Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he is hopeful of India finalising certain free trade agreements (FTAs) in the next few months, which would help promote exports. India is in the final stages of concluding FTA negotiations with the UK. The country is also negotiating similar pacts with Canada and European Union (EU).

 

'We can leverage the free trade agreements with the UAE and Australia and we are hopeful that in the next few months, we will finalise many more free trade agreements to help you grow your business with zero duty on finished leather products and footwear available for you to exploit bigger and better markets,' Goyal said while addressing footwear industry representatives here.

 

The minister also asked the industry to focus on quality and sustainable manufacturing processes to tap business opportunities in the developed world.

 

The Indian footwear and leather industry is not only a major foreign exchange earner but being a labour-intensive sector, it also provides employment to approximately 4.5 million people, 40 per cent of whom are women.

 

He said that India has the capacity to become the world's largest and best-quality footwear manufacturer.

 

India is the second largest exporter of leather garments, third-largest exporter of saddlery and harnesses and fourth-largest exporter of leather goods in the world.

 

More than 95 per cent of the production units in this sector are micro, small & medium enterprises (MSME) units.

 

Further Goyal said that Indian size of footwear will be launched soon to help distinguish Indian footwear around the globe and reduce dependence on foreign sizing trends.

 

He suggested industrialists explore FTAs for technological collaborations, joint ventures of non-leather footwear, thus increasing the export of the country and enhancing the domestic market with Indian products.

 

Goyal highlighted the beauty of Kolhapuri footwear of Maharashtra and Mojari footwear of Rajasthan, stating that it should be an area of attraction for international buyers as well.

 

Talking about quality, he said the government has issued quality control norms for the sector and the government is ready to set up testing facilities for certifications.

 

Goyal urged the stakeholders to expand the business while keeping the focus on quality and sustainability, eco-friendly process, waste management, and exploring renewable sources for electricity.

 

Not only do we need to enhance our design capabilities to move up the value chain, but also bring in more investments and technology to scale up the production and produce innovative products, he added.

Singapore is in close contact with Indian authorities to seek exemption from the country's ban on export of non-basmati rice, the city state's food agency said on Friday. 'Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is working closely with importers to increase the import of different varieties of rice from various sources. Singapore is also in close contact with the Indian authorities to seek exemption from the ban,' said a statement from SFA.

 

On July 20, the Indian government banned exports of non-basmati white rice to boost domestic supply and keep retail prices under check during the upcoming festive season. Non-basmati white rice constitutes about 25 per cent of total rice exported from the country.

 

In 2022, India accounted for about 40 per cent of Singapore's imported rice, said the agency. Singapore imports rice from more than 30 countries.

 

 

Under Singapore's Rice Stockpile Scheme, rice importers must hold a buffer inventory equivalent to twice of their monthly imports. This helps ensure an adequate supply of rice in the market, SFA said in a statement.

 

Countries expected to be hit by the ban include African nations, Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, among others.

 

In the first quarter of the current fiscal, about 15.54 lakh tonnes of white rice was exported from India against only 11.55 lakh tonne in the year-ago period, which means an increase by 35 per cent.

 

In 2023, the United Nations recognised the 'International Year of Millets', marking a significant milestone that positively impacted the global millet value chain. This declaration ignited a renewed focus on cultivating and consuming millets, generating a powerful momentum. Acknowledging the importance of this grain, the Indian government renamed millets 'Shree Anna,' symbolising its deep connection to Carnatic culture, and is actively implementing initiatives to promote millet cultivation and consumption throughout the country.

 

However, despite these promising advancements, many marginalised farmers who operate small independent farms, especially in the southern region of India have been unable to reap the benefits. Their lack of awareness, skills, market connections, and restricted access to modern agricultural technology have impeded their productivity and profitability.

 

Technology will play a crucial role in addressing these challenges and transforming the millet food system into a sustainable model that supports rural livelihoods. Enhancing accessibility, raising awareness about the advantages of millet farming, and establishing market linkages are all vital components of this transformation. Ensuring digital inclusion for local farmers and actively involving the younger generation, particularly students, as essential stakeholders are pivotal steps in this direction.

