On Monday, the Union Agriculture Ministry announced that it had set up a committee to monitor the situation arising from the increase in temperatures and its impact, if any, on the current wheat crop.

 

This comes even as cereal inflation soared to a record 16.12 per cent year-on-year in January – driven primarily by wheat and atta (flour), whose consumer prices registered an annual increase of 25.05 per cent. The situation has been rendered worse by wheat stocks in government godowns: These, at 154.44 lakh tonnes on February 1, were the lowest in six years for the same date.

 

However, a bigger source of uncertainty has to do with the wheat now in farmers’ fields, due for harvesting only in April. Last year, a spike in March temperatures singed the crop just when the grains were accumulating starch and proteins, leading to a significant drop in output as well as government procurement.

 

There are fears of a repeat this time, with both maximum and minimum temperatures already 3-5 degrees Celsius above normal in many wheat-growing areas. But whether or not March 2022 will happen again, climate change – specifically, the tendency for the early onset of summer with hardly any spring break – has definitely made India’s wheat crop vulnerable to terminal heat stress during the final grain formation and filling stages.

 

Is there a way out? One 'beat-the-heat' solution put forth by scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is to advance the time of sowing.

 

Wheat is a typically a 140-145 days crop planted mostly in November – before the middle of the month in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh (post the harvesting of paddy, cotton and soyabean) and the second half and beyond in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (after sugarcane and paddy). If sowing can be preponed and taken up from around October 20, the crop isn’t exposed to terminal heat, with much of the grain-filling being completed by around the third week of March. It can, then, be comfortably harvested by the month-end.

 

But the solution is easier said than done – for the simple reason that the wheat sown before early-November is also prone to premature flowering.

 

'The crop seeded in the first half of November normally takes 80-95 days to come to heading (i.e. for the ‘baali’, or earheads bearing the flowers and eventually grain, to fully emerge from the wheat tillers). But if you sow in October, heading is cut short by 10-20 days and occurs in 70-75 days. This affects yields, as the crop does not get enough time for vegetative growth (of roots, stems and leaves),' explained Rajbir Yadav, principal scientist and wheat breeder at the ICAR’s New Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).

 

To get around the problem, IARI scientists have bred wheat varieties with what is termed 'mild vernalisation requirement' or the need for a certain minimum period of low winter temperatures for initiation of flowering. In this case, the crop, when sown in October 20-25, will come to heading only in 100-110 days. Adding another 4-5 days for pollination, it leaves a long window from mid-February for grain formation and filling.

 

Maximum temperatures should ideally be in the early-thirty degrees range during the 30-40 days when the kernels are formed, take in nutrients from the stems and leaves, and ripen after hardening and drying. The early-sown IARI varieties not only have a longer window for grain development, but also for vegetative stage growth between germination and flowering. 'By not heading early despite early sowing, the new varieties are able to accumulate more biomass along with grain weight,' Yadav pointed out. And they can beat the heat.

 

The IARI scientists have developed three varieties, all of them incorporating genes that are responsible for the mild vernalisation requirement preventing premature flowering and early heading.

 

The first, HDCSW-18, was released and officially notified in 2016. Although having a potential wheat yield of over 7 tonnes per hectare – as against 6-6.5 tonnes for existing popular varieties such HD-2967 and HD-3086 – its plants grew to 105-110 cm. Being tall, compared to 90-95 cm for normal high-yielding varieties, made them prone to lodging or bending over when their earheads were heavy with well-filled grains.

 

The second variety HD-3410, released in 2022, has higher yield potential (7.5 tonnes/hectare) with lower plant height (100-105 cm).

 

But it’s the third one, HD-3385, which looks most promising. With the same yields as HD-3410, plant height of just 95 cm and strong stems, it is least lodging-prone and most amenable for early sowing. This variety, sown this time at IARI’s trial fields on October 22, has reached pollination stage – while the emergence of the earheads is yet to start for the wheat that was planted in the normal time.

 

IARI has registered HD-3385 with the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA). It has also licenced the variety to the DCM Shriram Ltd-owned Bioseed for undertaking multi-location trials and seed multiplication. 'This is our first ever such public-private partnership experiment. By registering the variety with PPVFRA, we are ensuring full protection of our intellectual property rights,' said IARI’s director A.K. Singh.

