The Indian government is unlikely to allow the import of yellow peas in view of a record high chana (gram) crop, despite reportedly being under pressure from trade lobby to allow its shipments. 

 

The main reason for the Centre not permitting imports is that this year production of chana (gram) is estimated at 13.63 million tonnes, up from 13.54 mt last year.

 

Chana prices are ruling below the minimum support price (MSP) level of Rs.5,335 per quintal and the Centre is having to procure the pulses crop through Nafed to keep prices from falling further.

 

Allowing yellow peas import will further put pressure on chana and it is something the government does not want, said sources. They said recommendations to the government are to not allow imports of yellow peas for now.

 

Current prices

Currently, chana prices are ruling between Rs.4,700-4,800 per quintal. Interventions under the price support scheme are currently on and Nafed has procured about 11.68 lakh tonnes(lt) of chana as of April 20. Bulk of the chana purchases have been made from Maharashtra  (4.93 lt), Madhya Pradesh (2.67 lt) and Gujarat (2.23 lt). However, the procurement is at a sluggish pace in Rajasthan, where the purchases are 10,839 tonnes. In Karnataka, 68,268 tonnes of chana has been purchased and 53,623 tonnes in Andhra Pradesh and 50,238 in Telangana.

 

Bimal Kothari, Chairman, India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), said the trade body has been urging the Centre to allow the import of yellow peas for quite some time now.

 

The latest representation was made in June-July last year, subject to conditions that the landed price of yellow peas be not below the MSP price of chana. Such a move will address the needs of farmers as well as consumers. Currently, yellow peas imports are in the restricted category.

Wheat procurement in the current season has touched 11.14 million tonnes as of April 19, 12% more than the 9.98 MT a year ago, according to the latest data from the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

 

The wheat stocks had fallen to 8.3 MT in April 1, the lowest since 2016, as the government's procurement had plunged to a record low due to a drop in production and increased private buying this year.

 

Harvesting of the cereal, which usually commences by April 1, started late this year due to the unseasonal rains in March when farmers decided to let the moisture in the crop dry up in the fields.

 

The procurement in Punjab, which is the largest contributor to the central pool, stands at 3.9 MT as on April 19 while that from Haryana stands at 3.8 MT. Wheat procurement in Madhya Pradesh stands at 3.2MT. The government is yet to procure any wheat from Gujarat and Bihar.

 

The unseasonal rains in March caused a slight loss in output in Punjab and Haryana, but the low temperatures following the rains helped the crops in other unaffected areas. 'There could be higher yield for the late sown crops of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,' food secretary Sanjeev Chopra had earlier told the media.

Pinning hopes on getting geographical indication (GI) tag for Doda region’s ‘Guchhi’, a wild mushroom grown naturally in the foothills of the Himalayas, the government of Jammu and Kashmir plans to promote the species of fungus.

 

Considered a super-food, Guchhi belongs to the family morchellaceae of the ascomycota. Rich in vitamins B, C, D, and K, it is probably the costliest among fungi in the world and fetches anything between Rs, 30,000 and Rs, 50,000 per kg.

 

A top official in the department of forest, ecology and environment said, 'December last year, we notified the MFP (minor forest produes) and the NTFP (non-timber forest products) rules, wherein among other products, Guchhi was also liberalised.'

 

'Under the rules, we have said that Guchhi is an NTFP and authorised its collection through local panchayats and rural development department via self-help groups, which in turn will help them earn their livelihood and improve their self-employment avenues,' he added.

 

The official further said pursuant upon rules, the control (over Guchhi) now lies with the gram panchayats. Earlier, the forest department used to invite tenders for its collection.

 

'Bringing it under the ambit of gram panchayats is a major policy decision of the J&K government. Now, the collection is being done through local population, self-help groups, women folk and tribals living in and around the jungles, who were always dependent on forest produce. We have now allowed them to actually collect and sell it,' said the top forest official.

 

With the government interventions, forest-dwellers in Jammu Shivaliks are being given formal training and instructions about mushroom collection and processing techniques, market knowledge, and market access, so that their efforts pay them their rightly-earned share.

