The potato, known as the king of vegetables, is in high demand in countries outside India. While potatoes are common in India and are easily available, the vegetable is purchased at exorbitant prices abroad.

 

According to information obtained by India Today, approximately 6,000 quintals of potatoes are being exported from Agra in response to demand from hotels and homes in Malaysia, Qatar, and Dubai.

 

After flagging off trucks loaded with potatoes today, Agra's Chief Development Officer A Manikandan told India Today that farmers have been paid Rs 900 per quintal for export potatoes, while the government's procurement price is set at Rs 650 per quintal. Exporting potatoes is proving to be a profitable business for these farmers in this situation.

 

Kaushal Kishore, Deputy Director Horticulture, told India Today that in collaboration with the Horticulture Department and the Uttar Pradesh State Horticulture Cooperative Marketing Federation, Siddhi Vinayak Agro Processing Khandauli (Agra) has exported 6,000 quintals of potatoes abroad to ensure that potato farmers get the best price for their produce. Around 3000 quintal potatoes have been sent to Malaysia, and 3000 quintal potatoes have been sent to Dubai and Qatar.

 

Many trucks of potatoes have also been transported from Agra to Himmatnagar in Gujarat, where they will be exported to other countries via the Mundra Port. This LR variety potato was exported at a cost of Rs 900 per quintal.

 

Potato farmer Murarilal told India Today that potatoes are being sold at the weekly haat in Agra's Midhakur town for Rs 4 per kg, while lemon prices have skyrocketed.

 

Nirauti Lal, a Nagla Laldas resident who sells vegetables in the market, stated that such apathy towards potatoes has not been seen in several years. At the moment, a kilogram of potato costs only Rs 4 while a kilogram of lemon costs Rs 200. The price of green chillies is Rs 100 to 150 per kg and ginger is Rs 800 to 100 per kg.

 

Vishal Sharma, Vice Chairman of Hindustani Biradari, stated that the time has come for farmers to reduce potato cultivation and focus on growing other vegetables because it is difficult to recover the cost of potato cultivation at the current prices. If the area of potato cultivation is reduced, the demand for potatoes will increase, as will the price. Aside from that, there is a need to focus on the cultivation of advanced potato varieties. Such varieties should be grown that are in high demand in foreign countries, because good prices for potatoes in the Indian market are not available, whereas potatoes exported abroad fetch good prices.

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED), on the direction of Government of India, will initiate procurement of Kharif Onion to address the issue of falling prices of onion in Gujarat. This move of Government of India will provide stability to the onion market in the State.

 

Taking stock of the situation due to depressed prices of Onion in late Kharif season in the State, Department of Consumer Affairs has directed NAFED to start procurement of Onion from three major markets in Gujarat. NAFED will start procurement of onion in Bhavnagar (Mahua), Gondal and Porbandar.

 

This intervention has been planned by Government of India in order to give immediate relief to the farmers from crashing prices of onions in the State. Farmers are requested to bring their good quality and dried stock to the procurement centres to avail of better rate at these centres. Payments to the farmers will be done online.

 

More centres will be opened from time to time as required.

It is a time to leverage friendships and partnerships to solve the many problems that the world is facing today. This was stated by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal at the CII Partnership Summit 2023 in New Delhi today.

 

Elaborating on the theme, the Minister said that in these tough times, when the world has barely come out of COVID, when we are confronted with a conflict which took economies down, which raised inflation and consequently interest rates, which brought deep recession in many parts of the world, meeting like this helps us all to see how we can get the best for each one of us through collective solutions to global challenges and global problems.

 

We are looking for resilient, distributed and stable sources of growth supply chains, he said. We are seeking greater market access with minimizing the exposure to risk that many of our economies are facing, he said, adding that as the honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said, and I quote, it is only partnerships that will get us to our goals.

 

The Minister pointed out that India has set an example for the world. He said that as a responsible global citizen, when we developed the COVID vaccine, we used it not only for our own citizens, who are administered 2.2 billion vaccines free of charge but we also provided vaccines to the less developed countries to the Pacific island nations to Caribbean nations, to small island states to our neighborhood. Over 250 million vaccines were provided, most of them free of charge, to other parts of the world, he added.