 

The director-general of ICAR Himanshu Pathak told The Indian Express that involving the private sector in commercialisation of publicly-bred crop varieties will benefit farmers through faster adoption and diffusion of technology. 'It is also beneficial for ICAR because our institutes will earn royalty on every kg of seed sold by the licensee, which they can plough back into research. And the country gains through higher production from climate-smart varieties,' he added.

Jordan's state grains buyer purchased about 60,000 tonnes of hard milling wheat to be sourced from optional origins in an international tender which closed on Tuesday, traders said.

 

It was bought from trading house Grain Flower at an estimated $333 a tonne c&f for shipment in the first half of July, they said.

 

Traders said these other trading houses also participated in the tender (with their estimated offers in dollars per tonne c&f): Agro Chirnogi $338, Nibulon $335, Viterra $353, Ameropa $337.50, The Andersons $340.90, Buildcom $348, Cerealcom Dolj price unavailable, Cargill $346.30 and CHS $336.40

The arrival of the newly harvested wheat crop has started in the mandis in states such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, according to traders. Wheat prices have been in the range of Rs2,300-2,500 per quintal against the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs2,125 per quintal for the 2023-24 marketing season.

 

'The prices in the mandis have corrected with the arrival of the new crop and the government's decision to offload wheat from its own stock,' said Mohit Upadhyay, managing partner, HMV Agro.

 

The daily arrival of wheat in the mandis has ranged between 300-500 bags and is expected to increase in the next fortnight. The total arrival of wheat in the mandis from February 1-16 was 358,897 kg, 19% higher than 302,720 kg a year ago. 'The arrivals have increased as the wheat sowing started early this year compared with last year and the increase in day temperatures resulted in early maturity of the crop,' said Rajiv Yadav, senior V-P, Origo Commodities, an agri commodity firm.

 

The UAE is committed to providing an exceptional standard of living for all people living in the Emirates, the country’s Vice-President has said. As part of this, its leaders place the highest priority on ensuring food security and creating strong and resilient supply chains and ecosystems.

 

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, made these comments as he toured Gulfood 2023, the largest annual global food and beverage sourcing event in the world, which began at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on Monday.

 

'Aligned with our vision to be a leading player in shaping the future of vital sectors that drive global prosperity and growth, the UAE continues to bring together nations, markets and industries to discuss vital issues that impact the sustainability of economies and societies.

 

'Furthermore, we seek to foster the sharing of knowledge and advance the adoption of new technologies and solutions that promote equitable access to food resources and the sustainable production, distribution and consumption of food worldwide.'

 

Bringing together F&B communities from across the world to chart the way forward for this rapidly evolving sector, the 28th edition of the mega event is 30 per cent larger than previous years, with 1,500 of its over 5,000 exhibitors new to the trade show. The event will be on till February 24.

 

Leading global brands exhibiting at Gulfood 2023 include Unilever, GMG, Americana, Agthia, Fonterra, McCain, Monin, USAPEEC, Hunter Foods, ASMAK, Minerva Foods, U.S. Dairy Export Council, Frinsa Group, Emirates Snacks Foods and Al Rabie to name a few; as well as newcomers including Brazilian food processing company BRF Global and Agricultural, and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

 

Gulfood 2023 will put the spotlight on the role of the food industry in creating healthier, more resilient food systems and helping reverse global inflation.

The central government has decided to set up a high-quality modern organic testing laboratory in Sikkim to promote the state's organic produce, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal, said on Saturday.

 

Apart from announcing the setting up of the laboratory, this enabling farm-to-lab traceability check, the Union minister also insisted on using the existing infrastructure in the state for upscaling economic activities.

 

'We should try to take the export of organic goods from the present 1 million USD to 1 billion USD by 2030. I'm 100 per cent sure that it's achievable. We'll set up a quality-based Organic Testing Lab here on behalf of Centre,' said Goyal while addressing an interactive event with members of the Sikkim Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 

 

He said Sikkim has the potential to become a sustainable and organic state, adding that reaching such milestones will only help the state boost and leverage its tourism potential.

