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21 Feb, 2023 News Image FCI invites bids for sale of 11.72 lt of wheat in third e-auction.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has floated bids from 620 depots across the country to sell a total 11.72 lakh tonnes (lt) of wheat during the third round of e-auction, which is scheduled to take place on next Wednesday.
 
'For the third e-auction, bidders who have registered themselves on the e-portal of M Junction by 10:00 PM, February 17, will be allowed to participate. The last date for deposit and uploading of earnest money deposit (EMD) is February 21 and e-auction will start at 11:00 AM on February 22,' the Food Ministry said on Saturday.
 
The Ministry said a total of 12.98 lt of wheat were sold during the previous two rounds of the e-auction and as much as 8.96 lt has been lifted by the successful bidders. This, the Ministry said, resulted in the cooling down of prices of wheat and atta. A total of 25 lt has been approved for sales through e-auction, while another 5 lt has been earmarked for cooperatives and State governments to directly lift at reserve prices.
 
The government has been aggressively trying to offload as much wheat as possible in the open market through a well distribution plan with a cap of maximum 3,000 tonnes per bidder to lift through the auction, which has been scheduled on a weekly basis.
 
On February 17, the Ministry reduced reserve prices of wheat by Rs 2/kg. Accordingly, the reserve prices are Rs 2,150/quintal for fair average (FAQ) quality and Rs 2,125/quintal for Under Relaxed Specifications (URS) category in the third round of e-auction.
 
Earlier on February 10, the government had fixed the reserve prices of wheat at Rs 2,300/quintal for URS and Rs 2,350/quintal for FAQ quality, uniform all across the country, changing the previous rates which also included additional freight costs from Bhopal or Ludhiana till the depot.

 Source:  www.thehindubusinessline.com
21 Feb, 2023 News Image India s Oilmeal Export Up By 70% in 2022-23.
According to data compiled by the vegetable oil industry body The Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), India's overall oilmeal exports from April to December were 70% higher year on year at around 3.3 million tonnes.
 
Oilmeals are the residue left over after extracting oil from oilseeds, and they are commonly used as livestock feed. Total exports were 2.82 million tonnes in December. 
 
According to data, India's oilmeal exports were 472,438 tonnes in January, up 167 percent from 176,967 tonnes in the same month last year. It is worth noting that rapeseed meal exports have reached a new high of 1.91 million tonnes, breaking the previous high set in 2011-12.
 
Furthermore, higher rapeseed (mustard) oil prices and rapeseed meal exports not only supported the domestic price of mustard seed, but also encouraged greater mustard crop sowing area during the current rabi season.
 
Rabi crops are typically planted in October and November, with harvesting occurring between January and March, depending on the maturity of the commodity. One of the most important rabi crops is mustard.
 
The agriculture ministry forecasts mustard seed production for the current crop year (2022-23) at a record 12.81 million tonne (MT), up from 11.96 MT in the previous crop year.
 
Soyabean meal exports increased by 77% year on year to 0.55 MT in April-January 2022-23. According to officials, the drop in domestic soyabean prices to around '4,700/quintal from a high of '7,640/quintal in April 2022 encouraged greater crop crushing and better price parity.?
 
Because of logistical proximity and smaller lot sizes, India's soyameal is primarily exported to South East Asian countries. 'Indian soyabean meal has an advantage and is preferred by certain European countries and the US because it is non-GMO,' according to a SEA.

 Source:  krishijagran.com
21 Feb, 2023 News Image Together with the Center, the States should focus on the progress of small farmers - Shri Tomar.

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar chaired the National Conference on Agriculture for Zaid (Summer) Campaign-2023 in New Delhi today. On this occasion, Shri Tomar said that India is in a very good position in terms of food grains production and this has been achieved due to the farmer-friendly policies of the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, tireless hard work of farmers and novel research by agricultural scientists. But the stage where India is today, we cannot be sit on our laurels, production should be scaled and on the basis of minute planning, such meaningful results should come out so that in the Agriculture sector, besides meeting the continuous supply of our domestic needs, we can successfully fulfill the world supply demands.