 

J&K agriculture department director KK Sharma said, 'Since Guchhi is not a cultivated plant but a wild mushroom that grows on its own at the tree line of Himalayas, there is no standard scientific technique as of date to cultivate it.'

 

'We have applied for GI tag and our application is with the registry at Chennai. We are hopeful of getting the GI tag in the next two to three months. After GI tagging, the quality of the yield would obviously improve because of the intervention of scientific techniques for collecting and drying it,' said Sharma.

 

'Once the wild mushroom gets GI tag, it will also benefit those associated with its collection. They will get better price for their collection and other benefits that come with GI tagging. For now, standard cultivation technique is not available,' said Sharma.

 

Besides the jungles of Himalayas, it is sometimes found near the banks of the Chenab in Akhnoor.

 

'Found right from the snowline, deodar and pine jungles, sometimes Guchhi is even found at Chenab bed in Akhnoor because it needs micro-climate. Spores are present in air and when weather conditions, including temperature, match the required parameters, it starts growing on the Chenab bed,' he said.

 

If village folklores are to be believed, Guchhi sprouts when three earthly elements — rain, lightning and thunder — take place simultaneously in the jungles of Himalayas at a height of 2,000 meters above sea level. However, there are no scientific evidences to substantiate the claims yet.

 

'Gucchi or Morels is a perfect stage of fungus. They have spongy, honeycombed heads, usually have two shades — one pale white and another brownish. They grow best during rains,' said Sharma.

 

Doda deputy magistrate Vishesh Pal Mahajan said, 'The government of Jammu and Kashmir has pitched for GI tagging for Doda Guchhi. Once we get it, the wild mushroom, those collecting it painstakingly and the area will get the much needed impetus.'

 

Mahajan said he has also issued instructions to the cooperatives department to come up with a cooperative for Guchhi. 'Since the yield is in small quantities, if it (collection) takes form of a cooperative then it will not only add to the quantity of the yield but also enable the villagers to have a better negotiation power. It has an immense demand in the international market and in other parts of the country. For now, it has no fixed price and is sold anything between Rs, 30,000 and Rs, 50,000 per kg. In Dubai, it fetches a huge price,' said Mahajan.

 

'Till now, the middleman was taking away the profit but the idea is to benefit those collecting and drying it on the ground. They should be benefitted and deal directly with the market,' he added.

 

Guchhi is largely found in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Kupwara and Ramban districts.

 

'But Doda’s Guchhi is considered best in quality and that’s why the government is trying for its GI tagging. Having a spongy texture, savoury flavor and a honeycomb-like structure, Guchhis or Morel mushrooms a rare wild mushroom and those found in Doda are the best. A food delicacy, it has medicinal and nutritional value,' he said. The Doda DC said he was planning to get the cooperative on the ground in two months across Doda.

 

J&K has 20,230 sq km forest cover, which is about 20 per cent of its total geographical area, which gives an ideal atmosphere for the growth of the wild mushroom.

Supporting ease of doing business in procuring licenses/registration by Food Business Operators (FBOs), the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has undertaken to translate its web-based application Food Safety and Compliance System (FOSCOS) in Hindi, followed by all regional languages.

 

The latest measure is aimed at supporting ease of use for all new FBOs in applying for licenses. As a result, more than 1.2 crore have registered the FBOs for license renewal, said a release issued by the Health Ministry. It added that this would also result in a boost in traffic and revenue, expand reachability and deliver a world-class experience.

 

The FOSCOS is a comprehensive system for the registration and licensing of FBOs. It is a one-point stop for FBOs for their interface with the food safety regulator, for all type of compliances.

Jamnagar in Gujarat is the top exporting district in India. It formed about 24% of India’s exports in value terms in FY23 (till January). Surat in Gujarat and Mumbai Suburban in Maharashtra feature second and third by a distance, forming only about 4.5% of the country’s exports in the period. The other districts in the top 10 are Dakshina Kannada (Karnataka), Devbhumi Dwarka, Bharuch and Kachchh (Gujarat), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu) and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Uttar Pradesh).

