The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that the Government of India wants to realize the vision of all-round and balanced development in the country. Shri Tomar said that it is the belief of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi that if the strength of the Northeast will increase, then the country's strength will consolidate and with this strength the nation will move forward.

 

'The Northeast Region cannot be overlooked when it comes to all-round development. Therefore, through the schemes-programmes, funding and institutions of the government, it is our constant endeavour that the northeastern region should not depend on anyone, but should stand on its own feet and be able to contribute its fullest to the country's development. That is why the Prime Minister visits this area time and again and he has also asked his cabinet ministers to visit this area regularly and understand the difficulties here and quickly solve the problems related to their departments. He launched many schemes for the development of the Northeast in the last few years, so that the neglect which has been done here for years can be compensated,' said Shri Tomar, at an event organized at the North-East Agri Expo, Chumaokedlma today.

 

Shri Tomar said that it is a matter of good fortune and happiness for all of us that our Prime Minister is Shri Modi, who has the trust of the country and his popularity is soaring in the world too.

 

'When the leadership of the country is capable and empowered, it becomes easy for the citizens to move forward. If the citizens are fully prepared, then the leadership also gets strengthened and find solutions to the problems facing the country and we are able to reach our goals easily,' he said.

 

Shri Tomar said that in the last 8 years the Union Government has relentlessly tried to work sincerely to eradicate poverty, inequality and unemployment in our country.

 

'If there is an imbalance in the society and the country, it becomes difficult to move forward. After taking oath Shri Modi started doing concrete work to remove poverty and imbalance, in this effort crores of Jan-Dhan accounts of the poor have been opened and they have been benefited continuously through many schemes. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme the central government has given more than Rs 2 lakh crore to 11-and-a-half crore farmers so far, each farmer getting Rs. 6,000 rupees every year, this is not a simple matter. During Covid, 80 crore people have been given free ration and other facilities were also provided by the Center,' he said.

 

Later, Shri Tomar launched the Honey Testing Laboratory at Dimapur, Nagaland, which will help beekeepers and processors for testing the honey produced. He also visited the Bamboo Museum and Organic AC Market. During these events, the Agriculture Minister of Nagaland Shri G. Kaito, Chief Secretary Shri J. Alam, Central Horticulture Commissioner Shri Prabhat Kumar, other senior officers and distinguished people, farmers and scientists were present.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has extended the time period for compliance of notification related to 'milk logo'. The Authority has issued an order in this regard saying that the food businesses can comply with the milk logo order by December 31, 2022.

 

'It has been decided to extend the timeline for mandatory compliance with clause 2(iv)(a) of the notification dated 27th December 2021, related to milk logo for a period of six months i.e. 31st December 2022,' reads the order while adding that the food businesses willing to comply earlier can do so.

 

The December 2022 notification by FSSAI prescribed the definition and labelling requirement of dairy analogues and provisions related to use of the specified logo for milk and milk products.

 

The Clause 2(iv)(a) of the said notification says ?’All milk and milk products, including composite milk products, as defined in sub-item b, e, f, h and i of item 1 of this sub-regulation shall exclusively use the following logo on the product label

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According to Inoshi Sharma, executive director, FSSAI, the stakeholders made representation before the food authority on the issue of ‘milk logo’ with reference to the mandatory nature of its usage for milk and milk products, and sought clarity in respect of textual part, dimensions, and colour scheme of the logo and the consequent need for the extension of the date of compliance with provisions related to the use of ‘milk logo.

 

And, after consideration, it was decided to extend the timeline for mandatory compliance with milk logo order for a period of six months.

In a move aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in edible oils, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has decided to give oilseeds production a push across the country.

 

As part of the initiative, NDDB and the Karnataka Oilseeds Federation (KOF) have signed an MoU with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, and the Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad, for enhancing the production of sunflower seeds in Karnataka. This agreement is aimed at paving the way for licensing sunflower hybrid KBSH-41 for commercialisation.

