With India already exporting to five of the world’s top 10 wheat importers, it now sees ample scope to ship the grain to the other five in the list, as shipments of all agricultural products from the Black Sea have come to a halt due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

 

'Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey, China, Nigeria, Italy, Algeria, Philippines, Japan, Morocco, Brazil, Bangladesh, Korea, Netherlands and Spain are the top importers of wheat. We are already exporting to  Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Nigeria and Japan,' Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Chairman M Angamuthu told.

Madhya Pradesh trade promotion council has been constituted with chief minister at the helm, to explore international trade opportunities for the state. The council has ministers, administrative heads and representatives of different committees in it.

 

The objective of the council is economic development of MP by increasing the state's share in the national and international trade and to improve production quality and value addition to create export and employment opportunities 

 

.The chief minister would head the council while its members would be ministers of finance department, micro, small and medium enterprises, forest, industry policy and investment promotion, transport, science and technology, tourism, horticulture, cottage and village industries, agriculture, technical education, skill development and labour department.

 

Other members would be vice chairman MP state planning commission and chief secretary. Also, there are representatives of state committees for agriculture and food processing, pharmaceutical, textile and garments, automobiles, engineering and IT. Principal secretary industry policy and investment promotion is the member secretary while managing director MPIDC would be the member of the council.

In order to reduce multiplicity and consolidate various laws related to food industry, as well as to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Government has enacted the ‘Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006’ in the year 2006.  This Act lays down science-based standards for articles of food and for regulating their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, for ensuring availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. This Act amalgamated Prevention of FoodAdulteration Act, 1954 and various other food related orders regulated by different Ministries and Departments, into one integrated legislative framework. 

 

Also, as part of Ease of Doing Business, the Government of India has launched an online portal “National Single Window System (NSWS)” in September 2021, for investors and businesses including food processing industry/businesses.  This online system is a onestop-shop for approvals & clearances from many Departments of Central and State Governments. 

 

This information was given by Minister of State for M/o Food Processing Industries, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in Lok Sabha today

Additional fund requirement are considered at Revised Estimate (RE) stage, based on expenditure progress at that stage and committed liabilities, pending proposals, etc.

 

The Central Sector Scheme for “Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs)” to form and promote 10,000 new FPOs has a total budgetary outlay of Rs.6865 Crores.

 

Formation & promotion of FPOs are to be done through Implementing Agencies (IAs), which further engage Cluster Based Business Organizations(CBBOs) to form & provide professional handholding support to FPOs for a period of 05 years including preparation and execution of business plan for the concerned FPOs for ensuring better marketing & market linkages on sustainable basis.

 

Under the said Central Sector Scheme, Implementing Agencies (IAs) have been allocated a total of 4965 FPO produce clusters, out of which a total of 2315 number of FPOs have been registered in the country.

 

So far, a total of Rs. 410 Crores has been released to respective Implementing Agencies under the scheme to form & promote FPOs which includes:-

 

an amount of Rs. 14.05 Crores transferred to 352 FPOs towards matching equity grant, which is required to strengthen financial base of FPOs and help them to get credit from financial institutions for their projects and working capital requirements for business development.

 

 

An amount of Rs. 108.82 crores as FPO Management Cost is transferred to concerned Implementing Agencies for onward transferring to the respective FPOs. This will provide financial support to the FPOs to the extent provided to make them sustainable and economically viable.

 

 

Further, in order to ensure access of FPOs to credit a dedicated Credit Guarantee Fund(CGF) has created with NABARD.

 

This information was given by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

Turkey's state grain board TMO has issued an international tender to purchase and import about 210,000 tonnes of milling wheat, European traders said on Monday.

 

The deadline for submission of price offers in the wheat tender is March 23.

 

Price offers can be made in Russian roubles, a move seen as assisting offers of Russian wheat, traders said. Wheat already in warehouses in Turkey can also be offered.

 

Turkey is among importers hit by disruption to Ukrainian and Russian grain exports by the continued fighting in Ukraine.