 

For instance, Kancheepuram formed 33% of Tamil Nadu’s exports, the highest share among all the districts in the State. Some top exporting districts formed only around 20% of a State’s exports. For example, Indore and Jaipur, the top exporting districts in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, respectively, formed only 21% of their State’s total exports each. On the other hand, most top exporting districts in the northeastern States formed as much as 90% of a State’s exports. Gomati (Tripura), Ri Bhoi (Meghalaya) and East Sikkim (Sikkim) formed over 90% of their State’s exports. Districts such as Dakshina Kannada, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ernakulam formed about 40-50% of their respective State’s exports. In Map 1, the size of the circle corresponds to the district’s share in State’s exports. The bigger the circle, the higher the share of the district in the State’s exports.

 

Jamnagar’s dominance can be attributed to the fact that it formed a lion’s share of India’s surging petroleum exports, while Kancheepuram’s most exported commodity was smartphones. Map 1 also lists the top exported commodity of the top exporting districts in each State. For instance, Kamrup, Assam’s top exporting district, exported tea the most; Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh exported smartphones the most; Raipur in Chhattisgarh exported parboiled rice the most; and Mumbai Suburban in Maharashtra exported diamond the most.

 

Map 2A shows the top five exporting districts of petroleum products in FY23. Jamnagar at first position is followed by Dakshina Kannada and Begusarai. Map 2B shows the top five exporting districts of precious stones and jewellery which includes Surat, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Jaipur and Kolkata. Map 2C shows the top five exporting districts of rice, wheat and other cereals. Karnal leads the list, which also includes Raipur and East Godavari. Map 2D shows the top five exporting districts of smartphones and electronic parts. This list is led by Gautam Buddha Nagar followed by Kancheepuram, Kolar, Bengaluru Rural, and Kachchh. Map 2E shows the top five exporting districts of vehicles other than railways. Kancheepuram leads this list, which includes Pune, Gurugram, Anantapur and Aurangabad. Map 2F shows the top five exporting districts of pharmaceutical products: Medchal Malkajgiri, Ahmedabad, Ranga Reddy, Solan and Visakhapatnam.

 

Table 3

 

The table shows the share of the top exporting commodity of the top exporting district in India’s total exports

 

Commodity District State Share

Petroleum products Jamnagar Gujarat 67%

Precious stones & jewellery Surat Gujarat 36%

Smartphones, electronic parts Gautam Buddha Nagar Uttar Pradesh 26%

Vehicles Kancheepuram Tamil Nadu 21%

Rice, wheat & other cereals Karnal Haryana 17%

Pharmaceutical products Medchal Malkajgiri Telangana 15%

For instance, Jamnagar, Gujarat’s top exporting district, exported petroleum products the most. And Jamnagar’s petroleum products export formed 67% of India’s total exports for that commodity. Surat’s precious stones and jewellery exports formed 36% of India’s total exports for that commodity. Gautam Buddha Nagar’s smartphone exports formed 26% of India’s exports.

A United Kingdom parliamentary report on India-UK Free Trade Agreememt negotiations has said that India's pursuit of data localisation is a 'stumbling block' in free cross-border data flows among the two sides.

 

The House of Commons International Trade Committee, in its latest report on 'UK trade negotiations: Agreement with India', also cautioned that increased UK market access for India in textiles, clothing, footwear and horticultural products could have an 'adverse impact on some developing countries in South Asia, South-East Asia and East Africa which benefit from preferential access to the UK market'.

 

On data flows, it said that the UK's industry talks of free and trusted cross-border data flows; a ban on data localisation requirements; preventing the mandatory transfer of source codes, algorithms and encryption keys; a ban on digital tariffs and discrimination against digital formats; collaboration on emerging tech; and recognising e-signatures and electronic contracts.

 

'However, the UK and India appear to be very far apart on these issues. A major potential stumbling block in this regard has been the Indian government's pursuit of legislation that could have the effect of requiring data localisation,' the panel said.

 

'It remains to be seen how far the latest iteration of draft Indian data legislation, the Digital Data Protection Bill, will prove an obstacle to fulfilling the UK's offensive interests in this regard,' it added.

 

It cited the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre referring to 'ongoing violations of human rights and labour rights in India'.