 

The MoU was signed in the presence of Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, B C Patil, Agriculture Minister, Karnataka, Annasaheb Jolle, Chairman KOF, and Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB, and S Rajendra Prasad, Vice-chancellor, UAS-Bangalore.

 

Lauds NDDB

Karandlaje said this momentous occasion is the right step towards achieving self-sufficiency in edible oil production in the country. She sought NDDB’s intervention in reducing the country’s reliance on imported edible oil and applauded Board’s intent to help the oilseed sector. The availability of credible sources of hybrid seeds has become a big lacuna, Karandlaje said, appreciating the joint efforts of NDDB and KOF to take up commercial production of successful sunflower hybrid seeds, so that farmers get superior seeds.

 

Patil said the hike in MSP by the Indian government has motivated farmers to enhance sunflower production in Karnataka. The compulsion to rapidly increase the domestic edible oil production is an opportunity to improve livelihoods of small and marginal farmers.

 

Attaining self-sufficiency

NDDB Chairman Shah said in the eighties, NDDB was involved in setting up edible oil cooperatives under Operation Golden Flow. The Dairy Board is re-engaging itself. This is a small but critical first step towards supporting the government’s initiative in attaining self-sufficiency in edible oils, Shah said.

 

NDDB and KOF will encourage farmers to take up sunflower as a preferred crop by making available high-quality seeds at reasonable prices. NDDB will work with KOF for production of 5,000 quintals of hybrid sunflower seeds in rabi 2022, which would be enough for sowing in about one lakh hectare. This will be further scaled up in Karnataka and also replicated for other oilseeds such as groundnut and mustard in other States.

 

Jolle said NDDB has already initiated a number of measures to support KOF. He further said that considering the Ukraine crisis, there is a huge shortage of sunflower oil. This has led to higher prices of sunflower seeds. Our farmers can restart sunflower seed production to earn profits, Jolle said.

 

Prasad said NDDB and KOF have approached UAS-B for the commercial production of successful sunflower hybrid seeds. Thus, the agreement will re-initiate large scale sunflower hybrid seed production.

An Exports Stakeholders Meet was organised here under the aegis of the Director General of Foreign Trade towards development of districts as exports hubs in Hosur on Friday.

 

Presiding over the meeting, Collector V. Jayachandra Bhanu Reddy said, 'the genesis of the meeting stemmed from Krishnagiri being identified as one of the first 75 districts to be developed as a district export hub.'

 

Tamil Nadu ranked thrid in terms of inward remittances and Krishnagiri contributed to 16% of Tamil Nadu’s inward remittances, he said. 

 

As a prelude to identification of Krishnagiri for promotion as District Export Hub, a District Export Promotion Committee was formed to formulate District Export Promotion Policy in consultation with the stakeholders, that included MSMEs, industry, DGFT and Industries Department. The administration and the government was prepared to meet the demand with acquisition of 6000 acres for the purpose of industry, the Collector said.

 

Speaking on the State-level initiatives to promote exports, Jagadeesh, Additional Director, MSME Department said, with the DGFT’s motto of promoting 'one district, one product', 10 districts of Tamil Nadu have been identified by the State Government.

 

Of the 750 districts in the country, 200 districts are sought to be covered in Phase I as part of the Union Government’s plan to have each district contribute to export market.  In that, Madurai, Ambur, Pollachi, Coimbatore, Karur, Thootukudi, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Tiruppur and Hosur are identified, with a concerned line department corresponding to the existing industry facilitating the export promotion of the district.

 

According to him, Tamil Nadu contributed to 8.97% of the export market in 2020-21 and Hosur alone contributed 15% to 16% through its floriculture, automobile, and granite industry, which was in turn 70% of the State’s contribution.

 

Additional Commissioner of Industries and Commers Grace Lalrindiki Pachuau said Hosur was one of the four regions that included Tiruchi, Theni and Chennai that were selected for Tamil Nadu in the first phase of development of district export hubs. Mango pulp, granites and cut flowers have been identified.

