The ninth round of India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations concluded with detailed discussions across a range of policy areas, the UK government said on Wednesday. A joint outcome statement issued by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) revealed that Round 9 of the ongoing talks took place between April 24 and 28 in a hybrid format, with some Indian officials travelling to London and others attending virtually.

 

There is no date set for the 10th round of negotiations, which is likely to be hosted by New Delhi, also in a hybrid format.

 

'In continuation of the eighth round of negotiations held during 20-31 March 2023 in New Delhi, the United Kingdom and the Republic of India held the ninth round of talks during 24-28 April for a UK-India FTA,' the DBT statement said.

 

'As with previous rounds, these were conducted in a hybrid fashion - a number of officials from India travelled to London and others attended virtually. During the round, detailed discussions took place across a range of policy areas,' it said.

 

'The tenth round of negotiations is due to take place in the coming months,' it added.

 

India and the UK have been negotiating an FTA since January last year, with a goal towards a comprehensive pact that is expected to significantly enhance the bilateral trading relationship worth an estimated GBP 34 billion in 2022.

 

Recently, Britain's Chief Negotiator for the FTA - Harjinder Kang - was appointed the country's new Trade Commissioner to South Asia and Deputy High Commissioner for Western India, based in Mumbai.

 

UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said he is expected to use the FTA talks experience to build on the UK's 'outstanding track record' on trade in South Asia. Kang has been succeeded in the role of the UK's Chief Negotiator for the India-UK FTA by Kate Thornley, previously Deputy Chief Negotiator.

 

According to official UK government statistics, India was the UK's 12th largest trading partner in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2022, accounting for 2.1 per cent of total UK trade.

 

The DBT describes the UK-India investment partnership as 'thriving', with over GBP 28 billion invested in each other's economies supporting over half a million jobs.

The initial gains from the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) have already started accruing with bilateral trade growing around 20% and touching an all-time high of around $84 billion in FY23, Rajesh Kumar Singh, secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said at a business gathering in Dubai.

 

The agreement came into force on May 1 last year.

 

Singh, along with Juma Mohammed Al-Kait, Assistant Undersecretary for International Trade, Ministry of Economy, UAE and Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE, inaugurated the International Jewellery Exposition Centre in Dubai in which around 100 companies from India and the UAE, participated.

 

'Singh had also held one-on-one meetings with senior representatives of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala Investment Company – sovereign wealth funds of the UAE,' the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement.

 

The two-day visit to the UAE of the Indian delegation led by the DPIIT secretary concluded on May 9.

Israel is keen to finalise an FTA with India as there is a huge scope of trade between the two nations, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has said, and expressed hope that the agreement will further strengthen bilateral economic ties.

From a humble beginning of $200 million in bilateral trade (primarily in diamonds) in 1992 when full diplomatic relations were established between the two countries, merchandise trade has diversified and reached $7.86 billion (excluding defence) during the period 2021-2022.

 

In addition, bilateral trade in services in 2021 was $1.1 billion and in FY 2022-23, bilateral merchandise trade from April to December 2022 stood at $8.09 billion (excluding defence).

 

'The scope for trade opportunities between our countries is huge and there is a strong desire to finalise an FTA that hopefully will further strengthen our economic ties...I believe the scope of the FTA is far larger than trade numbers. We should discuss it with the vision of bilateral relations in mind', he stressed just ahead of his visit to India on Tuesday.

 

However, Mr Cohen decided to cut short the trip hours after landing in New Delhi in view of certain developments in Israel.

 

With air traffic between the two countries getting a boost with the Gulf countries agreeing to open their airspace to Israeli airlines, MR Cohen described it as a 'game changer' which also brings out India's importance in the region.

 

'Although the Corona epidemic temporarily reduced the number of direct flights, now we are talking about increasing the number of flights and increasing the destinations,' Mr Cohen noted.

 

'The launch of more direct flights will increase the connectivity between our nations to facilitate the movement of tourists, business people and students. This boost to regional connectivity has also benefited the people of India. The thriving Indian diaspora throughout the Gulf can now fly directly from the UAE to Israel or from Israel to Bahrain,' the minister said.

 

He also highlighted the immense impact it has on boosting trade relations in the region.

 

The Indian student community, largely composed of researchers at PhD and post-doctoral levels, forms the single largest student community from overseas.

