The government plans to handhold the industry to help them familiarise with adequate documentation that they need to maintain for the Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) scheme-related reimbursements, a senior government official said.

 

This is because last year, the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) had imposed countervailing or anti-subsidy duty against some products as retaliation against India’s export boosting scheme.

 

The RoDTEP scheme allows refunds of the embedded non-creditable central, state and local levies paid on inputs to exporters and is compliant with World Trade Organisation (WTO) norms. 

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has initiated a mission to develop region-specific smart agro-technologies tailored for paddy cultivation in South India. This effort aims to not only improve soil health and crop productivity but also enhance the income of farmers. As part of this mission, advanced technologies like IoT-based sensors, drones, and Artificial Intelligence gadgets will be utilised to create a real-time precision database, paving the way for a future where automation plays a vital role in agriculture.

 

Crop Monitoring with IoT and Drones

The core of the mission revolves around the use of Internet of Things (IoT) based sensors and drone-based hyper and multi-spectral imaging. These technologies will generate real-time data on phenological and physiological indicators, influenced by the micro-environment of various crops. The mission focuses on understanding the diverse agro-climatic conditions across the country, ensuring the development of region-specific solutions.

 

Farming in Action

A collaborative effort by scientists and technologists from CSIR Fourth Paradigm Institute, Bengaluru, CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Jammu, and CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Ludhiana, has identified paddy fields in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka for the mission. Real-time data on soil and crop health indicators will be collected using advanced technologies such as soil optix and multispectral imaging through UAVs, fostering precision farming practices.

 

Crop-Specific Agrotechnologies

The outcome of the project is expected to revolutionise crop-specific agro-technologies. Through optimisation of mineral nutrition, irrigation, real-time crop management, and agronomic practices, the mission seeks to enhance soil and plant health. The collected data will serve as a baseline for mapping soil health and creating high-definition nutrient and texture maps. Variable rate precise fertiliser application using UAVs and granular fertiliser applicators is envisioned, promising improved yields while minimising environmental impact.

 

The integration of multi-spectral imaging will enable the identification of stress, disease, and pest-infested areas, facilitating targeted interventions. Paddy growers will benefit from a comprehensive understanding of crop events, enabling timely and precise decision-making.

 

India witnesses a remarkable 24% surge in oilmeals exports during April-December 2023-24, with soyabean meal playing a pivotal role in the growth. Increased demand, especially from South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand, showcases India's competitive position in the global oilmeals market.

 

Highlights

 

Surge in Oilmeals Exports: India experienced a significant surge in oilmeals exports, witnessing a growth of 24.16% during April-December 2023-24 compared to the corresponding period in 2022-23.

 

Contribution of Soyabean Meal: The export growth was primarily fueled by a 19% increase in Q1 of 2023-24, driven by the export of soyabean meal, amounting to 12.16 lt, with soyabean meal accounting for 3.64 lt during this period.

 

Q2 Export Increase: In Q2 of 2023-24, the export of oilmeals surged by 43%, attributed to a sharp increase in the export of soyabean and rapeseed meal. India exported 10.66 lt during this period, including 2.22 lt of soyabean meal and 7.23 lt of rapeseed meal.

 

Q3 Export Dynamics: Despite a 16% increase in Q3, the export of oilmeals slightly decreased from Q2 levels due to the ban on the export of de-oiled rice bran. India exported 12.20 lt during Q3 of 2023-24.

 

Factors Driving Demand: Improved price competitiveness and a shortage of Argentine export supplies have contributed to increased demand for Indian soyabean meal in the international market.

 

Export Breakdown by Type: India exported a total of 12.11 lt of soyabean meal and 18.24 lt of rapeseed meal during the first nine months of 2023-24.

 

Key Importers: Notable importers of Indian oilmeals include South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Bangladesh. South Korea imported 7.30 lt, Vietnam imported 3.61 lt, and Thailand imported 4.95 lt during April-December 2023-24.

 

Competitive Supplier of Rapeseed Meal: India is identified as the most competitive supplier of rapeseed meal to South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and other Far-East countries.

 

Export Composition to South Korea: South Korea's imports included 5.13 lt of rapeseed meal, 1.83 lt of castorseed meal, and 32,946 tonnes of soyabean meal.

