Seed is the most fundamental and critical input for sustainable agriculture, serving as a link between the present and the future. India has developed as a vibrant seed sector on a worldwide platform, and the seed industry had developed and expanded in progression with Indian agriculture throughout the years. Beginning with the tradition of preserving seeds from previous crops, Indian farmers have proceeded to develop a robust formal, informal, and integrated seed system across the country.

 

Formal seed system diversity has become progressively refined over the time. There have been substantial changes observed in Indian seed sector, particularly in the last 30 years. The government's policy assistance has also aided in the evolution and development of the seed platform and is indicative of India's changing requirements and market dynamics. The public research bodies (eg. ICAR: Indian Council of Agricultural Research) along with international institutes (eg. CGIAR: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) contributed immensely with new improved seeds of diverse crops. Given the importance, not just for farmers but for entire society, seeds are now subject to a growing number of regulations aimed at achieving various policy goals. The challenge for policymakers is to develop laws and regulations that promote both formal and farmer-based seed systems while minimizing detrimental effects on breeding, selection, and seed production in either system. The private seed sector having a significant impact on the Indian seed industry. This has been made possible due to international investment and specific technical skills. Indian seed corporates and multinational companies in the Indian seed sector brought in a strong R&D base for product development, with a focus on high-value hybrids of cereals and vegetables, as well as improved technologies like such as Bt cotton. As a result, farmers have a wide range of products to choose from, and the seed industry is now oriented toward a 'farmer-centric' and market-driven approach.

 

Status of Indian seed sector:

 

The expansion of the seed sector in due course can be compared to the expansion of India's agricultural productivity. After the United States (27%), China (20%), France (8%), and Brazil (8%), Indian seed sector is now the world's fifth largest seed market, accounting for 4.4% of global seed market (6%).

 

Non-vegetable crops such as corn, cotton, paddy, wheat, sorghum, sunflower, and millets account for the majority of the Indian seed market. India is practically self-sufficient in flower, fruits and vegetables, and field crop seeds in terms of worldwide trade. In the next five years, paddy, maize, and vegetables are likely to fuel the growth of the Indian hybrid seed sector. The Indian seeds market reached a value of US$ 3.6 billion (Rs. 36000 lakh) in 2017, growing at a CAGR of over 17% from 2010 to 2017, and is predicted to rise at a CAGR of 14.3% from 2018 to 2023, reaching a value of more than US$ 8 billion (Rs. 80000 lakh).

 

Seed production system in India: 

 

The Indian seed multiplication programme primarily adheres to the limited generations concept. The system justifies three generations of seeds: breeder, foundation, and certified seeds, and offers sufficient quality assurance measures in the seed multiplication chain to ensure that the varietal purity is maintained as it passes from the breeder to the farmer. State Departments of Agriculture (DoA) collect seed indents from various production agencies and send them to the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, which compiles the information crop by crop and sends it to the Project Coordinator/Project Director of the respective crops in ICAR for final allocation of production responsibility to various State Agricultural Universities/ICAR institutions.  The NSC, State Farms Corporation of India (SFCI), SSC, State Departments of Agriculture, and private seed producers have been tasked with producing foundation seed possessing the necessary infrastructure. Certified seed production is managed by the SSC, Departmental Agricultural Farms, Cooperatives, and other organizations. State governments are primarily responsible for the production and distribution of quality/certified seeds.

 

Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) of major crops in India:

 

SRR is the percentage of crop sown/planted in the season using certified/quality seeds other than farm saved seed. As a result, SRR has a direct impact on productivity and income enhancement for farmers and is one of the means for doubling farmers' income.

 

Varietal Replacement Rate (VRR) of major crops in India:

 

VRR is an important factor in increasing crop productivity. The rate of progress in food production is largely determined by the progress of seed programmes that can supply high-quality seed of high-yielding varieties with superior genetics. According to recent data, wheat had the fastest rate of VRR across all crops, followed by mungbean, chickpea, soybean, rapeseed & mustard, rice, and pigeonpea.