Union Minister Shri Tomar said that the Advance Estimates of a record breaking agricultural production (323 million tonnes) are encouraging. While agriculture is important, it is also an area of greater caution and responsibility. There was a time when little progress was taken for granted and the country depended on others for food grains but due to continuous progress under the efficient leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi today most of the countries are dependent on India unlike before. We have to fulfill our needs in terms of agricultural products, as well as meet the demands of the world if needed. In this regard, we have to increase production and productivity as well as improve quality so that we can meet the global standards. Shri Tomar said that many concrete steps have been taken for the development of Agriculture sector under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Modi, in which the States are also cooperating. As resolved by the Prime Minister, 22 crore Soil Health Cards have been distributed in two phases, the main objective of which is to preserve the fertility of our earth. Along with distribution of cards, the number of soil testing labs has been augmented at every level. The responsibility of positive result in this regard rests with the State Governments. All farmers should also participate in this.

Shri Tomar said that everyone should consider adopting other available alternatives to chemical fertilizers, – nano urea, biofertilizer. About 2.5 lakh crore rupees is being incurred annually on fertilizer subsidy. Apart from saving this amount, healthy production can be done and individual health can be ensured. Due to awareness campaigns, the cultivation area under organic and natural farming is increasing. States should focus on the progress of small farmers through measures like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi launched by Prime Minister Shri Modi. Krishi Vigyan Kendra and ATMA should work together at the district level to bring about rejuvenation, besides the State Governments should draw their annual plans for the Agriculture sector and consider how they can make good use of the Central Government schemes for the interest of the farmers. Agriculture and allied Departments/Ministries and States together make up the Team India, which should further strengthen the Agriculture sector. He said that Summer Crops are important, which also helps in increasing the income of small farmers. Shri Tomar said that the benefits of the schemes should reach the small farmers by making proper use of the Government funds. The government is also working on the Digital Agriculture Mission, in which cooperation of the States is necessary.

  

Agriculture Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja, Secretary-DARE and Director General-ICAR, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary-Fertilizer Shri Arun Baroka also addressed the conference and presentations were made by Additional Secretaries and Joint Secretaries. Senior officers of Agriculture and other Central Ministries, Agriculture Production Commissioner/Principal Secretary and other senior officers of State Agriculture Departments, representatives of Central and State organizations participated in the conference. It was informed during the conference that there is no shortage of fertilizers anywhere in the country. The number of Kisan Samridhi Kendras has now increased to 12,000. The PM-PRANAM scheme is running smoothly, which aims to reduce the usage of chemical urea. It was also informed that Seed Traceability system is being introduced by the Centre, which will ensure availability of quality seeds. Pesticide Management System will also be implemented.


 Source:  www.pib.gov.in
21 Feb, 2023 News Image Effective implementation of PM GatiShakti will kick start virtuous cycle of pulling in private investments, increasing production, employment & growth : Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade

The first Prime Minister GatiShakti regional workshop for Western and Central Zone was held today in Goa. The workshop featured discussions on use cases of National Master Plan (NMP) adoption by Central Ministries & State Departments for planning and acted as a platform for mutual learning among the States and Central Ministries/Departments.  Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry and senior government officials from Central Ministries and State Governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh were present on the occasion.

Addressing the workshop via video conference, Secretary, DPIIT Anurag Jain stated that PM GatiShakti will kick start the virtuous cycle of pulling in private investments, increasing production, employment and growth. He added that the GatiShakti NMP was launched to propel the nation towards achieving the goal of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.  He further noted that the root cause of many problems faced by the common man is the huge disconnect between macro level planning and its implementation at the micro level and that the GatiShakti NMP is huge step towards resolving the same. Synergies can be built to ensure integrated planning, synchronized implementation and monitoring of infrastructure, economic and social sector projects/schemes through this platform, added Secretary Anurag Jain.

Special Secretary, DPIIT Sumita Dawra observed that since the launch of PM GatiShakti on Oct 13, 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several milestones such as the launch of a National Logistics Policy has been achieved. Tracing the progress made under PM GatiShakti NMP, she added that as of today over 1300 layers have been uploaded. 30 Individual portals of Central Ministries and 36 States/UTs State Master Plan portals have also been developed.