 

Speaking on the need to innovate, Shri Goyal said that all of us will have to look at innovative ideas, new ways of doing our work more efficiently, more effectively. Our startup ecosystem reflects that innovative spirit, he said pointing out that India, which barely had three or four unicorns seven years ago, today has over 100 unicorns and India's startup ecosystem is the third largest in the world.

 

The minister said that sustainability is a way of life in India and we don’t need to be taught or to learn from other parts of the world. He pointed out that our green goals are very ambitious and said that Prime Minister Modi introduced the concept of life that is sustainable lifestyles, which is the need of the hour. Because the waste that we are all generating across the world, more particularly in the developed world is a larger cause of this big problem of climate change, than the needs of humanity. Shri Goyal said that as Mahatma Gandhi had said, we in this generation are all trustees and custodians for our children. And it's incumbent on all of us to leave behind a better word than the one we inherited so that our children get a better future.

 

Shri Goyal said that we in India are committed to our sustainable goals and sustainable lifestyle. We are committed to the circular economy. We are committed to eliminating waste or reuse and recycling and I invite all our partner countries to work with India, to learn from India, to partner India in this effort to make the world a better place to live, Shri Goyal said.

 

Shri Goyal spoke on India’s partnership with the world economies. He said we are entering into international agreements with several countries to enable our businesses as we will enable businesses around the world. We will engage deeply with each other so that we can become a larger player on the international global economic front. He said that this effort has been led by Prime Minister Modi literally from the front line. Citing an example, Shri Goyal said that two years ago, our exports of goods and services collectively worth $500 billion dollars. Prime Minister Modi decided that India will convert the crisis of COVID into an opportunity we will not be deterred by the crisis. Prime Minister talked to all the export promotion councils in the country heard them understood the challenges they were facing. He found solutions and spoke to our mission heads across the world. And now as we celebrate 75 years of an independent India, we are marching ahead to cross $750 billion of exports of goods and services.

 

India today offers many competitive advantages over other competing economies, Commerce and Industry Minister said. We are focusing more on high quality of goods as well as leveraging economies of scale, particularly given the large domestic market that we offer to businesses and investors who come and work in India and to our friends in their economic engagement with India, he said.

 

Our MSMEs are first engaging with digitalization and as was mentioned earlier, India is developing its digital promise in the form of digital public goods for the use of the rest of the world. Singapore and India have recently partnered on UPI and we hope to do the same with UAE in the near future. We are expanding rupee trade with several countries, many of which are at an advanced stage of dialogue and finalization.

 

Shri Goyal said that when we talk about financing global economic recovery, a strong and responsive international institutional framework is called for. We need to also see that some non-transparent economies, whose economic systems are totally opaque, enjoy the fruits of multilateral engagement. I think it's time the world called out such countries and made them accountable and transparent.

 

Speaking on technology partnership, Shri Goyal said that when we talk of emerging technologies it's important that we do a skill mapping. We will find certain nations with tremendous skills. We can match that with the skill deficit, yet rich countries which need those skills. That matchmaking is what partnerships are all about, he said. Singapore and India are making a serious effort to do that matchmaking he said.

 

Earlier, the Minister began his speech by complimenting the two Oscar winners from India. He said that we are a proud nation today for winning two Oscars. The Elephant Whisperers highlights sustainable development and harmony with nature. But it also gives us a sense of women's development in India, with both the director and producers being women.

The World Food Safety Day 2023 campaign has started recently, with the theme 'Food standards save lives'. The theme coincides with the 60th anniversary of Codex Alimentarius this year and encourages food safety advocates around the world to focus on the importance of applying standards in every aspect of food production - from the source to the table.

 

The launch saw the publication of this year’s guide in all six UN languages, which provides information on the theme and Codex Alimentarius, as well as some tips on the kinds of activities people could organise and the key messages being promoted this year. In addition, the World Food Safety Day website has been updated in anticipation of the 2023 celebrations that will take place on (or around) June 7.

