The agriculture sector has undergone many transformations. Barring the most common one, which is chemically fuelled, there are other variations like organic, natural and regenerative. While these non-chemical derivatives have roots in different epistemological foundations, they are all primarily meant to produce safe food and environmental restoration. Their emergence, adoption, and popularisation can largely be attributed to the individual endeavours of farmers and agricultural experts. The significance of these diverse approaches for peasants, as well as the obstacles in adoption by a larger number of farmers, deserve attention. This article attempts to explore these aspects from both the farmers’ and consumers’ end.

 

Since the revelation of the green revolution myth and the subsequent manifestation of its ill effects on the environment and public health, agricultural practices have come under scrutiny. However, the producers and the consumers, the two sides of the same coin, witnessed and experienced it completely differently. It is thus important to examine the entire supply chain from farm to plate.

 

Saga of grains, their producers

Food is produced in a factory. If we take the example of rice, the price is inflated by almost 110 per cent from the farm gate price to the end consumer’s procurement price. It is ironic that while the grain spends the longest time in the hands of farmers before consumption and the shortest duration in factories, the farmers receive the smallest share of the pie. The entire produce is purchased from the farmers by the warehouse owners for milling and further value-addition.

 

At the consumer’s corner

The perceived value of food is often tied to its brand recognition and marketing strategy, which can elevate it to a premium product in the marketplace. Consumers are willing to pay a premium, if a brand can create a compelling and enchanting perception of the quality of their product. Noted German political scientist, economist, and philosopher Karl Marx explained this phenomenon as 'commodity fetishism'. The exact worth of a commodity is decided based on its exchange value rather than its true use value.

 

 

PRADAN, a national NGO and a facilitator of 'Aamon', the Nayagram-based women Farmer Producer Organisation, organised 10-plus fares and exhibitions on rural produce in Kolkata between 2019 and 2022. In these events, while interacting with the urban consumers, it was observed that almost 85 per cent of the visitors were not aware of the diversity and nutritive values of various kinds of paddy. There is an absolute lack of knowledge on aspects like - different varieties of paddy, the presence of bran in the paddy kernel, and the fact that naturally coloured paddy exists with diverse and unique nutritional values.

 

Farmers’ point of view

Farming is the major source of livelihood for rural Indians. It has always played a significant role in shaping their cultures, traditions, and identities. Paradoxically, farmers become the most invisible part when the grains are packed and sold to the end consumer. The combination of blockchain and tracing back technology has enabled the tracking of a food product’s journey from the farm to the plate by maintaining detailed data, but unfortunately, this visibility of the farmers’ activities is not intended to acknowledge their efforts but rather for surveillance purposes. This entire process alienates farmers from the final commodity so strongly that farmers also disassociate themselves from their produce once it is sold.

 

This farm-to-plate process resists building up any social relationship between producer and consumer. No one cares for the other, both of them are looking up to the brand for assurance. Consumers are ready to pay a premium for the brand value and not to the farmers. And farmers are all concerned about the price they get. In such a disconnected situation, providing farmers with enough reasons and motivation to grow safe food or go organic is difficult.

 

Challenges in scaling up organic production:

Organic, regenerative, and natural farming – all these methodologies have proved their potential in sustainably producing safe food. Shifting from chemical to heirloom and organic agriculture doesn’t result in loss of production. Moreover, the cost of production is reduced by 80-90 per cent in these methods compared to chemical-based farming. In all economic senses, shifting to organic practices is beneficial. Still, mere cost-benefit analysis and the effectiveness of the technology are not sufficient to shift the habit of farmers from chemical to organic.

 

We have realised that consumers and farmers fail to exist within each other’s mental map, and this gap in the societal relationship needs to be plugged in. Thus, correcting the broken relationship between farmers and consumers should be the prime focus.

 

PRADAN developed a campaign – 'We shall eat better and feed better.’’ It went a long way and helped immensely in mobilising almost 6,000 women by 2021, converting their entire land to organic from a mere 500 in 2018. Simultaneously, several initiatives were taken to elevate farmers within the value chain. The major activities involved empowering farmers to add value to their products, facilitating the formation of producer companies, and establishing direct market linkages. Eventually, the women farmer’s own identity as a producer emerged as the brand 'Aamon'. Aamon having a women shareholder base of 2,677 women, is catering to more than 6,000 women in the Nayagram block of Jhargram district.

