Farmers’ share in consumer prices has seen an increase for some perishables such as onions, potatoes and green chillies since 2018. This might reflect a rise in farm-level storage structures and market level cold storage capacity and transport facilities, especially for onions and potatoes, according to the RBI’s latest bulletin.

 

Kerala is planning to implement a single-window system to expedite the usage of five per cent of the State’s plantation sector for other purposes, P Rajeeve, the Industries Minister, said.

 

The intention is to overcome the practical difficulties being faced in receiving official approval for non-plantation projects in the sector, he said after inaugurating the second edition of the Kerala Plantation Expo.

 

The government is convening a meeting of all the allied departments and the single-window system will come into existence from the next financial year (2024-25), he said and added that the government has also included plantation under a World Bank project for replanting the estates for their improved productivity.

 

Industries and Commerce Director S Harikishore, who is Special Officer, Plantation, said, the department has entrusted IIM-Kozhikode to study the issues facing the state’s plantation sector and prescribe solutions. “Based on that report, we will go for a comprehensive policy for the sector,' he said.

 

The expo seeks to catalyse the State’s measures toward the growth of its plantation sector by revealing its brand potential to tap the global and domestic demand for a whole range of products and services.

 

By Jeff Black Switzerland and India have reached consensus on a free-trade agreement after 16 years of negotiations, Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin said.   

Parmelin traveled to India directly after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to meet with counterpart Piyush Goyal, according to a post by the Swiss minister on the platform X, formerly Twitter, late Saturday. The outline of a deal was agreed, and officials are working to finalize the details, he said. 

 

The agreement 'will create jobs for the young population of India, and secure employment in Switzerland,' Parmelin said in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Sonntagszeitung. 

The total horticulture production in the year 2022-23 is estimated to be 2.32% higher over the previous year on account of higher output of fruits and vegetables, according to the Third Advance Estimate of 2022-23 released by the ministry of agriculture.

 

While the production of vegetables is estimated to be 213.88 million tonnes in the year 2022-23, over 209.14 million tonnes of last year due to an increase in potato and tomato output, the data for onions has not been included.

 

Sowing of rabi (winter) onions has fallen up to 20% in some main producing regions in Maharashtra and Karnataka till the first week of January due to erratic rainfall pattern and lower reservoir levels which have hampered irrigation activities.

 

Potato production is expected to be 60.22 million tonnes, while the production in the year 2021-22 was 56.18 million tonnes.

 

Tomato production is expected to be 20.37 million tonnes in the year 2022-23 as against 20.69 million tonnes in the year 2021-22.

 

The production of fruits is estimated to increase from 107.51 million tonnes in the year 2021-22 to 109.53 million tonnes in the year 2022-23.

 

The total horticulture production in the year 2022-23 is estimated to be 355.25 million tonnes, which is approximately 8.07 million tonnes more as compared to the year 2021-22, the statement issued by the ministry said.

 

The area under horticulture crops is estimated to increase marginally to 28.34 million hectares over last year’s 28.04 million hectares.

The national policy think tank, NITI Aayog, has lauded the Odisha Millets Mission, initiated by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (DA&FE), Government of Odisha, for not only boosting ragi production but also creating new income avenues for farmers in Lamtaput block of Koraput district in Odisha, where ragi (finger millet) was predominantly grown for household consumption.

 

The transformative journey began with the implementation of the Aspirational Blocks Programme, a visionary initiative aimed to enhance the quality of life of citizens and service delivery in the remotest and less developed blocks of India. Under this program, farmers in the region were incentivized to embrace innovative agronomic practices.

 

Organizations such as PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) and the Koraput Nari Shakti Farmers Producers Company (KNSFPCL) played a pivotal role in disseminating knowledge and providing support to the farming community. Key strategies included encouraging staggered nurseries and the System of Millet Intensification (SMI) to mitigate the effects of erratic rainfall on finger millets.

 

The success of the mission is evident in the tangible outcomes experienced by the farmers. They have experienced higher productivity, allowing them to meet their consumption needs and sell the surplus in the market, including the government Mandi to take advantage of the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

 

Principal Secretary of DA&FE, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee said, 'The recognition from NITI Aayog is a testament to the impactful strides made by the Odisha Millets Mission in transforming the agrarian landscape of Koraput. By fostering a shift towards innovative agricultural techniques, we not only bolstered ragi yields but also empowered local farmers economically. We are committed to further expanding and replicating such initiatives to uplift farmers across the state, fostering resilience and prosperity in the agricultural sector.'

 

In Lamtaput, the farming journey has been truly inspiring. In the year 2017-18, the collective efforts of 729 farmers paved the way for an extraordinary success in the cultivation of ragi on a vast expanse of 174 hectares. The number of farmers who participated in the cultivation increased gradually with participation of 5162 farmers covering 2666.3 hectares in 2023-24.

 

PRADAN as facilitating agency under Odisha Millets Mission, with its dedicated efforts collaborating with Koraput Nari Shakti Farmers Producers Company, created milestones in Ragi procurement and fostered a positive impact on the lives of local farmers. In the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, with the participation of 894 farmers achieved a procurement of 10043.76 quintals, and its further increased significantly reaching 31718 quintals with the participation of 2482 farmers during KMS 2022-23.

