Arunachal Pradesh has added two more products to its list of Geographical Indications (GI) tagged food products. The renowned Khaw Tai (Khamti Rice), cultivated by traditional Khampti tribal farmers in the Namsai region, and the prized Yak milk product ‘Yak Churpi’ from West Kameng and Tawang districts have now received official recognition.

 

Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed his joy and pride in this remarkable achievement, emphasizing its significance in highlighting the rich biodiversity of the state. Taking to Twitter, Khandu wrote, 'Arunachal’s indigenous varieties, Khaw Tai (Khamti rice), and Yak milk product – Yak Churpi, have found mention in the GI food products list of the Government of India. This achievement further fosters pride and appreciation for the rich biodiversity of our state. With the addition of these two items to the GI tags, following Idu Mishmi textiles and Arunachal Wakro Orange, we receive yet another great news.'

 

Minister of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy Development, Tage Taki, also expressed his delight on social media, stating, 'It is a matter of pride and honor to announce that the indigenous ‘Khamti Lahi’ rice from Namsai and the ‘Arunachali Yak Churpi’ from West Kameng and Tawang districts have been conferred with the highly esteemed GI Tag. Sincere greetings to all concerned.'

 

The GI tag provides legal protection and recognition to products that possess unique qualities due to their geographical origin. This recent accomplishment further elevates Arunachal Pradesh’s cultural and agricultural heritage, showcasing its diverse and exceptional food offerings to the world.

Authoor betel leaves from Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district recently received a Geographical Indication (GI) certificate.

 

The GI tag felicitated by the Tamil Nadu State Agriculture Marketing Board and NABARD Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum, is registered in the name of Authoor Vattara Vetrilai Vivasaigal Sangam.

 

The betel leaves commonly known as 'Vettrilai' have been mentioned in the 13th century book of Marco Polo, ‘The Venetian’.

 

Thoothukudi district officials told IANS that several ancient stone inscriptions reveal the archaic richness and significance of Authoor Vettrilai in Tamil culture.

 

Sources in Thoothukudi district administration told IANS that steps are being taken to market the GI tag of the Authoor betel leaves across the country as well as in International markets.

 

The GI certificate will soon be served to the Authoor Vattarai Vettrilai Viyabarigal Sangam.

Assistant Undersecretary for Commerce Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Saleh bin Majed al-Khulaifi said that India is the second-largest trade partner, noting that the trade volume between the two countries increased by about 33% during the years 2021 and 2022, reaching $17.2bn.

This statement came during his chairmanship of the State of Qatar's delegation in the 6th India-Arab Partnership Conference on "New Horizons in Investment, Trade and Services", which concluded on Wednesday. The two-day event was held in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

Al-Khulaifi praised the strength and durability of the historical and strategic partnership between the Arab countries and India, especially the State of Qatar, pointing out that Qatar's participation in this year's edition comes from a deep belief in the importance of partnership as a main guarantee for strengthening bilateral relations between states. He expressed his aspiration to establish joint plans to consolidate future paths of co-operation between the Arab countries and India to stimulate mutual investments in the Arab and Asian markets for the benefit of all the economies of these countries.

Qatar's participation in the conference aims to shed light on the Qatari economy and its leading position regionally and internationally, introduce the attractive investment environment Qatar provides, review the most prominent incentives, advantages, and initiatives launched to support the private sector, enhance the competitiveness and diversification of the Qatari economy, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, and strengthen the distinguished bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of India.

The conference witnessed the organisation of several dialogue sessions that focused on several key topics, including investment opportunities in India, the pharmaceutical industries after the Covid-19 pandemic, food security, and energy.

The conference also saw bilateral meetings between Arab and Indian businessmen to enhance communication between businessmen and investors and provide more commercial, investment, and economic opportunities between Arab countries and India.

At the end of the conference, the New Delhi Declaration was launched, which included several items to emphasise the importance of close co-operation between India and the Arab countries at various levels and promote the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and expertise in various sectors of common interest, as well as the importance of solidarity between the Arab countries and India to strengthen and direct relations towards sustainable development, exploring new opportunities for co-operation, in addition to emphasising the importance of the role of the private sector in pushing trade and investment relations to broader horizons.

