Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda launched the centralized 'Kisan Rakshak Helpline 14447 and Portal', Agri-Insurance Sandbox Framework Platform SARTHI and Learning Management System (LMS) Platform for the farming community under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in Delhi today. Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Food Processing Sushri Shobha Karandlaje and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Kailash Choudhary, Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja were also present on the occasion.

 

Since its inception in 2016, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has been a safety net for farmers in India, protecting them from the unpredictability of nature through crop insurance. It became crucial for the scheme to ensure farmers could navigate the claim process, submit grievances, seek information on their queries and obtain timely assistance without difficulty. To address these challenges and ensure prompt support for farmers, the Government has introduced the Krishi Rakshak Portal and Helpline (KRPH) 14447. This platform provides multilingual support, enabling transparent communication and real-time resolution of grievances related to compensation delays and insurance queries. By streamlining processes and offering accessible assistance, KRPH underscores the Government's steadfast commitment to the welfare and prosperity of the farming community.

 

In his address, Union Minister Shri Munda said, 'India is the country of farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture is working continuously under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to support and empower the farmers. Keeping this in mind, efforts are being made to increase the income of farmers and make them self-sufficient through the schemes run by the Government.' He also said that the continuous efforts are being made by the Government in this direction. He said that there is an opportunity to be a partner in empowering farmers technically and digitally as well.  For the same purpose, the Krishi Rakshak Portal and Helpline, Sandbox Framework and LMS Platform have been launched under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Union Agriculture Minister emphasized the Government's focus on leveraging technology for the betterment of farmers' lives.

 

Another significant launch was The Learning Management System (LMS), developed in collaboration with the National E-Governance Division (NeGD). Its primary goal is to provide stakeholders, including farmers, insurance companies, Government officials, state Government representatives, and participants in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), with the essential skills and knowledge needed for efficient crop insurance and agricultural credit. The LMS will facilitate training and knowledge sharing through interactive modules, personalized training programs, and accessible resources. Stakeholders can deepen their understanding of agricultural practices, crop insurance protocols, and financial mechanisms. The LMS can be accessed on https://elearn-pmfbykcc.lms.gov.in.

 

Shri Munda said that efforts have also been going on continuously to improve the implementation of the scheme in the last few years. The Government is committed to promoting such schemes in the agriculture sector, which can reduce risk and improve income for farmers. He told the officials that they should try resolving the problems of farmers with usage of data. He mentioned that he is elated to observe that the Ministry of Agriculture is working in a real organized manner for every single farmer, focusing on adaptation of digital and technology in agriculture.

 

While crop insurance has been a primary product for farmers, the Government has also extended insurance to the entire agricultural community through other products. Recognizing the multifaceted risks faced by farmers beyond crop losses, the comprehensive digital insurance platform SARTHI was launched in collaboration with UNDP India. SARTHI extends coverage to health, life, home, shop, agriculture implements, motor, and parametric products. SARTHI can be accessed via the AIDE app available on Android App Store.

 

This ambitious endeavour, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, not only aims to safeguard farmers' livelihoods but also to fortify the resilience of the agricultural sector as a whole. With 56 crore applications already enrolled under PMFBY, SARTHI marks a significant advancement beyond traditional crop insurance, offering a diverse array of products tailored to farmers' needs. By expanding insurance coverage to include vital assets like tractor machinery, SARTHI empowers farmers to comprehensively mitigate risks, securing their livelihoods and fostering long-term sustainability in agriculture.

 

The launch of the LMS, KRPH - 14447, and SARTHI represents the latest milestone in the Ministry of Agriculture's ongoing transformative journey in Indian agriculture. These initiatives, introduced alongside cutting-edge technologies such as YES-Tech, Digi-Claim, WINDS, CROPIC, and AIDE app, underscore the Government's unwavering commitment to innovation, resilience, and sustainability in farming. Together, these initiatives embody a holistic approach to fostering the welfare and sustainability of the farming community, aligning with the Government's vision for a resilient and prosperous agricultural sector.

India imported 30,271 tonnes of arecanut valued Rs.118.45 crore during the first eight months of 2023-24, according to a reply in the Lok Sabha.

 

To a query on arecanut imports, Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, said the Customs field formations and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) under Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIC) as well as State commercial tax departments keep constant vigil for illicit transportation of arecanut into India through air, sea and land ports and take appropriate actions as per the provisions of law to prevent imports through adoption of various deceptive methods.

 

According to the reply, India imported 30,271 tonnes of arecanut valued Rs.118.45 crore during April-November 2023-24. India had imported 73,983 tonnes valued Rs.258.19 crore during 2022-23.

