Mushk Budji -- the indigenous aromatic rice variety from Kashmir -- is likely to get a major boost in its yield with the Jammu and Kashmir authorities planning to expand its cultivation area to 5,000 hectares in the next three years, a senior official has said. According to experts at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), this high-cost traditional variety of rice was on the verge of extinction and was pushed to a few pockets of the Valley because of its susceptibility to blast disease.

 

Besides, non-uniformity in the produce, lack of quality seed, poor yield potential due to the mixing of strains and also due to area expansion under high-yielding paddy varieties led to shrinking of acreage under it, they said.

 

Mushk Budji, mostly grown on over 250 hectares in five villages of Kokernag in south Kashmir, received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in August due to the concerted efforts by the agriculture department and SKUAST.

 

'The niche crop is grown in particular climatic conditions and we are exploring various areas in different parts of the Valley to expand its acreage.

 

'We aim to bring 5,000 hectares of land under crop cultivation in the next three years under the holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors scheme,' Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal, the director of the Department of Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare, Kashmir, told PTI.

 

Last year, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved the Holistic Development of Agriculture and Allied Sectors programme, with an outlay of Rs 5,013 crore over the next five years and covering 29 projects.

 

The aim is to transform the agriculture economy and put Jammu and Kashmir on a new trajectory of growth, boosting exports and heralding a new phase of farmer prosperity and rural livelihood security in the Union territory.

 

'We have been successful in expanding the Mushk Budji to Budgam and are expecting more farmers to grow the crop, leading to its increased production to meet the growing demand,' Iqbal said.

 

According to the experts, as part of the programme to revive the cultivation of Mushk Budji, Sagam and adjoining villages in Kokernag in Anantnag district were identified in 2013.

 

Officials said the success of Mushk Budji in Anantnag led to a variety of testing programmes in non-traditional areas under similar ecologies. The agriculture department with the help of SKUAST-Kashmir brought in a new variety of Mushk Budji seeds.

 

'The new seed is resistant to diseases and changing climatic conditions. With the setting up of farmers producers organization, we are endeavouring to make Mushk Budji tap the national and international markets,' Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal said.

 

Referring to the week-long 'GI Mohatsav' which started at 'Kashmir Haat' in Srinagar on October 2, he said 100 GI-tagged agriculture and horticulture products both within and outside Jammu and Kashmir are on display.

 

Attending the event, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat from Sagam village of Kokernag said over 500 farmers from nearly half a dozen villages are growing Musk Budji and will benefit immensely from the GI tagging of their produce.

 

'We are selling one kg Mushk Budji for Rs 260 and have received a lot of response in Srinagar. We have also received calls from Dubai for the product,' he said.

 

In Sagam village, Ghulam Mohammad, an elderly farmer, said they stopped growing the crop a long time ago and started afresh sometime back with the government's support.

Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) is committed to empowering Indian businesses by expanding exports to new markets, and it aims to collaborate with existing ones to foster growth amid economic slowdown and geopolitical challenges, a senior official said on Sunday. The external trade-focused bank does not see any concern so far for its exposure in Canada, and the situation has the attention of the government, the official said.

 

'With the economic slowdown in the key markets, the bank is focusing on trade facilitation measures to boost exports in new markets and help existing markets grow,' India Exim Bank Deputy Managing Director Tarun Sharma told PTI in an interview.

 

'We feel the issue has adequate attention from the government, and perhaps there will be no long-term ramifications. We have not heard anything untoward from any of the companies that we have supported, who are dealing with Canada in terms of trade or investment,' he said when asked about the ongoing India-Canada diplomatic row.

 

Asked about its strategy, Sharma explained that among its measures to boost exports, the bank is focusing on new emerging markets like African, Latin American and South Asian markets for incremental exports. In addition, GIFT City's new subsidiary will also play a vital role in factoring overseas transactions.

 

The India Exim Bank had forecast a 4.8 per cent decline in India's total merchandise exports in Q2 (July-September) of FY24, shadowed by continued slowdown in select major trade partners, including advanced economies.