 

New agricultural methods

The existing differences in millet farming practices across regions provide interesting opportunities for technological intervention and knowledge sharing. For example, in Andhra Pradesh, crops are grown with closer spacing, whereas wider spacing is recommended in Kerala. By creating awareness about these new techniques, farmers can optimise their own agricultural methods to maximise productivity.

 

Integrating technology into farming processes can help automate labor-intensive tasks like processing, relieving farmers of some of their workload and allowing them to allocate time to other vital activities. In addition, technology intervention provides farmers and the local community with a broader market reach, establishing connections with potential buyers, guaranteeing fair prices, and promoting sustainable growth while alleviating the issue of the 'digital divide.'

 

Investing in technological advancements

In rural areas, public-private partnerships (PPPs) and various corporate initiatives are driving progress by providing essential training to farmers and enabling them to utilise technology effectively. Recognising the potential for significant advancements in the agricultural sector, there is a growing emphasis on investing in technology within agricultural colleges. These colleges benefit farmers directly but also serve as incubators for small-scale agri-businesses led by enthusiastic young volunteers and students. Their collaboration with partners involves conducting in-depth analyses of the local millet food system and developing prototypes that promote sustainable farming practices for millet cultivation.

 

Encouraging student involvement through technology

A remarkable shift is taking place as stakeholders embrace the renewed interest in millet cultivation, marking a commitment to a second agricultural revolution. Let’s consider the College of Applied Science IHRD, in Kerala. A significant number of students at this college hail from farming backgrounds and are often the first in their families to pursue higher education. Driven by their deep-rooted passion for agriculture and a desire to make a meaningful impact in their communities, these students are working with corporates like Lenovo on projects like Work for Humankind and helping promote millet cultivation using technology. Such an environment fosters innovation, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset among students. This ensures that the knowledge gained from their endeavours is theoretical and practically applied, yielding enduring positive changes.

 

The revival of millets and the sustainable development of agriculture hinge upon embracing technology-driven initiatives as a powerful force for change. To achieve this, we must disseminate knowledge of innovative farming practices, invest in technology for farmers and agricultural colleges, and inspire and support students. However, it is essential for corporations and government policies to play their part in creating an enabling ecosystem that nurtures and encourages young students to pursue careers in agriculture. By fostering collaboration among local stakeholders, academia, and policymakers, we can pave the way for a prosperous future where the fusion of technology and agriculture drives the revival of millets, ensuring a resilient and thriving society for the betterment of humankind.

India has sought a review of its free trade agreements with the Asean, Japan and Korea to make them fair and equitable, a top government official said.

 

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said India’s free trade pact with the Asean was the 'most ill-conceived'. 'The Asean agreement...(is the) most ill-conceived agreement. If anyone would have read that, it is so unfair to Indian industry,' Goyal said at an event organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

 

Noting that India had opened its markets for Japan and Korea, Goyal pointed out that its exports to Japan had not grown 'at all' but imports from that country had jumped 200%.

 

'What it (India’s exports to Japan) was 10 years ago, it is the same today with Japan… we are asking them to renegotiate with us the FTA to make it more balanced, fair and equitable,' he said. 'It’s a difficult task for us in government also…we fight for the textile sector, our farmers, our auto sector, fisheries, electronics,' Goyal said. Emphasising the importance of stakeholder consultations, Goyal said that with the UAE, India imposed tariff quotas on some products after industry raised concerns on some products though the two sides had initially agreed, which was an 'embarrassing situation' but it was beneficial for the domestic industry.

 

The average number of TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) handled by rail at Mundra port has crossed 5,300 in July, surpassing the levels of about 4,900 before cyclone Biparjoy hit.

 

The number of double-stack container trains has also increased by 33 per cent post-cyclone, accelerating their clearance from the port.

 

Earlier, the cyclone had disrupted operations and caused an operational downtime for about six days, the company said.

 

The port authorities had taken precautions to ensure the safety of human life as part of its safety and disaster management.

 

Post-cyclone, the port focused on restoring operations and emerged stronger, it said.

 

Container vessels can now berth upon arrival, reducing congestion and delays. The pendency of containers in the yard has reduced to reasonable levels, with dispatches increasing, especially on the rail side.