The India-Arab Partnership Conference was organised for the first time in 2008 to increase trade exchange and enhance co-operation between Arab countries and India.

Farmers in Australia and Brazil are set to experiment with growing arhar (pigeon peas) for consumers in India, where demand for the popular yellow lentil the main ingredient of 'dal tadka' and 'sambhar' has been outpacing domestic production for some years now.

 

At a recent meeting between Australian Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, top officials of India's food ministry and representatives of the Indian Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), it was decided that IPGA will facilitate pigeon pea farming in Queensland with the help of the Australian trade body Pulse Australia, according to officials.

 

'We suggested to the Australian industry that it should grow pigeon peas for India, as India no longer imports chickpeas from Australia once the top supplier of chickpeas to India,' a top official told ET, requesting not to be named.

 

Satish Upadhyay, executive committee member, IPGA, said, 'Australia had earlier done trial production in 2019 and the quality was good. However, it could not go ahead as the prices in India were not remunerative for them. Now they have again started work to grow pigeon pea for the Indian market.' The sources, however, said that for the initiative to succeed, the Australian counterparts may like to get assured orders from the Indian government.

 

However, the official cited earlier said, 'A deficit of about 17 lakh tonnes in Indian demand and supply is itself an assurance for any seller of pigeon peas.'

 

Earlier this year, IPGA had signed an agreement with Brazil to help farmers there cultivate arhar, which is a new crop for the country.

A review meeting was held on Seasonal Conditions and Kharif activities today chaired by Dr Yogita Rana, Joint Secretary (INM), MoAFW, GoI and Shri M Raghunandan Rao, APC & Secretary, A&C Department, Govt of Telangana. Apart from this, the implementation of various Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Central Sector Schemes in Agriculture was also reviewed in detail in the presence of all the concerned scheme nodal officers of the State. 

 

A detailed presentation was made by Shri M Raghunandan Rao, on the current seasonal conditions prevailing in Telangana and Kharif Preparedness activities and drought mitigation measures. The following were highlighted in the presentation.

 

The gross cropped area of Telangana state was increased from 129.04 lakh acres (in 2014-15) to 232.58 lakh acres (in 2022-23).

Paddy sown area predominantly increased from 22.74 lakh acres (2014 kharif) to 64.99 lakh acres (2022 Kharif)

Seed and Fertilizers availability position as on date is comfortable.

More than 950 Agro Rythu Seva Kendras (ARSKs) are functioning for supply of agriculture inputs including Fertilizers.

Promotion of Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB), Nano Urea, Split application of Urea and promotion of green manure to reduce use of chemical fertilizers through Rythu Vedikas.

Initiatives are being taken up to bring mass awareness on Nano Urea by bringing all the stakeholders on a single platform.

He also highlighted that the current rain fall scenario in the state is with – 24% deficit and measures are being undertaken for drought preparedness in the state. District wise, crop contingency plans have already been prepared with the support of CRIDA, Hyderabad. Also, the alternate crops were identified in case of delayed rain.

 

Dr K Nagaratna from IMD informed that forecasting of the state will be only Normal Rainfall till August and the same scenario is also expected to continue even in September 2023.

 

As on 12th July 2023, 42.76 lakh acres of area has been sown in the state and is expected to further pick up over the next few days. Cotton has been sown in 31.88 lakh acres (where as normal area is 45 lakh acres) and Soyabean in 3.19 lakh acres (where as normal area is 4 lakh acres).  Although Cotton sowing window period is up to 20th July 2023 the other crops have sowing window up to 15th August 2023.

 

As far as implementation of Central schemes in the state is concerned, Telangana state has performed exceedingly well in implementing Per Drop More Crop scheme. In the year 2022-23, under this scheme 187.98 Cr of subsidy was provided and an area of 1,01,713 acres land has been brought under irrigation.

 

Further the GOI has been requested to consider the issues pertaining to PM Kisan, Price Support Scheme and FPOs for which the Joint Secretary, GOI asked for request letters for initiating necessary action.

 

Dr Yogita Rana, Joint Secretary, GoI also reviewed the status on implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes and the state department officials were requested to provide Utilization Certificates at the earliest for the expenditure incurred.