 

Under the Trade Assistance Programme (TAP), India Exim Bank provides support through credit enhancement to trade instrument(s), thereby enhancing the capacity of commercial banks/financial institutions in India to support cross-border trade transactions, involving markets where trade lines are constrained or where the potential has not been harnessed.

 

'We have supported incremental exports by supporting over 275 transactions in 30 countries through 45 banks in emerging markets. And we have covered over three-quarters of a billion dollars of transactions supporting about 95 Indian companies across diverse sectors, including agro products, automotive, textiles, machinery, engineering goods.' Sharma said.

 

Sharma informed that its newly established subsidiary Exim Finserve at the international financial services centre in GIFT City, Gujarat, will have a long-term impact supporting the growth of exports from India.

 

'This month, we are doing our first set of transactions, exports happening to the United States, and we are again very confident that both the trade assistance program and factoring will cover the entire gamut of pre-finance services in India, both on documentary credit basis and open terms,' Sharma said.

 

With Exim Finserve, exporters can obtain receivables financing, protection against non-payment risk, and receivables management services. As a result, exporters will have improved cash flow and reduced payment risk, allowing them to explore new markets.

 

Amid the headwinds, Sharma remains optimistic about a 12-15 per cent growth in loan book and expects a revival in the third and fourth quarters of the current fiscal. Net Loan Portfolio in 2022-23 was Rs 1,34,523 crore.

 

Sharma said 80 per cent of its exposure is in foreign currency and the rest in the Indian currency.

 

India's appetite for walnuts shipped from California is growing steadily as more people learn about their health benefits and the daily consumption of the key dry fruit in the country is likely to double in the next 10 to 15 years, a top industry official has said. California walnuts account for 99 per cent of the commercial US supply and close to 50 per cent of the world trade. Germany is the top export market, followed by the Middle East and Turkiye.

 

In India, the consumption peaked in 2020 before Covid-19 disrupted the global supply chains and upended walnut exports to the country from nearly 19,000 metric tonnes in 2020 to just 6,500 metric tonnes last year.

 

'The desire for walnuts in India has been growing very steadily, year after year, as more people understand the health benefits and also eat them other than just at the time of the festive season,' Pamela Graviet, Senior Director, Global Programs, California Walnut Commission & Board, said.

 

'The maximum level was just under 19,000 metric tonnes in 2020. That was the height of Covid-19. California experienced supply chain issues and it was very difficult to get the walnuts into India in a timely manner. In 2021-22, we saw exports of California walnuts to India decline pretty rapidly and now we're starting to see them increase again,' she said on Friday.

 

The California Walnut Commission (CWC) has adopted a slew of measures, including roping in food connoisseurs, dieticians, researchers and social media influencers, to ramp up its business in India and create awareness about the nutritional and medicinal benefits of walnuts, which have been cultivated for over a millennium.

 

'Since 2012, we have had educational programmes talking about the health benefits of walnuts, as well as different ways to use them, not only in traditional Indian dishes but also in other types of cuisine,' Graviet said.

 

'To reach every corner, we don't have a budget large enough. But what we try to do is we try to work with influencers that are either chefs or those in fitness or lifestyle that are teaching the local population. We need either new recipes or new ideas,' she said.

 

The California walnut industry, which comprises over 4,000 walnut growers and nearly 75 handlers, sees a huge market for its products in India and is pulling out all stops to tap into it.

 

'The International Nut & Dried Fruit Council does an analysis of consumption around the world. And when we look at the number of walnuts that are available in India, and then across the population, the consumption is about two walnuts per person per year.

 

'It's very, very small. So, there's a tremendous opportunity for growth. And, we see that over the next 10-15 years, that consumption will double or probably triple,' Graviet said.

 

As the demand increases, the CWC is there to help fill the gap by providing education through events that also give some hands-on experience with California walnuts, she noted.

 

Walnuts are one of the oldest known tree fruits, dating back to 10,000 BC. Medical practitioners have known for time immemorial that the walnut has health-giving qualities. It took 20th and 21st-century science to assess and analyse the nutritional assets and medical benefits of the walnut, and there are many, including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fibre, and numerous vitamins and minerals.

