The Indian Mission to ASEAN in collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare is organizing the ASEAN-India Millet Festival 2023, in Indonesia from 22nd November to 26th November 2023. The inaugural session of the festival took place in the Kota Kasablanka Mall, a prominent shopping destination in South Jakarta, Indonesia. A Millet-centric exhibition is being held as part of the festival featuring participation from Millet-based FPOs, start-ups and Indian chefs.

 

Aligned with the International Year of Millets (IYM) celebrations, an aim of this festival is to raise awareness and create a market for millets and millets-based products among the ASEAN Member states i.e. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. During the festival, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare is leading a delegation from India, representing a diverse set of professionals engaged in the Indian millet ecosystem, including chefs, start-ups, representatives from Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), industry leaders, state officials and more.

 

Additional Secretary at DA&FW and Head of the Indian Delegation Dr. Maninder Kaur Dwivedi provided valuable insights into millet cultivation, processing and the business potential of these ancient grains. Joint Secretary (Crops) at DA&FW Ms. Shubha Thakur showcased India's leading role in celebrating the International Year of Millets 2023 and Indian government’s initiatives to encourage adoption of millets through a captivating video, setting the stage for insightful panel discussions. Additionally, Deputy Head of BPN Dr.Andriko Noto Susanto further highlighted the remarkable prospects of millets cultivation and its role in diversifying the South Asian food basket.

 

The exhibition, scheduled from November 22nd to 26th, aims to foster collaboration between ASEAN countries, celebrate cultural and culinary diversity and promote sustainable millet practices for a healthier future.The exhibition will also feature five Indian FPOs, namely Citi Block FPC, Jewargi Taluka Millets FPC, Bhumitrajalalpur, Vaam Agro, and Lambasingi Tribal Products FPC, and two start-ups namely Taru Naturals and Sattva Millets and Food Products (Mibbles) exhibiting unique millet-added products such as millet cookies, namkeen, khakhra, cakes, and more.

 

A major highlight of the event will be the live cooking workshop from November 23rd to 26th, where celebrity chefs from India and Indonesia will showcase the culinary potential of millets, presenting dishes like Foxtail Millet Tabouleh, Mixed Millet Mathri Canopies, Millet Risotto, Millet Curd Rice, Ragi brownie and cookies each day. Chefs Vinesh Johny, Risma Widyastuti, Anahita Dhondy, Sabyasachi Gorai, and Ambika Johar will captivate the audience with a new dish daily during this period.

 

The five-day festival will contribute towards raising awareness about millets. It is also a step towards implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises adopted at the 20th ASEAN-India Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia on 07th September 2023.

 

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador of India to ASEAN Mr. Jayant Khobragade highlighted the crucial role of millets in addressing global hunger and nutrient deficiencies. Additionally, Head of the National Food Agency (Badan Pangan Nasional (BPN)) Indonesia Mr. Arief Prasetyo Adi underscored millets as a farmer-friendly and sustainable food choice for the future in the face of climate change.

 

The first panel discussion, titled 'ASEAN-India Collaboration in Millets,' moderated by Additional Chief Secretary & Agriculture Production Commissioner, Govt. of Assam Mr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani featured discussions among experts from diverse ASEAN nations on initiatives aimed at mainstreaming millets as part of IYM 2023. The esteemed list of panellists included Ms. Vilayphone Sourideth, Head of the Research Laboratory Group at the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, MAF, Lao; Ms. Raweewan Chuekittisak an expert in Action in Field Crops from the Department of Agriculture, Thailand; Mr. Rony Megawanto from the KEHATI Foundation, Indonesia and Dr. Pham Quang Minh, Assistant Director, Sectoral Development Directorate and Head of Food, Agriculture and Forestry Division, ASEAN Economic Community Department, ASEAN Secretariat. The topics explored during the insightful panel conversation encompassed knowledge transfer, seed exchange, market expansion and collaborative efforts in training farmers and chefs for millet cultivation and consumption.

