India under its G-20 presidency will push for resilient value chains, growth and prosperity, integration of MSMEs in global trade and logistics for trade in the upcoming first G-20 Trade and Investment Working Group (TIWG).

 

The meeting will be held from March 28-30in Mumbai with participation from over 100 delegates from G-20 member countries, invitee countries, regional groupings and international organisations.

 

New Delhi has identified five priority issues—growth and prosperity, resilient global value chains, MSMEs, logistics, and WTO reform—under its G-20 presidency. Of these, it will focus on four in the first meeting.

 

Making trade work for growth and prosperity, and building resilient global value chains (GVCs) will be discussed with an emphasis on achieving shared outcomes for making growth inclusive and resilient, increasing the participation of developing countries and the Global South in GVCs, said commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal.

 

Issues related to the World Trade Organization, including a reform of dispute settlement and a robust appellate mechanism, will be discussed later.

 

During the meeting, the role of banks, financial institutions, development finance institutions and export credit agencies in closing the trade finance gap, and how digitalisation and fintech solutions can improve access to trade finance, will also be discussed.

 

Addressing the worrisome increase in trade barriers across goods and services, and smothering trade by focusing on trade facilitation are the prime concerns for India.

 

Discussions on digitising bills of lading, as most countries are yet to build digital infrastructure for their documentation, are also likely.

 

The TIWG will next meet in June in Kewadiya, Bengaluru in July, and then in Jaipur in August.

Sales of millets, both domestic and international, have increased by nearly 30 per cent after the declaration of International Year of Millets 2023, said the Agricultural and Processed Exports Development Authority (APEDA), based on the feedback from exporters.

 

'Further, the awareness about the millets and its products, and visibility of millet products in the supermarkets have also increased. They have also informed that due to the consistent efforts by the government, the customers have also started demanding millet products, which was hitherto a hard sell to them,' APEDA said.

 

The exports of millet and millet-based products have been on the rise over the past couple of years. From around 1.29 lakh tonnes, valued at Rs.434 crore in 2019-20, the shipments of millets and millet-based products have increased to over 1.59 lakh tonnes, valued at Rs.480 crore in 2021-22.

 

The eight per cent increase in exports from Rs.443 crore in 2020-21 to Rs.480 crore in 2021-22 can be attributed to the announcement by the United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session in March 2021, declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets. India’s millet exports are seen rising further in the current financial year.

 

'The announcement of the International Year of Millets 2023 is widely regarded as a great booster to popularise Shree Anna products globally. Our exports are seen increasing close to $100 million this financial year and we will double our exports by 2024-25,' said APEDA Chairman M Angamuthu.

 

APEDA has identified 30 plus potential markets, a range of products, and possible sourcing points to boost the shipments. 'We do have a list of exporters, buyers, FPOs, and start-ups to support this cause,' Angamuthu added.

 

Rise in production

India’s millet production has also increased in the past few years, supporting the growing demand. From around 10.25 million tonnes during 2019-20, millet production has increased to 13.21 million tonnes during 2020-21, APEDA said citing the FAO statistics.

 

'We have a wide range of production base from deep South to the Himalayan region. The product base is also wide and we have rich opportunities to factor in the days to come. We will integrate Indian millets as a part of global cuisine involving all stakeholders,' Angamuthu said.

 

Further, APEDA said players in the millet value chain such as Bhoosiri Millets Farmer Producer Company, Haveri, Gaurishankar Food Industries, Shiggaon, Rajamudi Organics Pvt Ltd, Urban Monk Pvt Ltd, Samruddhi Agro Group, Barvi Agro Farmer Producer Company among others are witnessing an increase in demand for their products from both domestic and overseas markets.

The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) has led to a 70 percent year-on-year growth in exports of essential oils, resinoids, perfumery, and cosmetic preparations from India to UAE, from $161.23 million in the period of June 2021 to February 2022 to $273.54 million in June 2022 to February 2023 period.

 

Exports of other commodities which grew during the same period were sugar & confectionary (44 percent); cereals (38 percent); coffee, tea & spices (37 percent); automobiles (33 percent), and miscellaneous chemical products (30 percent).

 

The union commerce ministry has projected that India's total exports to the UAE will touch a record $32 billion this year on the back of a 4.9 percent year-on-year rise in exports to the West Asian nation in February 2023 despite a 10 percent year-on-year fall in overall exports.