 

C.H. Nadiger, Regional Director, Engineering Export Promotion Council of India,  Southern Region said, Hosur despite being ranked third after Chennai, and Coimbatore in terms of exporting industries, in absolute numbers, the town had very few exporters. On its part, EEPC was willing to provide assistance through seminars and training programmes for entrepreneurs, Mr. Nadiger said.

 

B. Senthilnathan, vice-president of Hosur Industries Association cited the urgent need for freight movement from Hosur; a plan for a food processing park given the agro industries in Krishnagiri and the need for revision of the interest subvention to help small-scale industry.

 

K. Velmurugan, president of Hosur Small and Tiny Industries Association, flagged the lack of low-cost housing for workers to deal with attrition and pointed out how industry was blindsided by sudden changes in tax regimes.

 

A. Chellakumar, MP, intervened and stated that the freight movement would see fruition soon from Hosur. He earlier pointed out the challenges faced by the cut flowers exporters vis-a-viz Chinese import of plastic flowers.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first in-person bilateral meeting with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau in over four years in Germany on Monday.

 

A tweet from India’s prime minister’s office noted the two leaders 'took stock of India-Canada friendship and discussed ways to further strengthen it across various sectors'.

 

The meeting was preceded with positive signals as the two PMs exchanged greetings and smiles at the gathering for the family photo for the G7 summit.

 

This was the first time they held such discussions sitting across from each other since Trudeau visited India in February 2018. The bilateral meeting took place on Monday evening in the German resort of Schloss Elmau, on the margins of the ongoing G7 summit.

 

A preparatory meeting for this bilateral was held last Thursday between India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly on the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda.

 

According to senior Indian officials, the agenda was to include significant global issues including the Indo-Pacific, the situation in Ukraine, the commodities crisis caused by the Russian attack, including its impact on food security.

 

They were cautious in keeping expectations from the meeting tempered as outstanding irritants remain like the growth in pro-Khalistan elements in Canada. India wants to take that into account while focusing on strengthening the trade relationship between the two countries, especially with an Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA) under consideration and likely to be sealed before the end of the year while dialogue continues on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

 

This was also the first in-person meeting between the two PMs since Trudeau’s unprompted remarks in December 2020 on the farmers’ agitation which caused a rupture in ties. However, since then Trudeau has refrained from similar comments on India’s internal affairs and reined in the ruling Liberal caucus members from doing so as well.

 

In February last year, Trudeau had also reached out to Modi and requested a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines from India during the course of a call. New Delhi had reacted positively and sent a consignment of Covishield to Canada in March 2021.

Prices of Indian rice, both in the domestic and international markets, have shot up 10 per cent in the last five days after Bangladesh slashed import duty and tariffs on rice from 62.5 per cent to 25 per cent prompting Indian traders to make a dash for export deals with the neighbouring nation.

 

On June 22, Bangladesh came up with a notification that allows imports of non-basmati rice till October 31. This is for the first time that Bangladesh has started importing rice from India so early as there is a fear that India might put a ban on rice exports. Generally, Bangladesh starts importing rice in September-October. There is a shortage of staples in Bangladesh as the Russia-Ukraine war and India's ban on wheat exports have caused the drop in wheat imports, while floods have harmed rice cultivation in the country this year.

 

'In the last five days, prices of Indian non-basmati rice have risen to $360 per tonne from $350 per tonne in the global markets. This has happened after the news from Bangladesh came in,' said BV Krishna Rao, president of Rice Exporters Association.

 

Rising wheat prices and declining imports have pushed up flour prices in Bangladesh and put pressure on rice. In addition, early floods, storms and heavy rains have hampered rice yields, sparking fears of further volatility in rice prices.

 

Suraj Agarwal, chief executive officer, Tirupati Agri Trade, said 'Prices of rice have already gone up by 10 per cent and are still rising. Bangladesh generally buys rice from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In these three states, prices have shot up by 20 per cent for the common variety of rice. The price rise in these three states have also left an impact on prices of rice in other regions where it has gone up by 10 per cent.'