 

More such initiatives need to be taken up, where the farmers produce safe food to feed their children safe food. There need to be more attempts to evoke a sense of greater interconnectedness which resonates deeply with the farmers, touching a chord that reverberates widely. That is where the agricultural shift towards organic farming will happen.

The FSSAI has issued a notice with respect to withdrawal of an earlier notice, which invited applications from accreditation bodies to accredit food laboratories.  

 

According to the FSSAI, the notice was withdrawn due to administrative reasons.  

 

In December 2022, the food authority issued a notice for recognition/approval of accreditation bodies by FSSAI to accredit food labs and issued a document prescribing the requirements for such bodies by the food authority.  

 

As reported earlier, it was laid down in the document that keeping in view of the request received from other accreditation bodies for recognition by FSSAI, it was decided to engage other accreditation agencies for food testing laboratories which would enable the laboratories to choose the best service provider and bring global expertise into laboratory accreditation programmes in India.  

 

One of the objectives for this, was to fast-track the accreditation process of laboratories in India to meet the rising demand of food safety requirements wherein the accreditation bodies were to provide accreditation services related to testing, calibration, proficiency testing providers and reference material producers (RMP).  

 

Meanwhile, after an internal discussion, the food authority has now decided to withdraw the notice.

Facing a sharp rise in tur prices amid lower production, India will import 12 lakh tonne of the pulse in the current fiscal, up by 35 per cent from the last year, to boost domestic availability and contain price rise. 'Tur is giving us trouble. All-India average retail price of tur is up by 25 per cent to Rs 128.66 per kg, when compared to last year's level. But it will start cooling down after import begins,' Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said in a media briefing.

 

The issue in tur (pigeon peas) is lower domestic production. The country's tur production remained lower at 30 lakh tonne in the 2022-23 crop year (July-June) against 39 lakh tonne last year.

 

'We consume around 44-45 lakh tonne in India. Every year, we have to import. This year, obviously, we have to import more. We will import 12 lakh tonne in the current fiscal,' Kumar said.

 

So far, the country has imported 6 lakh tonne of tur. Imports are undertaken from Myanmar and East African countries. The crop in East African countries will start arriving in August, so the domestic prices will cool down, he added.

 

The country imported 8.9 lakh tonne during the 2022-23 fiscal.

 

To check the prices of tur, the secretary said the government has taken several measures. The stock limit imposed on traders, millers and importers on June 2 has helped bring down the prices of tur.

 

'From the day the stock limit was imposed, there is a downward trend in prices,' he noted.

 

The government has also decided to offload 50,000 tonne from the buffer stock in the market, and this will also ease pressure on the rates, Singh added.

 

Besides tur, the secretary said there is about a 7.22 per cent increase in the all-India average retail price of urad at Rs 111.77 per kg on June 28, when compared to the last year. The correction will start happening with supplies improving from Myanmar.

 

'Myanmar was hoarding urad, and now it cannot hold for long because of the rains out there. They have to sell it to India as no other country consumes this pulse. Our crop will also arrive, and prices will come down,' he said.

 

Moong prices have also risen by 7.07 per cent year-on-year to Rs 109.23 per kg on June 28. However, the prices will come down further because of bumper production expected in Madhya Pradesh, he added.

 

In masoor dal, the secretary said prices have remained lower by 5 per cent year-on-year at Rs 91.78 per kg on June 28.

 

'This is because, unlike tur, our domestic production increased to 16 lakh tonne but lower than domestic consumption of about 22 lakh tonne. We still need to import about 6 lakh tonne,' Singh said.

 

India imports masoor dal from Canada and Australia, where the crop is expected to be higher than the previous year. So, masoor supply is available, and the domestic prices will come down further, he said.

 

The country imported 11 lakh tonne of masoor dal in 2022-23.