 

India's non-oil exports to the UAE rose 18.9 percent year-on-year in February 2023 to $2.14 billion, in comparison to a 4.2 percent drop in non-oil exports to the rest of the world to $28.84 billion in February 2023. India's exports to the UAE from June 2022 to February 2023 rose 10.4 percent year-on-year, amidst a 0.9 percent rise in exports to the rest of the world.

 

Sources privy to the developments indicated that there's no misuse of the India-UAE CEPA for the import of cheap scotch whisky, and the import duty on scotch whisky will continue to remain at its current level, irrespective of where it is routed from.

 

Further, sources in the know reiterated that the tariff exemptions in the CEPA with UAE were meant only for products majorly manufactured there. Also, sources added that many two-wheeler exports from India to Africa are also routed via UAE for a better after-sales service to consuming countries, stating that the bigger trade volumes in UAE ensure no losses for the export of two-wheelers manufactured in India.

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India participated in the International Food & Drink Exhibition (IFE) held in London. The three day Exhibition that concluded on March 22, 2023 was aimed at promoting the export of agricultural products in the international market of London.

 

APEDA has facilitated the participation of Indian exporters, who showcased their varied range of food products in all categories at the IFE event. Large number of visitors showed keen interest in around 50 millet (Shree Anna) based products displayed at APEDA pavilion. At the IFE 2023 event, APEDA has displayed and distributed the finest quality of GI- tagged Alphonso mango, wine from the lush grape vineyards and the millet-based value added products.

 

With India celebrating the International Year of Millets 2023, APEDA is actively focusing on Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of promoting Millets (Shree Anna) in international markets by organizing promotional events in foreign destinations and participating in global food exhibitions.

 

Commenting on India’s participation at the IFE, APEDA Chairman Dr. M. Angamuthu said, 'This huge market can be made more pragmatic by way of quarantine relaxations, importation benefits and further opening the market.' He also said, 'The base work is going on where we are expecting India–UK FTA negotiations that will not only pave the way for Indian products in large quantities, but also bring the cost of Indian products down relatively in days to come,' adding that the Indian High Commission at London has been very supportive and is working towards the betterment of the trade ties between the two countries.

 

The International Food & Drink Exhibition (IFE) is one of the most prestigious food promotion events of the United Kingdom. At the event, over 25,000 participants from across the world have come together face-to-face to sample new products and explore new export opportunities through International Buyer Seller meets as well as B2B meetings. The IFE is one of the well-established platforms to create brand awareness and generate new business opportunities in the United Kingdom, which is a big market for ethnic Indian food products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, processed food and Indian rice, etc.

 

APEDA is exporting quality food products to around 250 countries across the globe, including the United Kingdom. In the fiscal year 2021-22, India has achieved a huge export target of USD 25 billion of APEDA products, which has surpassed all previous records. The APEDA is vying to meet the export target of USD 30 Billion for the year 2022-23.The United Kingdom is a favoured destination for the export of Indian agricultural products as APEDA has exported various agricultural products worth USD 421 Million in the year 2021-22 to the United Kingdom. APEDA is all set to surpass its previous export target to the UK in the current fiscal year as APEDA has recorded the export to the tune of USD 302 Million (April-December 2022).

 

The main agricultural food products exported to different countries, including the United Kingdom, are basmati rice, buffalo meat, non-basmati rice, coarse grains, maize, groundnut, wheat, cereal preparation, processed vegetables, fresh fruits & vegetables, alcoholic beverages, coarse grains, etc. India has exported around 13000 MT of Indian grapes, 4000 MT of mangoes, 5000 MT of onion, 2500 MT of millets, etc to 1310 Million MT of basmati rice, etc. to the United Kingdom.

 

APEDA recently organized the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference at New Delhi to stimulate the exports of millets from India and provide market linkage to the producers, Around 100 Indian millet exhibitors from different parts of the country and around 100 international buyers from various countries like the USA, UAE, Kuwait, Germany, Vietnam, Japan, Kenya, Malawi, Bhutan, Italy and Malaysia participated in the conference.

 

To boost consumption of value-added products based on millets, APEDA, in collaboration with Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad and respective state Agricultural universities, has incubated more than 200 start-ups to develop a range of millet based value-added products.