 

Wheat shipment is sought between April 1-April 30.

 

The tender continues an active period of grain importing by Turkey to cool local prices and secure supplies after a drought-damaged crop.

 

The grain is for unloading in the Turkish ports of Iskenderun, Mersin, Izmir, Bandirma, Tekirdag, Samsun and Trabzon.

Indian Ambassador in Madagascar Abhay Kumar on Monday called on Foreign Minister of Madagascar Richard J Randrimandrato, and reviewed the progress made in bilateral relations between the two countries.

 

Kumar presented Randrimandrato the book ‘India Way’ authored by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

 

Bilateral ties between the two countries have been going from strength to strength since the visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to Madagascar in 2018 under the collaborative vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

 

A number of MoUs in the sector of health, education, culture, training of Human Resources, environmental protection, custom matters, information exchange which has been finalized between the two countries and is likely to be signed soon.

 

An India-Madagascar Chamber of Commerce is being launched this week in Antananarivo to further strengthen the trade ties between the two countries. (ANI)

Currently, the food processing sector in India is booming. The global demand for safe food products, consumers' demand for a sustainable and quality product is the foremost reason.

 

Globally, India is the largest country in terms of processing, production, supply and consumption. The processing industry is expanding rapidly and contributing significantly to the prosperity and growth of the Indian economy.

 

For a long time, India’s food processing sector has become profitable due to the new technologies. These technologies are assisting to develop the experience and add value to the Indian diet and exporting quality products.

 

The Indian food processing sector ranks 6th in the world and contributes with 70% sales. This industry ranks  5th in production, export and consumption. The food processing industry contributes to 13% of exports and 6% of industrial investment.

 

Due to the government's focus and introducing a favourable policy, the food processing sector is growing. Currently, the food industry is driven due to the rising household incomes, urbanisation and growth of organised retail.

 

The Indian market is evolving and major changes can be noticed in the consumption pattern. These changes are noticed due to the change in gender of the workforce, urbanisation and growing consumption rates.

 

India has key advantages in the Food industry and therefore, the opportunities allow for ramping up the supply and production. When it comes to the export of the processing unit, India has a strategic geographical location. One of the biggest advantages is India can conveniently connect to Middle East Europe, Africa and many other countries where the targeted market can be acquired.

 

Regional socioeconomic affecting the food processing scenario

 

Any country’s major contributor to the nation's economy is the food processing industry. This industry gets affected by the local economy wherein manufacturers play an important role. Similarly, the global economy does leave an impact on the food processing industry due to imports and exports. Shifts and changes in population size, consumption preference and beverage continue to cause a positive or negative impact on the processing sector.

 

Drivers of the Indian food processing sector

 

The urban working culture and fast-paced lifestyle allow grabbing limited time for chores like cooking and meal preparation. This has allowed the Food processing sector to take a moment and grab an opportunity to create some amazing methods to redefine meal preparation. The Food process sectors now emphasize ready-to-eat products and snacks and have become popular within a short period. The constant changes and the rise in the consumption of processed food make the Indian food processing market opportune.

 

The food processing sector has been backed with organized food retail outlets offering consumers a wide range. These outlets allow the consumer access range of products with attractive discounts. Not only the individuals serving in the country, but the working women ratio is increasing allowing the processing sector to grow tremendously in future.

 

Factors allowing the food processing sector to grow

 

 • Government policy and support

 

For a long, the FBOs are provided with grants and certain policies are designed, benefiting most at a particular time. Government initiatives such as FDI policy, Scheme for Mega Food Park, Scheme for cold chain and value addition infrastructure, schemes for expansion of food processing and storing capabilities, Schemes for Food safety and quality Assurance Infrastructure and many other initiatives support the Food industry. Additionally, the grants help the business to grow exponentially.

 

• Export opportunities

 

Not only in India, but the need for processed food is also a requirement in various countries. A huge population belonging to the working group increases the need for processed food. Due to less time consumed in certain chores, this sector is enjoying the benefits of dealing in the global market.