 

The Union minister also called on the local youth to work at design and packaging facilities as well.

 

'The Centre is willing to set up a National Institute of Design and National Institute of Packaging Campus in Sikkim, if the required land is made available by the state government,' said Goyal.

 

He also chaired a review meeting with government officials at the Conference hall of Tashiling Secretariat in Gangtok on Sunday. The meeting was attended by Sikkim's chief secretary, Vijay Bhushan Pathak and DC Gangtok, Tushar Nikhare, among several other officers.

 

He also reviewed the state's rubber plantation and production for agriculture and farmer's welfare, and mechanisms for organic states such as Testing Facilities, Blockchain and Export facilities.

 

He said production of large cardamom, spices, as well as homestay and organic farming should be the focus areas for the administration to help the youth become self-employed.

 

During his three-day visit to Sikkim, the Union minister will also be meeting with government officials and stakeholders in the Commerce and Industries sector.

The FSSAI has decided to grant approval for renewal of licences/ registration of food business operators without requiring the scrutiny of the concerned authority.

 

The food authority has issued an order, in this regard, and stated that it was done to streamline the process of licensing/registration and its renewal by the food authority while this order shall be applicable on the applications submitted on or after Jan 12, 2023.

 

However, the FSSAI has also specified the conditions for such ‘grant of approval’ to the food businesses for renewal of licences/registration.

 

According to the FSSAI, the FBOs were required to meet ‘conditions’ to be able to avail the instant renewal benefit of the licences that include ‘No change in the existing details of the licence/registration shall be allowed, validity in case of licence shall be for one year only. The FBOs whose licence/registration was cancelled or suspended, will not be allowed to renew.'

 

These conditions along with a declaration is also sought from the FBO regarding permissions from Central Ground Water Authority, if applicable, along with declaration that the FBO does not hold more than one active licence/registration to any other food business(s) at the same premises.

 

The order added that the validity of the new licence is now restricted to only one year instead of the existing provision which states that licences granted shall be valid for a period of 1-5 years as chosen by the FBO.

 

For registration, the validity will continue to remain as per existing provision , i.e., 1-5 years as chosen by the FBO.

 

Inoshi Sharma, Executive Director, Compliance Strategies, FSSAI, stated that now as the grant of renewal of licence and registration is instant and without the scrutiny of licensing and registration authority, there shall be no late fee of Rs 100 per day levied if the renewal application is filed in the last 30 days of prior to expiry.

 

'However, the penalties levied for applying renewal of expired licence/ registration upto 180 days after the date of expiry shall continue,' she stated and added that ‘as the window for renewal of licence and registration' is available as early as 180 days prior to expiry date, FBOs are advised to apply for renewal as early as possible to avoid eventual penalty.

The ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) has developed a new vertical farming structure for “protected” cultivation of crops such as cabbage and cauliflower, besides flowers like lilium and gerbera.

 

The new structure, which can be as high as 12 feet, leads to effective space utilisation in a poly-house. This can result in productivity rising by up to six times compared with the conventional farming on a per unit area basis, scientists claimed.

 

The low-cost vertical farming structures consist of vertically stacked layers of around 11 tiers and have inbuilt wick-based drip irrigation in which the crops can be grown in bags containing soil-less substrate mix comprising coco-peat, vermicompost, paddy husk and spent mushroom, said C Aswath, Principal Scientist, IIHR.

 

With multiple stacked layers allowing increased utilisation of the unit area available in the poly-house by 5-6 times, and through higher planting density, the yield and productivity can be increased six times, Aswath said.

 

Planning to patent

The cost of setting up each of these structures which is one metre in width and three metres in breadth and about 12 feet in height comes around to Rs. 25,000, Aswath said. IIHR has proposed a subsidy of 50 per cent under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture for the wider adoption of the new structures by farmers practising poly-house cultivation in urban and semi-urban areas, he said.

 

IIHR has set up these new vertical farming structures at the Centre of Excellence on Protected Cultivation of Horticultural Crops at its premises in Hessarghatta, Bengaluru, to demonstrate the cultivation of high-value floriculture crops like lilium and high-value vegetables such as broccoli and purple cabbage. Safeena SA, Senior Scientist, IIHR, said the institute was looking at patenting the new vertical farming structure design.

