Pinning hopes on getting geographical indication (GI) tag for Doda region’s ‘Guchhi’, a wild mushroom grown naturally in the foothills of the Himalayas, the government of Jammu and Kashmir plans to promote the species of fungus.

 

Considered a super-food, Guchhi belongs to the family morchellaceae of the ascomycota. Rich in vitamins B, C, D, and K, it is probably the costliest among fungi in the world and fetches anything between Rs, 30,000 and Rs, 50,000 per kg.

 

A top official in the department of forest, ecology and environment said, 'December last year, we notified the MFP (minor forest produes) and the NTFP (non-timber forest products) rules, wherein among other products, Guchhi was also liberalised.'

 

'Under the rules, we have said that Guchhi is an NTFP and authorised its collection through local panchayats and rural development department via self-help groups, which in turn will help them earn their livelihood and improve their self-employment avenues,' he added.

 

The official further said pursuant upon rules, the control (over Guchhi) now lies with the gram panchayats. Earlier, the forest department used to invite tenders for its collection.

 

'Bringing it under the ambit of gram panchayats is a major policy decision of the J&K government. Now, the collection is being done through local population, self-help groups, women folk and tribals living in and around the jungles, who were always dependent on forest produce. We have now allowed them to actually collect and sell it,' said the top forest official.

 

With the government interventions, forest-dwellers in Jammu Shivaliks are being given formal training and instructions about mushroom collection and processing techniques, market knowledge, and market access, so that their efforts pay them their rightly-earned share.

 

J&K agriculture department director KK Sharma said, 'Since Guchhi is not a cultivated plant but a wild mushroom that grows on its own at the tree line of Himalayas, there is no standard scientific technique as of date to cultivate it.'

 

'We have applied for GI tag and our application is with the registry at Chennai. We are hopeful of getting the GI tag in the next two to three months. After GI tagging, the quality of the yield would obviously improve because of the intervention of scientific techniques for collecting and drying it,' said Sharma.

 

'Once the wild mushroom gets GI tag, it will also benefit those associated with its collection. They will get better price for their collection and other benefits that come with GI tagging. For now, standard cultivation technique is not available,' said Sharma.

 

Besides the jungles of Himalayas, it is sometimes found near the banks of the Chenab in Akhnoor.

 

'Found right from the snowline, deodar and pine jungles, sometimes Guchhi is even found at Chenab bed in Akhnoor because it needs micro-climate. Spores are present in air and when weather conditions, including temperature, match the required parameters, it starts growing on the Chenab bed,' he said.

 

If village folklores are to be believed, Guchhi sprouts when three earthly elements — rain, lightning and thunder — take place simultaneously in the jungles of Himalayas at a height of 2,000 meters above sea level. However, there are no scientific evidences to substantiate the claims yet.

 

'Gucchi or Morels is a perfect stage of fungus. They have spongy, honeycombed heads, usually have two shades — one pale white and another brownish. They grow best during rains,' said Sharma.

 

Doda deputy magistrate Vishesh Pal Mahajan said, 'The government of Jammu and Kashmir has pitched for GI tagging for Doda Guchhi. Once we get it, the wild mushroom, those collecting it painstakingly and the area will get the much needed impetus.'

 

Mahajan said he has also issued instructions to the cooperatives department to come up with a cooperative for Guchhi. 'Since the yield is in small quantities, if it (collection) takes form of a cooperative then it will not only add to the quantity of the yield but also enable the villagers to have a better negotiation power. It has an immense demand in the international market and in other parts of the country. For now, it has no fixed price and is sold anything between Rs, 30,000 and Rs, 50,000 per kg. In Dubai, it fetches a huge price,' said Mahajan.

 

'Till now, the middleman was taking away the profit but the idea is to benefit those collecting and drying it on the ground. They should be benefitted and deal directly with the market,' he added.

 

Guchhi is largely found in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Kupwara and Ramban districts.

 

'But Doda’s Guchhi is considered best in quality and that’s why the government is trying for its GI tagging. Having a spongy texture, savoury flavor and a honeycomb-like structure, Guchhis or Morel mushrooms a rare wild mushroom and those found in Doda are the best. A food delicacy, it has medicinal and nutritional value,' he said. The Doda DC said he was planning to get the cooperative on the ground in two months across Doda.

 

J&K has 20,230 sq km forest cover, which is about 20 per cent of its total geographical area, which gives an ideal atmosphere for the growth of the wild mushroom.