 

Varietal protection in India: 

 

India is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which has a half-dozen intergovernmental agreements influencing the agriculture directly. India established the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights (PPV&FR) Authority under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act, 2001, in accordance with the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual

 

Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, and it has been operational since November 11, 2005.

 

Establishment of PPV&FR was necessary to have an effective system in protecting plant varieties, farmers' and plant breeders' rights, and encouraging the development of new plant varieties. 

Seed certification system in India:

 

In general, seed certification is a process for ensuring the physical identity and genetic purity of notified crop varieties by maintaining and making available to the general public with a continuous supply of high-quality seeds and propagating materials. Seed certification is a legally recognised system in India for ensuring the quality of seed production and multiplication. In 1970, Maharashtra became the first state to establish an official Seed Certifications Agency (SCA) as part of the DoA, while Karnataka became the first state to establish an autonomous SCA in 1974. Under the Seed Act of 1966, 22 states in the country now have their own SCA. Seed certification is voluntary in most countries around the world, including India, while labelling is mandatory. 

 

Key challenges of seed sector in India:

 

Short shelf life of the seed: Certified seeds are only good for one season and must be revalidated before being used in the following season. The retailers do not have the necessary arrangements to store the seeds for an entire year.

 

Unpredictability of the demand: Due to the unpredictability of nature, changes in commodity prices, and other factors, it is extremely difficult for dealers (private or cooperative) to accurately predict demand for certified seeds.

 

Lack of effective monitoring mechanism: At the point of sale, there is no effective monitoring system in place to control seed quality. Once the product is sold, the seed producing, and marketing agencies have no control over their production. 

 

Lack of infrastructure: Farmers' access to seeds at the right time continues to be a challenge. Poor infrastructure in remote villages, a lack of purchasing power at the time of sowing, and the uncertainty of rainfall, on which sowing is heavily reliant, exacerbate the problem.

 

Key opportunities to strengthen the seed sector in India:

 

India’s share in global seed exports is about 0.6 % (ISF, 2012). To give a boost to seed export, India decided to participate in OECD seed schemes in five categories , grasses and legumes; crucifers and other oil or fibre species; cereals; maize, sorghum and vegetables.

 

Future of agricultural production will largely depend upon development of improved varieties/ hybrids of various crops, supported by efficient, cost-effective seed production technologies.

 

Diversification of areas for seed production and development of appropriate seed production technology needs to be focused for expansion of seed production system in the country.

 

Considerable efforts should be made to study the effect of climate change on seed production of various crops to develop suitable crop management technologies and mitigate the adverse effects.

 

Since seed is starting point of production systems, organic seed (production technology, field and seed standards) is inevitable for location specific, producer community based organic agriculture.

 

GPS/GIS applications includes guidance of equipment , micro irrigation facilities, fertilizer/ pesticides applicators and tillage implement; mapping of pests and diseases to reduce excess overlaps and skips and enable towards precision in seed production

 

Different seed testing protocols currently used in India need to be upgraded on the lines of international standards of seed testing such as ISTA, AOSA and OECD for better seed quality assurance and easy access to international seed trade. Use of biochemical and molecular markers including electrophoresis of proteins, isoenzymes and DNA fingerprinting involving first and second-generation markers for establishing the distinctiveness of varieties may supplement traditional genetic purity testing.

 

Key opportunities to strengthen the seed sector in India:

India’s share in global seed exports is about 0.6 % (ISF, 2012). To give a boost to seed export, India decided to participate in OECD seed schemes in five categories , grasses and legumes; crucifers and other oil or fibre species; cereals; maize, sorghum and vegetables.

 

Future of agricultural production will largely depend upon development of improved varieties/ hybrids of various crops, supported by efficient, cost-effective seed production technologies.

 

Diversification of areas for seed production and development of appropriate seed production technology needs to be focused for expansion of seed production system in the country.

 

Considerable efforts should be made to study the effect of climate change on seed production of various crops to develop suitable crop management technologies and mitigate the adverse effects.