 

Bangladesh imported 13.59 lakh tonnes of rice in FY21. Bangladesh's early buying of non-basmati rice will give a fresh fillip to Indian rice exports. According to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics data, India had exported non-basmati rice worth USD 6.11 billion in 2021-22 as compared to USD 4.8 billion in FY21.

 

India, the world's biggest rice consumer after China, has a market share of more than 40% of the global rice trade.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday said that the Center and States are together engaged in the holistic development of the Northeast including Nagaland.

 

Tomar visited the Central Institute of Horticulture in Nagaland and inaugurated a farmer's workshop and exhibition.

 

'Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants that there should be holistic and balanced development and the benefits of the government's schemes should reach the eligible people including farmers right down to the grassroots level, which will improve their standard of living,' the minister said at the inaugural ceremony.

 

He asserted that the Central Government will continue to walk step by step and shoulder to shoulder with the states for the development of the Northeast. 'It is necessary to transform agriculture into advanced farming for the benefit of the farmers in the country including the Northeast,' Tomar added.

 

In the programme organized by the Central Institute of Horticulture (Medziphema, Dimapur), the chief guest, Tomar said that if the Central and State Governments work together, then the results are bound to be good, and this is what is happening now.

 

Emphasizing increasing production and productivity, the Agriculture Minister said that the income of brothers and sisters working in the agriculture sector should also increase, for this they should shift to remunerative crops, connect with technology, bring new technology to the farmers through R & D institutions, the common farmers should get the benefit of the scientific research and government funding should also reach them.

 

'The Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi is working closely with the State Governments on all these issues,' he said.

 

Tomar expressed the hope that the farmers of this region will lead a new revolution in the development of horticulture.

 

'The Northeast region has been a victim of neglect for a long time and due to its remoteness, it became difficult to get the benefits of schemes here, but after becoming the Prime Minister, Shri Modi has constantly paid attention to getting enough funds for the development of the North-East, ensured the Union Ministers visit this region regularly, the Prime Minister himself also came here several times so that the problems of the region continue to be resolved by the Government of India,' he said.

 

Tomar assured that the Central Horticulture Institute will remain here, it will not shift anywhere, there will be no shortage of funds for this and the Central Government will leave no stone unturned in its development.

 

He said that by virtue of six agro-climatic zones with vast geographical variations present in the North-East Region, and Nagaland in particular, it has the potential to provide considerable scope and advantages for growing many horticultural crops as compared to other states.

 

'There are huge possibilities. Nagaland also has great potential for the export of agricultural products due to its proximity to South-East Asian countries, it is necessary to increase productivity and ensure that the quality of agricultural products is of global standards. As a result, farmers will get a good price and their financial condition will improve and the agriculture sector will also contribute more to the country's GDP,' he said.

 

Further, he said that everyone is making efforts together to bring new technology to the farmers at low cost, he appreciated the efforts of the institute and the State Government in this direction.

 

Agriculture Minister of Nagaland, G Kaito also addressed the gathering and spoke about the development of agriculture in the state.

India and the European Union (EU) on Monday resumed negotiations, after a gap of over eight years, for a comprehensive free trade agreement, a move aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two regions. Senior officials from both the sides will hold discussions till July 1.

 

India and the EU 'today kick-start 1st round of trade negotiations in #NewDelhi,' Ugo Astuto, Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan, said in a tweet.

 

India and the 27-nation bloc on June 17 formally resumed negotiations on the proposed agreements on trade, investments and Geographical Indications (GI).

 

India had started negotiations for a trade pact with the EU in 2007, but the talks stalled in 2013 as both sides failed to reach an agreement on key issues, including customs duties on automobiles and spirits, and the movement of professionals.

 

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal in Brussels on June 18 had said India wishes to engage with the world on modern products and look at areas where it can gain in terms of new technology and investments.

 

'All cards are on the table and we are coming with an open heart and an open mind... Agreements do not have to always be about gain or demands, I think agreements also have to be which is good for both negotiating teams and for the people,' he had said.

 

India's merchandise exports to EU member countries stood at about USD 65 billion in 2021-22, while imports aggregated to USD 51.4 billion.