As part of the Millet Mahotsav series, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India organized a 2-day ?Millets Fair-cum-Exhibition? at the ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, Rajasthan from 20-21 April 2023. Rajasthan is the largest producer of millet in India contributing more than 16 percent share in India?s production.

 

Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Government of India and Member of Parliament, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Food Processing Industries & Jal Shakti, Government of India and Shri Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India interacted with the Millet-based food processors and tasted their products showcased at the exhibition organized during the event. During the valedictory ceremony, the exhibitors were felicitated by the dignitaries.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat talked about the changing food consumption pattern and habits around the world with the introduction of Ready-to-Eat and Ready-to-Cook food products. He stated that the changing landscape poses an opportunity and Millets can be incorporated in this dynamic environment. Speaking about the food processing sector, he emphasized on the necessity of the next generation of farmers to be sensitized and trained in processing, value addition and marketing.

 

In his address, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State, Food Processing Industries & Jal Shakti, stated that with the declaration of the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets by the United Nations, the country has come a long way on the journey to restore the glory of Millets under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He also stated that earlier there were no scientific parameters to evaluate the various qualities of Millets but with the advancement of technology, Millets have now come to the forefront as a superior crop in all aspects. He spoke about benefitting the farmers directly and touched upon the importance of food processing as an important link to bridge the gap. He added further by mentioning the need to boost the food processing sector of the country and the role of schemes like PMFME (Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises) Scheme and PLI (Production Linked Incentive) Scheme in transforming the sector. He also emphasized the government?s focus on the creation of food testing laboratories to better the quality parameters which in turn would provide immense market scope for value-added products.

 

During his address, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare mentioned about the efforts of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in taking Millets ?Shree Anna? to the global scale. Talking about the health and environmental benefits of Millets, he mentioned that India is the leading producer of Millets and the farmers of the country should be encouraged to to set up their own food processing units. He applauded the various schemes by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India that have been designed to support and empower farmers and aspiring entrepreneurs of the country. He also urged the participants to take a pledge to use Millets as part of their household meals and promote inclusion of Millets.

 

The two-day event was aimed at bringing all the stakeholders of the food processing sector with a special focus on millets, on a common platform and encompassed a wide range of activities like exhibition and sale of various millet-based products, live kitchen, millet recipe demonstration, sharing of success stories, informative sessions on millet processing, interactive sessions between industry experts and micro food processing enterprises, SHGs, FPOs engaged in food processing followed by cultural programs. The event witnessed an overwhelming response with more than 1000 participants attending the event including micro food processing enterprises, self help groups, farmer producer organizations, producer cooperatives, etc.

 

The event also witnessed an exhibition showcasing various Millet-based Ready to Eat Products like Sorghum and Bajra Puffs; Bakery Products like Sorghum Cookies, Foxtail Millet Cake, Muffins; Ready-to-Eat products like Millet Laddu, Instant Mixes like Sorghum Idli Mix, Multi Rawa Kesari; Ready-to-Cook products like Millet Flour, Millet Vermicelli, Pearl Millet Pasta and other products like Millet Khichdi by various Micro Entrepreneurs along with processing machinery. The products were also open for sale, providing a great opportunity for the micro-entrepreneurs to not only participate in technical sessions but also generate revenue and forge partnerships for stronger market reach.

 

Under the International Year of Millets 2023, an initiative spearheaded under the vision of the Hon?ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India is organizing Millet Mahotsav in 20 states and 30 districts this year to create awareness about the benefits of Millets and the immense scope it holds in regards to value addition and increased revenues for all the stakeholders involved across the value chain.

 

In addition to the Millets Mahotsav, a mega-food event World Food India 2023 is also being organized by the Ministry from 3rd to 5th Nov 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi to provide a unique platform to all stakeholders i.e. producers, food processors, equipment manufacturers, logistics players, cold chain players, technology providers, academia, start-up & innovators, food retailers, etc. to interact and have a dialogue. The event is slated to be the biggest-ever congregation of dignitaries, global investors and business leaders of major global and domestic food companies which would put India firmly on the global food landscape. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India also requests the participation and cooperation of all the stakeholders to make this event a grand success.

Jamnagar in Gujarat is the top exporting district in India. It formed about 24% of India’s exports in value terms in FY23 (till January). Surat in Gujarat and Mumbai Suburban in Maharashtra feature second and third by a distance, forming only about 4.5% of the country’s exports in the period. The other districts in the top 10 are Dakshina Kannada (Karnataka), Devbhumi Dwarka, Bharuch and Kachchh (Gujarat), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu) and Gautam Buddha Nagar (Uttar Pradesh).