 

Since seed is starting point of production systems, organic seed (production technology, field and seed standards) is inevitable for location specific, producer community based organic agriculture.

 

GPS/GIS applications includes guidance of equipment , micro irrigation facilities, fertilizer/ pesticides applicators and tillage implement; mapping of pests and diseases to reduce excess overlaps and skips and enable towards precision in seed production

 

Different seed testing protocols currently used in India need to be upgraded on the lines of international standards of seed testing such as ISTA, AOSA and OECD for better seed quality assurance and easy access to international seed trade. Use of biochemical and molecular markers including electrophoresis of proteins, isoenzymes and DNA fingerprinting involving first and second-generation markers for establishing the distinctiveness of varieties may supplement traditional genetic purity testing.

 

Genomics should be undertaken to discover gene/s governing dormancy, germination and longevity and stress tolerant genes to produce superior quality seeds.

 

Seed morphology and vigour (apart from germination, desiccation tolerance and longevity) during the maturation stage, chlorophyll presence on seed has a direct link to maturity and can be fast but precisely measured through image analysis.

 

Development of ultramodern seed processing and storage technologies like thermal seed processing facilities (high precision, high throughput process)

 

Polymer-based technology used for controlling the time of seed germination through seed coating. By coating the seeds with Intelimer polymers that have required pre-set temperature switch mechanism, the time of germination of the coated seeds can be adjusted and the synchronization problem of parental lines in hybrid seed production could be prevailed over. Besides, this technology also helps in relay cropping system.

 

Seed treatment with carbon nano tubes (CNTs), array of nano particles (gold/silver/borates) is a whole new field, yet to be fully unraveled. Application of Nanotechnology in seed science research is still at nascent stage, and its full potential is yet to be tapped.

 

Application of biological agents to crop seeds have focused on root colonizing bacteria, termed rhizobacteria. PGPR (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) comprise those rhizobacteria that include beneficial effects on plants during colonization by promotion of plant growth and biological control of plant diseases.

 

Seed sector has a two-fold responsibility in the area of seed health: to deliver sufficiently healthy seed to farmers and seed producers, and to respect international phytosanitary regulations.

 

Conclusion:

Indian seed industry adapting at a faster pace to the country's changing food consumption dynamics. However, in the last three decades, the proportion of income spent on food has decreased in both urban and rural areas. Between 1990 and 2010, cereal and pulse consumption fall significantly, while fruit and vegetable consumption nearly doubled.

 

The country will see an increase in the cultivation of vegetables and fruits, owing to the growth and development of the food processing industry, as well as changing consumer habits. Because of increased consumer awareness and disposable income, one of the most significant future developments will be an increase in demand for high-quality vegetable and fruit products. The export sector is also expected to grow. Protected cultivation will become more common in India as a result of this trend. Due to labor shortages, the current seed industry may need to develop new products/ technologies to keep up with the increased mechanization of India's agriculture sector in the near future. Hybrid seeds are expected to become more popular in the country's future seed market. Another anticipated change in the seed industry is an increase in demand for varieties with higher nutritional and health benefits. Obesity, diabetes, malnutrition, and other lifestyle-related diseases are on the rise in the country, and as a result, people are becoming more health-conscious, which will lead to increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and cereals with higher nutritional values.

Goa government on Friday notified the Agriculture Export Policy (AEP) for Goa with the broad objective of increasing farmers income and state share in national agri exports. The policy aims to promote Goa as an agri export hub of India, develop requisite export-oriented infrastructure, promote novel, indigenous, organic, ethnic, traditional and non-traditional agri products for exports.

 

Agriculture produce from Goa, like cashew, mancurad mango, Moira banana, alsando, korgut rice could form the export blanket of the state.

'Goa can become an export hub owing to the facility of Mormugao port and Dabolim airport,' the policy states

 

'All this can be achieved when efforts of farmers are coupled with development of necessary export infrastructure in the state,' it states.

 

The policy is expected to boost entrepreneurship development, diversify the export basket, and promote novel, indigenous, organic, ethnic, traditional and non-traditional agricultural products for export.