Nodal Officers from Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Union Ministry of Railways and Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology also shared their improved experiences with PM GatiShakti in project planning. The day further witnessed a range of sessions, including a few on demonstration of use cases and best practices of PM GatiShakti in holistic planning of economic activities and social sector planning, on significance of City Logistics Plan in creating sustainable cities and on issues & bottlenecks on major projects of the States enlisted in the PMG.


 Source:  www.pib.gov.in
20 Feb, 2023 News Image Karnataka budget. Karnataka to incentivise millets production; announces new scheme to boost horticulture exports.
Karnataka announced plans to incentivise millets production besides initiating a new schemes to promote processing and exports of horticulture produce and bring more area under organic and natural farming in the state.
 
Presenting Budget 2023-24, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai announced an incentive of Rs. 10,000 per hectare for enhancing minor millets production under the ‘Raithasiri’ scheme and also hiked the limit on interest free short-term loan to farmers from Rs.3 lakh to Rs.5 lakh this year.
 
'Karnataka is at the forefront of millets production. As a part of the International Year of Millets, an incentive of Rs.10,000 per hectare will be provided to minor millets growers under 'Raithasiri' scheme to promote area expansion, production and to increase productivity. Apart from this, under new scheme of ‘Mukhyamanthri Raitha Unnathi Yojane,’ priority will be given for providing subsidy to Farmer Producers Organisations undertaking processing, grading and packing at field level,' Bommai said.
 
Through KAPPEC (Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation) ‘Raitha Sampada’ programme will be initiated to promote processing and export of agricultural and horticultural produce at a cost of Rs.100 crore, Bommai added. Karnataka, a large producer of horticulture crops, presently has 26.21 lakh ha under horticulture crops with an output of 242 lakh tonnes valued at Rs.66,263 crore. Bommai also said that Apical Root Culture Technology will be introduced at reasonable price to farmers to achieve self-reliance in potato seed cultivation. Potato seed is being imported from the Northern states for potato cultivation.
 
One farm One crop scheme
‘One farm One crop’ scheme will be implemented in the 12 horticulture farms of the department. According to the agro climatic conditions, suitable crops will be identified and research and demonstration will be carried out to enhance productivity. 'One time grant of Rs.10 crore will be provided for this,' he said.
 
Supplementing the Centre’s scheme to attract one crore farmers to organic farming, Bommai announced that one lakh hectares will be covered under organic and holistic farming in the next four years on cluster model in 50 hectares area in each taluk of the state.
 
Water conservation
Further, to improve underground water level, a new scheme 'Jalanidhi' will be launched wherein water conservation works will be taken up by building farm ponds in farmers’ lands. Under this, all farmers will be encouraged to construct farm ponds in their own land by converging with MGNREGA scheme.
 
Horticulture
The chief minister also announced an assistance of Rs.10 crore to Agriculture and Horticulture Research Centre at Theerthahalli to develop new technology for the management of diseases affecting arecanut crops and also to enhance productivity, while announcing horticulture college in Tiptur. He also said that Rs.100 crore grant will be allocated to Karnataka Grapes and Wine Board to assist grape growers in various activities.
 
Karnataka has provided Rs.39,031 crore grant in the year 2023-24 to the Agriculture and allied activities sector. 'The limit of interest free short-term loan given to farmers will be increased from Rs.3 lakh to Rs.5 lakh from this year. This would ensure availability of hassle free and need based loan facility for making necessary preparation for farm-related activities', Bommai said. This year, a loan of Rs.25,000 crore will be distributed to over 30 lakhs farmers. 'We have decided to give additional subsidy of Rs.10,000 in 2023-2024 under the new scheme ‘Bhoo siri’ for Kisan Credit Card holders. This would facilitate farmers purchase seeds, fertiliser, pesticides and other farm inputs in times of exigencies. The state will contribute Rs.2,500 and NABARD Rs.7,500 and would benefit around 50 lakh farmers of the State' he added.