 

• Supply advantage

 

India has a huge agricultural production and variety of crops benefiting the food processing industry in every possible way. Additionally, improvements in technology allow scaling the supply to manage the increasing demands.

 

• Domestic demands

 

Slowly, the change in lifestyle and food habits due to disposable income supports businesses.

 

Current industry scenario

As mentioned, currently, India’s food processing sector is heading and the output is expected to double the current scenario.

 

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), is taking initiative by investing in required changes. The food processing sector is serving the needs of the consumers as well contributing to the whole economy.

 

Creating employment

When the Food processing sector is talked about, various process-canning, refrigerating, drying and other processes are included. While those processes are performed with the help of types of machinery, the need for labour never diminishes. Also, the food processing sector is huge and therefore the employment created is large as compared to other sectors.

 

Serving the needs

 

This industry helps farmers by purchasing the required ingredients on a large scale. Similarly, the care of consumers is taken by catering to them with the options like Ready-to-eat, Ready-to-cook and Ready-to-serve food. This industry has identified the need of humans and thrives to grow more.

 

Reduces wastage

 

The processing sector ensures that the wastage is reduced. A single raw material goes through stages and begins to get rotten. The unavailability of the warehouse facility and improper storage restricts the people to store the raw material. With the help of the processing industry, it has become easy to store a single raw material at different stages and use it for consumption when needed. Along with making the products available, the wastage factor is emphasized.

 

Due to the demand and frequent supply of processed food, the Food processing industry is booming. Additionally, it's not only fulfilling the demand and supply criteria but supports other factors such as creating employment, allowing access to ready-to-eat food and supporting the economy. The government initiatives, schemes and grants are supporting the food processing sector to fill the gaps and serve the consumers globally.

 

Besides just serving the consumer, safe, nutritious and convenient meals at affordable prices after conducting certain tests and adhering to the norms are provided. This industry deals with a globalised supply chain which helps to improve exports and acquire the targeted market.

The Indian government is in final talks to start the export of wheat to Egypt and other big wheat buyers such as China, Turkey and Iran, as well as smaller ones such as Israel and South Africa, according to local media, referring to the commerce ministry over the weekend.

 

Indian wheat has already enjoyed significant demand in the 2021/22 marketing year, due to its relatively cheap price.

 

But this has increased in recent weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, blocking exports from the country, while Russia itself appears to be isolated amid sanctions and high risks.

 

'It's not clear if it's going to be G2G or private business facilitation,' a local trader said.

 

'I feel India will have plenty of demand even without Egypt/Iran, if and when Egypt/Iran happens, that'll be on top of it,' a second trader said.

 

So far, since the start of the local marketing year in April 2021 and up until January 2022 India has already exported 6.3 million mt of wheat, which is five times more than it exported during the same period a year ago.

 

The biggest buyers of Indian wheat were neighboring countries, with Bangladesh's imports equivalent to 57% of the amount (3.6 million mt) followed by Sri Lanka (480,944 mt) and UAE (427,019 mt).

 

Given the fact that these countries will continue to buy Indian wheat as it is the cheapest and easiest from a logistical point of view compared to other origins, as well as the fact that Asian buyers that usually avoid Indian wheat for quality reasons are now willing to take it, the amount available for new destinations is limited.

 

The current trade sources' estimate for wheat export in the 2022/23 marketing year, starting in April, is limited to 10 million mt for various reasons, while the production estimate is in a range of 100 to 111 million mt, with the highest level expected by the government.

 

The export talks also come as current export prices are much higher compared to the local minimum support prices released by the Indian government at around $5.44/mt to INR2,015/mt (equivalent to around $265/mt) starting from April.

 

'Inflation here is also a big issue let us say; even if logistics are sorted out the government won't let cargo move freely,' a third trader said.