 

Export Composition to Vietnam: Vietnam's imports consisted of 90,540 tonnes of ricebran extraction, 2.19 lt of rapeseed meal, 50,506 tonnes of soyabean meal, and 905 tonnes of groundnut meal.

 

Export Composition to Thailand: Thailand's imports included 4.81 lt of rapeseed meal, 8,445 tonnes of soyabean meal, 4,666 tonnes of ricebran extraction, and 701 tonnes of castorseed meal.

 

Export Composition to Bangladesh: Bangladesh's imports comprised 27,771 tonnes of ricebran extractions, 3.14 lt of rapeseed meal, and 3.21 lt of soyabean meal.

 

Conclusion

 

India's robust 24% growth in oilmeals exports, driven by soyabean demand and competitive pricing, underscores its significance in the global market. Despite challenges like export bans, the nation's strategic role in catering to South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Bangladesh positions it as a key player. The positive trend reflects not only market resilience but also the ability to meet diverse international demands, emphasizing India's pivotal role in the global oilmeals trade.

The next round of negotiations between India and South American nation Peru for a free trade agreement is scheduled to start on February 12, an official said.

The proposed agreement is aimed at promoting bilateral trade and investments between the two countries.

 

In such pacts, two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them, besides easing norms to promote trade in services.

'The sixth round of negotiations for a proposed trade agreement between India and the South American nation Peru is scheduled from February 12-15,' the official said.

Issues which are expected to figure in the negotiations include rules of origin, trade in goods, customs procedures and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

Negotiations for the agreement started in 2017 and the fifth round was concluded in August 2019. The negotiations were paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.

During 2022-23, the bilateral trade between India and Peru stood at USD 3.12 billion.

India exported goods worth USD 865.91 million to Peru and imported goods valued at USD 2.25 billion.

Key Indian exports to Peru include motor vehicles/cars, cotton yarn and pharmaceuticals, while imports items include gold, copper ores and concentrates.

Peruvian businesses are also looking to export agricultural products like avocados, fresh grapes and blueberries, and natural resources like calcium phosphates to India.

Churpi is prepared from the milk of Arunachali yak, which is a unique yak breed found in West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Yak Churpi, a naturally fermented milk product made from yak milk, has been given recognition as a Geographical Indication (GI) of Arunachal Pradesh.

 

Dr Mihir Sarkar, Director, ICAR- National Research Centre on Yak said it is a major boost to the pastoral production systems and yak rearing in the country.

 

Churpi is an excellent source of proteins and is frequently used as a substitute for vegetables by tribal yak herders in the vegetation-starved cold and hilly mountainous regions of the state. It is also mixed in vegetable or meat curry and is eaten with rice as a staple food in tribal households. It is considered an integral part of the tangible cultural and tribal heritage of Arunachal Pradesh- says Sarkar.  

 

Arunachali yak breed is reared by tribal yak pastoralists known as Brokpas who migrate along with their yaks to higher reaches (at an altitude of 10,000 ft and higher) during summers and descent to mid-altitude mountainous regions during winters. Since the product is prepared at such a high altitude, it is also expected to provide benefits to the tribal herders against cold and hypoxia besides providing enriched nutrition, Dr Vijay Paul, Principal Scientist of NRC-Yak who was associated with the GI application process informed.

 

ICAR-National Research Centre on Yak, Dirang applied for registration of this unique yak product.  The institute is closely working with the Brokpas rearing Arunachali yaks and is helping them through research and extension support. The services rendered by the institute assume greater significance in the light of the fact that yak population throughout the country has been declining at a fast pace due to enormous hardships and dwindling gains associated with pastoral yak rearing. The registration of yak Churpi of Arunachal Pradesh as a GI is going to serve the cause of yak conservation and yak pastoralists’ socio-economic upliftment.

Led by higher acreage in wheat, coarse cereals and oilseeds, the area under all crops in the current rabi season almost touched last year’s acreage. If the weather remains conducive till March-end, India may again witness a harvest bumper of rabi crops. though there could be a drop in the yield of a few crops due to delayed plantings.

 

According to data released by the Agriculture Ministry, the area sown under all crops during the 2023-24 rabi season (October-March) was 687.18 lakh hectares (lh) until January 19, which is 0.3 per cent lower than 689.09 lh during the corresponding period of last year.