 

The commendable success of the Odisha Millets Mission in the district is largely attributed to the support provided by Collector & District Magistrate Abdaal M. Akhtar. With his encouragement, the mission and other initiatives by the Department witnessed remarkable success in the district.

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.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said farmers have made an immense contribution to make India the fifth largest economy in the world.

Addressing the 38th Foundation Day programme of the Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya in Raipur, he said farming is not just a means of livelihood but also a driving factor for economy and social development.

 

'By implementing modern technologies in agriculture, the goal of ensuring food security and making India a developed nation by 2047 can be achieved,' the Vice President said.

He said India is developing rapidly and the contribution of youths will further accelerate the pace.

Dhankhar stressed the need to use modern technology in farming. He urged students and scientists to share their knowledge with farmers and encourage them to utilise available resources.

'Chhattisgarh has a rich agricultural heritage. The state is witnessing an exciting era of innovation in the field of agri technology,' Dhankhar said.

During the program, he launched the Sanjeevani Instant, Sanjeevani Madhu Kalk and Sanjeevani Rice Bar developed by the university and released the Agricultural Guide 2024.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also spoke on the occasion.

The programme was attended by Chhattisgarh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, state Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam and others.

The Commerce Department, with the help of the Indian industry, is trying to precisely identify items where it can gain from tariff cuts by the ASEAN countries, as it prepares for the review of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) beginning next month. India hopes to bridge the growing trade imbalance against the country by gaining greater market access in various sectors.

 

'The Commerce Department has circulated to various industry bodies a country-wise list of tariff lines for all ten ASEAN countries on which either concessions given under the existing FTA are minimal or excluded. Based on feedback from the industry, the negotiating team will shortlist the items and firm up its negotiating position. It wants to be precise in its demand,' a source tracking the matter told businessline.

 

The ASEAN-India FTA, formally known as the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITGA), which was implemented fourteen years back in January 2010, resulted in disproportionate gains for the ASEAN industry.

 

Trade deficit

In 2022-23, India exported goods worth $44 billion to the region while its imports were valued at $87.57 billion. Trade deficit in 2022-23 was $43.75 billion compared to $7.5 billion during the implementation of the agreement.

 

India is hopeful that the long-pending review of the pact, to be initiated in New Delhi on February 18-19, will help in reducing some of the deficit with the ASEAN by addressing both tariff and non-tariff barriers.

 

'Under the AITGA, both sides agreed to progressively eliminate duties on about 75 per cent of goods and reduce tariffs on around 15 per cent of goods, but the tariff elimination commitment made by the ten ASEAN nations varied considerably. While an open economy like Singapore committed to almost 100 per cent elimination, countries like Indonesia and Vietnam offered much less,' the source said. 

 

The 10-member ASEAN, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

 

Scope for tariff cuts

'There are various sectors where there is a scope for more tariff cuts in individual ASEAN, which include chemicals, metals and alloys, machinery, plastic & rubber, textiles, leather and gems & jewellery. The Indian industry has to go through the tariff list and point out exactly where they believe that they are competitive and can gain from tariff cuts,' the source said. 

 

While the government had started collecting inputs from the industry, on both tariffs and non-tariff barriers, from late last year, it is now attempting to help the industry get more focussed so that precise demands can be made.

India is drawing up a list of market access and non-tariff barriers(NTBs) hurting its goods and services exports and would take them up with the respective trade partners as it seeks to give a fillip to outbound shipments.

 

The commerce department has begun the exercise with barriers such as registration requirements, higher pesticide levels and domestic standards, put up by Africa and 12 Central Asian countries, including Russia, and would then study the restrictions imposed by other trading partners.

 

'We are doing this exercise because despite good relations with many countries, our exports to them haven't grown commensurately,' said an official.

 

Resolving NTBs is crucial as lower import tariffs sometimes do not benefit exporters because of technical barriers. In FY23, India's goods exports were $451.07 billion. In April-December FY24, exports fell 5.7% year-on-year to $317.12 billion.

 

India may clock goods exports between $440 billion and $450 billion in FY24, as per industry estimates.

 

'The US has raised concerns related to India's quality control orders, which it considers as non-tariff barriers. These issues came up at the recent Board of Trade meeting as well,' said an industry representative.

 

Indian exports of basmati rice, tea, poultry, bovine meat, fish and chemical products to the EU, garments to Japan, and meat, fish dairy and industrial products to China have been subject to NTBs in the past.

 

The US and the EU have raised with India concerns related to technical barriers in the areas of toys, electronics & ICT, telecommunication and alcoholic beverages.

 

While India has also raised EU's hazard-based approach to plant protection products and setting of import tolerances, the official said that more work needs to be done to reciprocate to such measures.

 

Recently, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said that India will impose NTBs on a reciprocal basis and asked industry for data on such measures to help improve the country's position in trade negotiations.

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.