 

For instance, Kancheepuram formed 33% of Tamil Nadu’s exports, the highest share among all the districts in the State. Some top exporting districts formed only around 20% of a State’s exports. For example, Indore and Jaipur, the top exporting districts in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, respectively, formed only 21% of their State’s total exports each. On the other hand, most top exporting districts in the northeastern States formed as much as 90% of a State’s exports. Gomati (Tripura), Ri Bhoi (Meghalaya) and East Sikkim (Sikkim) formed over 90% of their State’s exports. Districts such as Dakshina Kannada, Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ernakulam formed about 40-50% of their respective State’s exports. In Map 1, the size of the circle corresponds to the district’s share in State’s exports. The bigger the circle, the higher the share of the district in the State’s exports.

 

Jamnagar’s dominance can be attributed to the fact that it formed a lion’s share of India’s surging petroleum exports, while Kancheepuram’s most exported commodity was smartphones. Map 1 also lists the top exported commodity of the top exporting districts in each State. For instance, Kamrup, Assam’s top exporting district, exported tea the most; Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh exported smartphones the most; Raipur in Chhattisgarh exported parboiled rice the most; and Mumbai Suburban in Maharashtra exported diamond the most.

 

Map 2A shows the top five exporting districts of petroleum products in FY23. Jamnagar at first position is followed by Dakshina Kannada and Begusarai. Map 2B shows the top five exporting districts of precious stones and jewellery which includes Surat, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Jaipur and Kolkata. Map 2C shows the top five exporting districts of rice, wheat and other cereals. Karnal leads the list, which also includes Raipur and East Godavari. Map 2D shows the top five exporting districts of smartphones and electronic parts. This list is led by Gautam Buddha Nagar followed by Kancheepuram, Kolar, Bengaluru Rural, and Kachchh. Map 2E shows the top five exporting districts of vehicles other than railways. Kancheepuram leads this list, which includes Pune, Gurugram, Anantapur and Aurangabad. Map 2F shows the top five exporting districts of pharmaceutical products: Medchal Malkajgiri, Ahmedabad, Ranga Reddy, Solan and Visakhapatnam.

 

Table 3

 

The table shows the share of the top exporting commodity of the top exporting district in India’s total exports

 

Commodity District State Share

Petroleum products Jamnagar Gujarat 67%

Precious stones & jewellery Surat Gujarat 36%

Smartphones, electronic parts Gautam Buddha Nagar Uttar Pradesh 26%

Vehicles Kancheepuram Tamil Nadu 21%

Rice, wheat & other cereals Karnal Haryana 17%

Pharmaceutical products Medchal Malkajgiri Telangana 15%

For instance, Jamnagar, Gujarat’s top exporting district, exported petroleum products the most. And Jamnagar’s petroleum products export formed 67% of India’s total exports for that commodity. Surat’s precious stones and jewellery exports formed 36% of India’s total exports for that commodity. Gautam Buddha Nagar’s smartphone exports formed 26% of India’s exports.

Wheat procurement in the current season has touched 11.14 million tonnes as of April 19, 12% more than the 9.98 MT a year ago, according to the latest data from the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

 

The wheat stocks had fallen to 8.3 MT in April 1, the lowest since 2016, as the government's procurement had plunged to a record low due to a drop in production and increased private buying this year.

 

Harvesting of the cereal, which usually commences by April 1, started late this year due to the unseasonal rains in March when farmers decided to let the moisture in the crop dry up in the fields.

 

The procurement in Punjab, which is the largest contributor to the central pool, stands at 3.9 MT as on April 19 while that from Haryana stands at 3.8 MT. Wheat procurement in Madhya Pradesh stands at 3.2MT. The government is yet to procure any wheat from Gujarat and Bihar.

 

The unseasonal rains in March caused a slight loss in output in Punjab and Haryana, but the low temperatures following the rains helped the crops in other unaffected areas. 'There could be higher yield for the late sown crops of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,' food secretary Sanjeev Chopra had earlier told the media.

After registering growth for four consecutive years, India’s pulses imports in terms of the rupee declined by around 5 per cent during the 2022-23 fiscal.

 

As per the Commerce Ministry’s quick estimates of major commodities, the value of pulses imported stood at ?15,780.73 crore during FY23 compared with ?16,627.58 crore in FY22. In terms of dollar, pulses imports were down by 12.79 per cent at $1.94 billion against $2.22 billion.