 

In the case of chana, the secretary said out of the total pulses, about 46 per cent is chana consumption in India, while 10 per cent is tur, urad, masoor dal and other pulses. Chana prices have remained stable throughout the year.

 

He also mentioned that pulses should be seen in a holistic manner. Pulses are price sensitive, and their preferences differ in different parts of the country.

Around 500 farmers on Thursday took part in a workshop aimed to produce pesticide residue free basmati to enhance the export of the aromatic rice.

 

The event was organized by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the ministry of commerce in coordination with All India Rice Exporter Association (AIREA) at Kotkapura in Faridkot district.

 

Dr Ritesh Sharma, principal scientist, APEDA, said that India earns maximum foreign revenue by export of rice and 'the quality of the basmati produced in Kotkapura is excellent.'

 

'We earned ?38,542 crore by the export of Basmati during 2022-23 in 150 countries. We have very good demand from the globe, but due to excessive use of pesticides, the residue defected in basmati consignment affect the export. We are providing training to the farmers to produce pesticide residue free basmati with the support of the state governments,' Sharma said.

 

Dr Brajendra, principal scientist from Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, spoke about the soil health. He has demonstrated a rapid soil testing kit developed by him and trained the farmers for soil testing in Kotkapura.

 

Vinod Kaul, executive director, AIREA, explained about the export scenario and challenges in basmati export. He asked the farmers to use pesticides only after consultation with scientists. 'Right dose, right time and right pesticide need to be sprayed only when it recommended,' Kaul said.

India and Israel are planning a slew of initiatives to bolster their cooperation in agriculture, said Ohad Nakash Kaynar, Deputy Chief of Mission at Israel’s Embassy in New Delhi. The two countries are planning to push high-level agricultural technology cooperation between Israeli institutions and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). In recent years, both sides have worked closely on water reuse, fertigation, soil management, drip irrigation, desalination, advanced filtration, advanced water leakage detection, soilless agriculture, rainwater collection and treatment systems and water security technologies.

 

Israel also plans to dramatically step up its presence in the country.

 

Representatives of Israel in India keep visiting universities and all 14 ICAR centres across the country and provide technology-based courses for students and farmers. 'Last year, we trained about 170,000 students and farmers about our technological solutions on greenhouse, drip irrigation, canopy irrigation and mulch,' said Israel Agriculture Attache Yair Eshel.

 

Mulch is one of the effective technologies that is benefitting Indian farmers in saving water and protecting crops from weeds, so that they can save on chemicals and reduce weeds, while ensuring more moisture and increasing productivity and quality.

 

Mulch is very cheap and recyclable. This can be used for 2-3 years if you maintain it properly. 'We introduce the idea of the technology to farmers, and they can adopt it by purchasing it from anywhere they want or find it cheap,' said Kaynar.

 

'The yield of crops may increase up to 30-35% by using all tools, including drip irrigation, canopy irrigation and mulch,' Kaynar added.

 

With the Israeli technological intervention in the greenhouse segment, sustainability can be achieved as those are recyclable. 'We have the simplest greenhouse technology of several different greenhouses across the globe. It is not because it is cheap but it benefits farmers,' Eshel said. 'We have a total of 72 plans to improve yields of flowers, vegetables and fruits.'

 

Additionally, Israel plans to expand its Villages of Excellence Programme. The programme, which was announced in 2022, aims to convert 150 villages into model villages through Israeli technical support on key agri-technologies.

 

According to Eshel, Israel hopes to expand the number of villages to 270 by next year. Eventually, the number of villages is expected to grow to around 1,500 by 2026.

 

Israel may also expand the number of its Centres of Excellence for agriculture, which stand at around 30 at present. The Israeli Centre of Excellence, an Indo-Israel Agriculture Project, seeks to bring best practices and useful agricultural technologies to Indian farmers.

 

These centres are spread across the country, with a strong presence in Haryana and Maharashtra.

 

Over 50% of the aid budget of Mashav, Israel’s development cooperation agency, comes to India, and they are willing to set up as many Centres of Excellence as India requires. India and Israel are also in the 'very late stages' of work on a new framework agreement on agricultural cooperation between the two countries. The agreement is pending before the Israeli Cabinet and should be signed after approval is given, said Ohad Kaynar, the Israeli DCM. India and Israel currently cooperate under the aegis of the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project, which is based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2006.

Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Wednesday urged Indian banks to provide MSMEs with improved and inexpensive loans in order to meet the aim of 1 trillion dollars in product exports.

 

'Piyush Goyal has asked the Indian banks to ensure enhanced and affordable credit to MSMEs to achieve the target of 1 trillion dollar merchandise exports,' read the Ministry of Commerce & Industry press release.

 

According to the official statement, the meeting was convened by the Department of Commerce in coordination with Export Credit Guarantee Corporation Limited, (ECGC) in New Delhi.

 

The meeting was attended by the top officials of 21 banks which included the State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, Bank of India and Central Bank of India, said the official statement.

 

A presentation on 'Export Credit and Export Credit Insurance for Banks (ECIB)' was prepared by CMD ECGC, M Senthilnathan, it added.

 

According to the official statement, ECGC has now proposed additional improvements to provide adequate and affordable financing to a larger variety of MSME exporters based on its experience with the extended coverage plan.

 

'Based on ECGC's experience under the scheme of enhanced cover, ECGC has now proposed further modifications to make available adequate and affordable credit to a larger section of MSME exporters, the statement said.

 

The product facilitates the borrower accounts to be treated equivalent to 'AA-rated accounts with reduced cost of export credit to the exporters, it further added.

 

The Commerce and Industry Minister also mentioned at the meeting that the ECGC might look into expanding the programme that was proposed for nine banks to all banks in order to improve the export credit offtake for MSME Exporters, it said.

 

The Commerce and Industry Minister also recommended ECGC follow a pattern on similar lines to compensate for their loss for the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), and bankers suggested that ECGC implement a claim processing technique similar to that.

 

The Union Minister advised the banks to take advantage of the proposed scheme and extend adequate and affordable export credit to MSME exporters. This would enable the country to achieve its target of USD 1 trillion in merchandise exports by 2030, said the statement.

 

The Union Minister also advised ECGC to examine 75 per cent of claim payments to banks under the ECIB scheme, within 45 days of receiving the claim, said the official statement

 

The Commerce and Industry Minister further informed that in the next four months, all the ECGC services would be digitised so that physical interaction can be minimised, it added.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal said that the Government is committed to fostering a conducive business environment and accelerating growth in Production Linked Incentive (PLI) sectors. While delivering the keynote address at a Workshop on 'PLI Schemes' organized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry yesterday, the Minister encouraged industry’s feedback and collaborative engagement to shape the policies, procedures and effectiveness of the PLI scheme.

 

Shri Goyal emphasized on the importance of the industry's concentration on producing high-quality products that cater to both the industry's requirements and the consumers' needs. He also urged PLI beneficiaries to take up any procedural challenges/ issues with respective implementing Ministry/ Department so that positive reforms can be brought about and PLI scheme can be made more efficient and effective. The Minister further added that the Government officials of the implementing Ministry/ Department must hold regular consultation and roundtables with their respective PLI beneficiary so that the issues may be resolved promptly.

 

Shri Piyush Goyal urged all stakeholders to work together on creating an environment that fosters growth, innovation, and competitiveness in our industries. The objective of the Workshop was aimed to bring all the key stakeholders on a single platform and create a sense of ownership, so that they could exchange their knowledge and experiences to ensure an effective implementation of PLI Schemes under 14 key sectors. The workshop was organised In line with the vision of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, to make India a global hub for manufacturing.

 

The Workshop witnessed participation from 10 implementing Central Departments, Companies/ PLI beneficiaries under 14 key sectors, various Project Management Agencies (PMAs) viz. IFCI, SIDBI, MECON, IREDA & SECI, select Industry Associations (CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM & PHDCCI) & relevant Export Promotion Councils namely FIEO, EEPC & TEPC.