 

She appreciated the efforts taken by the state for integration of IT in to Agriculture. She also acknowledged that Telangana State has created many milestones in Agriculture progressively and showcasing best practices specially highlighting the Crop Booking Enhancement for monitoring the crop data validations and crop health status and also Online License Management System (OLMS) for Fertilizers, Seeds and Pesticides. Further, she mentioned that the Seed availability is more than sufficient in the state and hence suggested the Department to have a look at seed contingency plan to limit the movement of seed to other states in view of the deficit rain fall in the state.

 

The meeting was concluded by Sri M Raghunandan Rao, by extending thanks to Dr Yogita Rana, and other officials who participated in the meeting.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, will hold a meeting with global food regulators, including G20 countries, on July 20-21.

 

The meeting is aimed at strengthening the food safety system and regulatory framework across the global food value chain, according to a report in the Mint.

 

According to the apex food regulator, the food safety and regulatory system in India needs to constantly evolve to counter the emerging food hazards, and pandemic scenarios.

 

An official said that the FSSAI is seeking participation of food regulators from around 60 countries, including G20 member countries.

 

'This is an opportunity to enable a common dialogue on food safety, food standards, risk assessment, analytical competence, labelling. Besides this, it will enable the food value chain stakeholders such as government, food manufacturers, processors, exporters and importers to understand food safety and regulatory framework in other countries,' the official added.

 

The meeting will include the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with countries such as the Netherlands, Australia, and Morocco on food safety measures.

 

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), food safety is a major determinant of health. The WHO stated that one in 10 people worldwide fall ill from eating contaminated food each year.

 

Unsafe food costs low- and middle-income countries approximately $110 billion each year in productivity and medical expenses.

 

According to the Food Service and Restaurant Business Report, 2022-23, India’s food service market is expected to reach $79.65 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.19 per cent from $41.1 billion in 2022.

 

The official said that the summit will help in understanding emerging challenges and define a way forward to ensure effective implementation of food safety, quality and regulatory norms,  according to the Mint report.

 

The FSSAI plans to launch the first-ever common digital platform — Food-o-Copoeia — an online guide prepared by any food authority in the world to capture all requirements related to quality, safety, labelling, claims, documents, regulations, and prohibitions for a specific food product.

A day after food inflation surged, India is considering banning exports of most rice varieties, news agency Bloomberg reported on Thursday. This move by India, the world’s biggest rice shipper, may send already lofty global prices of the food staple higher as the disruptive El Niño weather pattern returns.

 

The Narendra Modi-led government is now discussing a plan to ban exports of all non-Basmati rice, the report said. Authorities want to avoid the risk of more inflation before elections, it added. The ban, which may affect around 80 per cent of India's rice exports, can reduce rice prices within India but may impact global prices negatively.

 

Uneven distribution of rainfall in the key rice-growing areas of the country has pushed up prices of the grain by up to 20% in the last 10 days, ET reported earlier this week.

 

India accounts for more than 40% of world rice exports, which were 56 million tonnes in 2022, but low inventories mean any cut in shipments will fuel food prices driven up by Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year and erratic weather.

 

'India was the cheapest supplier of rice,' B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association (REA), told Reuters. 'As Indian prices moved up because of the new minimum support price, other suppliers also started raising prices.' Rice is a staple for more than 3 billion people and nearly 90% of the water-intensive crop is produced in Asia, where the El Nino weather pattern usually brings lower rainfall.

 

Last year, India banned broken rice exports and imposed a 20% duty on shipments of white and brown rice after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent prices of food staples like wheat and corn soaring. The country has also restricted wheat and sugar exports.

 

Rice prices in Asia have surged to the highest level in more than two years as importers build up stockpiles on fears that the onset of El Niño will parch plantations and damage crops.

The eleventh round of trade negotiations between India and the U.K. kicked off in London, with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in the city for meetings with his U.K. counterpart, Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, and representatives of British industry on July 10 and 11. The visit is being seen by some in the U.K. government as a sign of political determination to work out a deal.

 

'Discussed how both sides can add further momentum to the India-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations for a mutually beneficial deal,' Mr Goyal said on Twitter. The current round of talks between the two sides is set to conclude on July 14th.

 

Ms Badenoch, on Wednesday, described the potential agreement as 'a deal to benefit businesses across both nations and strengthen our deep and historic ties.'