 

Illicit imports

On specific cases of arecanut illicitly transported into India through airports utilising domestic supply routes, the Minister said Customs field formations seized 14,188 tonnes of arecanut valued Rs.0.56 crore in 12 cases during 2022-23, and 15,296 tonnes valued Rs.0.52 crore in 2021-22.

 

The CBIC, through its field formations and DRI, keeps a strict vigil at the possible areas prone to illegal transportation of arecanut and take appropriate action in accordance with the provisions of the Customs Act 1962, she said.

 

To restrict the illegal import of arecanut into the country and to protect the interest of the domestic arecanut growers has taken measures. These include stringent adherence of quality standards by field offices of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) before clearing the import consignments.

 

Strict examination of the ‘Rule of Origin’ of arecanut by Customs field formations to ensure that arecanut grown in countries other than SAARC is not imported through the neighbouring countries taking advantage of import duty exemption under trade agreements.

 

Import of arecanut into the country is restricted through an import duty of 100 per cent.

 

The Minister said the Government has also revised minimum import price (MIP) to curb the import of into the country and thus to prevent entry of inferior quality arecanut into Indian markets and destabilizing the domestic prices. Accordingly, import of arecanuts is ‘prohibited’ if if CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value is less than Rs.351 a kg.

 

However, the MIP conditions shall not be applicable for imports by 100 per cent export-oriented units and units in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) subject to the condition that no domestic tariff area sale is allowed.

The government on Wednesday said it has directed the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) to maintain a moratorium on insurance rates for Indian exporters in the wake of the Red Sea crisis. State-owned ECGC is an export promotion organisation, seeking to improve the competitiveness of Indian exports by providing them with credit insurance covers.

 

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel said that the ECGC continues to provide insurance coverage to exporters.

 

She said that the corporation has not refused cover for export shipments routed through the Red Sea and the credit risk cover is being provided based on the risk assessment and creditworthiness of overseas buyers and terms of payment.

 

'The government has directed Export Credit Guarantee Corporation Ltd. to maintain a moratorium on rates of insurance for the Indian exporters,' Patel said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

 

She said that some increase in the freight cost has been reported by the industry.

 

Replying to a separate question, Patel said that the fruits destined for export to the US are irradiated in Indian irradiation facilities.

 

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved four Indian Irradiation facilities for irradiation treatment.

 

As per the pre-clearance programme agreed between the two nations, the USDA inspector conducts the inspection of fruits destined for export to America in the approved facilities.

 

'The fruits are irradiated and inspected in India, in presence of USDA and India's Plant Quarantine Inspectors, and then are exported to USA,' she said.

 

In another reply, she said that the government is mindful of the current geo-political situation and various IMEC partners are consulting each other on various aspects of the IMEC initiative.

 

On the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit, India, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US announced an MoU on September 9, 2023, committing to work together to develop a new India-Middle East- Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

 

IMEC is comprised of two separate corridors, the east corridor connecting India to the Arabian Gulf and the northern corridor connecting the Arabian Gulf to Europe.

 

It includes a railway route that, upon completion, will provide a reliable and cost-effective cross-border ship-to-rail transit network to supplement existing maritime and road transport routes - enabling goods and services to transit to, from, and between India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Europe.

India, the world’s top rice shipper, may extend an export tax on the parboiled variety as part of efforts to ease food inflation ahead of national elections, a move that could keep world supply tight and send prices to new peaks.

 

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will seek a third term in the polls due in the first half of this year, is considering keeping the export levy at 20%, according to people familiar with the matter. There is no immediate proposal to ban exports of parboiled rice, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the talks are confidential. The tax is currently due to expire March 31.

 

Any such move could add to the rally in benchmark Asian rice prices, which are hovering near a 15-year high after India began restricting sales of key varieties in 2023. That would be bad news for some countries in West Africa and the Middle East that rely on the South Asian nation for most of their requirements of the food staple.

 

A spokesperson representing both the food and commerce ministries didn’t immediately comment.

 

An extension of the levy would be a part of the government’s aggressive measures to control food inflation that climbed to almost 10% in December from a year earlier. India has already curbed exports of wheat, sugar and most rice varieties, and cracked down on hoarding. It has also extended low edible oil import duties for another year.

 

Still, retail prices of rice in Delhi remain about 11% higher than a year ago. Food Minister Piyush Goyal launched a program Tuesday to provide subsidized rice to retail customers across the country. The government is already selling wheat flour and chickpeas at cheaper-than-market rates.

 

Parboiled rice, which accounted for about 30% of India’s total exports before the curbs, is the result of a process that involves partial boiling of paddy before milling to boost its nutritional values and change the texture of cooked rice. The South Asian nation had a share of about 40% in the global rice trade in 2022-23.