 

Post-cyclone, on July 2, the port berthed the longest vessel MV MSC Hamburg, with a carrying capacity of 15,908 TEU.

 

Mundra is the largest container handling port in India, having handled more than 6.6 million TEUs in FY ’23.

 

Its strategic location is enhanced by its connectivity to the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, facilitating efficient movement of goods. Despite the disruption due to the cyclone, the port posted 4.4 per cent growth year-on-year in container handling in Q1 FY24.

 

It also serves as a crucial hub for major container train operators, including Concor, Gateway Distriparks and Hind Terminals.

 

To meet the growing demand, Mundra port is expanding its infrastructure by setting up a new berth, T3, with a capacity of 0.8 million TEUs, and is expected to be commissioned in Q3 of FY23.

 

To augment container rail handling capacity, five new handling lines and two cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes are being introduced.

 

It is also improving in the receipt and dispatch yard, besides extending existing lines to accommodate long-haul containers.

 

A new terminal operating system is being implemented to streamline processes and minimise manual interventions. It is also moving towards automation to reduce the man-machine interface and improve overall safety and efficiency.

 

The Union Government has amended the export policy of Non-Basmati White Rice and put it in ‘prohibited’ list fearing a price rise in the festive season (Navratri, Dussehra and Dipawali), which is just few months away.  

The Government is already reeling under the super price rise of tomatoes and the move is to ensure lower price and maintaining availability of rice in the upcoming festival season.  

 

A statement issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, reads, 'In order to ensure adequate availability of Non-Basmati White Rice in the Indian market and to allay the rise in prices in the domestic market, Government of India has amended the Export Policy of above variety from ‘Free with export duty of 20%’ to ‘Prohibited’ with immediate effect.'

 

The domestic prices of rice were on an increasing trend. The retail prices increased by 11.5% over a year and 3% over the past month.

 

According to the data available with the Government, export duty of 20% on non-Basmati White Rice was imposed on Sept 08, 2022, to lower the price as well as ensure availability in the domestic market.  However, the export of this variety increased from 33.66 LMT (Sept-March 2021-22) to 42.12 LMT (Sept-March 2022-23) even after imposition of 20% export duty.  

 

In the current FY 2023-24 (April-June), about 15.54 LMT of this variety of rice was exported against only 11.55 LMT during FY 2022-23 (April-June), i.e. an increase by 35%. This sharp increase in exports can be ascribed to high international prices due to geo-political scenario, El Nino sentiments and extreme climatic conditions in other rice producing countries.

 

The Non-Basmati White Rice constitutes about 25% of total rice exported from the country and Government expects that the prohibition on export of Non-Basmati White Rice will lead to lowering of prices for the consumers in the country.

 

However, there is no change in export policy of Non-Basmati Rice (Par Boiled Rice) and Basmati Rice, which forms the bulk of rice exports.

The volume of mango imports from India has risen threefold to date this year, according to latest figures from the Ministry of Primary Industries.

 

New Zealand imported just under 30000 kilogrammes of mango from India in 2022, but this year's figure has already exceeded 100000 kilogrammes, with further imports possible through the end of the month.

 

Mango season in India usually starts in April and ends around the middle of July after monsoon rains begin.

 

The Ministry of Primary Industries said the increase in volume could be traced to the resumption of services at a facility treating mangoes headed for New Zealand.

 

The Maharashtra Agricultural Marketing Board vapour heat treatment facility in Mumbai is one of two entities that have been licensed to treat mangoes for export to New Zealand. The other is Andhra Pradesh Agro Food facility in Tirupati near Chennai.

 

The ministry said exports from the facility in Mumbai to New Zealand were suspended in July 2020 following the interception of live fruit flies at the border. The suspension was lifted in May this year following a virtual audit in February and then a subsequent in-country audit in April.

 

'Mangoes imported into New Zealand must meet the requirements in the Import Health Standard and as specified in the bilateral agreement between the two countries,' a spokesperson from the ministry said. 'These are then inspected on arrival here to check for compliance requirements.'

