Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) organized World Food India-2023 during 3rd to 5th November,2023 at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The total amount of Investment interests announced and MoUs signed during the World Food India 2023 is Rs. 33,129 Crore.

 

In order to provide boost to the Food Processing Industries, Ministry promotes investment in Food Processing Sector through its schemes (i) Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), (ii) Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and (iii) PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME). Projects assisted under these scheme have resulted in estimated Investment leverage of more than Rs. 25869 Cr.

 

Under component schemes of PMKSY, the Ministry provides mostly credit linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to the entrepreneurs including individual entrepreneurs.

 

The Ministry also provides financial, technical and business support for setting up/ upgradation of individual micro food processing enterprises through credit linked subsidy under PMFME scheme.

 

Ministry is implementing the Central Sector Scheme- “Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI)” to support creation of global food manufacturing champions commensurate with India’s natural resource endowment and support Indian brands of food products in the international markets with an outlay of Rs.10,900 crores, to be implemented from 2021-22 to 2026-27. PLISFPI is targeted to facilitate expansion of Food Processing capacity by creating champion brands in Food Processing Sector.

 

An incentives amount of Rs.584.3 Crore has been disbursed so far to the 41 eligible cases for the FY 2021-22. Investment to the tune of Rs.7696.58 crore has been reported by the PLI beneficiaries

 

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Km. Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

The government has taken various measures like production-linked incentive schemes and simplified policies to boost investments, trade and promote economic activities in the country, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday. India continues to open its economy to global investors by raising FDI limits, removing regulatory barriers, developing infrastructure and improving the business environment, the minister added.

 

To give impetus to foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, the government has put in place an investor-friendly policy, where most of the sectors are open for 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route, he noted.

 

'The government initiatives are significant to increase investments and promote economic growth besides converting the disruption caused by COVID-19 into an opportunity for growth and investment,' Goyal said.

 

To ensure that India remains an attractive and investor-friendly destination, the government reviews FDI policy on an ongoing basis and makes changes from time to time after having intensive consultations with stakeholders.

 

The policy provisions have been progressively liberalised and simplified across various sectors like asset reconstruction companies, broadcasting, pharma, single-brand retail trading, power exchanges, e-commerce activities, and coal mining.

 

In order to further improve the ease of doing business ecosystem in the country, he said, the government coordinates with ministries, departments and states for initiatives to reduce compliance burden on citizen and business activities.

 

In order to have a continuous evaluation framework, the government started a reform exercise - Business Reforms Action Plan for the assessment of the business environment in the states and UTs.

 

The other initiatives include PLI schemes for 14 sectors, a national infrastructure pipeline, a national monetisation pipeline, India's industrial land bank, a national single window system, and an industrial park rating system.

 

Talking about trade, the minister said the government is encouraging exporters to participate in the exhibitions and providing grants in aid under the market access initiative.

 

The 14 PLI schemes 'have the potential of significantly boosting production, employment, increase manufacturing activities and contribute to economic growth over the next five years or so, thereby having the potential to change the manufacturing ecosystem in the country,' Goyal told PTI.

 

The government in 2021 announced PLI schemes for 14 sectors like telecommunication, white goods, textiles, manufacturing of medical devices, automobiles, speciality steel, food products, high-efficiency solar PV modules, advanced chemistry cell battery, drones, and pharma with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore.

 

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said prices of perishable commodities are coming down and are within the 'tolerance band' now on the back of a raft of steps taken by the government, including imports of pulses and supplies of essential items to people at concessional rates.

 

Responding to questions in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said the government is well aware of the difficulties posed by the shortage of perishable goods that are not grown in India. Listing out some of the steps, the minister said the government imported 879,000 tonnes of tur dal and 1.51 million tonnes of masoor dal in 2023, in addition to other types of pulses, to bolster domestic supplies and tide over a shortage.

 

Retail inflation hit a four-month high of 5.69% in December, with food inflation touching 9.53%. Vegetable inflation remained as high as 27.64% in December, while that in pulses was 20.73%, driving up the overall food inflation.