 

This will be the fifth observance of World Food Safety Day. Since the first celebration in 2019 World Food Safety Day has grown every year in terms of the number of countries where it is celebrated, and the number of events organised. This year, then, is likely to be bigger than ever, as people become increasingly aware of the need to apply good food safety practices all along the food chain.

 

In a video message, Tom Heilandt, Codex Secretary, underlines the World Food Safety Day slogan saying: food safety is everyone’s business. Foodborne illness is almost entirely preventable and can be significantly reduced if we all raise awareness and inspire action on food safety.

Farm fresh kesar and Alphonso from Gujarat will be transported directly to the US, without having to go through the inspection facility through Maharashtra. It also means farmers will now be able to increase exports to the US. With the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) having approved the agro radiation processing facility at Bavla in July 2022, there’s good news for mango lovers in the US.

 

The facility at Bavla, near Ahmedabad, has been developed by Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Ltd (GAIC). 'USDA-APHIS approved the Bavla radiation processing facility last July. The coming mango season will be the first in which Gujarat will directly export mangoes to the US market. Currently, mangoes from Gujarat are sent through Maharashtra, which means higher logistics costs. Our facility was ready in 2014 but the approval was delayed. If the weather does not play spoilsport, we expect nearly 400 tonnes of mangoes to be exported between mid-April and June.'

 

According to the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), last year India’s mango exports to the US was 813 tonnes, valued at Rs 33.68 crore.

 

Hiren Gandhi, former chairman of GCCI’s food committee, explained: 'The US mandates that mangoes and other food products undergo irradiation, which kills insects on the fruit. The irradiation facility will help Gujarat farmers get better prices for their kesar mangoes in the international market. The US is a big market for mangoes. The Australian market will also open for direct exports from Gujarat with this facility. Irradiation also increases the shelf life of mango by at least 25 days.'

 

Adding further, Ashish Guru, chairman, of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Agriculture Committee stated: 'Gujarat is a leading mango producer. Our mangoes are of better quality than the Mexican varieties being sold in the US. The irradiation facility will help expedite the exports and augur premium returns for the harvesters.'

Kamalam or Dragon Fruit, a herbaceous perennial climbing cactus widely known as Pitaya, has its origin in Southern Mexico, Central America and South America. It is widely cultivated in South-East Asia, India, USA, The Caribbean Islands, Australia throughout the tropical and sub-tropical world. Pitaya, called as Dragon fruit in English, is popular by different names such as Pithaya in Mexico, Pitaya Roja in Central and Northern America, Pithajah in Thailand and Kamalam after the Sanskrit name lotus in India. It is also known as 'Wondrous Fruit of the 21st century'.

 

The Kamalam (Dragon fruit) has recently drawn much attention of the growers worldwide, not only because of their red purple colour and economic value as food products but also for their enormous health benefits. The skin of the fruit is covered with bracts or scales which may have attributed the fruits resembling the mythical creature 'dragon', hence the name dragon fruit. Pitaya or dragon fruit is a climbing, fast growing perennial vine cactus species which originated from the tropical regions of Mexico and Central and South America. From its centers of origin, dragon fruit has spread over tropical and sub-tropical America, Asia, Australia and Middle East. Currently it is being cultivated in at least 22 countries of tropics. Historical evidence indicates that the French introduced the crop to Vietnam about 100 years ago and it was grown for the King. Later, it became popular among the wealthy families of the entire country.

 

In India, the cultivation of Kamalam Fruit is fast picking up and farmers of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Mizoram and Nagaland have taken up its cultivation. Presently, the total area under cultivation of Dragon Fruit in India is more than 3,000 ha. which is not able to meet the domestic demand, hence majority of the dragon fruits available in Indian market is imported from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

 

In India, Kamalam import started during 2017 with a quantity of 327 tonnes, which has increased sharply to 9,162 tonnes in 2019 and the estimated import for 2020 and 2021 is about 11,916 and 15,491 tonnes, respectively. The projected import value was about Rupees 100 crores for 2021. Dragon fruit provides fast return with economic production in the first year after planting and full production is attained in 3-4 years. The life expectancy of the crop is about 20 years. Average economic yield after 2 years of planting is 10 tonnes per acre. At present the market rate is Rs 100 per kg fruit, so the revenue generated by selling fruits per year is Rs 10,00,000. Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) is: 2.58.