India is close to finalizing a first-of-its-kind trade deal that could see a small group of European nations invest as much as $100 billion over 15 years in exchange for easier trade access to the world’s most populous nation, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

 

The European Free Trade Association, which comprises Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, made a commitment to invest in India as part of a trade pact that’s in the final stages of negotiations, the people said, asking not to be identified as the talks are still ongoing.

 

The contours of the deal have been agreed and deliberations currently center on the final investment amount, which could be as much as $100 billion over 15 years, some of the people said. While India wants the commitment to be legally binding, one of the European officials said the amount will likely be framed as a goal, with no legal means to claim it included in the language of the agreement.

 

If finalized, it would mark the first time an investment commitment of this nature is secured by India as part of a free trade agreement.

 

Switzerland’s Economy Minister Guy Parmelin said last month that the outline of a deal had been agreed upon, without giving details. Legal clarifications are currently being rushed so the deal can be signed before India holds elections likely from April, a European official with knowledge of the matter said.

 

India’s commerce ministry didn’t immediately respond when contacted by Bloomberg News.

 

The Swiss economy ministry said in a statement that the text of the agreement is 'still to be finalized and both parties have agreed not to disclose the details at this stage.' The main points where agreement has been reached include 'patent protection, which was controversial in the past, as well as a new type of investment promotion chapter,' it said.

 

Norway’s government declined to comment on the terms of the deal.

 

Trade Bloc

Switzerland is by far India’s largest commercial partner among the members of the EFTA bloc, which comprises European nations which are not members of the European Union. Swiss two-way trade with India amounted to $17.14 billion in the 2022-23 fiscal year, out of $18.66 billion with the whole group.

 

For EFTA countries, the agreement — which has been 16 years in the making — will allow manufacturers to export processed food and beverages, electrical machinery, and other engineering products at reduced tariffs to a potential market of 1.4 billion people. The deal is also likely to benefit the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry of the bloc.

 

India is attracting investor interest from several countries as businesses look to diversify their supply chains from China and seek new growth markets. India expects growth of about 7% in the fiscal year beginning in April, making it one of the fastest-expanding major economies in the world. The United Arab Emirates is also considering investing as much as $50 billion in India.

 

The investment in India from EFTA countries would mostly come from private businesses and state-sponsored vehicles and would be targeted toward existing and new manufacturing projects, according to people familiar with the discussions. The investment will see more than 1 million jobs created in India, one of the people said.

 

The deal would also ensure easier movement of Indian professionals to the bloc and market access for some agricultural products, the people said. While Switzerland — the biggest economy in the EFTA bloc — is usually very protective of its farmers, easier market access for Indian rice could be acceptable since Switzerland only produces marginal quantities itself, a person familiar with the negotiations said.

 

The Government is cognizant of the importance of supply chain and effective logistics for improved resilience in domestic production and trade.

 

In this regard, Government of India has taken several measures to strengthen supply chains including logistic ecosystem. PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) was launched on 13th October 2021 for multimodal infrastructure planning, with a ‘whole of government approach’. PM Gati Shakti NMP is a GIS-enabled platform that integrates data layers of the infrastructure of roads, railways lines, ports, inland waterways, telecom lines, power lines, etc. onto a single platform and enables comprehensive planning for multimodal logistics.

 

To complement PM Gati Shakti NMP, the National Logistics Policy (NLP) was launched on 17th September 2022 for efficiency in services by streamlining processes in logistics sector through Comprehensive Logistics Action Plans (CLAP), including development of human resources, adoption of digital technologies such as Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) and Logistics Data Bank (LDB). ULIP integrates 33 logistics related digital systems across Ministries, while LDB is operational to track and trace EXIM containers.

 

In addition, a series of reforms have been taken to promote investments and manufacturing in the country, such as a liberalised FDI policy, introduction of PLI Schemes in key sectors, reduction in corporate tax, Foreign Trade Policy 2023 with focus on improving ease of doing business through measures for reduction in compliance burden, Make In India, One District One Product initiative, District As Export Hub initiative along with other business reforms. Further, the existing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are ensuring supplies and market access to the manufacturing sector on preferential terms.

 

Programmes like Bharatmala and Sagarmala, Trade Infrastructure for Exports Scheme (TIES), Setting up of Industrial Parks and development of Industrial Corridors etc. also have been taken up to facilitate holistic infrastructure planning and accelerated economic development of the country.

 

At the international front, amongst others, apart from taking initiatives such as the ‘G20 Generic Framework for Mapping GVCs’, which will help countries identify opportunities for sectors and products critical for building resilience within GVCs,  Government of India has also become signatory to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity Agreement relating to Supply Chain (an initiative of 14 Member countries) and also part of the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) with Japan and Australia to build collective, long-term resilient supply chains based on international partnerships.