 

The policy recommendations are organised in two broad categories: strategic and operational.

 

Pre-harvest and post-harvest management are vital for maintaining quality of product. For this, the policy intends to put in place appropriate infrastructure and logistics support, like pack houses and cold chains, exit point infrastructure, processing infrastructure, testing labs, and refrigerated transport vehicles.

 

Special infrastructure, like vapor heat treatment, irradiation facilities, hot and cold water treatment facilities, dehydration, Individual Quick Frozen (IQF) technology, ripening chamber, etc, will also be developed for which involvement of private entrepreneurs and the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries will be sought.

 

'Emphasis will be to attract private investments in export-oriented infrastructure at a larger scale. Involvement of the private sector since the initial planning of the infrastructure results in efficient infrastructure, which will boost agri export from the state,' the policy states.

 

The major products exported from Goa are alcoholic beverages, jaggery and confectionery, and cereals preparations, among others.

 

The export of Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) products from Goa, in 2016-17, was 17740.23MT valued at Rs 9,881.12 lakh. In 2017-18, the export was 13585.93MT valued at Rs 7,364.51 lakh.

 

'It is also recommended that marketing campaigns be created for individual fruits or products such as mancurad mango, cashew feni, and korgut rice. This activity would be for a sustained communication campaign in the form of a branding blitz across key targeted markets. This must utilise both digital and traditional media platforms,' the policy states.

The MoFPI has launched three One District One Product (ODOP) brands under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme.

 

The brands Madhurmithas, Anaras, and Pind Se, were launched by Pashupati Kumar Paras, Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, along with Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, and in the presence of officials from NAFED.

 

The brand Madhurmithas has introduced jaggery powder and has been exclusively developed under the ODOP concept for the district Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The product is a sweetener without any chemicals.

 

Brand Anaras has been developed under the ODOP concept for dried spicy pineapple from the district Ri Bhoi, Meghalaya. The product has been made from handpicked pineapples, naturally sun dried and flavoured with a secret spice mix to give it an irresistible unique taste.

 

Brand Pind Se has introduced mango pickle, made with premium quality ingredients, and a traditional recipe. The product is hand-made and developed under the ODOP Concept from district Amritsar, Punjab.  

 

Besides, two other products were also launched on the occasion under the brand Kashmiri Mantra from district Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Madhumantra from district Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

 

Kashmiri Mantra introduced masala paste locally called ‘ver’, the masala paste in tikki form is the second product to be launched after Kashmiri Lal Mirch under the brand.

 

Madhumantra introduced Lemon Honey from Saharanpur that offers an element of uniqueness to plain old honey by infusing it with high-quality lemon extract.

 

According to NAFED, for the benefit of consumers, all the products come in unique and attractive packaging that keeps moisture and sunlight at bay, thus ensuring a longer shelf life of the product and keeping it fresh.

 

In total 10 ODOP brands and 14 products have been launched under the MoU between NAFED and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries under the scheme for developing 10 brands of selected 20 ODOPs under the branding and marketing component of the PMFME scheme.

 

Out of these, 7 ODOP brands and 9 products have been successfully launched in collaboration with NAFED, These include - Brand : Cori Gold; District/State: Kota, Rajasthan Product : Coriander Powder, Brand - Makhana King ; District/State: Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur from Bihar, Product: Plain and Chatpata Makhana), Brand - Dilli Bakes ( District/State: Delhi, Product: Cookies and Rusk), Brand  - Amrit Phal ( District/State: Gurgaon, Haryana Product: Amla Juice), Brand  - Madhumantra ( District/State: Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Product: Multiflora Honey), Brand  - Somdana ( District/State: Thane, Maharashtra, Product: Millet Flour) and Brand  - Kashmiri Mantra ( District/State: Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir Product: Red Chilli Powder).

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will visit Israel during May 8-11 for bilateral meetings between the countries and discuss various issues related to the farm sector.