 

Mr Cohen intends to deepen this link by bringing in more students from India to Israel as academic cooperation between the two countries has 'inexhaustible potential'.

 

'We need to make a greater effort to be attractive to a larger number of Indian students. Professional officials are examining the issue with the universities and the Council for Higher Education. We are very interested in a large number of foreign students coming to Israel, and certainly students from India. This will bring the scientific communities of the two countries closer together in the long term,' he said.

 

Asked as to how India's Presidency of the G20 and an invite for New Delhi to the G-7 summit can be helpful in strengthening Indo-Israel ties, he said, 'We are confident that the agenda that India promotes in these forums is for the benefit of the global economy, of which Israel is a part'.

 

'The frequent consultations between various parties in Israel and India touch on many areas, but in issues of the G20 and G7 India has a unique role also due to its size and economic strength and its international importance', he asserted.

 

On India's role in the Middle East, the Israeli foreign minister said: 'Regarding India's role in the MEA (Middle East Area), we see a growing involvement of India in many places in the world, including in the MEA (Middle East Area), including getting closer to the United Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and more. This is definitely a positive process because, as mentioned, India has a positive influence on the atmosphere of cooperation in the region.' On the question of defence ties and Israel's participation in the flagship Make in India programme, Mr Cohen said that the defence ties have been 'a key pillar of the growing partnership between the two nations'.

 

'Our relations are based on three basic foundations: shared values, mutual interests and common challenges. With such well-synchronised defence cooperation, Israel was among the first countries to take up the call for the 'Make in India' initiative and start joint projects with a manufacturing base in India,' the Israeli minister emphasised.

 

'We have no doubt in Israel that R&D serves as a growth engine for the local industry. That is why we are willing to create more platforms of joint R&D to pinpoint shared challenges, discuss and find solutions together, and even manufacture them together. Both sides have a lot to gain from this collaboration,' he added. 

The Malda administration is taking initiatives to increase the export of mangoes following a prod from chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

 

Mamata, at an administrative meeting here last week, had underscored steps to be taken to increase the export of the fruit grown in large quantities across the district.

 

'Mangoes produced in Malda have a huge market. People across Bengal and those in other states love these mangoes. You should make necessary efforts to see that the fruit is exported abroad as it can largely help growers of this region,' she said at the meeting on May 4.

 

Senior officials of the administration and their colleagues from the state horticulture department have lined up meetings with mango growers and trade bodies.

 

'At the meetings, we will explore options on how mangoes of different varieties can be exported in larger quantities,' said Nitin Singhania, the Malda district magistrate.

 

Sources in the horticulture department said that last year, around 10 metric tonnes of mangoes were exported to Europe from Malda.

 

'Another 24 metric tonnes of fruit were sent to countries like the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and other middle-eastern countries,' said Samanta Layek, a senior official of the department.

 

In Malda, around 3.5 lakh metric tons of mangoes are produced in a year.

 

Layek said that they have also communicated with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which functions under the Union commerce and industry ministry, to boost export.

 

'The APEDA has developed a liaison between exporters and mango producers of the district. The producers have been apprised in detail about the quality of mangoes and parameters like whether pesticides have been used or not, things that are required for the export of the fruit,' said the official.

 

In Malda, there are 19 farmers-producer organisations (FPOs), out of which eight exclusively work on mangoes. 'Each FPO has 600 to 750 members. They are in touch with exporters,' a source said.

 

According to exporters, varieties like Gopalbhog, Lyangra, Rakhalbhog, Lakshmanbhog and Fajli have high demand in export markets.

 

Malda's mango merchants have welcomed Mamata’s initiative.

 

'We are delighted that the chief minister has taken a keen interest in increasing the export of mangoes from here. This will encourage farmers to grow quality mangoes and boost the local economy,' said Ujjwal Saha, the president of the Malda Mango Merchants’ Association.

An Agriculture Data Exchange (ADEx) platform using artificial intelligence (AI) processes will be set up by the Telangana government soon.

 

The project in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bengaluru, aims to provide quality and transparent agriculture data easily to give an impetus to research and innovation in the sector.

 

'Whenever we tried to come up with new technology solutions for farmers, researchers and technology companies pointed out the limitations of data availability. This can include large-scale produce, rainfall, water facilities or farmers and demographic information.