 

Over the past three months, the facility in Mumbai has treated 87407 kilogrammes of mangoes, which represents about 80 percent of total imports from India to New Zealand.

 

Despite the overall improvement in trade figures, mango exports from India to New Zealand are still far below those from Latin America.

 

Peru leads the pack, making up 65.7 percent of overall mango imports to New Zealand to date this year. Mexico comes second with 15.3 percent, followed by Australia at just under 10 percent. India makes up 6.9 percent of total imports.

 

The South and Central American nations appear to have overtaken Australia as the country's largest sources of mango, with Australia taking the top spot from 2019 to 2022.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has assessed the impact for pulses cultivation in different agro-ecologies with respect to soil health, soil microbial biomass, resilience to climate change.

 

Government of India is supplementing the efforts of state governments to encourage diversified production of crops including pulses, coarse cereals, nutri cereals, cotton & oilseeds under National Food Security Mission (NFSM), and horticultural crops under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). The Government of India also provides flexibility to the states for state specific needs/priorities under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

 

Further, to encourage farmers to adopt alternative crops to paddy, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), is implementing the Crop Diversification Programme (CDP), under RKVY in the Original Green Revolution States viz; Haryana, Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh since 2013-14 towards alternative crops like pulses, oilseeds, coarse cereals, nutri cereals, cotton.

 

CDP aims at demonstrating alternative crops at farmers' fields. A pilot project for 'Diversification of 4.85 million hectares' in five years (2023-24 to 2027-28) in identified 75 districts of 17 States / Union Territory namely Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharakhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal representing 14 Agro Ecological Regions of the country has been approved to ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research (IIFSR), Modipuram.

 

While the production of oilseeds is not sufficient to meet the domestic demand of vegetable oils, however, the increased production of pulses has narrowed down the import of pulses to around 9 per cent of the domestic production. In order to enhance the production of oilseeds and pulses, the Government is implementing the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), in the country.

 

Under NFSM, assistance is given through State Governments to farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system, seed production and distribution of High Yielding Varieties/Hybrids, improved farm machineries/resource conservation machineries/tools, efficient water application tools, plant protection measures, nutrient management/soil ameliorants, cropping system based trainings to the farmers. The production of pulses has increased from 163.20 lakh tonne in 2015-16 to 275.04 lakh tonne in 2022-23 (as per 3rd Advance Estimates) and oilseeds from 252.50 lakh tonne to 409.97 lakh tonne during the same period. Further, import of pulses has declined from 58 lakh tonne in 2015-16 to 24.96 lakh tonne in 2022-23.

 

In addition, the mission also provides support to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), & State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)/Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), for technology back stopping and transfer of technology to the farmer under supervision of Subject Matter Specialists/Scientists.

 

Government has also launched a separate Mission for Oil Palm namely, National Mission on Edible Oils (Oil Palm), in 2021-22.  Both, NFSM- Oilseeds and NMEO (OP), mission components are being implemented in the country with an objective to augment the availability of vegetable oils by increasing the production and productivity of oilseeds & oil palm. Further, Targeting Rice Fallow Area (TRFA), under NFSM is implemented for cultivation of pulses & oilseeds in rice fallow of 12 states. RKVY also supports pulses and oilseeds production in the states.

 

The prices of pulses and oilseeds being sold to the farmers in various states comprise of incentives provided by Government of India under NFSM programme on certified seed distribution of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of pulses and oilseeds (except sesame) upto Rs. 5000 per quintal and Rs. 4000 per quintal, respectively and for Hybrids in oilseeds and varieties of sesame upto Rs. 8000 per quintal. Further, the Government is also supplying seed minikits of HYVs of pulses and oilseeds free of cost to the farmers.

In order to ensure overall development of Food Processing Industries including processing of agro- products, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), has been incentivising setting up/expansion of related infrastructure through its Central Sector Umbrella Scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI), and Centrally sponsored PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME), scheme across the country including rural areas of Karnataka and thus benefitting and increasing the income of the farmers in the country.