 

A delegation under the leadership of Tomar is going to visit Israel from May 8-11, 2022, on the invitation from Oded Forer, Minister of Agriculture of Israel, for bilateral meetings to discuss various issues related to agriculture between two countries.

 

On May 9, the delegation is proposed to visit facilities of Green 2000 - Agricultural Equipment and Know How Ltd and NETAFIM Ltd which are engaged in planning, set-up, consultation and on-going management of various projects in different spheres of agriculture and micro & smart Irrigation Systems (drip irrigation) usage to paddy cultivation, sugarcane and cotton respectively.

 

Tomar will also have a roundtable discussion with Israeli Agritech Startup companies at Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute, Tel-Aviv.

 

On the second day, the delegation is proposed to visit Agricultural Research Organisation (ARO) – Volcani Institute under the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development which have special expertise in agriculture under arid conditions, on marginal soils, irrigation through effluent and saline water and minimization of produce losses by using latest pest control and post-harvest storage methods.

 

The minister will also meet Volcani's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program participants from India.

 

'Agriculture Minister will be presented drone agriculture technology solutions with the combination of advanced mapping and photography at Ganei Khna'an near Kibbutz Naan. The minister will also visit a farm owned by an Indian origin farmer growing Indian vegetables in Negec desert area,' the statement said.

 

On the concluding day, the minister will have a one-to-one interaction with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Israel Oded Forer in his Office.

 

The delegation is scheduled to visit the MASHAV's International Agricultural Training Centre, Shefayim.

 

The Centre has been operating since 1963 and specialises in capacity building, transfer of knowledge and professional support in the fields of agriculture, water management, environment and rural development.

In order to boost exports of tissue culture plants, Centre, through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), conducted a webinar on 'Export Promotion of Tissue Culture Plants such as Foliage, Live Plants, Cut Flowers, and Planting Material' with Department of Biotechnology (DBT) accredited tissue culture laboratories spread across India. 

 

The top ten countries importing tissue culture plants from India are the Netherlands, USA, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan, Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia and Nepal. In 2020-2021, India’s exports of tissue culture plants stood at US$17.17 million, with the Netherlands accounting for around 50% of the shipments. 

 

APEDA officials informed participants about the latest demand trends for tissue culture plants in these countries and how the apex export promotion body could help Indian exporters/ tissue culture laboratories in accessing these markets. As this was the first interaction programme with these laboratories, APEDA explained about its function, mandate and other financial assistance extended to export oriented plant tissue culture laboratories to improve efficiency, quality of plants, and how the latter could meet the phyto-sanitary norms of the importing countries and enhance their competence in the international market. In order to expand the range of tissue culture plants grown in India, APEDA has asked the exporters to provide a list of germplasms for particular plants/crops which can be imported from producing countries.

 

The exporters, in turn, also suggested that APEDA organize an international exhibition in India to showcase the various kinds of flora such as tissue cultured plants, forest plants, potted plants, ornamental and landscaping planting material available in India. They have also suggested that APEDA take the lead in sending a trade delegation abroad to identify new markets for tissue culture plants from India and finalize deals with importers.

 

Tissue culture plant laboratories highlighted the issues and challenges faced by them in tissue cultured planting material production and its exports. Exporters drew the attention of APEDA officials to issues such as increasing power costs, low efficiency levels of the skilled workforce in the laboratories, contamination issues in the laboratories, cost of transportation of micro-propagated planting material, lack of harmonization in the HS code of Indian planting material with other nations and objections raised by the forest and quarantine departments which were posing challenges in the export of live planting material.

 

The tissue culture experts suggested that APEDA take up these issues with the concerned departments. APEDA has assured round-the-clock service to tissue culture plant laboratories so as to address all hardships faced by them. 

 

APEDA is running a Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) to help laboratories upgrade themselves so as to produce export quality tissue culture planting material. It also facilitates exports of tissue culture planting material to diversified countries through market development, market analysis and promotion and exhibition of tissue culture plants at international exhibitions and by participating in buyer-seller meets at different international forums. 