 

But data is available on various platforms, ranging from government departments to agricultural and horticulture academic institutions and research centres. We have now decided to make it available on a single platform by gathering data from various agriculture information providers (AIPs),' said Rama Devi Lanka, director of emerging technologies.

 

The difference between a regular dashboard and this massive platform is that data from all AIPs is stored on it. When agriculture information users such as start-ups, individuals and researchers require data, they will approach this algorithm-based platform and sign an agreement. The application will then be routed to the original AIP who will decide whether or not to provide data.

 

Farmer credit/finance, electronic farm records, soil health-based advisory, pest prediction and advisory, and farm equipments are among the data sets being developed, officials said.

 

Jayesh Ranjan, IT and industries principal secretary, told TOI that Telangana government is keen on implementing technological solutions, particularly those based on AI platforms.

 

'The core idea is that whatever innovations we try to promote should benefit the ordinary people by improving their lives and livelihoods. Secondly, we take these new solutions from local tech entrepreneurs and finally, we try to collaborate with academic and other relevant institutions to create an ecosystem for innovations,' he said.

Amid talk of hoarding of pulses such as tur (pigeon pea) and urad (black matpe) by the private trade in Myanmar, India on Wednesday warned the exporters in the neighbouring country that it may look at importing these items on a government-to-government (G2G) basis if supplies are not eased. It is understood that the exporters of these pulses from Myanmar, a large supplier, are taking advantage of the scarcity in India, which has led to a firm price trend in recent months.

 

Trade sources, who attended the virtual meeting convened by the Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh on Wednesday to take stock of the situation on the availability of these two varieties of pulses, confirmed the development.

 

Ban on private trade

'The government has warned the exporters of Myanmar that if they are taking advantage of the of the scarcity in India, then we will impose a ban on private trade and will buy on a G2G basis. The Consumer Affairs Secretary has given them a friendly warning. In fact, the Myanmar trade association president assured that they are not hoarding the cargo and will augment the supplies,' said Bimal Kothari, President, India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA).

 

To manage the current scarce situation of tur, Kothari said IPGA has suggested certain measures to the government including the promotion of other alternate pulses like chana dal and masur dal, which are available in abundance and at minimum support prices.

 

'Also we advised them that government agencies should not buy tur in any of tenders of various schemes such as mid-day meals or ICDS among others. We have suggested that tur be replaced with chana dal or masur dal or yellow peas, which are in abundant supply and are a cheaper and good source of protein,' Kothari said. He said about half a million tonnes of tur are purchased through government tenders annually for various schemes.

 

Boosting supplies

The Indian government has been taking steps to ensure that the supplies of these two pulses are eased through imports so that prices are kept under a check. The imports of tur and urad are kept open till March 2024 to boost the supplies as the domestic output of these pulses was impacted due to erratic weather pattern. In the recent past, following a firming trend in prices of tur and urad, the Centre had directed the pulses importers to declare stock availability in a routine transparent manner.

 

Rahul Chauhan of IGrain India said the prices of tur have moved up in Myanmar in tandem with the domestic prices. Tur lemon, which was quoting at around $835 per tonne as on March 1, 2022, has now moved up to $1,080 . Also, African exporters have raised their quotes by $50 for the upcoming crop, he said.

 

As per the second advance estimate, production of tur, a kharif crop, has dropped to 36.66 lakh tonnes in the 2022-23 crop year to June against 42.20 lakh tonnes a year ago, while urad output for both kharif and rabi season has been estimated lower at 26.82 lakh tonnes against 27.76 lakh tonnes a year ago on account of excess rains.

In a big relief for apple growers of Kashmir, the central government has prohibited the import of apples where the CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) import price is less than or equal to Rs 50 per kilogram.

 

The central government has changed its import policy for apples and created a Minimum Import Price (MIP), which is an import price ceiling, to safeguard the interests of the country's apple growers. This is a significant step that is sure to cheer up Kashmir's apple farmers.

 

This decision came after Iranian apple imports during the last two years have hit the rates of Kashmiri apples.

 

Fruit growers were claiming that the decreasing prices of apples are forcing many to switch their apple orchards for non-agricultural purposes.

