 of warehouses (Owned/Hired) with a capacity of 371.93 LMT for storage of Central Pool foodgrains. Statement showing State-wise covered storage capacity is given below.

(b) to (d): The requirement of Storage capacity in Food Corporation of India (FCI) depends upon the level of procurement, requirement of buffer norms and Public Distribution System (PDS) operations for Rice and Wheat mainly. Storage gap is assessed in the procuring States based on the highest stock levels in the last three years and in the consuming States on the basis of 4 months (6 months in case of North Eastern states and in some other states like J&K, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep) requirement under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Other Welfare Scheme (OWS). FCI continuously assesses and monitors the storage capacity and based on the storage gap assessment, storage capacities are created/hired through following schemes:

1. Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme

2. Central Sector Scheme (CSS).

3. Construction of SILO's under PPP mode

4. Hiring of godown from Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC)/ State Warehousing Corporation (SWCs)/ State Agencies

5. Hiring of godown through Private Warehousing Scheme (PWS)

As far as timelines are concerned:

On PEG Scheme, investor gets one year for the completion construction of godown from issue of letter of memorandum (LoM). Government has fixed the timeline as March 2025 before which all the projects that are under progress or being taken up under Central Sector scheme, are to be completed. Time period of 270 days for fulfillment of condition precedents (CPs) and 18 months for construction is given for development of Silos.

Central Pool Storage Capacity FCI with State Govt. Agencies as on 01.07.2023 (OB)

(Figures in LMT)

Zone

Sl. No.

State

Total Storage Capacity with FCI (Owned/Hired )

Total (Owned+Hired)

Owned

Hired

EAST

Bihar

4.070

6.551

10.621

Jharkhand

0.790

2.975

3.765

Odisha

3.650

2.162

5.812

West Bengal

9.530

0.296

9.826

Sikkim

0.110

0.005

0.115

Total East Zone

18.150

11.989

30.139

Assam

3.740

1.743

5.483

pib.gov.in

03 Aug, 2023 News Image

FSSAI extends compliance of RDA 2020 for a period of 6 mths

The FSSAI has decided to extend the time period of compliance of Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) 2020 for a period of six months, after the stakeholders sought more time.

The RDA 2020 was to come into force on July 1, 2023, after FSSAI had issued directions in July/August 2021 regarding the timeline for compliance with the RDA.

According to the FSSAI, industry associations sought extension for implementation of the RDA-2020, owing to challenges faced in reformulation of products and inventory of old packaging materials lying with FBOs.

'After due consideration, it has been decided to further extend the date of coming into force of Recommended Dietary Allowance 2020 for compliance for a period of six months from 1st July 2023,' reads the direction issued by the FSSAI.

It is pertinent to note that the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) published the RDA 2020 revising the values of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and amino acids requirement per person per day and in 2021, the FSSAI had decided to adopt the same.

It was decided by the FSSAI that the RDA 2020 shall come into force from July 1, 2023.

The RDA per day was defined for adults and pregnant women, lactating women, adolescents, children 4-10 years, children 1-3 years and the food industry was asked to comply with the new RDA values.

However, the food industry still needs time to reformulate the products, and sought extension and was granted six months to comply with the RDA 2020.

Source: fnbnews.com

03 Aug, 2023 News Image

Production Linked Incentive Schemes for 14 key sectors aim to enhance India s manufacturing capabilities and exports

Keeping in view India's vision of becoming 'Atmanirbhar', Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes for 14 key sectors have been announced with an outlay of Rs. 1.97 lakh crore (over US$26 billion) to enhance India's Manufacturing capabilities and Exports.

The 14 sectors are: (i) Mobile Manufacturing and Specified Electronic Components, (ii) Critical Key Starting Materials/Drug Intermediaries & Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, (iii) Manufacturing of Medical Devices (iv) Automobiles and Auto Components, (v) Pharmaceuticals Drugs, (vi) Specialty Steel, (vii) Telecom & Networking Products, (viii) Electronic/Technology Products, (ix) White Goods (ACs and LEDs), (x) Food Products, (xi) Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles, (xii) High efficiency solar PV modules, (xiii) Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery, and (xiv) Drones and Drone Components.

The purpose of the PLI Schemes is to attract investments in key sectors and cutting-edge technology; ensure efficiency and bring economies of size and scale in the manufacturing sector and make Indian companies and manufacturers globally competitive.