 

Offsetting lower coverage

Wheat acreage reached 340.08 lh as of Friday compared with 337.5 lh in the year-ago period. Uttar Pradesh reported the sowing area of the key winter cereal at 102.29 lh against 97.46 lh a year ago, up by 5 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh reported 87.1 lh against 83.3 lh, up by 4.6 per cent. These two States helped offset the lower coverage in Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Bihar, too, reported about 40,000 hectares more under wheat. The acreage in Punjab and Haryana is almost at par with the year-ago period.

 

But winter-grown pulses acreage dropped 4.6 per cent to 155.13 lh compared with 162.66 lh, as gram (chana) acreage declined by 6.2 per cent to 102.90 lh from 109.73 lh and urad by 13.6 per cent to 6.03 lh from 6.98 lh. But lentil acreage rose by 5.7 per cent at 19.51 lh from 18.46 lh.

 

The sowing area under all coarse cereals reached 53.83 lh, up by 6 per cent from 50.77 lh. Both jowar and maize acreage is up. Jowar coverage was 23.52 lh, up by 6.8 per cent from 22.02 lh and maize at 21.29 lh, up by 3.5 per cent from 20.57 lh. Barley sowing is also up by 9.8 per cent at 8.19 lh against 7.46 lh year-ago.

 

Mustard tops 100 lh

Mustard acreage crossed 100 lh, the first time to reach 100.15 lh as of January 19 - 2.3 per cent more than 97.88 lh in the corresponding period a year ago. However, the final area under mustard may see some pruning as seen in the past after verification with actual production and arrival of the crop.

 

All rabi oilseeds acreage has been reported to be at 109.88 lh, up from 108.82 lh year-ago, in which groundnut area is down by 11.6 per cent at 4.52 lh from 5.11 lh. Though groundnut is a kharif crop, it is also grown in about 7 lh during winter, mainly in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

 

Paddy acreage reached 28.25 lh against 29.33 lh year-ago and maximum area 11.60 lh has been reported from Tamil Nadu, followed by 9.46 lh in Telangana.

 

Negotiations for a free trade agreement between India and the four-nation EFTA bloc are at an advanced stage as both sides have reached a shared understanding on key issues, a senior official has said. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

 

India and the EFTA have been negotiating the pact, officially dubbed as Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), since January 2008 to boost economic ties.

 

'Following extensive negotiations, a shared understanding has been achieved on key issues during the ministerial meeting. Ongoing efforts are now focused on shaping the convergence that has emerged,' the official said.

 

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a meeting recently with Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin in Mumbai.

 

Parmelin, in a social media post on X, has said that officials are working around the clock to settle last details so that it can be signed as soon as possible.

 

'At the last-minute invitation of my Indian counterpart @PiyushGoyal, I travelled directly from the WEF in Davos to Mumbai/India. After 16 years of negotiations, we found balanced solutions to the main open issues of the EFTA-India trade agreement,' Parmelin has said.

 

The last round of talks between the countries concluded on January 13 here.

 

Negotiations are held on various chapters, including trade in gods, rules of origin, intellectual property rights (IPRs), trade in services, investment promotion and cooperation, trade and sustainable development, and trade facilitation.

 

EFTA has 29 free trade agreements (FTAs) with 40 partner countries, including Canada, Chile, China, Mexico, and Korea.

 

Under free trade pacts, two trading partners significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them, besides easing norms to promote trade in services and investments.

 

EFTA countries are not part of the European Union (EU). It is an inter-governmental organisation for the promotion and intensification of free trade. It was founded as an alternative for states that did not wish to join the European community.

 

India's exports to EFTA countries during 2022-23 stood at USD 1.92 billion against USD 1.74 billion in 2021-22. Imports aggregated at USD 16.74 billion during the last fiscal compared to USD 25.5 billion in 2021-22.

 

The trade gap is in favour of the EFTA group, according to the data of the commerce ministry.

 

The country's wheat production is expected to be good this year amid higher coverage, according to Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda. The sowing of wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop, that began in October has been completed. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab are the top three states having the maximum area under wheat coverage.

 

'As per the sowing data, wheat has been covered in more area and we expect good production this year,' Munda told PTI.

 

As per the ministry's data, the total acreage under the wheat crop remained higher at 336.96 lakh hectares till the last week of the current rabi season of the 2023-24 crop year (July-June), as against 335.67 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

 

On January 3, Food Corporation of India Chairman and Managing Director Ashok K Meena indicated that the country could achieve a new record in wheat production at 114 million tonnes in the ongoing 2023-24 crop year provided weather conditions remain normal.