 

However, an exception has been granted under this amendment in Apple's import policy. As per the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s neighbour Bhutan is kept out of the new restrictions.

 

The import policy remains 'Free' for those apples costing above Rs 50 per kilogram.

 

The DGFT did not specify any reason in its notification as to why the amendment in Apple's import policy was needed.

 

The decision has, however, put a smile on the faces of apple producers who were negatively impacted by the cheap import of apples that was dumped into Indian markets and eating away at their market share.

 

Apple growers would benefit from the decision, according to Bashir Ahmad Basheer, chairman of the All Kashmir Fruit Growers Dealers Union.

 

The drop in apple pricing caused losses for local producers, he said, adding that this ceiling would now ensure that our product will obtain a higher market share. 'From previous many years we are criticising how cheap apples were imported via Afghanistan led to a decline in apple prices.'

 

Over 35 lakh people, or around 7 lakh agricultural households, work in the horticultural industry directly or indirectly. In Jammu and Kashmir, apples account for around 8% of the country's GDP. More than Over 3.37 lakh hectares of land is being used for the production of fresh and dry fruits, and more area is added each year. In the Valley, pears are cultivated on 14,161 hectares of land, whereas apples are grown on 1.68 lakh hectares of land all by themselves.

The cultivators were sent to Siliguri in West Bengal to learn about the Hydroponic system of farming, an advanced technique that promises to increase yields in a shorter timeframe, reported The Shillong Times.

 

Among the nine farmers who completed the training were Iahphang Dkhar and Morning Suchiang, both renowned strawberry farmers in the district and across the state and country.

 

The others included Jamris Langstang, Erick Dkhar, Robin Siangshai, Samuel Latam, Jimris Langstang, and Dibait Dkhar, all of whom are known for their expertise in growing oranges.

 

This initiative aims to equip local farmers with new skills and innovations to enhance agricultural production in the region.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) has played a crucial role in furthering India's cultural and trade relations with all the South Asian countries.

 

The Union Minister was speaking after laying the foundation stone and inaugurating various development projects of the Land Ports Authority of India, responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing border infrastructure in the country.

 

'The Land Ports Authority is not only an organization that accelerates the economy of India, but it is also the ambassador of India's message of friendship. It is a very big institution to take forward our cultural relations, and trade relations with all the countries of South Asia, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a new speed, direction, and dimensions since 2016,' Shah said.

Shah went on to add that India's border security policy is clear.

 

'We want strong infrastructure in the border areas. The facilities of welfare schemes have reached the villages in the border areas like the rest of the country and we are also working towards improving the connectivity of the villages,' he said.

India performed well in agriculture exports last season. During 2022-23, agricultural and processed food exports increased by 9 percent. This included rice, fruits and vegetables, livestock and dairy products.

 

In this year, India exported 2 thousand 630 crore dollars. Whereas the exports under Apeda have reached the target of 2 thousand 356 crore dollars.

 

India is an important rice exporting country in the world. India accounts for 45 percent of the total world rice trade. The demand for rice in the world market has increased since last year. Floods in East Asian countries, Africa and Europe as well as Pakistan had increased the demand for rice.

 

Also, India's rice prices in rice exporting countries are lower. As a result, India's rice got a good boost and exports increased. India exported rice to nearly 75 countries.

 

Rice export significant

 

According to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, the value of India's rice exports has increased by 15 percent. India exported rice worth 1 thousand 110 crore dollars. India had banned the export of broken rice.

 

Also, 20 percent export duty was imposed on white rice exports . Despite this, there was a 5 percent increase in exports to 223 lakh tonnes.

 

Export of fruits, vegetables

 

India's exports of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables also increased significantly. After Corona, the demand for fruits and vegetables has increased in the global market. India is benefiting from this.

 

India's exports increased by nearly 19 percent to 380 crore dollars. Also, exports of cereals and processed food products increased by 20 percent. India exported $430 million worth of food grains and processed food products during the year.

 

Exports of which items decreased?

 

But India's exports of meat, dairy and poultry products declined somewhat. Last year there was a crisis of various diseases on livestock in the country. Breeding of livestock was reduced during Corona period. Lumpy disease affected cattle.

 

Due to this, the milk production in the country decreased and created a shortage. Its effect was felt on exports. India exports meat, dairy and poultry products worth 400 crores in a year.