An Indian business delegation will visit Russia on April 24-27, the Indian exporters' body said on Friday, a fresh sign of expanding bilateral trade ties as Moscow increasingly turns east in response to Western sanctions imposed over the Ukraine war.

 

The announcement follows a visit by Russian trade and industry minister Denis Manturov to Delhi earlier this week which included discussions on the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) in the near future.

 

'The 50-member delegation would meet buyers in Moscow and St Petersburg,' said A. Sakthivel, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), adding they were aiming to expand Indian exports to Russia to $5 billion in the current financial year that started this month.

 

The exporters expect to sign deals for selling a wide range of products including tea, sugar, coffee, dairy, meat, and marine products, the official said.

 

Moscow earlier sent a list of more than 500 products for potential delivery including parts for cars, aircraft, and trains as the Western sanctions squeeze Russia's ability to keep vital industries running.

 

India has not explicitly condemned Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and has called for dialogue to resolve the conflict.

 

India's imports from Russia more than quadrupled to $46.33 billion over the last fiscal year, mainly through oil, while exports declined nearly 12% year-on-year to $2.8 billion for the 11 months ending in February.

 

Exporters said sales to Russia had declined mainly due to payment difficulties as both countries are still trying to work out a trade settlement mechanism in local currencies.

 

'Very soon we can expect this mechanism to be operational,' the exporters' body said in a note to its members, adding the government's fiscal incentives on exports would be extended to exports to Russia as well under the rupee-rouble mechanism.

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said the world is now looking up to India and its industries and this is the right time for entrepreneurs and industry players to grasp the opportunity and grow exports. Entrepreneurial abilities in the country with innovation, new ideas, new ways of marketing and branding products can unleash the true potential of the country, the Commerce and Industry Minister said while addressing the 49th India Gem and Jewellery Awards.

 

'On April 24, I have a meeting with ministers of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), consisting of four countries including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, who are keen to negotiate with India.

 

'Other Gulf countries and Russia are also keen to negotiate with India. The world is now looking up to India and its industries, and this is the right time for the industries and entrepreneurs to grasp the opportunity and grow exports,' Goyal said.

 

Further, Goyal said jewellery exporters have shown good promise and good results and the gem and jewellery industry is the diamond of India's exports.

 

'The industry's talent is spread across every zone and this industry can generate lots of jobs commensurate with the talent. The future is bright but we seek a collective commitment from every exporter to contribute to increasing exports despite headwinds and challenges,' said the minister.

 

The government is working towards ease of doing business honestly and efficiently and expects the industry players to engage in ethical practices, he said.

 

Talking about the mega Common Facility Centre (CFC) in Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ), Goyal said it is on track and is expected to be ready by 'Ganesh Chaturthi' this year.

 

Meanwhile, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) chairman Vipul Shah, who was present on the occasion urged the government to have dialogue with the US and the G7 to avoid imposing sanctions, which may cripple the Indian natural diamond cutting and polishing industry.

 

'We met the top officials of the US and EU governments recently to deliberate and put forward our viewpoint on this,' he added.

 

Shah emphasised that time has also come to grow exports of plain gold and silver jewellery from India as only 10-15 per cent of gold and silver, which is imported is used to manufacture jewellery for exports.

 

'We require the minister's direct intervention in the implementation of the Ad Valorem scheme for gold and silver, whereby the effective import duty on gold and silver procured from domestic market - just like GST - should be put into exporters' accounts at the rate prevailing on the day of exports to have a level-playing field with exporters from Singapore, Italy and Vietnam,' Shah added.

 

In 2022-23, the overall gem and jewellery exports grew 2.48 per cent to Rs 3,00,462.52 crore, as compared Rs 2,93,193.19 crore in the year-ago period.

As part of the Millet Mahotsav series, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India organized a 2-day ?Millets Fair-cum-Exhibition? at the ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, Rajasthan from 20-21 April 2023. Rajasthan is the largest producer of millet in India contributing more than 16 percent share in India?s production.