 

Another engaging panel featuring Mr. Sudhansu, Secretary, APEDA, Mr. Rajendra Aryal, UN’s FAO Representative to Indonesia and Timor Leste, Mr. Sachin Sharma, ITC,Mr. Rony Megawanto, KEHATI Foundation, Indonesia and Mr. Herry Kristanto, CEO, Advanta Seeds, which was moderated by Dr. C Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR-IIMR highlighted the inherent climate-resilient qualities of millets, benefits for small farmers, initiatives combating climate change through millet cultivation, strategies for promoting and cultivating millets.

 

The day concluded with a delectable Asian-themed millet-based luncheon, showcasing the versatility and nutritional value of millets.

India, the second largest exporter of cashew products in the world, is looking at new geographies such as Japan, the European Union,South Korea, Taiwan and Australia to develop new export markets.

 

'Due its use in cosmetics and health industry, India can tap new markets like South Korea and Australia with whom we are looking at ‘organic equivalence’ agreements. We have already signed such an agreement for the promotion of exports,' a senior official of APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) has said.

 

APEDA also plans to modernize cashew processing units to international levels after the Kerala High Court vacated the stay on the 2020 order of the government, transferring the export promotion activities of cashews to APEDA from the Cashew Export Promotion Council (CEPC).

 

The Government is looking at an increase of 10 per cent in exports in the current financial year.

 

Rich in unsaturated fats, copper, magnesium, mnganese, zinc, phosphorus, and iron, cashews are a key ingredient of several recipes of both regular and exotic dishes, adding flavour and taste. They are a great source of fiber and antioxidants and contain almost the same amount of protein as an equivalent quantity of cooked meat.

 

The country grew cashew in 11.84 lakh hectares in 2021-22, producing 7.52 lakh tonnes. 'Advance estimates suggest that the area is going to be marginally up at 11.92 lakh hectares with a production of 7.82 lakh tonnes,' he said.

 

Andhra Pradesh is one of the major cashew producing States with about one-sixth of the total area and production.

 

The country’s exports (cashew kernels, cashewnut shell Liquid, cardanol) fell a bit in 2022-23 from 80,366 tonnes in 2021-22 to 76.825 tonnes, dragging the export revenues down to ?2,982 crore from ?3,410 crore.

 

International Cashew Day

To mark the International Cashew Day on November 23, the APEDA is organising a workshop-cum-buyer-seller meeting, involving cashew growers, farmer producer organisations, traders and exporters in Visakhapatnam on November 23.

 

The workshop will be attended by the officials from the State Government, Nabard, Indian Institute of Packaging, SIDBI and FSSA.

The geographical indication (GI) tag to the locally grown Goan cashew nuts could help prevent nuts imported from Africa from being sold as Goan cashews, said culinary industry experts ahead of National Cashew Day on November 23. The GI status will help carve out a special, marketable identity for the popular Goan nuts, they said.

Amey Naik, the joint secretary of the National Restaurant Association of India, Goa chapter, said that the GI tag for cashew nuts can bring the state the same level of global recognition that tequila brought to Mexico.

 

'Cashew nuts are used as the main ingredients in traditional preparations such as bibiyacho pulao (tender cashew nut pulao) and caju bibiyachem xacuti (tender cashew nut xacuti),' he said.

Chef Syam Raj, the faculty chef at Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts, said that the buzz around Goan cashew nuts’ GI status presents an opportunity to press for the incorporation of indigenous crops into culinary school syllabi. 'It will inspire chefs to garner a deeper appreciation for local ingredients,' he said.

 

Director for agriculture Nevil Alphonso said the productivity of the cashew crop in Goa is 453 kg per hectare and 56,934 hectares of land is under cashew cultivation, producing about 25,800 metric tonnes of cashews annually.

 

Now, with the GI tag rendering a special status to the Goan cashew nut, the need of the hour is to introduce schemes that prioritise cashew farmers, as cultivation is a year-long labour of love, he said.