Turmeric yesterday settled up by 1.07% at 7002 on good domestic and export demand. Turmeric harvesting has started in the key growing regions and farmers and stockists are releasing their stocks, in the fear of further decline in prices. In the AP (Nizamabad) Turmeric market around 5,000-7,000 bags are arriving on an average daily basis. In the Erode spot market 400-600 bags are reported daily, In the Sangli district it is around 3500-7000 bags. Coupled with weak demand in the export and domestic markets prices are trading at lower levels (in the current season). 

 

Turmeric exports during Apr-Jan 2023, rose by 7.76 percent at 1,36,492.59 tonnes as compared to 1,26,659.01 tonnes exported during Apr-Jan 2022. In January 2023 around 12,484.25 tonnes of turmeric was exported as against 12,039.57 tonnes in December 2022 showing a rise of 3.69%. In January 2023 around 12,484.25 tonnes of turmeric was exported as against 10,558.26 tonnes in January 2022 showing a rise of 18.24%. Production of spices in India is likely to have declined 1.5% on year to 10.9 mln tn in 2021-22 (Jul-Jun), according to data from Spices Board India. The country had produced 11.0 mln tn of spices in the previous year. The Spices Board has pegged turmeric production at 1.33 mln tn, up 18.4% on the year. In Nizamabad, a major spot market in AP, the price ended at 6960.7 Rupees and gained 150.4 Rupees.

 

Technically market is under short covering as the market has witnessed a drop in open interest by -2.04% to settle at 11515 while prices are up 74 rupees, now Turmeric is getting support at 6934 and below the same could see a test of 6868 levels, and resistance is now likely to be seen at 7052, a move above could see prices testing 7104. 

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India participated in the International Food & Drink Exhibition (IFE) held in London. The three day Exhibition that concluded on March 22, 2023 was aimed at promoting the export of agricultural products in the international market of London.

 

The estimates for procurement of wheat are finalised by Government of India in consultation with State Governments and Food Corporation of India (FCI) before the commencement of marketing season based upon estimated production, marketable surplus and agricultural crop pattern. Government of India has fixed an estimate of 341.50 Lakh Metric Tonnes wheat procurement under central pool for Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2023-24.

 

The steps taken by Government of India for food security are as under: 

 

There exists a transparent & uniform Policy for procurement of foodgrains at Minimum Support Price (MSP) by Government agencies across the country. As per policy, the offered quantity within the stipulated procurement period & conforming to the specifications prescribed by Government of India, are purchased at MSP by the Government agencies.

MSP is announced well before the sowing season, so as to enable the farmers to take empowered decision on cultivation of crop.

Govt. of India is increasing MSP of foodgrains year on year thereby making agricultural production remunerative to farmers.

Farmers are made aware of the quality specifications and purchase system etc. to facilitate the farmers to bring their produce conforming to the specifications.

Sufficient numbers of procurement centres are opened by procuring agencies including FCI, keeping in view the procurement potential and geographical spread of the State concerned. Large number of temporary purchase centres in addition to the existing Mandis and depots/ godowns are also established at key points for the convenience of the farmers.

“One Nation, One MSP through DBT' implemented across the country from RMS 2021-22 onwards. Payment of MSP has been ensured directly into farmers' account. DBT eliminated fictitious farmers and reduced the diversion and duplication of payment as payment is being made directly to farmer's bank account. DBT of MSP has brought in responsibility, transparency and probity.

FCI and most of the State Governments have developed their own Online Procurement System which ushers in transparency and convenience to the farmers through proper registration and monitoring of actual procurement. Through e-procurement module deployed by procuring Agencies, farmers get latest/updated information regarding MSP declared, nearest purchase center, date of procurement etc. This not only has reduced the waiting period for delivery of stock by the farmers but also enables the farmer to deliver stock as per his convenience in the nearest mandi.

Food Corporation of India provides foodgrains to the State Governments for its Distribution under various Schemes as per allocation made by Government of India in order to provide Food Security to the Nation.   

The Government is implementing the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) which provides for coverage upto 75% of rural population and upto 50% of urban population for receiving free foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds of the total population which at Census 2011 comes to 81.35 crore.  Coverage under the Act is substantially high to ensure that all the vulnerable and needy sections of the society get its benefit. The Act is being implemented in all the States/UTs and against the intended coverage of 81.35 crore, 80.11 crore person are presently covered under the Act.

Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched National Crop Insurance Portal’s digitized claim settlement module namely DigiClaim under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) today at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. With the launch of the module, claims will be disbursed electronically, which will benefit the respective farmers of six states. Now, the automated claim settlement process will be an ongoing activity to ease all insured farmers' lives and provide them with a sustainable financial flow and support.

 

Besides Shri Tomar, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Agriculture Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Union Agriculture Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja, CEO, PMFBY Shri Ritesh Chauhan and other senior officials were also present. CMDs of Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd and SBI General Insurance were also present including representatives of National Insurance Company (NIC), HDFC Ergo, Bajaj Allianz, Reliance GIC, ICICI Lombard, Future Generali, IFFCO Tokio, Cholamandlam MS, Universal Sompo and TATA AIG. Representatives from SBI Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Yes Bank were also present at the occasion.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Tomar said that it is a matter of pride for our Ministry to have taken a revolutionary step in ensuring that farmers can receive claim amounts digitally in a timebound and automated manner, thereby making our farmers Aatmanirbhar and Sashakt.

 

With the launch of a DigiClaim Module, insurance claims totaling Rs 1260.35 crore have been disbursed on March 23, 2023 to insured farmers in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Haryana with the click of a button, and the process will continue as and when the claims are released. The Union Minister also mentioned that till date Rs 1.32 lakh crore claim amount has been disbursed to the insured farmers under PMFBY. He also took special note of ‘Meri Policy, Mere Haath’ ongoing campaign and observed that the campaign has been monumental in enhancing the awareness around PMFBY at the grassroot levels.

 

While speaking on the occasion, Shri Tomar said that the Government of India is closely working with all exited states from the scheme and have had discussions with their senior officials in which Andhra Pradesh and Punjab are making a comeback to the scheme, which shows a shining example of corporative federalism. Governments of Telangana, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand have also been approached to rejoin PMFBY and several discussions have been underway. Out of these states, Telangana and Jharkhand have indicated their willingness to come back under PMFBY.

 

In the current system, there have been several instances of insured farmers' claims being delayed due to a variety of factors. Taking cognizance of farmers’ welfare and to expedite the claim disbursal process of valid crop loss claims, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare has come up with the DigiClaim Module. With this, now farmers’ claims will be processed directly to their respective bank accounts in a transparent and accountable manner. This technology has been enabled through the integration of National Crop Insurance Portal (NCIP) and Public Finance Management System (PFMS).

 

This would directly impact the claim reversal ratio, which is expected to go down with DigiClaim. Another noteworthy feature of this digital advancement is that farmers would be able to track the claim settlement process on their mobile phones in real-time and avail the scheme’s benefits.

 

Shri Manoj Ahuja highlighted several other prolific achievements of PMFBY to mark the scheme's seventh year of conception under visionary leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The Union Secretary also appealed to state governments to show their participation in this endeavour by timely uploading yield data onto the crop insurance portal and releasing the states’ share on time so that claims could be transferred to farmers’ bank accounts in a hassle-free manner, assisting the Ministry in achieving its true purpose of developing this technology.

 

Agriculture Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Surya Pratap Shahi, who joined the launch via video conferencing, also gave his valuable suggestions for better implementation of the scheme.

 

This technological advancement has taken PMFBY one step further towards modernization of the scheme. This falls in line with PM Modi’s vision of making India a digital powerhouse with more and more technology-driven innovations paving Ease of Living for the farmers.

 

In the era of rapid innovations, Digitization and Technology are playing a significant role in scaling up the reach and operations of PMFBY with precision agriculture. In last few years, various innovative technologies have been piloted and integrated with the scheme to make the process of yield estimation and crop loss assessment more accurate, like Yes-Tech, WINDS and CROPIC. Further, for timely redressal of farmers' grievances, Farmer Grievance Portal has been launched in the first phase for the state of Chhattisgarh, which has received a plethora of positive response and in the second phase, it will be implemented in the entire country.

 

DigiClaim is yet another feather in PMFBY's cap in its ongoing effort to usher in advanced technological solutions such as automated calculation and disbursement of crop insurance claims.