 

At the upcoming National Horticulture Fair starting Wednesday (February 22), IIHR will provide training to the farmers on the vertical farming techniques.

 

With shrinking land resources, vertical farming, which helps produce more crops from small areas throughout the year, is seen as an innovative solution to help address the growing food demand.

 

This distinctive method of farming aims at higher productivity in smaller spaces making efficient use of the available vertical space and uses soil-less farming methods.

 

Other vegetable crops such as beans, cauliflower, various leafy vegetables, fruits like strawberries and flowers such as gerbera, gypsophilia, gladiolus can be grown under the vertical farming method, Aswath said.

A farmer producer company in the Purandar taluka of Maharashtra’s Pune district successfully exported to Hong Kong India’s first commercial consignment of 550 kg of GI-tagged Puranadar figs. Rohan Ursal, a Director, Purandar Highlands, said they will now explore exports to Malaysia and other countries now.

 

'We exported the consignment on February 10, and today after getting detailed feedback from importing client, we are very happy to announce that the consignment was a success and well accepted and also one that has generated interest in the importing country for further orders,' said Ursal.

 

This was a joint effort between Purandar Highlands and Scion Agricos. The consignment had the branding for the ‘VISIT INDIA 2023’ mission of Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism to support its campaign.

 

Purandar figs have limited market reach due to the highly perishable nature of the fruit. Purandar Highlands, whose members and board of directors are from the Purandar and Baramati regions of the district, has been working with the growers to ensure export quality figs and custard apples are harvested in the region. The farmers producer company has also ventured into the business of table spreads.

 

Ursal said they had been experimenting with smaller quantities to understand the logistics necessary for export. To ensure fruits have a longer shelf life, they need to be harvested in the right manner and also packed properly.

 

The FPC along with input giant Bayer Crop Science has been working to ensure farmers grow and harvest export-quality fruits. After the successful trial of smaller consignments, they decided to carry out commercial consignments.

 

Interestingly, the latest export came after the first sample consignment was sent to Hamburg in Germany and a few EU countries.

 

Ursal said while the demand remains high, they have committed to providing around 450-550 kg of export-quality figs per week. He said they have got orders for exports to Malaysia as well.

 

'Purandar Figs were always considered highly perishable, limiting its reach to farther markets. However with joint efforts of our FPC team and our partners, we are now taking our fresh figs to global markets with a commercially viable and sustainable farm-to-table model,' he said.

Marking the first anniversary of the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the two sides have launched the UAE chapter of their joint business chamber to bolster economic ties and facilitate enhancing bilateral trade and investment. India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) inked a CEPA on February 18 last year to boost trade ties following a virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

 

The UAE India Business Council - UAE Chapter (UIBC-UC) was launched on Saturday by Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, in the presence of Ambassador of India to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir, Consul General of India in Dubai Aman Puri and founding members of the UBIC-UC.

 

The two nations aim to increase bilateral trade to USD 100 billion and attract USD 75 billion in investment from the UAE to India.

 

 

The UIBC-UC is poised to play a crucial role in supporting both governments in achieving these objectives and maximising the potential of the UAE-India relationship.

 

By leveraging the strong bond between the two nations, the council brings together key partners and stakeholders from both nations and will serve as a valuable source of policy guidance, fostering innovative collaboration between Emirati and Indian businesses.

 

Speaking on this occasion, Minister Zeyoudi highlighted that the establishment of the UAE Chapter of the UAE India Business Council marks a significant moment in the deepening of the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and India.

 

He also mentioned that the Council will play a critical role in supporting the two governments in their joint mission to boost bilateral trade and investment. He expressed confidence that it will catalyse innovative collaboration between our two great nations.

 

Ambassador Sudhir said, 'The launch today marks a significant milestone in the strengthening of the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and India.'

 

The UIBC-UC will serve as the counterpart organisation to the UIBC India Chapter, which was established in New Delhi on September 3, 2015, by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Sushma Swaraj, then Minister of External Affairs of India.