 

Wheat production stood at a record 110.55 million tonnes in the 2022-23 crop year, compared to 107.7 million tonnes achieved in the preceding year.

 

Sharing about wheat crop prospects this year, a senior agriculture ministry official said the crop is in good condition and there are no reports of any damage to the crop till date.

 

'The current cold weather condition is good for the growth of wheat and other rabi crops,' he said.

 

Climate-resistant seeds have been sown in more than 70 per cent of the total wheat area covered in both Punjab and Haryana this year, he said.

 

The two states have sown wheat in a total area of around 59 lakh hectares this year, the data showed.

 

Meanwhile, the agriculture ministry has started issuing regular advisories to help farmers take care of the wheat crop after the completion of sowing.

 

As per the latest advisory for the period covering January 16-30, the ministry has asked farmers to complete the application of nitrogen fertilizer up to 40-45 days after sowing. Farmers have been asked to apply urea just before irrigation for better results.

 

In case of late sown, if farmers notice both narrow and broad leaf weeds in their wheat field, they have been advised to spray herbicide Sulfosulfuron 75WG of about 13.5 grams per acre or Sulfosulfuron plus Metsulfuron of 16 grams per acre in 120-150 litres of water before the first irrigation or 10-15 days after irrigation.

 

Keeping in view the favourable humid weather for yellow rust disease, farmers are advised to visit their crops regularly to observe 'stripe rust' (yellow rust) incidence.

 

To tackle lodging in early sown wheat crops, farmers have been asked to provide 'growth regulators' in high fertility irrigated conditions. For frost management, light irrigation should be applied to wheat crops taking due care of the Met Department forecast.

 

The Met Department has forecast rain in northeast and central areas of India during January 16-30 and the temperature is expected to drop below normal in the forthcoming week.

 

The government is taking proactive steps to help farmers prepare to save the wheat crop in the events of extreme weather conditions.

Exports from India have increased last year. Despite global crises, exports of goods and services are expected to increase by 0.4 percent to $765.6 billion in the year 2023. If seen on the basis of data, the highest exports were of electronics, pharma, cotton, fabrics, ceramic, meat, dairy, poultry, fruits, vegetables and IT services.

 

Decrease in goods export

According to Commerce Ministry data, goods exports have declined by 4.71 percent last year. In the year 2023, this figure will be 431.9 billion dollars. However, services exports increased by 7.88 percent to $333.8 billion. Apart from this, merchandise import declined by 7 percent to $667.73 billion. Maximum exports from India were made to America, UAE, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Britain and Germany. Exports have been adversely affected due to the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing crisis in the Red Sea near Yemen. 

 

Increase in services exports

According to the Commerce Ministry, goods exports have decreased last year. But, due to increase in services exports, total exports have increased. According to the report of Economic Times, the Reserve Bank had released data for the services sector in November, 2023. The Commerce Ministry has made estimates for the data of December 2023. Goods shipment has been adversely affected due to the wars raging across the world. Israel and Hamas have been at war for months. Also, Houthi rebels in Yemen are continuously targeting cargo ships. Due to this, cargo ships have to take a longer route and pass through South Africa. 

 

War will have a negative impact on global trade

According to international business experts, if crises like war continue, it will have a very bad impact on global trade. Economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that India's exports and imports together are expected to decline by 2.6 percent in 2023. It has come to 1609 billion dollars. This figure was 1651.9 billion dollars in 2022. The negative trade balance between exports and imports also reduced to $75.2 billion in 2023. This figure was 141.3 billion dollars in 2022. 

 

Trade deficit in three quarters was 188.02 billion dollars

According to the data of the current financial year, goods exports declined by 5.7 percent to $ 317.12 billion between April and December 2023. During the same period, imports also declined by 7.93 percent to $505.15 billion. The trade deficit in the first three quarters of the current financial year has been $188.02 billion. The trade deficit between April and December 2022 was $212.34 billion.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s two-day visit to Iran, last week, was a crucially timed diplomatic engagement. The visit besides discussing the regional security situation was also aimed at further strengthening the political, economic and cultural aspects of the bilateral relations.

 

As the crisis in the Red Sea spurred by the Israel-Hamas war escalates, India has begun a diplomatic outreach to crucial regional players to secure the country's trade and strategic interests.