 

A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.

 

The famous goods which carry this tag include Basmati rice, Darjeeling tea, Chanderi fabric, Mysore silk, Kullu shawl, Kangra tea, Thanjavur paintings, Allahabad surkha, Farrukhabad prints, Lucknow zardozi and Kashmir walnut wood carving.

 

Commenting on the pact, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) vice president Khalid Khan said that the agreement would help in significantly promoting exports.

 

'Sectors like apparel, leather and engineering would get a major boost if we get zero-duty access in the EU,' Khan said.

Organic India, which is under the management of FabIndia, is looking beyond  Tulsi (Holy Basil) in its herbs and infusion portfolio. It plans to launch products without it, says its Group Managing Director Subrata Dutta. 

 

'We have introduced ‘Simply chamomile’ without  Tulsi. This is a growing segment where chamomile is consumed for good sleep. We are securing supply from farmers and selling it,' Dutta told  BusinessLine.

 

First mover advantage 

Organic India’s foray into chamomile follows its success with  Tulsi. The firm had built a category of herbs and infusions using the Holy Basi like tea leaves. It was the first to use organic  Tulsi. 'We gained an advantage as the first mover. It accounts for 90 per cent of organic  Tulsi consumed in the segment,' he said.  

 

 

Chamomile is a daisy-like plant of the Asteraceae family which is used as herbal infusions for traditional medicine. It was promoted by Organic India, which cultivated it on an experimental basis on its environmentally-controlled farms, as it was imported from abroad, particularly in Latin America.

 

Chamomile is organically grown in Rahat in Uttar Pradesh and its cultivation in India has changed the total complexion of trade. 'It has grown well and is a win-win situation for all. Farmers will get reasonable prices, while consumers will have to pay less as it is not being imported,' he said.

 

In November last year, Dutta said Organic India had experimented with chamomile to see how it grows on Indian farms. Then, the firm went and told the farmers that if they grew chamomile, it would buy it and help them raise their income by 50 per cent. Organic India also helped them to grow it.

 

He had then said farmers who grew chamomile were getting better returns and yield compared to wheat or other foodgrains they cultivated earlier.

 

More in the pipeline

Organic India has also launched Moringa Hibiscus, which can boost anti-oxidants. 'It is doing well and is consumed as an iced drink. Six more such non- Tulsi products and in the pipeline and these will be coming to the market before December,' Dutta said. 

 

Organic India is also having in its lab pipeline a combination of herbs with special purposes such as guava-chilli that can provide Vitamin C and is equivalent to lemon. It has also launched its second superfood — Spirulina tablets. 

 

The firm, which has pioneered the marketing of organic herbs and foods, has also added quinoa to its organic staple foods category. Organic India, which works with 12,300 farmers, directly and indirectly, entered the staples category last year as part of its expansion plans and it is doing well.

 

'Our products are moving pretty fast. We are now focussing on the width and presence of our staple food offers,' the group managing director said. 

 

Silver Jubilee celebrations

The company has launched a range of millets, besides selling flax seeds. 'Our organic millets are doing well in the export market, particularly in the Middle East,' Dutta said. It also sells organic cold-pressed oils such as mustard oil, coconut oil, sesame (til/gingelly) and groundnut oils. It has now added cold-pressed sunflower oil to its portfolio. 

 

The company has expanded its presence to all regions of the country from the northern, western and southern parts it was present earlier. The firm is seeing good traction for its palm jaggery, which is low on the glycemic index and thus good for those suffering from diabetes. 

 

Organic India picked the five best organic farmers through an independent jury to encourage them for their good work as part of its Silver Jubilee Celebrations. The five were picked from among 100 applicants and were given the 'Dhart Mitr Award' at the Dadasahel Phalke International Film Festival in February this year in Mumbai. The farmers received their awards from Lt Col YK Joshi, a hero of the Kargil War who led the 13th battalion.

 

India has exported 1.8 million tonnes of wheat to a dozen-odd countries, including Bangladesh and Afghanistan, since the country banned exports of the grain on May 13, according to Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey.