 Source:  thehindubusinessline.com
20 Feb, 2023 News Image India-UAE Free Trade deal has deepened bilateral ties: PM Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the India-UAE free trade deal signed a year ago has given a boost to Indian entrepreneurs and also deepened bilateral ties with the Gulf nation.
 
'CEPA with UAE has given a boost to Indian entrepreneurs and has also deepened our ties with UAE,' Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet.
 
The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed on February 18, 2022 during a virtual summit between Prime Minister Modi and President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
 
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, in a tweet, said that it is one year since the two sides inked the India-UAE CEPA. He also attached an article jointly written with UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi highlighting 'how the deal is a turning point in our economic ties and a model for cross-border collaboration'.
 
On Friday, a Special Business Event was organised in Dubai by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in association with the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, Consulate General of India, Dubai and Dubai Chambers on Friday, to mark a successful year of the CEPA signing.
 
The event was attended by more than 200 leading businesses from India and the UAE.
 
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, speaking on the occasion, said that with CEPA, India and the UAE are offering a platform for a possible wider global cooperation.
 
Since the agreement was signed a year ago, UAE and India have launched several initiatives, including the I2U2 programme and a recent trilateral agreement with France to promote collaboration in energy and climate change mitigation. These partnerships create new access to economic opportunities for both countries. The I2U2 group — comprising Israel, India, the US and United Arab Emirates — is emerging as a new coalition in the Middle East.
 
'The CEPA deal was concluded to reflect our ambitions by reducing tariffs on more than 80 per cent of product-lines and creating new opportunities for service exports and investment flows,' said Thani Al Zeyoudi at an event to mark the first anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
 
Under the agreement, duties on more than 10,000 tariff lines will be removed within 10 years.
 
Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India in Abu Dhabi, UAE said: 'It's a glorious way forward. We have figures already for the April to November 2022 period. We've already seen an increase in bilateral trade of about 30 per cent. India's exports have increased by about 19-20 per cent. ..As the awareness grows about the benefits, we're also seeing a steep rise in the number of certificates of origin being issued on both sides. This means more and more trade. As trade increases more and more awareness increases, greater numbers of exporters on both sides join in creating a lot of new opportunities. ..Some companies have started exporting a lot of manufactured goods from the UAE to India, which they never used to do before CEPA. So, it's giving rise to new opportunities and unexplored avenues,' he said, according to a UAE daily.
 
He added: 'We’ve already seen an increase in startups. CEPA also talks about the digital world and a lot of start ups are in the digital space. In the last several months there has been a huge influx of Indian startups into Abu Dhabi and Dubai.'
 
'From the moment we commenced our mission, it was clear that we share the same vision, the same unity of purpose,' said Minister Thani Al Zeyoudi. 'We understood that our future was better served through closer integration, greater market access, and enhanced private-sector collaboration, particularly in high-growth sectors such as advanced technology, renewable energy, logistics, food security, and many others.'
 
Trade between the UAE and India has increased by 10 per cent in the year after both sides agreed to the major economic treaty, setting the stage for greater co-operation throughout the Middle East and Asia.
 
Non-oil trade rose to nearly $50 billion since the CEPA was signed a year ago today. India’s non-oil exports to the UAE grew 5 per cent to $15.2 billion during the June-January period, compared to a 3.4 per cent contraction of such exports to the rest of the world. Non-oil imports during the same period increased 3 per cent to $16.8 billion. India exported goods worth $285.9 billion during the June-January period, up 3.1 per cent, and exports to the UAE jumped 11.4 per cent during the same time at $20.4 billion.
 
'There is no better model of international cooperation than the UAE-India CEPA,' said Minister Al Zeyoudi. 'And I’m looking forward to working to realize its full potential.'
 
On Friday, the UAE India Business Council - UAE Chapter (UIBC-UC) was launched in Dubai by UAE Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, in the presence of Indian Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir, Consul General of India in Dubai Aman Puri and founding members of the UBIC-UC.
 
It 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.
 
Membership to the council will be by invitation only, and institutional members will be included over time.
 
The UIBC-UC will be the counterpart to the UIBC India Chapter, which was established in New Delhi in 2015. The council's focus will be to identify significant strategic projects that both countries can undertake, including investments in large infrastructure ventures in India, advances in manufacturing and technology, and providing Indian manufacturers with the ability to use the UAE as a base for their global expansion.
 