 

'Since we don't grow enough pulses in the country and due to a shortfall in supply, prices of pulses normally keep fluctuating, for which, by analysing the crop estimates, we start tying up for imports,' Sitharaman said.

 

Through the 'Bharat Dal' initiative, the government is also ensuring supplies of pulses at concessional rates, she said. The chana dal, for instance, is made available at Rs.60 per kg for one kg packs and Rs.55 per kg for 30 kg packs, she said. About 297,000 tonnes of chana was sold at cheaper rates until January 30 (this fiscal).

 

Similarly, the government has released 396,000 tonnes of onions at a concessional rate of Rs.25 per kg in the market. Import restrictions have also been lifted so that prices of onions can be kept within a reasonable limit, the minister said.

Refraining from providing a direct answer if farmers’ income has doubled, the Government on Tuesday told the Parliament that several steps have been taken subsequent to the decision to double farmers’ income. Stating that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has compiled success stories of 75,000 farmers, several of whom have reported over two times growth in income.

 

Replying to several questions related to farmers’ income in the Lok Sabha, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said based on the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households, the average monthly income has increased from  Rs.6,426 in 2012-13 to Rs.10,218 in 2018-19, which is an increase of 59 per cent.

 

Listing the ministry’s schemes, Munda said the government’s efforts have led to an average annual growth rate of 4 per cent over the past five years in the GVA of the agriculture and allied sector. 'Implementation of these schemes has yielded remarkable results towards augmenting the income of the farmers. As part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, ICAR has released a book, which contains compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers out of innumerable successful farmers who have increased their income more than two times,' he said.

 

Seven income growth sources

The minister said the government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April 2016 to examine issues relating to 'Doubling of Farmers Income (DFI)' and recommend strategies to achieve the same. The Committee submitted its final report in September2018 containing the recommendations.

 

He said the DFI Committee has identified seven sources of income growth — Increase in crop productivity, increase in livestock productivity, resource use efficiency (reduction in cost of production), increase in cropping intensity, diversification to high-value agriculture, remunerative prices on farmers’ produce and shift of surplus manpower from farm to non-farm occupations — to achieve the objective.

 

Accordingly, there has been substantial enhancement in the budget allocation of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare from Rs.27,662.67 crore (BE) during 2013-14 to Rs.1,25,035.79 crore (BE) in 2023-24, he said, adding the Ministry of Cooperation, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Department of Fisheries were earlier integral parts of the Ministry of Agriculture in 2013-14. In a separate reply, Munda said in the four years between 2019-20 and 2022-23, against the revised allocation of Rs.4,77,780.6 crore made for the Agriculture Ministry, the actual expenditure was Rs.4,49,869.3 crore, while Rs.27,911.22 crore was unutilised.

 

However, the minister clarified that allocation for North-Eastern States, Development Action Plan for Scheduled Castes (DAPSC) and Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST) are earmarked in line with the existing guidelines and the Ministry ensures that funds earmarked under these heads are utilised effectively.

 

Munda said the expenditure on farmers’ welfare in the country has increased manifold in 2022-23 — Rs.6.5 lakh crore was spent. He listed expenses on several schemes and subsidies that the government spent on its programmes.

MoFPI through implementation of the Central Sector Scheme, namely, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), interalia, helps in creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet across the country. The scheme not only provide a boost to the growth of food processing sector in the country but also helps in, interalia, reducing wastage of agricultural produce, increasing the processing level and enhancing the export of the processed foods.

 

MoFPI is also implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme- PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) for providing technical, financial and business support for setting up/upgradation of 2 lakh Micro Food Processing Enterprises. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme also launched by MoFPI for the period 2021-22 to 2026-27 to create global food champions and improving the visibility of Indian food brands abroad.