 

With focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat, there is need to reduce import and increase our own capacity for production. In this endeavor under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a roadmap is being prepared for cultivation of this crop in the identified potential area to increase the production of exotic and niche area fruits including Kamalam. The target for area expansion under MIDH for Kamalam is 50,000 ha. in 5 years. The cultivation of this fruit has started recently and a plantation of this healthy fruit is established at ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port-Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and IIHR, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

 

Under MIDH, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has approved a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Kamalam Fruit to be established by Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru, Karnataka at Hirehalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka on 09-03-2023 to focus on production, post-harvest and value addition of Kamalam.

 

The Centre will work for development of latest production technology as per the international standard & off season production and demonstration of these technologies for high yield production. The Centre will aim to achieve self-sustenance in Kamalam fruit production, value addition and enhancing economic development of the farming community.

 

The Centre of Excellence will focus on developing high performance variety with improved yield, nutrient use efficiency, nutritional quality, tolerance against biotic & abiotic stresses, Standardization of propagation techniques, distribution of quality planting material through public participatory approach, development of protocol for post-harvest handling and storage to reduce post-harvest losses and promote export to distant markets, development of value-added products and processes for product diversification & higher revenue realization, dissemination of developed technologies to the farmers & other stakeholders through training, field visits, etc.

 

 With the growing interest in farmers and the quick returns that they are getting from cultivation of Kamalam in agricultural and marginal lands, it is expected that the new areas will come up under Kamalam and the import will be totally substituted through domestic cultivation.

Ministry of Food Processing Industries is organising the second edition of 'World Food India 2023’ (WFI) from Nov 3-5, 2023, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, for the benefit of Indian food processing industries through collaborations with and investments from global stakeholders. The event is being organised as part of International Year of Millets 2023 activities and will have millets (shree anna), organic produce and indigenous processed food as some of the focus areas.

 

Curtain Raiser Event to WFI 2023 was held recently in National Media Centre, New Delhi, and was attended by wide spectrum of representatives from press & media, various Central Ministries/Departments, State Resident Commissioners & Embassies apart from senior officers of the ministry. During the event, promotional video, publicity brochure and a dedicated website for WFI 2023 was launched by Pashupati Kumar Paras, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, and Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti, Government of India.

 

Addressing the event, Paras emphasised that India is one of the fastest-growing economies with many investment opportunities, especially in the food processing sector. He outlined five pivotal elements of the WFI 2023 as Millets- ‘Shree Anna-The Super Food of India’, Innovation and Sustainability ‘Green Food’, White Revolution 2.0, making India an export hub and focus on technology and digitisation. 'During the three-day event, we expect leading players in the food processing sector from across the globe to showcase their strengths. Industry professionals' meets, exhibitions and Food Street (a specially curated food experience arena) are also planned to explore collaborations and B2B/G contracts. The event will highlight the myriad opportunities, infrastructure available, incentives, and benefits to the investors,' he added.

 

Patel in his address, said, 'With the experience of previous edition of WFI held in 2017, we look forward to WFI-2023 as a flagship global event. We are proud of meeting the food needs of the world. Scientific parameters will help in the further growth of the food processing industry. Various government initiatives including the PLI schemes in the food processing industry will enhance the marketing and branding and the government is proud of standardising the quality parameters.' He added that innovation in the food processing industries has been a key differentiator globally. 'With innovation, we will be one of the strongest economies in the world. Digitalisation has enhanced the quality parameters even in self-help groups and thus improving the sector's competitiveness,' he added.