 

The outreach treads a line of neutrality in the conflict between the Western powers and the Islamic world wherein India has not joined the US-led multinational naval coalition in the Red Sea while it remains critical of the Houthis' violence.

 

In this backdrop, Jaishankar's recent visit to Tehran was aimed to express India's concerns on the increasing attacks by the allegedly

 

Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, which he shared with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

 

MEA spokesperson said the issue of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the violence and destabilisation there, were among the things that were discussed, as India is 'deeply concerned about the whole situation'.

 

In the last weeks, both the US and the UK have launched air strikes targeting the Houthi positions in Yemen. On its part, India has been closely monitoring the unfolding situation in the Red Sea.

 

The issue also figured in a phone conversation between Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on 11 January.

 

Countries like India are concerned that the conflict may impact most of Asian trade with Europe. This may lead to a supply chain restructuring, with neighbouring countries at higher costs.

 

Iran supposedly has close links with the Houthi militia in Yemen which have launched a series of attacks on shipping vessels plying the Red Sea route since mid-November.

 

A key motivation for Jaishankar's visit was the recent attacks on

 

several India-linked shipping vessels.

 

Terming the attacks on ships in the vicinity of India as a matter of 'grave concern' to the international community, Jaishankar said in Tehran that such threats have a direct bearing on India's energy and economic interest as he underlined that this 'fraught situation' is not to the benefit of any party.

 

"There has also recently been a perceptible increase in threats to the safety of maritime commercial traffic in this important part of the Indian Ocean," he said in a joint press statement after wide-ranging talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian.

 

He stressed that it's important that this issue be 'speedily addressed', in an apparent reference to the targeting of merchant vessels in the Red Sea - one of the busiest trade routes - by Iranian-backed Yemen's Houthi rebels amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

 

Economic Aspects

 

Jaishankar also met Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash and held a detailed and productive discussion on establishing a long-term cooperation framework on the strategically vital Chabahar Port.

 

During the visit, on 15 January, India and Iran signed an agreement on the further development of the Chabahar Port.

 

Located in Sistan-Balochistan province on Iran's southern coast, the Chabahar Port is being developed jointly by India and Iran to boost connectivity and trade ties.

 

India has been pushing for the port project to boost regional trade,

 

especially for its connectivity to Afghanistan.

 

Earlier, Jaishankar had projected the Chabahar Port as a 'key regional transit hub' at a connectivity conference in Tashkent in 2021.

 

The port is also seen as a key hub for the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project.

 

The INSTC project is a 7,200-km-long multimode transport project for moving freight between India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

 

Cultural Links

 

In a significant move to deepen cultural ties, Jaishankar announced that the government of India has decided to include Farsi (Persian) as one of the nine classical languages in India under the New Education Policy.

 

"The government of India has decided to include Farsi as one of the nine classical languages of India in our New Education Policy," said Jaishankar, highlighting the cultural, literary, and linguistic connections between Iran and India.

 

Jaishankar, made the above remarks during a joint press joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, H Amirabdollahian on January 15.

 

Indian Outreach

 

Indian foreign minister's recent visit to Iran was part of the diplomatic efforts that have been stepped up to secure India's interests regionally.

 

Though, the Shiite population in India is quite small compared to the Sunni Muslims, yet the Indian government has always been able to build and balance its relationship with Iran and Saudi Arabia, both seen as the leaders of the Shia and Sunni communities globally.

 

This diplomatic balancing has always worked to India's advantage, besides giving it a regional clout.

 

At a regional level India has always accorded a significant priority to its ties with Iran.

 

As the country apart from offering it a gateway to the central Asian

 

republics and also Afghanistan, has also been a reliable oil supplier to India, and that too on a favourable rupee payment basis.

 

Therefore, the issues discussed during the foreign minister's visit also encompassed all aspects of the sustained relationship between India and Iran, as they covered regional security, trade and development and cultural ties.

 

The announcement related to Farsi, was also timed right and was aimed at targeting the Muslim minority in the country.

 

Over the years, Indo-Iran ties have moved ahead, in spite of meddling by other countries and the current diplomatic policy led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, in this regard has not only carried on the old relationship, but the manner in which trade, economic and cultural tries between the two countries have progressed, shows their commitment to build a long-lasting relationship.