 

Attendees included a group of distinguished companies such as Wistron, Foxconn, Samsung, Dell, Wipro GE, Dr. Reddy’s, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Nokia Solutions, ITC, & Dabur, JSW, and Reliance among others. Their presence ensured a diverse range of perspectives and fostered an environment of knowledge-sharing and networking. Key executives from these companies, along with Government officials, were actively involved in a collaborative open discussion, interactive session, and presentations throughout the workshop.

 

The workshop provided a unique forum for industry leaders, experts, and Government officials to engage in insightful discussion and exchange valuable insights on the impact of PLI Schemes. The event aimed to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the schemes, their objectives, and their potential to revolutionize the manufacturing sector.

 

The workshop agenda covered various aspects related to PLI Schemes, including their scope, eligibility criteria, incentives, and the roadmap for successful implementation including grievance redressal mechanism provided by concerned central Departments & PMAs. Participants engaged in productive discussions that focused on leveraging these schemes to enhance competitiveness, boost production, and foster innovation. Key topics included factors/ policy nuances contributing to Schemes’ success, enhancing domestic value addition, and capitalizing on emerging technologies.

 

The workshop culminated in a collective commitment from all attendees to actively participate in the PLI Schemes and leverage the available incentives to their fullest potential.

 

Overall achievement of PLI Schemes was discussed during the workshop. Actual investment of Rs. 62,500 crore have been realized (till March’23) which has resulted in incremental production/ sales of over Rs. 6.75 lakh crore and employment generation of around 3,25,000. Exports boosted by Rs. 2.56 lakh crore till FY 2022-23. Incentive amount of around Rs. 2,900 crore disbursed in FY 2022-23 under PLI Schemes.

 

PLI Schemes have played a significant role in promoting domestic value addition (DVA) in various sectors. It has led to increased value addition in the electronics sector and in smartphone manufacturing, 23% and 20% respectively, from negligible in 2014-15. Up to 80% DVA has been reported in various products under Pharmaceuticals. Import substitution of 60% has been achieved in the Telecom sector and India has become almost self–reliant in several networking products. DVA up to 50% is envisaged under Automobiles & Auto component sectors.

The Government has decided to promote organic products in India by encouraging and strengthening cooperative societies. The success of this depends on reliable testing to ensure the authenticity of the organic products. Therefore, all food testing laboratories need to optimize their facilities and procedures to handle organic testing efficiently and accurately.

 

FSSAI has directed laboratories under sections 43(1) and 43(2) of the FSS Act 2006 for Organic testing to review their current capabilities and take the necessary steps to enhance the infrastructure and scope of the testing for organic products. All the testing facilities to make an application to APEDA for recognition of the laboratory for testing organic products.

 

FSSAI has also asked them to apply to the National Referral Laboratory of APEDA for participation in proficiency testing as a pre-requisite to qualify for pre-export testing of organic products.

In a revival for cooperative dairies in Uttar Pradesh, an intervention by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has drastically lifted the milk processing of Varanasi Milk Union. The capacity utilisation of the union’s dairy plant has increased from less than 5 per cent to about 50 per cent now.

 

In a statement on Wednesday, Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB, said, 'When we took over the Varanasi Milk Union’s 2 lakh litres per day capacity dairy plant, just more than a year ago, it was operating merely at 6,000 to 7,000 litres, which is now operating at more than one lakh litre per day.'

 

The dairy development body, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has set up a roadmap for the revival of the Pradesh Cooperative Dairy Federation, popularly known as Parag Dairy, and discussions are on to bring its idle capacities to better utilisation

 

'This reinforces that by providing better services to milk producers and bringing about professionalism and efficiencies in operations, the dairy cooperatives can be revived in Uttar Pradesh. However, revival of the dairy sector in Uttar Pradesh through cooperative strategies would require the joint efforts of Dairy Cooperatives and Milk Producers’ Organizations,' Shah said, adding that NDDB is committed to the development of the dairy sector in Uttar Pradesh, for which it is working with the Government of Uttar Pradesh.

 

Shah informed that major initiatives have been taken by NDDB in Uttar Pradesh to support dairy cooperatives, including Milk Producer organisations in Banaras, Gorakhpur, and Raebareli, among others.