 

While requesting wide stakeholder participation in the event, Anita Praveen, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, said, 'World Food India 2023, a flagship event of the ministry, is a unique platform for global investors of food companies. We aim to make India an export hub with a major contribution from food processing and allied industries. Our focus is on value addition, processing machinery, packaging technology & material etc. Millets- ‘Shree Anna-The Super Food of India’ is one of the pillars of this event and we aim to capture the global market. There are immense investment opportunities in post-harvest management such as primary processing and storage, preservation infrastructure, cold chain, refrigerated transport and value addition in organic and nutritious foods. WFI 2023 will provide an impetus for the industry's further growth and showcase India's potential in the food processing industry to the world.'

An Export outreach program was organized at Nava Raipur on Monday by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Government of India to explore the possibilities of export potentials in Chhattisgarh.

 

The exporters and investors participating in the programme discussed the action plan to enhance exports from the landlocked state.  According to officials, vital information was also given about exportable products from Chhattisgarh and government facilities given to the exporters, who shared the loopholes and suggested for its redressal to surge shipping volume from the state.

 

Representatives of Shefexil, TREAC, ECGC, Industries Department, Minor Forest Produce Federation, APEDA, SIDBI as well as Bank of Baroda participated in the programme, conducted by the Directorate of Foreign Trade, Government of India.

 

Chhattisgarh’s Raipur and Durg districts are among the 75 districts in the country shortlisted for promoting exports.

 

Raipur Collector Dr Sarveshwar Bhure said that Chhattisgarh had been the main exporter of many products including rice. The state government has provided numerous facilities to the exporters to encourage exports from the state, he said. The government has made special provisions for exporters in the industrial policy ranging from exemption of five percent in ‘mandi’ fee along with formation of promotion committee, Bhure added.

 

Asserting that Chhattisgarh was rapidly moving towards developing as an export hub due to the industry friendly policies of the state government, the Raipur District Collector said due to the policies and facilities of the government, there has been an average increase of more than 22 percent in the exports from the state in the last five years. He also informed that special efforts are being made to promote the export of rice, construction machinery and materials and processed spices from Chhattisgarh.

 

Bhure stressed on the possibilities of the export of wire, rods, bars, coils, TMT bars, crude steel as well as forest produce like tamarind, mahua, lac and small grain millets like Kodo Kutki Ragi etc.

 

Officials said exporters and investors present in the program described Chhattisgarh as a state of immense potential from the point of view of exports. The exporters demanded to continue the exemption of 5 per cent in mandi fee notified to increase the export of rice. Presently, Chhattisgarh government is giving 5 percent exemption of market fee to rice exporters for one year.

 

The exporters demanded concession for transportation to the exporting units saying that Chhattisgarh is a landlocked state. Some exporter groups demanded government assistance for the modernization of processing plants.

India will continue to pursue its application for an exclusive Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its basmati rice in the European Union (EU) and not consider any other solution as it could affect the exclusivity of the fragrant rice in other markets, official sources have said. 

 

According to traders and experts, the EU is probably trying to 'browbeat India (from its firm stand) in its trade talks to gain access to its wines and whiskey'. 

 

The development comes on the heels of the EU trying to put pressure on India to amend its application by including the basmati-growing areas in Pakistan or submit a new joint application along with Pakistan. The issue of the GI tag for Indian basmati rice has been pending since July 2018.

 

Pak map with Jammu

'India should and cannot accept the EU’s proposal. In August 2020, after the abrogation of Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan published a map showing Jammu as part of its territory.

 

'When a joint application is made, the map of both countries will have to be included. This will mean India accepting Jammu to be part of Pakistan. This is untenable,' said S Chandrasekaran, a GI expert who has written the book 'Basmati Rice: The Natural History Geographical Indication'. 

 

The Ministry of External Affairs, which was consulted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has suggested to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Agency (APEDA) to solely pursue the application for GI tag.

 

APEDA, which is the nodal agency to get GI tag for Indian products, has been told not to consider other options such as submission of an amended application by including Basmati producing areas of Pakistan or submission of a fresh joint application with Pakistan.

 

12 objections filed

'Pakistan is yet to come up with any definition of basmati. It has no physical standard and has not notified the DNA standard. India made all these in 2003 and the Food Safety Standards Authority of India has come up with the domestic standard for basmati,' said Chandrasekaran.