 

Under component schemes of PMKSY, MoFPI provides mostly credit linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs. PMKSY is not any region or state specific but demand driven and is implemented across the country including the rural areas of Karnataka. So far, Ministry has approved 41 Mega food Parks, 382 Cold Chain projects, 72 Agro Processing Clusters, 469 Food Processing Units, 61 Creation of Backward & Forward Linkages Projects & 46 Operation Green projects across the country under corresponding component schemes of PMKSY.

 

Out of this, 2 Mega Food Parks, 17 Cold Chain projects, 4 Agro Processing Clusters, 19 Food Processing Units and 3 Creation of Backward & Forward Linkages Projects are located in Karnataka. The completed projects of PMKSY are estimated to benefit more than 32 lakh farmers across the country and more than 1.8 lakh farmers in Karnataka.       

 

Ministry also provides financial, technical and business support for setting up/ upgradation of 2 lakh micro food processing enterprises under PMFME scheme. The scheme is operational for a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore. So far, a total of 38466 micro food processing enterprises have been approved for assistance in the country, out of which 2444 micro food processing units located in Karnataka.

 

PLISFPI is, inter alia, intended to support creation of global food manufacturing champions and support Indian brands of food products in international market. The Scheme is being implemented over a six-year period from 2021-22 to 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs. 10,900 crore. So far, a total investment of Rs 318.97 crore has been committed in projects located in Karnataka under the scheme.

 

At times, the projects approved under PMKSY face delays in obtaining statutory clearances/ certificates from the State Government regarding Consent to Establish, Consent to Operate, building plan approval, electricity connection etc.  Also, release of matching state funds gets delayed sometimes in centrally sponsored PMFME scheme. Ministry coordinates with stakeholders for removal of these bottlenecks.

Bangladesh’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said that India and Bangladesh relations have reached 'new dimensions' as the two countries have begun trade transactions in 'Rupee and Taka'.

In an exclusive ANI interview, when asked about the current political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries, Mahmud said that in recent months, India-Bangladesh ties have 'got new dimensions because we have started business by exchanging Rupees and Taka. So day by day, our relationship is strengthening under their leadership.'

 

In April, earlier this year, Bangladesh and India agreed to settle a part of the bilateral trade transactions in their own currencies -- Rupee and Taka -- to ease pressure on dollar holdings, Bangladesh-based news website The Business Standard (TBS News) reported.

As per the news report, settling transactions in Taka and Rupee was in discussions for months amid the crisis of the dollar. However, all the bilateral trade between the two nations will not be made in local currencies.

On improving India-Bangladesh border connectivity, Minister Mahmud said that India and Bangladesh share a long border, so issue are likely to crop up, which will be resolved with dialogues.

'Since we have long border, we would have always border issues,' he said.

India and Bangladesh share 4096.7 km. of border, which is the longest land boundary that India shares with any of its neighbours, as per Ministry of External Affairs.

 

'And we have resolved many border issues. So little issues always will arise and we shall resolve it and we are time to time two parties are sitting and we resolve the problems,' he added.

Speaking about the need to keep emphasising on more cultural exchange, Minister Mahmud said that a better cultural relationship that 'will strengthen the ties between the people of Bangladesh and of India.'

'We have a strong relationship and we are working to strengthen the ties between the people. And day by day, that is strengthening,' he added.

Significant boosts in bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh were seen in the recent period. Starting from settling the protracted land boundary dispute in an amicable way in 2015, India and Bangladesh have partnered in numerous developmental projects.

India, for example, is financing several infrastructure and connectivity missions in Bangladesh through its Line of Credit, totalling over eight billion dollars now, at a concessional rate.

 

Connectivity projects such as a multimodal road-rail link between Agartala in India's Tripura to Akhaura in Bangladesh is a prime model. The reopening of an old rail link between Chilahati and Haldibari, apart from regular train services between Kolkata and Dhaka, and bus connectivity from Dhaka to Shillong, Agartala and Kolkata is increasing the physical connectivity between the two countries.

India has also provided a grant for the building of the Padma bridge which will provide crucial rail-road connectivity between India and the north and south regions of Bangladesh. In waterways connectivity as well several new routes have been activated including a new bridge across the Feni river to facilitate the movement of goods and passengers from Tripura to Bangladesh.