 

The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, has given private traders around a month to buy an additional one million tons of rice to boost local supply and keep the cost of the national staple in check.

 

The deadline was announced by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel during a congressional hearing on Monday, where he also assured lawmakers steps were being taken to ensure stable supply of other food items such as sugar and onions, his office said in a statement.

 

'I told them if they failed to import (the additional volume) within 30 days I will cancel the permits because I don't want to be held hostage by permits that were issued to them upon their request,' Laurel told lawmakers.

 

Philippine rice imports are handled by private traders. But the state agency procuring rice from local farmers for buffer stocking can import some volume upon approval by the president in an emergency.

 

The additional imports, which are mainly sourced from Vietnam and some from Thailand, should boost domestic supply until the next harvest in March, the agriculture ministry said.

 

Unmilled rice output this year was expected to reach more than 20 million tons, above the previous year's 19.76 million tons, the agriculture ministry said.

 

Rice price inflation in the Philippines has slowed in October from previous month, helping cool inflation to 4.9% last month from 6.1% in September, but the pace of price increases remain well-outside the central bank's 2%-4% target range.

After India missed an opportunity that Vietnam took in 2002 by modernising its cashew processing units to the international level, the government’s agri-export promotion body APEDA was tasked two months back to bring back the top position for the country in global trade and it has chalked out an action plan to expand the growing areas as well as connect them with the global market.

 

'Only two months back the Kerala High Court vacated the stay and we have now started working on cashew,' Abhishek Dev, Chairman of APEDA told businessline. He said there was a stay on the 2020 order of the government transferring the export promotion activities of cashew to APEDA from the Kerala-based Cashew Export Promotion Council (CEPC).

 

Dev said that APEDA will be facilitating the export of over 30 tonnes of cashew nuts to Qatar and Malaysia from Tamil Nadu and from Kerala to the US on November 23, which is also World Cashew Day. Next month, 2 tonnes from Odisha will be shipped to Bangladesh by road, he added.

 

He also said that India has a promising future once modernisation of processing units starts as Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have also come up in the last few years who will be helpful to build up scale.

 

Sources said that since CEPC is also a body of exporters it was not moving in the way, that it should, to protect the business interests of the existing exporters. States like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Gujarat have big potential in cashew export, officials of APEDA said adding more companies can be brought in to value addition segment of cashewnuts.

 

In 2002, Vietnam started the implementation of mechanisation in cashew processing units with the help from the US government and as a result it was able to reduce production cost as well as produced high quality nuts. 'Even if Indian processed kernels are more superior in quality and taste, the Vietnamese kernels are preferred because those are cheaper,' an official of APEDA said adding India has to be made export competitive.

 

Exports of cashew kernels (whole) from India dropped to $332.87 million (or Rs 2,677.61 crore) in 2022-23 from $ 873.16 million (Rs 5,627.81 crore) in 2017-18, officials data show. UAE was top destination for India’s cashew kernels (whole) at nearly $ 126 million followed by the Netherlands at $ 36.40 million in 2022-23. Japan also had imported worth $ 35.23 million of cashew kernels from India last year.

 

Vietnam’s cashew exports were reportedly $ 2.95 billion during January-October of 2023, up by 15.9 per cent from year-ago. The government has set a target of $ 3.1 billion for calendar year 2023, against actual export of $ 3.07 billion.

Closer ties between India and Australia have revamped the global trade landscape with the trade between the two countries recording a significant growth to $27.8 billion from $15.6 million a decade ago, according to a study by India Exim Bank, released on Tuesday.

 

The significant growth in trade is the outcome of India’s trade relations with Australia that have transformed considerably over ten years. Trade volume between both the nations was just $15.6 million in 2012.

 

India and Australia entered into an Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) last year in April and after ratification and exchange of written instruments, the agreement came into force on 29 December 2022.

 

About 96% of India’s imports from Australia are primarily raw materials and intermediate goods such as coal. India imports about 74% of coking coal from Australia. India’s exports to Australia are dominated by finished products, particularly consumer goods.