 

Research has shown the diverse benefits of walnuts through many clinical studies. Because of the strong evidence of the walnut's potential role in cardiovascular health, the US Food and Drug Administration approved one of the first qualified health claims for a whole food in March 2004, according to a statement.

 

'Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease,' it said.

 

In addition to heart health, studies have shown that walnut consumption may benefit people with diabetes and cancer, promote bone health, assist with weight management, improve cognitive performance and counteract some effects of ageing.

President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, will inaugurate the international research conference, From research to impact: Towards just and resilient agri-food systems, on October 9, 2023 at NASC Complex, Pusa in New Delhi. The four-day long conference is hosted by the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The two institutions are joining forces to leverage national and international research to ensure that women take up their rightful leadership roles and spearhead the transformation of agriculture and food systems everywhere. Other honorable key speakers will include Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar; India’s G20 Sherpa Shri Amitabh Kant; and CGIAR interim Executive Managing Director Professor Andrew Campbell.   

 

Briefing media about the conference today, Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Dr Himanshu Pathak said that the conference, and its theme, is significant in wake of the recent G20 Summit that unequivocally endorsed women-led development. 'This includes recognizing and promoting leadership and decision-making roles for women in relation to climate change, food security and nutrition', Dr. Pathak added.

 

The conference is designed to share cutting-edge knowledge and bridge the gap between research and practice to foster gender-equal and socially inclusive, resilient food systems, added Dr Nicoline de Haan, Director of the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform.

 

'Globally, gender inequality in agri-food systems remains a very significant challenge – and current inequalities are being made worse by crises such as COVID-19 and climate change. Overall, women are often less food secures than men, and they are hit harder by external shocks, such as floods and droughts. We are combining research, evidence and practical understanding to guide policy-makers and investors towards best-bet solutions that can help us get on track to achieve global goals on gender equality and women’s empowerment,' Dr de Haan added.

 

In this conference, the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research are convening a one-of-a-kind global network of gender researchers and bringing them together with other researchers, practitioners and policymakers to take stock of agricultural gender research to date and propose innovations that can help make agri-food systems more equitable, just and resilient.

 

More than 140 oral presentations, 85 posters, 25 high-level plenary and keynote speakers as well as 60 parallel sessions will be featured in this event. International exhibitors and Indian women entrepreneurs will showcase their work and innovations. Conference delegates will represent a wide range of research institutes, national agricultural research and extension systems, non-government organizations, civil society organizations, funding partners, policy-making bodies and the private sector.

 

ICAR, accompanied by CGIAR and other research partners, continues to guide and shape the future of India’s 126 million smallholder farmers. As a CGIAR Impact Platform, GENDER aims to broker knowledge to co-create agricultural solutions that work for women and contribute to equitable, resilient and prosperous societies. Partnering with ICAR, one of the world’s biggest national agricultural research and extension systems, offers CGIAR and its research partners a unique and welcome opportunity to collaborate, connect with on-the-ground demand and achieve large-scale impact.

 

ICAR, with its 113 ICAR institutes and 76 agricultural universities spread across India, will play an essential role in identifying evidence-based priorities and innovations that can translate the G20 commitments on women’s leadership on climate action, food security and nutrition into positive outcomes for women and men farmers, as well as for entire communities. CGIAR can contribute to this process by providing world-class expertise, evidence and proven solutions.

 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday clarified that addition of protein binders in milk and milk products are not permitted. Additives that have not been specified in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011, cannot be added, a release said.

 

Sources said this clarification comes at a time when certain players are adding protein binders to offer thicker texture in dairy products such as curd.

 

'Binding agents have emerged as an important and required class of ingredients to manufacture a wide range of new food products, especially semi-solid or solid foods. However, such application is known to affect the digestibility of the protein bound and thus can affect the biological and nutritive value of milk proteins. Protein binding also influences the bioavailability and distribution of active compounds,' the FSSAI noted in an advisory.