These schemes have the potential of significantly boosting production, employment and economic growth over the next five years or so.

PLI Schemes for all 14 Sectors have been notified by the concerned Ministries/ Departments after due approval. These Schemes are in various stages of implementation by the implementing Ministries/ Departments.

The PLI scheme is expected to have a cascading effect on the country's MSME ecosystem. The anchor units that will be built in every sector are likely to set a new supplier/vendor base in the entire value chain. Most of these ancillary units are expected to be built in the MSME sector. Out of the 733 applications selected under various PLI Schemes, 176 MSMEs are among the PLI beneficiaries in sectors such as Bulk Drugs, Medical Devices, Pharma, Telecom, White Goods, Food Processing, Textiles & Drones.

All the approved sectors identified under PLI Schemes follow the broad criteria of focusing on key technologies where India can leapfrog and multiply employment, exports and overall economic benefits for the economy. These sectors were approved after vetting by NITI Aayog and after detailed deliberations with concerned Ministries/ Departments. As on date, Union Cabinet has not approved any proposal to add any new sectors under PLI Schemes.

This information has been provided by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Shri Som Parkash in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Source: pib.gov.in

02 Aug, 2023 News Image

Creation of Infrastructure in Farm Sector.

In order to abridge the existing infrastructure gaps and mobilize investment in agriculture infrastructure, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) was launched under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package during July 2020. AIF is a medium - long term debt financing facility of Rs. 1 lakh crore to be financed by lending institutions for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.

All loans under this financing facility will have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of Rs. 2 crore. Credit guarantee coverage will be available for eligible borrowers from this financing facility under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to Rs. 2 crore. The fee for this coverage will be paid by the Government. This reimbursement of interest subvention and will be available for a maximum period of 7years.The Scheme is operational from 2020-21 to 2032-33. Tentative State wise allocation under AIF is given in Annexure.

Apart from AIF Scheme, the following schemes are also being implemented for creation of post-harvest management infrastructure and community farm assets.

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), provides assistance for development of Post Harvest Management (PHM) for perishable horticulture crops which includes establishment of pack house, Integrated pack house, pre-cooling, staging cold room, cold storages, controlled atmosphere (CA) storage, reefer transport, setting up of ripening chambers and Integrated cold chain supply system etc.

For creation of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) including Scientific Storage and to reduce post-harvest and handling losses, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India is implementing sub-scheme “Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI)” of Integrated Scheme for Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) across the country. It is an open ended, Demand driven and credit linked scheme wherein back ended capital subsidy @ 25% and 33.33% is available based on the eligible category of beneficiary. Assistance is available to Individuals, Farmers, Group of farmers/growers, Agri-preneurs, Registered Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs), Cooperatives, and state agencies etc.

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (Infrastructure and Assets): Projects under this stream will emanate from State Agriculture Infrastructure Development Programme (ASIDP). This will normally include projects selected on the basis of normative requirement of in infrastructure, actual availability thereof and the gap in agriculture infrastructure in the state viz. setting up of laboratories and testing facilities, storage including cold-storages, mobile vans, agricultural marketing etc.

Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) is being implemented in DA&FW w.e.f April,2014, which aims at ‘reaching the un-reached’ by bringing to the small and marginal farmers in the core and giving the benefits of farm mechanization, by Promoting ‘Custom Hiring Centers’ , creating hubs for hi-tech & high value farm equipment, distribution of various agricultural equipment, creating awareness among stakeholders through demonstration and capacity building activities, and ensuring performance- testing and certification at designated testing centers located all over the country.

Under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for NE Region (MOVCDNER), DA&FW is promoting certified organic production since 2015-16. The scheme provide end to end support to organic farmers from organic production to certification and marketing including post harvest management support like processing, packaging, storage etc. Need based financial support for creating infrastructure facilities like integrated processing unit, integrated pack-house, cold store etc. are provided to States under MOVCDNER