 

When contacted, APEDA Chairman M Angamuthu said 12 objections, including two from Pakistan, were lodged against India’s application for a GI tag to basmati in the EU.  

 

'The legal representatives of APEDA have been asked to engage with the legal representatives of those who objected to India’s GI tag application as required under EU regulations. Discussions are strictly at the level of representation and no APEDA or government functionary is involved,' he said. 

 

'Since the consultations and informal discussions period with those opposed to our application have ended, our legal associate has submitted reports to the European Commission. The EU is now seized of the matter,' he said.

 

‘EU feeling obliged’

Official sources said the EC is 'feeling obliged to protect basmati originating from Pakistan (as well as India) and it prefers a single registration for the 'Basmati' name 'to respect the rights of both origins'.

 

'Why is the EU going the extra mile to support Pakistan, when it has to uphold the pillars of authenticity and quality standards? Looks like the EU is trying to manipulate without understanding the fact that India is sitting in an advantageous position,' he said. 

 

Between 2001 and now, India’s basmati exports to the EU increased from 100,000 tonnes to 400,000 tonnes before slipping to 150,000 tonnes. 

 

'During the same time, total basmati exports from the country increased from one million tonnes (mt) to 4.5 mt with demand for West Asia outstripping that of the EU. Also, the UK, which makes up 50 per cent of demand for Indian basmati had come out of the EU,' the expert said. 

 

Also, with the issue of fungicide tricyclazole residue in rice consignments blowing over, the EU has no grounds to negotiate, he said. 

 

Single document hope

'Is the EU trying to infuse oxygen into Pakistan basmati whose shipments are down 35 per cent this fiscal?' Chandrasekaran wondered.  

 

Angamuthu said the European Commission has received details of Pakistan-growing areas and is expected to ask Pakistan to demonstrate that the growing areas satisfy the environmental factors of the single document as presented by India in its GI application. 

 

Official sources said the Commission is hoping to draw a single document with its officials sitting along with Indian and Pakistani officials. 'Such a development could affect APEDA’s applications pending in other countries since the Intellectual Property offices there might object or Pakistan itself may launch objections. 

 

However, Angamuthu said APEDA had initiated over 1,000 proceedings including oppositions and cancellations in over 40 countries across five continents to protect the name 'Basmati'. It successfully prevented several instances of misappropriation including names such as 'Basnati' 'Kasmati', 'Texmati', 'Tasmati', 'Jasmati, 'Basma', etc.

 

Forcing surrender

'APEDA forced a substantial surrender of several claims of a patent taken out in the US which sought to confer a monopoly on the RiceTec Inc, a US Company, for the growing, producing and marketing of rice grains that would have exposed exports of basmati from India to the US to claims of patent infringement in that country.

 

So far, India has got a Geographical Indication tag for Basmati in four countries and certification marks for Basmati in seven countries, including the UK and China.

 

'Application for GI, certification marks and logo have been filed in over 20 foreign jurisdictions to register Basmati. Major foreign jurisdictions where India’s applications for these are under various stages of processes include the EU, the US, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, etc,' the APEDA Chairman said.

 

India and Australia have agreed to conclude the negotiations for a comprehensive free trade agreement 'as soon as possible' as there is huge potential to enhance bilateral commerce in the next five years, according to a joint statement issued on Sunday. The statement was released after the meeting of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell on March 11.

 

Both countries have already implemented an economic cooperation and trade agreement (ECTA) in December 2022 and are now negotiating to widen the scope of that pact into a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA).

 

'Ministers look forward to concluding CECA as soon as possible,' the statement said.

 

The CECA will create new employment opportunities, raise living standards and improve the general welfare in both countries, it added.

 

The ministers also highlighted the importance of a smooth and timely clean energy transition as both countries work towards achieving their respective net zero goals.

 

'India-Australia bilateral trade exceeded USD 31 billion last financial year. Both agreed that given the trade complementarities between the two countries, there is considerable potential for significantly enhancing bilateral trade within the next 5 years,' the statement said.