 

India expects to achieve its highest ever exports of $32 billion to the UAE this fiscal even as the two sides plan to integrate their customs and logistics portals for real time tracking of shipments for priority of entry in ports, as part of the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

 

'India’s exports (to the UAE) are around $28.3 billion. We are hopeful to touch an all time high of $32 billion exports this year,' said an official.

 

As per the official, the two sides are also working on customs facilitation wherein their logistics and customs portals would get integrated and help in real time data exchange and tracking of ships for priority of entry in ports. A review of the CEPA, which came into force on May 1, 2022, is likely in May.

 

On a monthly basis, around $1.3 billion of India’s exports are going on zero duty as against $2.72 billion of total outbound shipments.

 

Almost 6,944 certificates of origin were issued in February as against 5,754 in November last year as exports of gems and jewellery, automobiles coffee, tea, and articles of iron and steel, among others rose in June 2022-February 2023 on-year.

 

'There is an increase in the CEPA utilisation,' the official said.

 

However, India’s exports of apparel, and iron and steel to the UAE shrank in the period.

 

Apparel exports declined due to the global headwinds while shipments of iron and steel fell despite the government removing export restrictions on them. As per the official, their exports are expected to pick up in the next fiscal.

 

India’s overall goods exports to the UAE rose 10.4% on-year in June 2022-February 2023 at $23.03 billion while imports increased 12.9% at $38.95 billion.

'Innovation, outreach, and marketing that is targeted at the youth hold the key to making millets the super food of the future', experts from across the world and members of the industry said at the two-day Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the A.P. Shinde Symposium Hall, NASC Complex here recently.

 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) held a symposium with technical sessions on promotion and awareness of millets on the sidelines of Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

The plenary session of the concluding day of the two-day conference began with a special address by Dr D Ian Givens, director, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health (IFHN), University of Reading, UK. Dr Givens emphasised on millets as sustainable solution to curtail micronutrient deficiency.

 

Continuing deliberations on the importance of reviving the cultivation and consumption of millets, the first session of Day-2 and the fourth session of the Conference was focused on 'Research, Innovations and Sustainability'. The session was moderated by Lav Agarwal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Setting the context for the session, Agarwal said that awareness, innovations, robust market integration and supply chain should be the area of focus to promote the consumption of millets. He said that 'shift in food habits and increase in a sedentary lifestyle had added a dual burden of diseases.'

 

There was an active participation from the delegates attending the sessions and some very interesting questions were taken up by the panelists. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, gave an overview of the conference and ideas for way ahead. In his concluding remarks, he quoted the Say’s Law of Market which tells – 'Supply automatically produces demand'. He added that millets should now be included in daily food items like bread, biscuits, noodles and chocolates. Rao said that year 2023 is being celebrated as International Year of Millets, but the campaign should not stop here, it should continue from year to year.

 

Stakeholders in the technical sessions noted that wild varieties of millets are very resistant but need to be studied well. They shared that millets are in high demand and different packaging solutions are being researched upon to increase the shelf life of millets. Other experts added that greater awareness on health at different levels need to be created. They stressed on the need of more research on yield management and increment. For enriching soil fertility, intercropping with millets was suggested. It was also pointed out that marketing is crucial for the promotion of millets and millennial consumers need to be targeted.

 

During the thematic session on 'Innovations and New Product Development - Industry’s Perspective', experts from industry shared their views on the resurgence of millets through attractive products which are also accepted by consumers. It was highlighted that continuous work needs to be done in this domain to enhance the outreach of millet-based foods and their sustenance in the market of competitive packaged food products.

 

The second day of the conference came to a close with the final session on 'Millets: Prophylactic and Therapeutic Benefits'. This session was moderated by Justice D Seshadri Naidu, former judge, Bombay High Court, with focus on consumer behaviour, right method of consumption with innovation across the whole value chain. Dr M Srinivas, director, AIIMS, Delhi, mentioned that phytonutrients present in millets can be very helpful with therapeutic benefits. Other stakeholders emphasised that creativity combined with tradition may lead to healthier and tastier millet-based foods, it was noted that diet moderation is important to make the millets part of the food plate and that traditional recipes need to be revamped so that millets could be the choice of new generation. It was also pointed out that by-products of millets could be important for doubling the farmers’ income.

 

Experts and representatives from various academic institutions, governments, public health facilities, development partners, industry were present at the event.