 

About 33,000 tonnes of wheat as humanitarian assistance has already been supplied to Afghanistan against the commitment of 50,000 tonne, he said.

 

Pandey, addressing a ministerial conference on 'uniting for global food security' held at Berlin, Germany on June 24, said India has always taken the needs of the world into consideration, even while meeting the onerous obligations of feeding its population of 1.38 billion people, an official statement said.

 

The secretary said: 'It is important here to explain that the recent decision by the Government of India (GoI) to bring about regulation on wheat exports was essentially taken to protect domestic availability as well as availability to vulnerable countries to whom supplies cannot be ensured by market forces.'

 

India has nonetheless continued with its commitment to cater for the genuine needs of neighbouring countries and food-deficit nations through Government-to-Government mechanism and also to fulfil supply commitments already made, he said.

 

'After the regulation until June 22nd this fiscal year, 1.8 million tonnes of wheat have been shipped out, almost four times from the previous year to countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Israel, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, Vietnam and Yemen,' he said.

 

On May 13, the government suspended wheat export with immediate effect. It moved the export of all varieties of wheat, including high-protein durum, from 'free' to the 'prohibited' category. The decision was aimed at controlling rising prices of wheat in the domestic market.

 

India had exported a record 7 million tonnes of wheat during 2021-22 fiscal, while typically, the country exports around 2 million tonnes which is around 1 per cent of global wheat trade, he said.

 

Stating that India is deeply conscious of its responsibilities towards the most vulnerable in various parts of the world, Pandey said the country continued to provide humanitarian assistance, both through the supply of vaccines as well as food consignments, during and beyond the pandemic.

 

For instance, the country has dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan, including 33,000 tonnes of wheat of a total commitment of 50,000 tonnes made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and continues to do so in the wake of the devastation caused by the earthquake a couple of days ago, he said.

 

During the pandemic, India has also provided food aid in the form of wheat, rice, pulses and lentils to several countries around the world including Afghanistan, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Zambia, Zimbabwe and others, to strengthen their food security, he said.

 

During the COVID pandemic, India embarked on what can be described as the world's largest ever food support system to cover nearly 810 million people.

 

'Even today, more than two years after we began, we still continue to provide food support to these vulnerable people who are equivalent to the population of Europe and the United States combined. To ensure rightful targeting, the whole system was run on a massive technology platform which was biometrically authenticated,' he said.

 

Stating that India has acknowledged the efforts made by the UN Secretary General to enhance global food security, the Secretary said the country also welcomed the recommendation of the Global Crisis Response Group Task Team to exempt purchases of food by the World Food Programme for humanitarian assistance from food export restrictions with immediate effect.

 

'We have also highlighted that it is important that similar exemptions are provided to all member states and relevant stakeholders who are contributing to this global humanitarian effort,' he said.

 

Pandey further said that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted global food security, which has been further exacerbated by recent geo-political developments and impact of climate change.

 

He also shared that the world is now faced with rising costs of food, fertilizers and fuel. The Global South, the developing and least developed countries, and the world's most vulnerable, have been particularly impacted in a disproportionate manner.

 

'Recent developments have highlighted the urgent need for developing resilient and uninterrupted food supply chains, so as to ensure both food security and nutritional security, in times of climate change induced natural calamities, global pandemics and conflicts around the world,' he said.

 

He further said that India is making a genuine effort to adopt a holistic approach to agriculture and make it more sustainable, including through effective water and soil management, and improving crop diversity and production practices.

 

Digital technology is now playing an important role in empowering the farmers of India through crop assessment and digitization of land records. Post-harvest infrastructure has also been strengthened, including through the creation of an Agriculture Infrastructure Fund of Rs 1 trillion as well as the establishment of cold chain storage capacity of 35 million tons in recent years and a program for 12 million tonne capacity for silo construction.

 

Sustainable food processing technologies are being adopted to reduce the overall carbon footprint, including through the adoption of waste utilization, resource recovery and circular economy in the food industry, he added.