Faizal Kottikollon, Chairman of KEF Holdings, has been appointed as the Chairman of UIBC-UC, and the founding members of the council include Mubadala, Wizz Financial, DP World, Emaar, Emirates Airlines, Emirates NBD Bank, TATA, Reliance, Adani, OLA, Zerodha, Udaan, EaseMyTrip, KEF Holdings, Buimerc Corporation, Apparel Group, EFS, and Lulu Financial.
 
Recently, a UAE delegation went to India for the opening of Ducab’s office in Bengaluru, where it reviewed $3 billion in investments into renewable energy, logistics, retail, and food processing projects, all of which have the potential to create 20,000 jobs in India. They follow other joint initiatives launched in 2022, such as the 300MW hybrid energy projects in Gujarat, the Dubai incubator center, and the Technology Accelerator platform set up by DP World in partnership with Invest India and the Startup Kerala mission.
 
On the sidelines of CEPA anniversary, LuLu Group and FICCI signed an MoU to further accelerate exports from India to UAE. According to the agreement, Lulu Group will work closely with FICCI to support and promote new Indian companies and products in UAE.
 
'As one of the largest retailers, currently Lulu group imports close to Dh3.5 billion worth of food & non-food products from India for our 247 hypermarkets & supermarkets in the region, and this will further grow as a result of this new MOU as well as the CEPA initiatives,' said Saifee Rupawala, CEO of LULU Group International.
 
Nirankar Saxena, Dy. Secretary General of FICCI said, 'This MoU provides a huge opportunity to the MSMEs and start-ups in India as they reach out to UAE to expand their business.'
 
The CEPA entered into force on May 1, 2022. The agreement has been operating smoothly for over 10 months now.
 
Three sectors that have seen significant growth are the gems and jewellery sector, the agricultural sector as well as the engineering goods sector.

 Source:  uniindia.com
20 Feb, 2023 News Image A high quality modern organic testing lab will be set up in Sikkim to promote organic produce of the State- Shri Piyush Goyal.
Sikkim being a fully organic state, Centre has decided to set up a high quality modern organic testing lab in the State to promote organic produce of the State, said the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal. He was addressing an interaction programme with Sikkim Chamber of Commerce & Industry representatives organised by FICCI at Gangtok today. He also urged to set a target to export $ 1 billion dollar organic product by 2030 from existing $1million dollar organic produce in Sikkim. The Minister also suggested for organic, sustainable and clean renewable energy. He suggested lab for organic testing in the State- farm to lab - traceability check. He also insisted to use existing infrastructure for up scaling economic activities.
 
He said that Sikkim has potential to become a sustainable State and an Organic State. He apprised that such achievements will give more value and leverage to boost tourism in the State. He stressed on local youth to work on design and packaging facility as well. He informed, Centre is ready to set up National Institute of Design and National Institute of Packaging Campus in Sikkim if lands are provided by the State Government.
 
In the afternoon, Shri Piyush Goyal, chaired a review meeting with Government Officials here at the Conference hall of Tashiling Secretariat in Gangtok today. The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary, Government of Sikkim, Shri Vijay Bhushan Pathak and DC Gangtok, Shri Tushar Nikhare and several other officers.
 
Shir Piyush Goyal begin his tour today with an interactive meeting with the HoDs and Officers from various line departments on issues such as implementation of programmes and policies of Central Ministries such as Progress of PM Gatishakti, National Oil Palm Mission, Expenditure of MoCI, CAFPD and Textiles under GBD.          
 
He also reviewed Rubber plantation and production for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and mechanisms for Organic State such as Testing Facility, Blockchain and Exporting facility. Further, he said that large cardamom, spices, homestay and organic farming should be focused which will help the youth to become self-employed.
 
The Minister is on a three-day visits to Sikkim and will be meeting with Government Officials and stakeholders related to Commerce and Industries. 