 

Both sides had come to the table with 'an ambitious set of asks', a spokesperson in Ms Badenoch’s department said to The Hindu.

 

'We are continuing to negotiate but we are clear that we will only sign when we have a deal that is fair, balanced, and ultimately in the best interests of the British people and the economy,' they said.

 

U.K. trade minister Nigel Huddleston had told the Press Trust of India last week that half the chapters under discussion had been concluded.

 

Among the sticking points are India’s request for a greater ease of movement of skilled professionals from India to the U.K. to deliver specialized services. The U.K. is interested in greater access to the Indian market for services for its firms and also has asks around that — such as in the areas of investment protection and cross-border data flows. Tariffs on automobiles and alcohol are also part of the negotiations.

 

Mr Goyal was also scheduled, as per a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce before his visit, to hold talks with members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — i.e., Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. India and EFTA are also holding talks to agree a deal — the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).

 

The EFTA side was led by the Swiss State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Helene Budliger Artieda.

 

The two sides have ' significantly intensified ' their engagement on TEPA over the past few months, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement released on Wednesday. Both sides, as per the Ministry, agreed to expedite the conclusion of the TEPA.

Prices of Indian rice have increased by nearly 10 per cent over the past couple of weeks in the global market, but still they continue to be competitive as prices of the cereal from other origins have also gone up. However, the high prices have dried up export demand. 

 

'Indian rice prices have gone up by 5-10 per cent recently but this is the usual case with it during the lean season from July-September,' said BV Krishna Rao, President, The Rice Exporters Association of India (TREA).

 

Prices of parboiled rice, in demand from Vietnam and African countries, have increased from the levels of $380-390 a tonne to $430, he said.

 

Business dull

Traders said a major reason for the increase in rice prices is that paddy is being quoted higher or reports of its non-availability. 

 

'There seems to be a shortage of paddy, particularly in the south pushing up prices. There is still no parity in paddy rates compared with rice,' said S Chandrasekaran, a Delhi-based trade analyst.

 

'Last week, we bought rice, ex-mill, at Rs.29,000 a tonne, but now it is quoted at Rs.30,500,' said VR Vidya Sagar, Director, Bulk Logix. Prices of 5 per cent white rice have increased by at least $25 a tonne to levels of $490.

 

'No business is happening as buyers are of the view that prices are high. There are enquiries only for cheap rice from Singapore and East Timor,' said M Madan Prakash, President, Agricultural Commodities Exporters Association (ACEA). 

 

A trader from North India said paddy prices were shooting up every day, particularly in States such as Chhattisgarh — a phenomenon not seen in the past few years. 'The volume of paddy available is also less,' he said. Shortage of paddy is being reported from centres such as Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s India trip on July 21 could lead to new arrangements across several sectors including power and energy, agriculture and maritime issues. Wickremesinghe, on his maiden trip to India in his current capacity, will be accompanied by three of his top ministers.

 

Understandably, Chinese designs in the Southern Indian Ocean Region that affects India’s security interests will be among the talking points during the Lankan President’s visit. India had kept a close watch on a Chinese spy ship’s visit to Lanka last year.

 

India, with $4 billion support, has played a key role in helping to stabilise the Lankan economy that recorded its worst in 2022.

 

Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra visited Colombo for two days earlier this week to work out the arrangements related to Wickremesinghe’s trip.

 

Wickremesinghe was appointed President of the cash-strapped country last year following the ouster of Gotabaya Rajapaksa following massive protests. The appointment fulfilled Wickremesinghe’s life-long dream to become Lanka’s President. He hopes to build his legacy over economic recovery.

 

Wickremesinghe has laid emphasis on good relations with India and made it a major plank of his foreign policy, according to persons familiar with the development. The formal invitation to Wickremesinghe was delivered to him by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in January this year. The visit comes as Sri Lanka’s weak economy shows signs of improvement.

 

Sri Lanka was hit by an unprecedented financial crisis in 2022, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves. India offered Sri Lanka an economic lifeline with dedicated credit lines for fuel and essential items.

 

The island nation, which declared its first-ever credit default in mid-April last year, secured a bailout of $2.9 billion from the IMF in March this year, spanning over four years subject to reforms being put in place.