 

'It's a time to procure the wheat also by the government for public distribution so if their procurement is hurt, which is most likely as prices range here much more than GVT minimum support price, we may expect the government to take action.' 

 

'So in all scenarios, the export will not cross 10 million, which is very high for a country like India, where wheat is an essential commodity,' he added.

 

Trade sources also said that logistics could hamper higher exports, as India is a relatively new wheat exporter and current capacity is not enough.

 

'There is limited capacity to store the grains at ports, mostly all wheat exports shall happen from West Coast,' another trader said.

 

'The East coast is always full of rice exports. Secondly movement through rail cars and trucks will also be limited.' 

 

So far the highest monthly amount that India has loaded is 975,601 mt in January 2022, meaning that even at times of high demand the export did not exceed 1 million mt per month.

In a first, a private trader in India has exported commercial goods to Uzbekistan through Pakistan and Afghanistan in a historic trade activity linking the four countries, according to a media report.

 

Trucks carrying 140 tonnes of cargo, mostly sugar from India, departed Kabul on Wednesday for the Uzbek capital Tashkent, the Voice of America reported on Wednesday.

 

The shipment arrived in the Afghan capital a day earlier from Pakistan via the Torkham border crossing between the countries, a spokesperson of the Taliban's Ministry of Industry and Commerce Maulana Zaheer was quoted as saying in the report.

 

The ministry organised a special ceremony to facilitate the transit of the Indian goods, hailing it as a major step towards turning Afghanistan into a key trade link between Central and South Asia.

 

The commercial cargo originated from Mumbai and travelled through the Karachi seaport in Pakistan earlier this month before being trucked to its Uzbek importer under a recently inked bilateral transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, a Pakistani official told the state-owned American radio broadcaster.

 

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the agreement along with several other documents during his two-day official visit to Islamabad in early March.

 

The Pakistani official emphasised that the Uzbekistan-bound Indian commercial consignment was a privately-arranged activity under the agreement and had no government involvement from any of the four countries.

 

'It will now become a regular activity, and Uzbekistan will be able to import goods from anywhere through Pakistani seaports,' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

 

The Taliban authorities are bound to facilitate the trade activity because Uzbekistan, a landlocked country like Afghanistan, also has rights to access Pakistani ports to conduct international trade, the official said.

 

Islamabad allows Kabul to use its ports and land and air routes to conduct trade with other countries under a long-running bilateral arrangement known as the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).

 

Under the APTTA, Afghan traders are allowed to export their goods to India through Pakistani land, air and sea routes, but they can import Indian goods only through seaports because of strained ties between Islamabad and New Delhi.

 

However, Pakistan recently allowed India to use its land routes to transport 50,000 tonnes of wheat that New Delhi had donated in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, where millions of people face acute hunger, the report added.

 

The Central Government has said that the Geographically Identified (GITag) Andhra Pradesh Banganapalle Mangoes are being heavily exported to South Korea. The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry said it was also identifying new export destinations with new products in order to promote exports of GI-tagged agricultural products domestically.

 

It said the geographically recognized Darjeeling tea, basmati rice, Naga chilli, Assam lemons, Manipur Kachai lemon, Mizo chili, Arunachal orange, Meghalaya khasi and Tripura Queen pineapple products are being exported.

 

According to the ministry, many GI tagged products are being exported to various countries and gaining new markets. Banganapalle mango fruit, which is well grown in Telugu states, got geographical recognition in 2017. The joint Andhra Pradesh government applied in 2011 to give a geographical identification tag to the Banganapalle mango. The GI Registry in Chennai granted the geo tag in 2017.

 

Banganapalle mango, which has been cultivated for hundreds of years, is grown in the Banaganapalle, Panyam and Nandyal areas of Kurnool district and is also widely cultivated in Khammam, Medak and Rangareddy areas of Telangana. Telugu people living abroad eat Banganapalle mango fruit especially in the summer. That is why this fruit was mostly exported to America, Britain etc. South Korea is now at the top of the list.