 

Besides above, the allied Ministries/Departments and their Agencies such as Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, APEDA, MPEDA, etc. also extend enabling support through their respective schemes like Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, Agriculture Export Promotion Plan Scheme, National Agriculture Infra Financing Facility, etc.

 

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Km. Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

The Wheat and Barley Section at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) has introduced a wheat variety - WH 1402. This high-yielding wheat variant has been designed to thrive with just two spells of irrigation and moderate fertilisers, presenting a promising solution for farmers facing water scarcity.

 

Resilient and High-Yielding Wheat

HAU Vice Chancellor, Prof BR Kamboj, highlighted the adaptability of WH 1402 to the plains of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir. Boasting an average yield of 50 quintals per hectare and a maximum yield of 68 quintals per hectare in only two irrigation sessions, this new variety is a game-changer for agricultural productivity.

 

Wheat Combatting Diseases and Boosting Yield

Kamboj emphasised that WH 1402 exhibits resistance against prevalent diseases like yellow rust, brown rust, and others. Additionally, it surpasses the yield of NIAW 3170, a well-regarded variety in low-water zones, by 7.5 percent.

 

Addressing Water Depletion

The vice chancellor recommended specific fertiliser usage - 90 kg pure nitrogen, 60 kg phosphorus, 40 kg potash, and 25 kg zinc sulfate per hectare. This approach aims to curb over-exploitation of groundwater, especially in regions with declining water tables. This development holds the potential to alleviate water-related challenges in areas with limited water resources.

 

National-Level Release

Prof BR Kamboj proudly announced that the new variety has received national-level approval, making it particularly beneficial for sandy, less fertile, and water-scarce regions. Agriculture College Dean Dr SK Pahuja advised farmers to sow this variety between the last week of October and the first week of November, using 100 kg of seeds per hectare. He also highlighted the nutritional value of the grain, making WH 1402 a holistic choice for farmers aiming for both quality and quantity in their produce.

Farmers in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan are expecting at least seven to 10 per cent increase in yield of wheat this year due to favourable weather throughout January and the recent rains that brought temperature down.

 

They will likely provide requisite moisture over the next few days. However, any abnormal temperature increase in this month and March, particularly during the grain-filling stage, could offset their calculation and may even lower the production from last year.

 

'The current spell of rains is a much expected relief as it will save one round of irrigation. The cold conditions have helped the crop to come up very well this time,' said R S Rana, a farmer in Haryana, bordering Delhi, said and added that his decision to go for Pusa 1718 and got the planting completed in last week of October have been helpful.

 

Snowfall raises hopes

Another farmer, Amrik Singh Dhillon of Ludhiana, Punjab, said he has again sown PBW 826 variety and hopes to get higher yield this time from over 25 quintal/acre last year as the weather so far was very good. Besides, he expected that the current spell of snowfall in the Hills would not allow temperature to rise this month from normal level.

 

'My only concern is about some delay in sowing this year as I had planted wheat in last week of October in 2022 and around November 10 in 2023,' he said and added that there is no report of any pest attack from anywhere, so far.

 

Ashok Singh, of Hanumangarh and Sukhvider Pal Singh of Sri Ganganagar, both in Rajasthan, are also happy and expect a good harvest of wheat. 'In our area, some farmers planted wheat even up to December 20 after uprooting cotton, though the majority of sowing started after the first week of November. The heading has started coming up in early sown crop, planted before November 7,' Pal Singh said.

 

Highest sowing in UP

The Agriculture Ministry Friday released the final sowing data of all Rabi crops for the 2023-24 season, which show that wheat acreage this year ended at 341.57 lakh hectares (lh) compared with 339.20 lh in 2022-23. Uttar Pradesh, the largest producer of wheat, has reported the highest sowing of over 101.41 lh, up by more than 4 per cent and it has helped offset lower coverage in Rajasthan and Maharashtra. The acreage in Punjab and Haryana is almost at par with last year.

 

The Government has fixed a target of 114 million tonnes for wheat production this year.