 

India is bestowed with knowledge, biotech experts with vast tissue culture experience as well as with a low-cost labour force to help produce export-oriented quality planting material. All these factors make India a potential global supplier of an extended and diversified range of quality flora to the international market and, in turn, earn foreign exchange.

Indian Mango is most liked all over the world and india exports mango bumpers every year to ten countries. With the onset of summer season, people's interest towards the king of fruits i.e. Mango has started to be seen. Mango is considered to be the most special fruit in India. people also consume it in different ways but it is not that mango is popular only in india, but this craze of indian mango is also visible in foreign countries and the result is that india exports about 46 thousand tonnes of mangoes every year.

 

Mango is liked abroad

 

Indian mangoes are still eaten and fed with great passion all over the world.  Varieties like Alphonso, Kesar, Totapuri and Banganpali are exported the most. 

 

The special thing is that apart from india, many countries also export Mango. In such a situation, if we talk about India's competitors, then they include countries like Brazil, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Thailand, Yemen, and the Netherlands.

 

Export to these countries

 

Talking about the export of Mango in india, the highest export is to the UAE, where about Rs 151.04 crore is exported. Similarly, 58.28 crores in UK, 19.16 in Qatar, oman 16.84, kuwait 9.62, singapore 5.93, bahrain 4.21. Mangoes worth Rs 1.83 are exported to germany 2.07, canada 2.04 and Saudi Arabia.

There has been some relief in inflation in April according to the Food Price Index of the FAO, released May 6; this relief has been seen in edible oils and cereals.

 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) acknowledged May 6, 2022, that Indian wheat exports had made a small albeit visible impact on global inflation.

 

There has been some relief in inflation in April according to the Food Price Index of the FAO, released May 6. This relief has been seen in edible oils and cereals.

 

The FAO’s food price index averaged 158.5 points, down 0.8 per cent from March. The index for March was the highest. However, the price index for April 2022 was 29.8 per cent higher than that of April 2021.

 

The May 6 FAO report said international wheat prices had risen sharply due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but had come down due to the shipment of wheat from India. Despite huge demand in China and neighbouring countries, wheat prices had increased by only 2.3 per cent compared to March.

 

'International wheat prices, strongly affected by continued blockage of ports in Ukraine and concerns over crop conditions in the United States of America but tempered by larger shipments from India and higher-than-expected exports from the Russian Federation, increased by 0.2 per cent,' a statement on the FAO website said.

 

India has signed contracts for the export of four million tonnes of wheat in April 2022 and 1.1 tonnes of wheat have been exported, according to the Centre.

 

The FAO’s price index for edible oils declined by 5.7 per cent in April. This comes at a time when there is uncertainty surrounding the export of palm oil from Indonesia.

 

FAO’s Chief Economist Maximo Torrero Sullen said a modest reduction in the price index was a welcome relief.

 

'The small decrease in the index is a welcome relief, particularly for low-income food-deficit countries, but still food prices remain close to their recent highs, reflecting persistent market tightness and posing a challenge to global food security for the most vulnerable,' he said.

 

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/food/fao-acknowledges-indian-wheat-exports-helped-in-reducing-april-inflation-82742

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said India will be able to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union by next year. Speaking at an event organised by the IMC Chamber of Commerce, Goyal said the country has already sealed pacts with the UAE and Australia, and is in negotiations with other countries or blocs including the EU, UK, Canada and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

 

"By next year, we would be able to conclude an FTA with the EU," Goyal said, adding that a delegation from Italy including its foreign minister is in New Delhi now with which he will be having deliberations.

 

Already, three rounds of negotiations have been held with the UK and there is a possibility of a fourth round soon, Goyal said, adding that he will be meeting the representatives on May 26-27.

 

The FTAs will push growth in India and create more jobs as well, Goyal said, making it clear that the country is looking for fair, equitable and win-win partnerships with other countries or blocs.

 

Pointing out that the country recorded USD 38 billion in exports in April, the highest for the month after the busy March when businesses are keen to seal sales before the financial year-end, Goyal said that a closer look at the numbers indicates that India is emerging as a manufacturing hub for high-class products.