 

Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Government of India and Member of Parliament, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Food Processing Industries & Jal Shakti, Government of India and Shri Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India interacted with the Millet-based food processors and tasted their products showcased at the exhibition organized during the event. During the valedictory ceremony, the exhibitors were felicitated by the dignitaries.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat talked about the changing food consumption pattern and habits around the world with the introduction of Ready-to-Eat and Ready-to-Cook food products. He stated that the changing landscape poses an opportunity and Millets can be incorporated in this dynamic environment. Speaking about the food processing sector, he emphasized on the necessity of the next generation of farmers to be sensitized and trained in processing, value addition and marketing.

 

In his address, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Food Processing Industries & Jal Shakti, stated that with the declaration of the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets by the United Nations, the country has come a long way on the journey to restore the glory of Millets under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He also stated that earlier there were no scientific parameters to evaluate the various qualities of Millets but with the advancement of technology, Millets have now come to the forefront as a superior crop in all aspects. He spoke about benefitting the farmers directly and touched upon the importance of food processing as an important link to bridge the gap. He added further by mentioning the need to boost the food processing sector of the country and the role of schemes like PMFME (Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises) Scheme and PLI (Production Linked Incentive) Scheme in transforming the sector. He also emphasized the government?s focus on the creation of food testing laboratories to better the quality parameters which in turn would provide immense market scope for value-added products.

 

During his address, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare mentioned about the efforts of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in taking Millets ?Shree Anna? to the global scale. Talking about the health and environmental benefits of Millets, he mentioned that India is the leading producer of Millets and the farmers of the country should be encouraged to to set up their own food processing units. He applauded the various schemes by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India that have been designed to support and empower farmers and aspiring entrepreneurs of the country. He also urged the participants to take a pledge to use Millets as part of their household meals and promote inclusion of Millets.

 

The two-day event was aimed at bringing all the stakeholders of the food processing sector with a special focus on millets, on a common platform and encompassed a wide range of activities like exhibition and sale of various millet-based products, live kitchen, millet recipe demonstration, sharing of success stories, informative sessions on millet processing, interactive sessions between industry experts and micro food processing enterprises, SHGs, FPOs engaged in food processing followed by cultural programs. The event witnessed an overwhelming response with more than 1000 participants attending the event including micro food processing enterprises, self help groups, farmer producer organizations, producer cooperatives, etc.

 

The event also witnessed an exhibition showcasing various Millet-based Ready to Eat Products like Sorghum and Bajra Puffs; Bakery Products like Sorghum Cookies, Foxtail Millet Cake, Muffins; Ready-to-Eat products like Millet Laddu, Instant Mixes like Sorghum Idli Mix, Multi Rawa Kesari; Ready-to-Cook products like Millet Flour, Millet Vermicelli, Pearl Millet Pasta and other products like Millet Khichdi by various Micro Entrepreneurs along with processing machinery. The products were also open for sale, providing a great opportunity for the micro-entrepreneurs to not only participate in technical sessions but also generate revenue and forge partnerships for stronger market reach.

 

Under the International Year of Millets 2023, an initiative spearheaded under the vision of the Hon?ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India is organizing Millet Mahotsav in 20 states and 30 districts this year to create awareness about the benefits of Millets and the immense scope it holds in regards to value addition and increased revenues for all the stakeholders involved across the value chain.

 

In addition to the Millets Mahotsav, a mega-food event World Food India 2023 is also being organized by the Ministry from 3rd to 5th Nov 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi to provide a unique platform to all stakeholders i.e. producers, food processors, equipment manufacturers, logistics players, cold chain players, technology providers, academia, start-up & innovators, food retailers, etc. to interact and have a dialogue. The event is slated to be the biggest-ever congregation of dignitaries, global investors and business leaders of major global and domestic food companies which would put India firmly on the global food landscape. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India also requests the participation and cooperation of all the stakeholders to make this event a grand success.

The District Environment Mission Team Rotary International District 3232 and Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute will jointly organise a seminar at the latter’s campus in Maduravoyal on Friday. A press release issued on Thursday said discussions on ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Talks on Sold Waste Management’, ‘People’s Participation in Environment Protection and Myths and Mists on Creating Green Wealth’ will be held on the occasion.