Sl. No.	State	Tentative Allocation (INR Crore)
1	Uttar Pradesh	12831
2	Rajasthan	9015
3	Maharashtra	8460
4	Madhya Pradesh	7440
5	Gujarat	7282
6	West Bengal	7260
7	Andhra Pradesh	6540
8	Tamil Nadu	5990
9	Punjab	4713
10	Karnataka	4525
11	Bihar	3980
12	Haryana	3900
13	Telangana	3075
14	Kerala	2520
15	Odisha	2500
16	Assam	2050
17	Chhattisgarh	1990
18	Jharkhand	1445
19	Himachal Pradesh	925
20	Jammu & Kashmir &Ladakh	900
21	Uttarakhand	785
22	Tripura	360
23	Arunachal Pradesh	290
24	Nagaland	230
25	Manipur	200
26	Mizoram	196
27	Meghalaya	190
28	Goa	110
29	Delhi	102
30	Sikkim	56
31	Puducherry	48
32	A & N Islands	40
33	Daman & Diu	22
34	Lakshadweep	11
35	Dadra & Nagar Haveli	10
36	Chandigarh	9
	Total	1,00,000

This information was given by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

Source: pib.gov.in

02 Aug, 2023 News Image

Govt invites applications from exporters for allocation of wheat quota for Bhutan.

The government has invited applications from exporters to allocate quota for exports of wheat to Bhutan during 2023-24 on humanitarian and food security grounds.

In a trade notice, the DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade) has laid out a detailed procedure for allocation of quota for export of wheat, ‘atta’ and ‘maida’ on humanitarian and food security grounds, based on requests received from Bhutan.

It said the government has approved export of 14,184 tonne of wheat grain; 5,326 tonne of wheat flour (atta); 15,226 tonne of maida to Bhutan in 2023-24.

'Accordingly, applications are invited from exporters for allocation of quota,' it said.

As per the procedure, the minimum threshold for these products will be 100 tonne by land transport to the neighbouring country.

'Application would be allowed only if the exporter applies for quantity more than the minimum threshold,' it said.

In a separate notification, DGFT said it has banned exports of de-oiled rice bran till November 30 this year.

India is a major exporter of de-oiled rice bran, used in the cattle feed industry.

'Export policy of de-oiled rice bran is amended from free to prohibited with immediate effect up to November 30, 2023,' DGFT, under the commerce ministry, said.Govt invites applications from exporters for allocation of wheat quota for Bhutan

Source: indianexpress.com

02 Aug, 2023 News Image

Indian rice exporters body seeks different HSN code for Sona Masuri variety, floor price.

The Rice Exporters Association (TREA) has urged Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to allow the export of Sona Masuri variety white rice under a different harmonized system of nomenclature (HSN) code besides fixing a minimum export price (MEP) of $1,000 a tonne.

In a letter to Goyal, TREA President BV Krishna Rao said the July 20 ban on the export of white rice from the country will result in the shipments of the cereals dropping to 10 million tonnes (mt) from 17.29 mt of non-basmati white, parboiled and broken rice exported in 2022-23.

Since Sona Masuri falls under the white rice category, the export ban applies to the variety. 'We request for HSN code differentiation for Sona Masuri to support the Indian diaspora who require rice urgently,' Rao said in his letter.

While fixing an MEP of $1,000/tonne, the Centre could also fix an export cap of 1 mt. This will help the government accommodate the diaspora supporting the country in all respects, the TREA president said.

Rao sought transitional arrangements for exporters who have letters of credit (LoC) so that they can be saved from international arbitration.

'Many exporters have export contracts and white rice stocks which are verifiable need to be allowed (to be shipped,' he said.

Any further ban will damage the country’s reputation abroad and take a long time to restore the markets.

The Centre should review the ban once rice prices are under control and rainfall improves since African nations and the Indian diaspora are the main consumers, he said.

The Centre banned white rice exports on July 20 as its prices began to rise in the country following a shortage of paddy, and the area under paddy cultivation lagged due to deficient rains in the growing regions.

As of July 28, the coverage of paddy was 4.23 lakh hectares (lh) higher at 237.58 lh, but the area is lower in key States such as Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Rice stocks, as of July 1, were at a six-year low of 25.35 mt. Besides, the Food Corporation of India held 29.3 mt of unmilled paddy (19;63 mt rice).

The Centre banned the export of white rice as its measures to curb shipments last year by imposing a 20 per cent export duty did not yield the desired results. Exports increased despite the duty, and this year, monthly shipments exceeded 5 lakh tonnes from 4 lakh tonnes a year ago.

Besides, according to analysts, rice prices in the global market soared to a five-year high forcing India to take measures to protect its food security, according to analysts.