 

The food safety authority added that every dairy product has its unique and 'well-accepted' textural and other sensory characteristics. 'Hence, addition of any binding material like protein binders to milk and milk products is not warranted to modify the textural or sensory parameters,' it added.

 

The food safety authority pointed out that milk protein on its own is a good source of essential amino acids; they are easily digestible and do not contain any anti-nutritional factors like many plant-based proteins. 'In addition, milk and milk products contain a wide array of proteins with biological activities ranging from antimicrobial ones to those facilitating absorption of nutrients, as well as acting as growth factors, hormones, enzymes, antibodies and immune stimulants,' it added.

 

FSSAI said it remains 'dedicated' to maintaining 'natural integrity and quality' of food products and will continue to prioritise the health and well-being of the consumers.

 

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal met with CEOs of leading UAE companies Emaar, Sharaf and DP World in Dubai today and discussed their investment plans in India. He assured them of Government of India’s commitment to facilitate UAE investments into India.

 

Shri Goyal is on his third visit to the UAE as Minister of Commerce and Industry in the last 2 years. This highlights the importance that India attaches to its economic and commercial partnership with the UAE.

 

Earlier today, Shri Goyal interacted with leading food sector companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and Egypt. Given India’s pre-eminent role as the food security partner in the region, the meeting focussed on ways to promote greater trade and investments in the food sector between India and the GCC countries. Shri Goyal’s interaction also provided a platform for the industry representatives to share their insights and perspectives on building robust food sector cooperation between India and the region.

 

The Minister also met with leading Indian Chartered Accountants (CA) based in the UAE. The interaction focussed on enhancing the India-UAE relationship. The Minister encouraged the CA community to contribute to the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of India.

India and Tanzania will sign 15 agreements covering different areas of cooperation, Tanzanian Foreign Minister January Yusuf Makamba said ahead of the bilateral talks between visiting President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. The presidential visit from Tanzania to India is taking place after a span of more than eight years.

 

'This is a very important visit for Tanzania. The big announcement we expect here is regarding the elevation of the bilateral relations into a strategic partnership. We expect that commitments on enhancement of trade and investment will be announced. We expect an announcement on about 15 agreements covering different areas of cooperation, both government to government but also with private entities,' Makamba told PTI on Sunday.

 

The Tanzanian foreign minister, who has already taken part in bilateral discussions with his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, is optimistic that India, as a significant partner in the Official Development Assistance (ODA), might announce an extension of a water project in the African country.

 

Appreciating India's initiative for trade settlement in national currencies, he noted that it offers several benefits, including advantages related to exchange rates and preservation of foreign exchange reserves.

 

'There are some technical details that are being worked out. Two teams are working from two central banks to fix some unclear provisions from this initiative to make sure that it creates an opportunity for an explosion of trade between our two countries,' Makamba emphasised.

 

India and Tanzania have also been collaborating to enhance defence cooperation through initiatives, such as capacity building, training, technology transfer, joint patrols and military exercises.

 

'Defence cooperation is one of the pillars of our strategic partnership. Now, in terms of the specifics about the kind of equipment needed by Tanzania, that will come later in a detailed conversation between technical teams. The needs assessment will be carried out and the capacity of India to supply these will be determined and agreements may be reached at a later stage,' Makamba said.

 

The Tanzanian president will receive a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan here on Monday morning, followed by an in-depth bilateral dialogue with Modi.

A 30-member official delegation from the UK will start the next round of negotiations for a free trade agreement with the Indian team here from Monday to close remaining issues so that the two countries conclude the talks soon, an official has said. Both countries have recently concluded the 13th round of negotiations. A team led by Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal was in London last week to give an impetus to the talks.

 

The UK team dealing with investment-related matters is already here, and the talks for the proposed bilateral investment treaty (BIT) with finance ministry officials are progressing at a faster pace.

 

'The 30-member team will be here tomorrow, and both sides are attempting to close the remaining issues, such as rules of origin. Everything is at the closure level,' the official said.