 

Even if the day temperature is one to two degree Celsius higher than normal, there is no worry for the crop provided the night is cooler, Gyanendra Singh, Director of Karnal-based Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) had said last month.

 

IMD bulletin

According to latest Bulletin of India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature in Haryana’s Ambala. Hisar, Rohtak and Chandigarh was one to two degree Celsius lower than normal. In Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala in Punjab, the maximum temperature was one to four degree Celsius below normal. In Rajasthan’s main wheat growing belt the maximum temperature was 3 degree Celsius below normal.

 

However, in Meerut, Aligarh and Shahjahanpur of western Uttar Pradesh, the maximum temperature was 0.4-0.9 degree Celsius above normal on February 3. In Gorakhpur, Hardoi and Bahraich of eastern Uttar Pradesh, the maximum temperature was 0.5-2.1 degree Celsius above normal.

 

In Punjab and Haryana, the minimum temperature was 3-6 degree Celsius above normal on February 4. In most of the places in Uttar Pradesh, too the minimum temperature was up to 3.2 degree Celsius above normal.

 

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Ministry data also showed that the area sown under all Rabi crops during the 2023-24 crop year (July-June) ended at 709.29 lh, a tad higher than 709.09 lh during 2022-23.

 

Winter-grown pulses acreage was 160.08 lh compared with 166.19 lh as gram (chana) acreage dropped to 104.74 lh from 110.71 lh. But lentil acreage rose to 19.57 lh from 18.52 lh.

 

Mustard acreage was 100.44 lh against 97.97 lh in the corresponding period of 2022-23. All rabi oilseeds acreage has been reported to be at 110.96 lh, up from 109.76 lh a year ago. Groundnut area, however, ended down at 4.88 lh from 5.68 lh.

 

Winter paddy acreage reached 39.29 lh against 40.37 lh a year ago. In coarse cereals, the sowing area was 57.38 lh from 53.57 lh. Jowar acreage up 25.17 lh from 22.37 lh and maize at 23.08 lh from 22.62 lh. Barley sowing is also up at 8.21 lh against 7.57 lh.

The Agriculture Ministry has notified grading and marketing rules for five premium non-Basmati rice varieties of West Bengal — Gobindabhog, Tulaipanji, Kataribhog, Kalonunia and Radhunipagal. Under this, the authorised packers have to either set up their own laboratory or use an approved laboratory for testing the quality of rice, which will be for the first time done for any non-Basmati variety.

 

For domestic trade, packers have to follow FSSAI standards and for export, they need to comply with the residual limits fixed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission or importing countries, according to a notification issued by the Agriculture Ministry last week.

 

Issuing the Non-Basmati Aromatic Rice Grading and Marking Rules, 2024, the Ministry said objections and suggestions received from the stakeholders have been duly considered. The draft rules were notified in October last year and stakeholders were asked to submit their views in 45 days.

 

Ensuring purity

'The rice shall be packed in suitable packaging material in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Regulations, 2018, the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 and Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011,' it said.

 

Further, the graded material of small pack sizes of the same lot or batch and grade may be packed in a master container with complete details thereon along with the grade designation mark. Each package shall contain rice of the same type and of the same grade designation, it said.

 

To ensure the purity of these five varieties, like in case of Basmati, the Government has said confirmation for rice variety shall be done by Polymerase Chain Reaction test, if required.

 

The government has also prescribed detail specifications of each variety mentioning minimum requirements such as short or long grains type, how much natural fragrance it possess, characteristic of the variety both in raw and cooked forms, should be free from artificial colouring, polishing agents, artificial fragrances and any other chemicals.

 

Gobindabhog rice is produced mainly in West Bengal’s Bardhaman, Hooghly, Nadia and Birbhum districts. At the same time, both Tulaipanji and Radhunipagal mainly found their origin in the Raiganj subdivision of Uttar Dinajpur district. Kataribhog is grown in the undivided Dinajpur district while Kalonunia is cultivated in Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Darjeeling regions of the State.