Source: thehindubusinessline.com

02 Aug, 2023 News Image

'India should prepare its exporters to deal with compliance norms of EU's deforestation regulation'.

India should take measures such as increasing awareness among exporters and proper implementation of track and trace systems to deal with compliance requirements of the European Union's Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) as it would hit agri exports, a report said on Tuesday.

This regulation will hit India's agricultural exports worth USD 1.3 billion to the EU starting December 2024, think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said.

'Indian exports may take a bigger hit than exports from other competing countries to the EU because of India's higher deforestation rate,' the report said, adding India's exports will also be affected by the complex compliance requirements of the EUDR and the EU's Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR).

Even if the exporter is certain that a product is not grown on the deforested land, he/she still has to follow all elaborate compliance requirements, GTRI Co-founder Ajay Srivastava said.

He said this is so different from quality standards where quality of the final product alone matters.

'The EU just wants to raise the cost of imports to help local producers through a complex compliance mechanism,' he added.

The key products which would be affected due to this regulation include coffee, leather hides, skin, preparations, oil cake, paper, paperboard, and wood furniture.

The European Union Deforestation-Free Products Regulation, also known as EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) was adopted by the European Union Council, on May 16, 2023.

The regulation requires firms to ensure that the product exported to the EU has been grown on land which has not been deforested after December 31, 2020.

'The regulation is not WTO (World Trade Organization) compatible and a non-tariff barrier,' the report said.

The new rules will apply to large firms with effect from December 2024 and small firms from June 2025.

The regulation prescribes fines up to 4 per cent of a firm's annual turnover in the EU, confiscation of product, confiscation of revenues gained from a transaction.

Citing a March 2023 report by 'Utility Bidder', GTRI said that India lost a significant amount of forest between 1990 and 2020, making it the second-worst country after Brazil in terms of forest loss during 2015-2020.

'India lost 384,000 ha of forests between 1990 and 2000, and 668,400 ha between 2015 and 2020. However, the India State of Forest Report 2021, released in January claimed a small increase in forest cover. But the positive picture is because the government doesn't distinguish between natural forests and plantations when assessing forest cover. India is losing its natural forests and replacing them with plantations,' it said.

Due to this situation, Indian exporters will face challenges as they must prove that their export products come from land that has not been deforested after December 31, 2020, it said adding the EUDR will consider plantation land as deforested land, which would add to the difficulties for Indian exporters.

'The EUDR makes exports expensive due to the high compliance cost. Even exporters of high-quality products must invest in expensive due diligence. They need to prove the integrity of their supply chain through a detailed trace and track system from Indian farms to EU markets. This involves sharing farm and farmer data with the EU,' it said.

The compliance procedure includes collecting various information such as commodity details, quantity, farmer/supplier names, country of production, and addresses of the land plots where the commodities were produced.

It said that the Indian government should acknowledge that the EUDR is a reality and it should not expect any exemptions from the EU.

The government should 'join hands with other affected countries to raise the issue at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Raise awareness among exporters about the compliance requirements; and utilize the existing blockchain-enabled trace and track system implemented by APEDA for grape exports to the EU and extend its adoption to cover all relevant products,' the report suggested.

Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is an arm of the commerce ministry which deals with agri exports.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

02 Aug, 2023 News Image

Preservation of food products.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) does not undertake R&D work on its own. However, MoFPI is currently implementing Research and Development Scheme, which is a part of Human Resource & Institutions Scheme under the umbrella scheme of the Ministry i.e. Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY). Under the scheme, financial assistance as grant- in-aid is given to various Universities, IITs, Central/ State Government Institutions, Government funded organizations, R&D laboratories and CSIR recognized R&D units in private sector to promote and undertake demand driven R&D work in food processing sector for product & process development, design and development of equipment, improved storage, shelf-life, packaging etc. Under the scheme of Research and Development in Processed Food Sector, a total of 272 R&D projects have been assisted by Ministry. Out of which, 72 R&D projects have been approved since F.Y 2017-18 after launch of PMKSY. Of these, 08 Innovative R&D projects have been approved under PMKSY and 02 before PMKSY. List of innovative R&D projects assisted by MoFPI on preservation of food products for long duration is given in Annexure-A.