 

The 'rules of origin' provision prescribes that minimal processing should happen in the FTA country so that the final manufactured product may be referred to as goods originating in that country.

 

Under this provision, a country that has inked an FTA with India cannot dump goods from some third country in the Indian market by just putting a label on it. It has to undertake a prescribed value addition in that product to export to India. Rules of origin norms help contain the dumping of goods.

 

The investment treaty is being negotiated as a separate agreement between India and the UK.

 

These investment treaties help in promoting and protecting investments in each other's country. The main point of contention involved in this pact is about the mechanism for the settlement of disputes.

 

The BITs help in promoting and protecting investments in each other's countries.

 

India has proposed to first utilise all local judicial remedies for settlement of disputes before initiating an international arbitration.

 

To provide duty concessions in the automobile sector, several rounds of consultations have been held with the domestic players in India.

 

According to an expert, UK-based automakers like JLR, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Aston Martin cater to the luxury segment, while Indian manufacturers are mostly in the mass segment and are mainly dominated by small and mid-size passenger cars and two-wheelers.

 

The Indian industry is demanding greater access for its skilled professionals from sectors like IT, and healthcare in the UK market, besides market access for several goods at nil customs duties.

 

On the other hand, the UK is seeking a significant cut in import duties on goods such as scotch whiskey, automobiles, lamb meat, chocolates and certain confectionary items.

 

Britain is also looking for more opportunities for UK services in Indian markets in segments like telecommunications, legal and financial services (banking and insurance).

 

Alcoholic beverage industry body Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC) director-general Vinod Giri said that for Scotland Whiskey (bottled), India can consider reducing the import duties to 100 per cent immediately from 150 per cent and then 50 per cent in 10 years.

 

Similarly, for bulk imports, the duties can be cut down to 100 per cent immediately and then 50 per cent in 10 years as the bulk imports are treated as intermediate goods in the domestic market. The Indian alcoholic beverage market is worth USD 52 billion.

 

Replacing France, India became the top buyer of Scotch whisky by volume in 2022, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.

 

The bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to USD 20.36 billion in 2022-23 from USD 17.5 billion in 2021-22.

The government has started procuring paddy and about 12.21 lakh tonne of the grain has been purchased from farmers at minimum support price (MSP) so far, according to the food ministry. Paddy worth Rs 2,689.77 crore has been procured from 99,675 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Haryana at MSP, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

 

The harvesting of kharif paddy, which has been sown on a slightly higher area of 411.96 lakh hectare this year, started last week.

 

Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies have undertaken procurement at MSP to create a buffer stock as well as protect the interest of farmers.

 

The ministry is targeting to procure 521.27 lakh tonne in the current season as against the actual purchase of 496 lakh tonne in the year-ago season.

 

Grocery retailer SPAR Group (SPPJ.J) is exploring potentially importing eggs from several southern African countries as South Africa's worst outbreak of avian flu hits egg supplies and threatens the supply of chicken meat.

 

South Africa is currently grappling with an outbreak of a high-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), a bird flu which spreads rapidly in an infected flock causing a high death rate.

 

Producers have warned of chicken meat shortages in the coming weeks after millions of chickens were killed by the outbreak.

 

Meanwhile grocery retailers Woolworths (WHLJ.J) and Pick n Pay (PIKJ.J) are limiting the amount of eggs shoppers can buy due to limited stock availability.

 

SPAR is working closely with its approved private label suppliers and partners to secure stock and also 'actively collaborating with bigger suppliers and exploring new opportunities to ensure a consistent egg supply and further reduce risk,' Jacques Roets, divisional commodities manager for the SPAR Group said.

 

'This diversification strategy includes discussions with several southern African countries to potentially import eggs,' Roets added.

 

Last week, RCL Foods (RCLJ.J) said its poultry unit Rainbow culled 410,000 chickens, while its peers, including the country's largest integrated poultry processor Astral Foods (ARLJ.J) and Quantum Foods (QFHJ.J), said the outbreak was ravaging a sector already burdened by South Africa's electricity crisis and rising costs.