 Source:  pib.gov.in
20 Feb, 2023 News Image Students and youth should contribute to make Agriculture more remunerative and make villages more prosperous Shri Tomar.
The fourth convocation ceremony of the Post Graduate Diploma in Agri Business Management of the Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (CCS-NIAM), Jaipur and the Agri Innovation and Incubation Center was inaugurated today by the chief guest, - the Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Kailash Choudhary was the special guest. On this occasion, Shri Tomar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government is continuously making efforts through various schemes for the betterment of the Agriculture sector. To bring more benefits to the Agriculture sector in the country and to make the villages more prosperous, the students and youth associated with Agriculture should also contribute. Shri Tomar also announced to add 60 seats in NIAM and abolish the provision of compulsory stay in hostel.
 
Union Minister Shri Tomar said that the Agriculture sector is important, in which everyone's interest should increase, youth should also be attracted towards it, it is the responsibility of all of us. There is livelihood in the Agriculture sector, but there is also the patriotism of the farmers, that is because everything will come to a halt without agriculture production. There are many challenges in the Agriculture sector, which the Central Government, by using technology, is successfully moving ahead to solve with the cooperation of the States. Many challenges like moving towards remunerative crops, crop diversification, elimination of middlemen in the sale of produce are being dealt with in a planned manner. Shri Tomar said that scientists have done a lot of work in the Agriculture sector, while, along with the untiring hard work of the farmers, there has been unprecedented progress in Agriculture due to the farmer-friendly policies of the Government. In terms of most of the agricultural produce, India is at Number One or Second rank in the world today, which we all together should aim to make it a leader. The world has a lot of expectations regarding food grains from India, which we are fulfilling and will continue to do so in the future. Agricultural research is a work of continuity, while there is no let up in the hard work of the farmers and the efforts of the government. Jobs are necessary for livelihood, but at the same time it is also necessary to improve the Agriculture sector, because 56 percent of the country's population is dependent on it.
 
Shri Tomar said that Prime Minister Modi constantly emphasizes that we should not only make the present beautiful, but also make India a developed nation by the time we celebrate the centenary of India’s Independence, this is a golden and historic opportunity for India. It is the responsibility of the new generation to take advantage of it. The future of the country in 2047 should be such that India becomes the torchlight to the world. In this direction, programs and schemes are being continuously evolved under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi. The Union Minister said that it is futile to wait for tomorrow, we should do the work now that can be done today. Appreciating the Agri Startups, Shri Tomar said that very good experiments have been done in the country. In the year 2014, when we came to power, there were 32 Startups in all sectors taken together. Startups in the country have been continuously encouraged by Prime Minister Shri Modi, due to which the number of Agri Startups alone has now increased to 2,000, whereas, including other sectors, more than 10,000 Startups are working. On their strength, India will become world guru in the future.
 
Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Choudhary also addressed the gathering. Members of Parliament, Shri Ramcharan Bohra and Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Principal Secretary of Rajasthan, Shri Dinesh Kumar were among the dignitaries present. Dr. Vijayalakshmi Nadendla, Joint Secretary- Marketing and Director General of Regulation, delivered the welcome address. Dr. Ramesh Mittal, Director, NIAM proposed the vote of thanks.
 
During the convocation, Shri Tomar gave away diplomas to the students of Post Graduate Diploma-Agri Business Management and medals to the meritorious students. Shri Tomar also launched the products of Startups, trained and funded by NIAM and distributed cheques for grants. Startup exhibition and products display was also organized, in which startups trained and funded by NIAM participated.
 
On the occasion, awards were distributed to NIAM's partner institutions based on their performance in startup training and funding, including Platinum Award to Shri Karan Narendra Agricultural University, Jobner, Diamond Award to National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack (Odisha) and Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour was honored with the Gold Award. Shri Tomar also launched the website of Agri Innovation and Incubation Center, besides inaugurating the Farmer Producer Organization Business School and Smart Class Room and was provided with the status report of the Indo-German project. Nine publications of NIAM were also released during the ceremony.

 Source:  pib.gov.in
20 Feb, 2023 News Image Mango exports to US to get boost.
With the setting up of the fourth irradiation facility at Ahmedabad, India’s exports of mangoes varieties Kesar, Alphonso and Banganappale to the United States is expected to give a boost in the coming season (April-July).
 