 

This information has been provided by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Smt. Anupriya Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

The Government has informed the Lok Sabha that onion procurement has been continuing under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) with the buffer target being raised to 7 lakh tonnes.

 

Replying to a query on Wednesday, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, said the procurement target for buffer has been raised in the 2023-24 fiscal, from 2.50 lt in 2022-23.

 

Stating that procurement of onions from farmers has been continuing since June 2023, he said 6.30 lt of onions have been procured till date.

 

The procured onions have been continuously released through retail sales, e-NAM auction and bulk sales in wholesale markets. Onion buffer operations under PSF have helped in moderating the annual seasonal volatility in prices, he said.

 

In order to check the seasonal volatility in prices of onion, buffer stock is maintained under the PSF to make onions available to consumers at affordable prices during lean season.

 

Tomato

When prices of tomato surged during July-August 2023, due to white fly infestation and adverse weather condition, tomatoes were procured under PSF from source markets and made available to retail consumers in high-price regions at subsidised rates through the National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (Nafed). Through the intervention, the retail prices of tomato were brought down to normal level by first half of September 2023, he said.

 

Bharat Dal

To make dals available to consumers at affordable prices, the Government launched Bharat Dal in July 2023, by converting Chana stock in the PSF into Chana dal for retail disposal. The Bharat Chana Dal is made available to the consumers at subsidized rates of Rs.60 a kg for 1-kg pack and Rs.55 per kg for 30-kg pack.

 

He said around 2.97 lt of Bharat Chana Dal has been sold to retail consumers which constitute about 25 per cent of household consumption of Chana Dal. The Bharat Dal has been extended to include Moong Dal by converting Moong stock in the PSF buffer into Moong Dal and Moong Sabut for retail sale to the consumers at subsidized prices of Rs.107 a kg and Rs.93 a kg, respectively.

 

He said a total of 91.62 lt of pulses has been acquired under PSF buffer, and around 86.45 lt of pulses have been disposed of. During 2022-23 and 2023-24 (till January 31), a total of 24.19 lt of pulses was released from the buffer, he said.

 

Halal certification

To a separate question on the halal certification of non-veg products by certain private bodies, Choubey said the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), Quality Council of India (QCI) had granted accreditation to Halal Shariat Islamic Law (HaSIL) Board, Lucknow; Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind Halal Trust, New Delhi; and JUHF Certification Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, as per International Standard ISO/IEC 17065 under India Conformity Assessment Scheme (i-CAS) for halal products.

 

In a notification dated April 6 2023, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) empowered NABCB to accredit halal certification bodies for exports of meat and meat products under the i-CAS for halal products and to take remedial step to minimize unauthorized halal certifications in India.

 

He said Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is designated as the overall monitoring agency for the purpose of halal certification for exports of meat and meat products.

 

PMGKAY

To a question on the beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, said around 80.49 crore people have availed the benefits of PMGKAY till January 31 of 2023-24. Around 80.10 crore people had availed the benefits of this scheme during the financial year 2022-23.

 

PMGKAY was launched with the specific purpose of ameliorating the hardships faced by the poor and needy due to economic disruptions caused by the Covid outbreak in the country in 2020.

 

She said the extension of free foodgrains under PMGKAY for five years with effect from January 1 2024, reflects the long-term commitment and vision of the Government for addressing national food and nutrition security.

India will stick to its stance and oppose any negotiation mandate on non-trade issues such as environment, gender and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) at the upcoming 13th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), officials said.

 

New Delhi is of the view that protectionist trade barriers should not be erected in the guise of sustainable development and there are different multilateral fora such as the United Nations where these issues can be discussed.

 

'Issues like environment and labour are non-trade issues. These are non-negotiable at WTO. We are sticking to that stand,' said an official. 'These are not trade issues but they have trade implications.'

 

The official added that India is against linking issues such as MSMEs and gender with trade.

 

WTO’s MC13 will be held from February 26 to 29 in Abu Dhabi and developed nations are pushing to begin formal talks on such non-trade issues.

 

On the inclusion of issues related to economic empowerment of women at the WTO talks, the official said India believes that this is a social and domestic matter, and there are specialised conventions of the UN to discuss these.

 

'So, we will not agree to any work programme; we will agree to discussions to promote sustainable development but our rights and obligations should not be impacted,' the official said.

 

The final agenda of the MC13 is expected to be finalised in the General Council meeting of the WTO next week in Geneva.

 

Officials also said that India is likely to oppose any negotiations on investments in the WTO as these fall outside the mandate of the global trade body and cannot be deliberated in formal meetings.

 

'It will be tightrope for India,' said an official.

 

China, along with a 100 countries is pushing for a Joint Initiative on Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD).

 

As per the official, India is watchful of the different positions of the EU and the US on issues related to agriculture especially market access.