 

The India Exim Bank’s study noted that transforming the ECTA into a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) would make ECTA capitalise on the potential for closer economic ties between the two nations.

 

The study mentioned that the potential areas for India-Australia cooperation under the CECA could include support to small and medium enterprises, promotion of digital trade, trading in geographical indication certified goods, settlement of trade payments in local currencies, strategic alliance for sourcing critical minerals, government procurement, agri-technology partnership and partnership in renewable energy, etc.

 

The study was released by India Exim Bank managing director Harsha Bangari and Export Finance Australia (EFA) CEO John Hopkins during the sidelines of the Asian Exim Bank Forum (AEBF) annual meeting held at Sydney.

 

The AEBF was formed by Export-Import Bank of India for Asian Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) to exchange information for fostering trade ties.

India’s exports to Nordic regions has increased significantly in recent years, said Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles while addressing 2nd CII India Nordic-Baltic Business Conclave 2023, here today.

 

The Union Minister pointed out that India’s exports to Nordic region has grown over 39% from 2018-19 to 2022-23 and that exports to Finland & Norway-grown by over 100% & 80% respectively. Highlighting the fact the region has come close to India in recent years, the Minister pointed out that Indian Cuisine, Bollywood, Yoga, Ayurveda and Textiles are extremely popuylar in Nordic-Baltic region.

 

In his address, Shri Goyal said that Nordic-Baltic nations have best of innovation, green tech, AI & blockchain-led transformation, supply chain logistics & fintech and these are the areas where there is a huge scope for collaboration with India as India has made great strides in these areas besides being an economic powerhouse with vast mineral resources and talent pool. Speaking in presence of leaders of the Nordic countries, Shri Goyal said that it’s an exciting era of collaboration, innovation & shared prosperity with similar outlook towards global challenges & opportunities.

 

Shri Goyal also invited Nordic-Baltic companies to showcase, attend, collaborate in the upcoming trade fairs in India. He informed the gathering that BharatTex, which will start from February 26 till 29, will have over 3,500 exhibitors from nearly 40 countries. Bharat Mobility Show will begin from February 1 till 3 and will showcase Auto Fair and will also have electrical component as a key feature.

 

Mr Benedikt Hoskuldsson, Special Envoy for Climate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Iceland, Ms. Mariin Ratnik, Deputy Minister for Economic and Development Affairs Republic of Estonia, Mr Jurgis Miezainis, Parliamentary Secretary at the Latvian Ministry of Economics, Republic of Latvia, Mr. Egidijus Meilunas, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Lithuania, Mr. Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, Deputy Foreign Minister, Kingdom of Norway, Mr Ville Tavio, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Republic of Finland, Mr Niklas Wykman, Minister for Financial Markets, Kingdom of Sweden and Mr Aksel Vilhelmson Johannesen, Prime Minister, Faroe Islands also expressed their views on the relations of Nordic countries with India on the occasion.

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said the proposed free trade agreements with the European Union and four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA) group are doable, but they should keep in mind India’s concerns as the level of economic development is different.

 

'We are in active dialogue with the EU and EFTA for a free trade agreement... I do believe that both of these are eminently doable and will significantly help us expand our engagement not only in trade in goods services, but also in investments, technology, tourism, innovation, and clean energy,' Goyal said at the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) India-Nordic Baltic Business Conclave.

 

The Nordic Region nations include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, Faroe Islands, and Greenland, while Baltic states include Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

 

He said the EU and EFTA countries need to understand certain 'very important and significant' differences between the two set of regions.

 

EFTA includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

 

India and EFTA are negotiating a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement.

 

Goyal said Nordic and Baltic nations can act as India’s ambassadors in the EU and the EFTA to help them understand certain very important and significant differences between the two set of regions engaging with each other.

 

'Unless this is understood by the member countries of the EU and the EFTA, it will be very difficult to look at really concluding a high quality but fair, balanced, and equitable arrangement between them,' Goyal said.