No R&D proposal on innovative frozen food technology has been received so far under the scheme. However, if any R&D project proposal on innovative frozen food technology is received, the same may be considered for financial assistance from MoFPI subject to fulfillment of scheme guidelines.

List of R&D projects assisted by MoFPI using nanotechnology to enhance product shelf life, aroma, texture of food products and safe and durable packaging is given in Annexure-B.

Annexure-A

Sl. No.	Title of the project	Name of University/ Institute/ College	Approved grant (Rs.in Crore)	Released GIA (Amount Crore)
1	Development of technological interventions for enhancement of quality, shelf-life, and microbiological safety of traditional/ethnic meat products	ICAR-National Research Centre on Meat	0.25	0.23
2	Novel, non-thermal energy efficient, industrially scalable hydrodynamic cavitation processing of apple juice for enhanced nutritional bioactives and shelf life extension	Institute of chemical technology	0.44	0.37
3	Development of biofumigation system for safe storage of food commodities against stored product insect pests	CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, Karnataka	0.16	0.11
4	Design and development of hot air assisted continuous Infrared drying system for high value fish and fishery products	ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin, Kerala	0.27	0.25
5	Processing and Packaging of Tender Coconut Water for Rural Market	Indian Institute of Packaging, Andheri, Mumbai	0.47	0.32
6	Processing and Packaging of Tender Coconut Water for Rural Market	Indian Institute of Packaging ,Andheri, Mumbai	0.50	0.46
7	Integrated Processing of Beverages from Minor Tropical Fruits: Process Optimization and Shelf-Life Extension	Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai	0.36	0.26
8	Studies on application of natural antimicrobial peptides for enhancing shelf life of milk and meat products	pib.gov.in
02 Aug, 2023 Govt launches digital crop survey in 12 States to create data on cultivation. The Centre has launched a pilot project on Digital Crop Survey (DCS) in 12 States from the Kharif season this year to create a single and verified source on crop cultivation data. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, said the DCS reference application has been developed as an open source, open standard, and inter-operable public good. Geo-referenced cadastral maps with Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies are used to ensure the farmland position. Some of the States selected for the pilot on DCS include Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Assam. The States have been selected based on the preparedness in respect of pre-requisite criteria for DCS such as geo-referencing of village maps and digitised Record of Right (RoR) with ownership extent. 'The project aims are to create a single and verified source of truth about the 'crop sown data' which is useful for accurate crop area estimation and development of various farmers centric solutions,' he said. The statement assumes significance in the wake of the country facing wheat and rice supply shortage despite estimates of record production. To a separate query on the impact of climate change on crop yields, the Minister said rainfed rice, wheat, kharif maize, and mustard are the most vulnerable crops to climate change. Referring to ICAR’s network project on National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), he said the projected reduction in crop yield could be 20 per cent and 47 per cent, respectively, by 2050 and 2080 for rain-fed rice. The projected reduction in crop yield could be 19.3 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, by 2050 and 2080, for wheat; and 18 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively, by 2050 and 2080 for kharif maize. Mustard’s crop yield is expected to come down by 7.9 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively, by 2050 and 2080. Following the framework of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ICAR has carried out the climate vulnerability analysis and identified 109 districts in the ‘very high’ risk category and 201 districts in ‘high’ risk category under ICAR’s network project on NICRA. Responding to a question by one of the members, Tomar gave data on the requirement and availability of certified/quality seeds in the country. While the requirement of certified/quality seeds was 464.14 lakh quintals for 2022-23, the availability was at 514.26 lakh quintals, he said. Mango production To another question, he said the production of mango has increased by 12.7 per cent over the last 10 years from 184.31 lakh tonnes (lt) in 2013-14 to 207.7 lt in 2022-23 (first advance estimates). Quoting the reports received from the States, he said the production of mango and its quality have been adversely affected in the current year due to unseasonal rains, thunder, hailstorms, pest infestation, etc. To a separate query on the spending by the Government on agriculture and farmers, Tomar said the Government spent Rs.6.48 lakh crore during 2022-23. The expenditures included around Rs.2.25 lakh crore on fertilizer subsidy, Rs.2.87 lakh crore on food subsidy, Rs.76,279 crore on agriculture and allied activities (excluding PM-KISAN), and Rs.60,000 crore on PM-KISAN. Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Back to First Prev … 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 … Next Go to Last