 

This indicates that programmes like the performance linked incentive scheme and the infrastructure push are bearing the expected results, Goyal said.

 

Pointing to GST collections of over Rs 1.67 lakh crore in March, Goyal said it is very redeeming that the economic activity is back beyond the expectations of the analysts' community and added that the surge in purchasing managers' indices is also reflective of the same revival.

 

Goyal said the country could attract foreign direct investment of USD 82 billion in 2021, its highest ever, because it has emerged as an isle of stability with virtues like rule of law, democracy and stable policies which attract businesses.

Wheat gained the most in more than three weeks as India considers restricting shipments of the crucial grain, a move that would further pressure supplies at a time when the world is increasingly nervous about an unfolding food crisis.

Senior Indian officials plan to recommend the export limits to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will then make the decision, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. Food secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said at a briefing that there’s no need to curb exports for now as the country has enough supply to meet domestic demand.

 

Global grain trading has been upended after Russia’s invasion choked off most exports from Ukraine, a critical supplier of staples like wheat, corn and sunflower oil. India, which traditionally hasn’t been a major exporter as high government crop prices kept its grain at home, has shipped out more as big importers search elsewhere for their needs. Major buyers including Egypt have recently approved access for Indian wheat.

 

The grain flow disruptions, combined with a fertilizer shortage and bad weather in key crop regions, are raising the threat of severe food shortages. Rising crop prices have already sent global food costs soaring to a record, adding to inflationary pressures and raising hunger levels around the world.

Chicago wheat futures for July delivery jumped as much as 4.2% before settling the day up 3% higher at $10.765 a bushel, the biggest increase since April 8. Milling wheat in Paris also rose.

'India had one of the few remaining significant stocks of wheat available to replace Ukrainian, and possibly Russian, supplies,' said Scott Irwin, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois. 'The sharp jump in prices today is all you need to know about the importance of this possible move by India.'

Governments are moving to protect supplies and push down domestic prices. Top palm-oil supplier Indonesia banned sales late last month, sending vegetable oil prices surging. Countries from Serbia to Kazakhstan have also restricted grain shipments. Now, India is considering restricting wheat exports as severe heat waves have damaged crops, prompting the government to prioritize domestic consumption over supplying the grain to the world.

India’s food ministry on Wednesday slashed its estimate for wheat output this season to 105 million tons. That’s down from a record 111 million tons forecast previously and 109.6 million tons produced a year earlier. The nation is the third-biggest grower behind China and the EU and the eighth-biggest exporter, according to US government estimates.

However, severe heat waves this spring damaged local crops, with its food ministry today cutting its harvest outlook by about 6 million tons.

The FSSAI has decided to bring pan masala under the ambit of FSS Act completely and in this regard issued a draft called Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2022, seeking comments from the stakeholders.

 

Under this amendment, pan masala will be added as a food category for which the food businesses need to get FSSAI licence or registration for manufacturing.

 

The proposed amendment says that in the food product standards and additive regulations, in Chapter 3, in Appendix A, under the heading 'II. Food Category Descriptions' in the description of the food category system '15.2 processed nuts, including coated nuts and nuts mixtures', at the end of the paragraph the following shall be inserted, namely. - 'This category also includes pan masala and arecanut based mouth fresheners'.

 

Also, the amendment proposed that ‘No synthetic food colour permitted in pan masala and arecanut based mouth fresheners’.

 

Further, food category 15.2, processed nuts including coated nuts and nuts mixtures (only pan masala and arecanut based mouth fresheners), is asked to follow the GMP under the proposed amendment.

 

Meanwhile, the issue related to pan masala has been in contention for past few years with questions on whether The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 or COTPA, or FSS Act, govern these products.

 

The FSSAI has been issuing direction to regulate pan masala  and as per the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sale) Regulations 2011, under the Prohibition and Restriction on sale of certain products clause it is stipulated, 'Product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health. Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food product.'