 

Acknowledging the need for better availability of feed and fodder, for which milk producers spend about 70 per cent of the producer price, Shah said that NDDB has taken major initiatives in this regard, which include the promotion of certified fodder seeds under the National Livestock Mission as well as the formation of Fodder Plus FPOs.

 

Other initiatives that are being undertaken include silage making, securing crop residue, total mixed ration, etc

Taiwan has an 'enormous appetite' to expand ties with India and firming up the proposed free trade agreement between the two sides will be a 'big encouragement' for Taiwanese companies to set up manufacturing bases in India, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu has said.

 

Wu said Taiwan has been encouraging its companies that no longer find the Chinese market profitable to shift their production facilities to India as it is now a 'rising power' and has been witnessing rapid economic growth.

 

In an interaction with an international media group, he said an FTA between India and Taiwan will remove barriers to greater trade and investment ties and it will help Taiwanese companies to set up manufacturing hubs without paying high tariffs for various equipment and raw materials.

 

Taiwan produces over close to 70 per cent of the world's semiconductors and over 90 per cent of the most advanced chips that are required for almost all electronic equipment such as smartphones, car components, data centres, fighter jets and AI technologies.

 

India has been very keen on having a manufacturing facility for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC), the world's largest chipmaker whose clients included Apple.

 

The Taiwanese foreign minister said Taipei has conveyed to New Delhi that the time has come for launching the FTA negotiations. The two sides have already conducted studies for the FTA and held preliminary discussions for the pact.

 

The FTA will be a 'big encouragement' for our companies to set up manufacturing bases in India as the trade pact would provide relief on tariffs on various aspects including on bringing various equipment and related materials to the country, Wu said.

 

'Our trade relations have been picking up steam. The Taiwanese investors are hungry for India and the semiconductor cooperation between Taiwan and India is being blessed by the top leadership of the two countries,' he said.

 

The foreign minister said Taipei will continue to encourage Taiwanese businessmen, who no longer find the Chinese market profitable, to invest in India.

 

'What we see is a very prosperous future bilateral relations between India and Taiwan and we will continue to work hard to strengthen it further,' he said.

 

Wu said Taiwan wants to be able to stand up to the threat of the Chinese military and Beijing's economic coercion, adding Taipei needs international support for it.

 

'We will continue to engage with the world to draw more global support, especially from federal democracies. Our relations with India have been picking up steam in the last few years,' Wu added.

 

'India is a rising power, it is rising rapidly. It can not be ignored especially with its demographic dividend and very diligent entrepreneurs. India has its economic strengths for the future. It is going to be very powerful. And of course, we hope we will continue to have good ties with India,' he said.

 

The Taiwanese foreign minister said Taiwan's ties with India in areas of trade and investment, people-to-people connections and cultural ties have witnessed a significant upswing in the last few years.

 

He said Indian movies are 'fascinating' to the Taiwanese people.

 

'We will continue to strengthen our relations with India. There is enormous appetite on our part for closer cooperation with India and we would try each and every area to see what will materialise,' he added.

 

Complimenting India on its success in the space sector, Wu said Taipei is seeking cooperation with New Delhi on it.

 

'I want to congratulate India for its G20 presidency and wish the upcoming G20 summit a great success. As a friend of India, we want India to be successful in major international events like G20,' Wu said.

 

On new areas of cooperation, the Taiwanese foreign minister identified parliamentary engagement between the two sides as a priority for Taipei.

 

'We hope there is more government-to-government interaction with each other. So far there are limited interactions. We hope that we can break some barriers in order to have better political ties with each other,' he said.

 

'It should work for the benefit of our bilateral relations. We also want more investment in India. India is interested in the semiconductor industries to be operating in India. And we have more intention to work with the Indian government and materialise the FTA,' he said.

 

China has been maintaining that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must be reunified with the mainland, and if necessary by force. China has been regularly sending fighter jets into Taiwan's air defence zone and deploying warships close to the self-governed island.

 

India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but both sides have trade and people-to-people relations.

 

Following the eastern Ladakh border row with China, some experts in India have been pushing for upgrading New Delhi's ties with Taipei, especially in the trade and investment sectors.