Trades sources said while India exported around 1000 tonne of mangoes to the US last year while varieties such as that of Alphonso and Kesar mangoes have been sold in the US market at a premium of $ 9 /a kg and $ 7 / a kg respectively last year compared to $ 3 to $ 4 a kg realized from mangoes sourced from other countries.
 
India is aiming to expand its footprint in mango exports to high value markets including the United States, Japan, South Korea and European countries.
 
Currently mangoes exported to the US undergo an irradiation process, where fruit is exposed to gamma radiation, which kills insects or pesticides inside the fruit while countries such Japan and South Korea seek imports of fruits which have undergone vapour heat treatment and hot water treatment for eliminating presence of pests.
 
Officials said that the irradiation facility at Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Limited, Ahmedabad along with similar facilities at Vashi (Navi Mumbai), Nasik and Bengaluru will help expand mango exports to a high value market as the United States.
 
The exports of mangoes were halted in 2020 and 2021 as inspectors from the United States department of agriculture (USDA) could not visit India for inspection of irradiation facilities due to travel restrictions because of Covid19.
 
Last year, India exported mangoes to Japan for the first time this season while shipment to South Korea resumed after two years.
 
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority (APEDA) has assisted state government agencies in setting up vapour heat treatment  facilities in Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Vashi (Maharashtra), Nuzvid and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh).
 
'We have identified more than 50 countries to promote and facilitate mango exports of unique and Geographically Identified (GI) identified varieties,' M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, told FE.
 
India is the world’s largest producer of mangoes, followed by China. However, it exports less than one per cent mainly because of lack of sea container protocol and air freights are expensive. Uniqueness of Indian mangoes is its sweetness and smaller size.
 
For mangoes exports, APEDA has identified 15 clusters in Maharashtra (Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg), Gujarat (Junagarh, Valsad, Kutch and Navsari), Uttar Pradesh (Saharanpur, Meerut and Lucknow), Telangana (Rangareddy, Mehboobnagar and Warangal) and Andhra Pradesh (Krishna, Chittoor and Kurnool).
 
In 2021-22, the United Arab Emirates (44%), United Kingdom (22%), Qatar (7%), Oman (6%), Kuwait (5%), had 84% share in India’s value of fresh mango exports.

 Source:  financialexpress.com
20 Feb, 2023 News Image India s soymeal exports to soar as drought trims Argentine supply.
Soymeal exports from India are increasing sharply as drought has hit output from top exporter Argentina, with 500,000 tonnes likely to be shipped from the South Asian country in February and March combined, three exporters said.
 
The drop in Argentina’s output has driven up the South American producer’s prices, making Indian soymeal more competitive.
 
India’s exports in the first four months of the 2022/23 marketing year, which began on Oct. 1, surged 65% to 631,000 tonnes, nearly matching the 644,000 tonnes exported in the whole of the previous year, according to trade body the Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA).
 
'Exports have gained momentum and would remain there until at least mid-April,' Hemant Bansal, vice president, oilseed crushing and refining at Patanjali Foods Ltd., told Reuters.
 
The revival in exports of the animal feed has boosted soybean crushing in India and the availability of soyoil, which could reduce the need for imports of soyoil and palm oil by the world’s biggest buyer in coming months, exporters said.
 
Bangladesh, Vietnam and Nepal are buying Indian soymeal as it is cheaper than supplies from South America, and they are also saving on freight costs, Bansal said.
 
Indian soymeal is being offered for around $580 to $585 per tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis for March shipments, compared to $598 offered by Argentina, exporters said.
 
'If global prices sustain at the current level, then India could easily export more than 2 million tonnes in 2022/23,' said an exporter based at Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
 
That would be more than triple the volume exported in the 2021/22 marketing year.
 
Its crop numbers are continuously being revised downward, supporting soymeal prices, said the Indore-based exporter, who declined to be named as he is not authorised to speak to media.
 
Oil mills have increased soybean crushing to fulfil meal export orders, which should reduce import needs in coming months, said a Mumbai-based exporter, who also declined to be named.

 Source:  hellenicshippingnews.com