 

Citing the example of Norway, Goyal said Norway has about 6,000 fishermen as compared to about 4 million in India, who are small and marginalised. While Indian fishermen are engaged in basic fishing near the shores, as compared to developed nations where fishermen go deep into the sea for fishing, he said.

 

The amount of investment in subsidising Norway's fishermen is multi-fold as compared to India.

 

'It is not an equal competition,' he said, adding that free trade has to have enough opportunity to catch up 'when you are staring from two different levels'.

 

He said the Nordic-Baltic region has come close to India in recent years and Indian cuisine, Bollywood, yoga, ayurveda, and textiles are popular in that region, and that these nations have the best of innovation, green tech, AI, and blockchain-led transformation, supply chain logistics and fintech and these are the areas where there is a huge scope for collaboration with India.

India has criticised Cairns member countries during a WTO meeting on public stockholding of foodgrain for food security purposes in Geneva, stating that members are monopolising time to discuss their submission on domestic support, an official said on Tuesday.

At a dedicated session on public stockholding on November 20, India said it would refrain from commenting as the session had been 'ambushed' by some Cairns agriculture-exporting members, the Geneva-based official said.

 

'India expressed the belief that certain Cairns members were attempting a motion to take away dedicated talks on public stockholding by monopolising time to discuss their submission on domestic support, a topic that arguably should be addressed by the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session, scheduled to convene the next day,' the official added.

 

The 19-member Cairns group lobbies for agricultural trade liberalisation. It was formed in 1986 in Cairns, Australia.

The members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, and Peru.

On the public stockholding issue, India is pushing the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members to find a permanent solution as the issue is important for the country which has to support its marginal farmers and feed the poor people.

Developed countries that are major agri exporters allege that foodgrain bought at MSP if offloaded in the global market can distort prices so there should be a cap on support measures. It is strongly opposed by India.

 

In India, the government procures rice at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and provides it to the poor through a public distribution system.

About 80 developing members, including the African Group, G33 Group, and Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific Group, have been assertive, emphasising that this is a high-stakes issue because an outcome on public stockholding must be at the core of any potential agriculture package at MC13.

The 13th ministerial conference (MC13), the highest decision making body of the WTO, is scheduled at Abu Dhabi in February next year.

To break the long-lasting stalemate in agriculture negotiations, the WHO chief has called for a mini-ministerial meeting on November 28.

An Iceland-based company, Geotropy Iceland, will set up a controlled atmosphere (CA) store at Tapri in Kinnaur district on a pilot basis. A pact in this regard was inked by the Himachal government and Geotropy Iceland on Saturday. 

 

Seismic activity in southwestern Iceland has decreased in intensity, but the risk of a volcanic eruption remains significant. Nearly 4,000 people were evacuated over the weekend due to the fear of molten rock reaching the surface. The Icelandic Meteorological Office states that there is a 'significant likelihood' of an eruption in the coming days. Uncertainty remains about the potential damage that could occur. Experts believe that the risk of eruption in the town of Grindavik is smaller, but residents across Iceland are shocked by the situation.

Years of uncertainty ahead for Iceland volcano town

Residents of the Icelandic town of Grindavik, which was evacuated due to the threat of a volcanic eruption, are uncertain about whether they will return. The town has experienced a barrage of earthquakes and significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. Even if the volcanic activity subsides, there are concerns about the long-term safety of living in the area. Volcanologists believe that this could be the start of a new era of volcanic activity in the region, leaving residents unsure about rebuilding their homes. Despite the challenges, there is a resilient community spirit among the residents.

900 tremors hit town in Iceland, scores shifted

Southern Iceland experienced around 900 earthquakes on Monday, adding to the thousands of tremors that have been occurring in the region recently. This has raised concerns about a potential volcanic eruption, leading to the evacuation of nearly 4,000 people. The uncertainty surrounding the situation and the potential damage that could occur is causing anxiety. The Reykjanes peninsula, where this is happening, is known for its volcanic and seismic activity, with recent volcanic activity occurring in 2020, 2021, and 2022.