 

The UAE India Business Council - UAE Chapter (UIBC-UC) has been set up with the approval of UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

 

The UIBC-UC will operate under the supervision of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce & Industry and has been registered as a legal and financial entity with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. The council will have its office in Abu Dhabi and will be a pan UAE body focussing on promoting trade and investment relations between the UAE and India. Membership to UIBC-UC will be by invitation only, and institutional members will be invited over time.

 

Faizal Kottikollon, Chairman, of KEF Holdings, who has been appointed as the Chairman of UIBC-UC, said the council's focus will be to identify significant strategic projects that can be undertaken by both countries.

 

'This includes investments in large infrastructure projects in India, advancements in manufacturing and technology, and providing Indian manufacturers with the ability to use the UAE as a base for their global expansion,' he said.

 

Rizwan Soomar, CEO & MD (India Subcontinent) at DP World, will serve as the Co-Chairman of UIBC-UC.

 

Major General (Retd.) Sharafuddin Sharaf, who serves as the Chairman of the UIBC India Chapter, will also hold the position of Vice Chairman of UIBC-UC.

 

The founding members of the UIBC-UC from the UAE side are Mubadala - Sovereign Wealth Fund of the UAE, Wizz Financial, DP World, EMAAR, Emirates Airlines, and Emirates NBD Bank.

 

From the Indian side, large conglomerates such as TATA, Reliance, and Adani as well as tech innovators like OLA, Zerodha, Udaan, and EaseMyTrip along with prominent Indian entrepreneur led Corporations based in the UAE such as KEF Holdings, Buimerc Corporation, Apparel Group, EFS and Lulu Financial are represented.

India and Iraq on Monday discussed ways to further increase and diversify trade from oil to non-oil sectors, while stressing the importance of expanding economic partnership and technology engagement. The two sides held wide-ranging talks during the second round of the India-Iraq Foreign Office Consultations in Baghdad where the Indian delegation was led by Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (CPV & OIA), while Iraq's delegation was led by Hisham Al Alawi, Undersecretary for Political Planning Affairs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq.

 

Sayeed also called on Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Hayyan Abdul Ghani, Iraq's Minister of Trade Atheer Dawood Salman, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasem Al Araji and Iraq's President of Sunni Awqaf Board Mesh'an Al Khazraji, and discussed a range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

 

Both the sides noted the warm and friendly traditional relations, and comprehensively reviewed the current status of bilateral relations in all fields including political, economic, defence, security, trade and investments, development partnership, scholarship programme and capacity building, cultural relations and people-to-people contacts, the statement said.

 

Detailed discussions were held on further strengthening of the bilateral relations and the future direction of the growth of bilateral cooperation, the statement said.

 

Both sides expressed their satisfaction about the bilateral trade, which exceeded USD 34 billion for 2021-22 and discussed ways and means to further increase and diversify trade from oil to non-oil sectors, it said.

 

The Indian and Iraqi sides noted the importance of expanding economic partnership and technology engagement.

 

They also noted opportunities for investment, particularly in the fields of oil and gas, infrastructure, healthcare, power, transport, agriculture, water management, drugs and pharmaceuticals, ICT, and renewable energy.

 

They urged business community to engage closely for mutual benefit.

 

A sizeable number of candidates from Iraq have been benefiting from our capacity-building programme, including ITEC and higher education scholarships.

 

Both sides are keen to enhance the level of economic engagement and people-to-people exchanges.

 

The secretary (CPV & OIA) also announced that an artificial limb fitment camp (Jaipur Foot) will be organised in Iraq soon, the MEA said.

 

Sayeed interacted with the Indian community, Indian and Iraqi business leaders and Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation and Indian Council for Cultural Relations alumni from Iraq.

 

He also inaugurated the newly-constructed Indian Consular Application Centre (ICAC) in Baghdad which will facilitate Indian and Iraqi nationals, seeking visas and consular services.

 

Both sides agreed on the importance of continuing the upward momentum in the relationship through exchanges of regular visits and consultations, and agreed to hold the next India-Iraq Joint Commission Meeting at Oil Ministers' level in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date, the statement said.