 

The decline in import value was likely on account of a dip in purchases of some pulses varieties such as as black matpe (urad), red kidney beans (rajma) and desi chickpea (gram). However, imports of tur and lentils increased. The Government is yet to release the quantitative import data for pulses.

NITI Aayog has suggested states formulate their specific AgriTech policy to promote agriculture-based start-ups while enabling digitalisation of licensing regime, ensuring access of quality data and last mile connectivity to such start-ups to expand operations.

 

In its white paper on ‘Gearing Up To Solve Food Security Challenges’, the Aayog said that the agritech solutions available in the market are making the lives of smallholders better by improving access to quality input, access to market, reducing risks, access to information, and a host of other products and services, resulting in improved productivity and price realisation.

 

'Still, the agritech start-ups are not scaling up as fast as the start-ups in other sectors as they face challenges regarding access to quality data, regulations and the absence of agriculture-related infrastructure,' it said.

 

The white paper has been prepared by the Atal Innovation Mission under NITI Aayog in partnership with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and supported by Rabo Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

The Aayog has proposed half-a-dozen recommendations to help agritech startups in India to achieve their full potential and ensure food security in the country.

 

These include improving last-mile connectivity, access to public data, promoting local level of infrastructure for farm-level processing, digitalisation of licensing regime, formulating state-specific AgriTech policy and establishment of facilitation centre for agritech start-ups at local as well as global level.

 

'A distinct agritech start-up policy will go a long way in promoting and facilitating many such start-ups. It will also help the government departments work around the issues related to sharing of data, usage of data, and privacy issues by the private firms,' it said, adding these challenges are primarily related to regulations, understanding the market and its size and local facilitation.

 

Further, it has suggested setting up of a central body which will work with industry associations, respective embassies and multilateral organisations and promote start-ups to expand to other markets.

 

The Aayog is of the view that due to fragmented land parcels and many smallholder farmers in India, it is challenging for start-ups to reach out to individual farmers.

 

'To ensure that all smallholders can benefit from the services and products of the agritech startups, the government needs to put significant effort into building the capacity of local institutions like FPOs or cooperatives,' said, adding that these local institutions will act as a conduit between smallholders and start-ups.

 

Talking about the need for promoting local level of infrastructure, the Aayog said the government should promote the creation of local agriculture-related infrastructures by incentivising and providing financing from formal financial institutions. 'It will boost the farmers' income and ensure the start-ups' scalability and sustainability,' it added.

 

India has more than 2,000 agritech startups and the government aims to scale to 10,000 in near future.

The 13th Meeting of India Thailand Joint Trade Committee (JTC) was held today in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Director General of Department of Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, Ms. Auramon Supthaweethum and Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, India Ms. Indu C. Nair. This was the first physical meeting of the JTC after it was revived in 2020, after 17 years.

 

Thailand is India’s important trading partner in ASEAN with total trade of USD 16.89 Billion in 2022-23. Thailand accounts for 13.6% of India’s total trade with ASEAN. Thailand is an important destination for India’s gems and jewellery, mechanical machinery, auto and auto components and agricultural products especially marine products.

 

Reviewing the status of bilateral trade and each partner’s  modest share in  other’s global imports, the chairs emphasised the need for identifying new potential products and priority sectors for expanding the bilateral trade. Both sides also discussed various market access issues and technical barriers faced by their exporters and agreed to resolve the same through regular and sustained bilateral discussions. India raised the restriction faced in its export of marine, poultry and meat products. 

 

Both sides identified a range of potential  commodities and sectors for strengthened partnership such as value added marine products, smartphones, Electric vehicles, food processing and  pharmaceuticals.  The countries also agreed that there is huge scope in collaboration in the Service Sector and agreed to explore establishing mutual recognition/cooperation  arrangements in Nursing, Accounting, Audio Visual and Medical Tourism.

 

The meeting also reviewed the progress of the ongoing efforts on  connecting Unified Payment Interface (UPI) of India with  Prompt Pay Service of Thailand and the settlement of trade transactions in local currency.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar today released Crop Specific “Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Application of Pesticides with Drones” in the public domain for the guidance of farmers and other stakeholders. Shri Tomar also released a booklet titled "Machinery for Millets Production, Processing and Value Addition". On this occasion, Shri Tomar said that agriculture is our priority, so whether it is research or initiating schemes, the first priority of the government is to promote agriculture and improve the financial condition of the farmers. Today there are many challenges in the Agriculture sector. To retain the farmers, to attract the new generation and to increase the remuneration of the farmers by reducing the cost of production. For this, technical support in the agriculture sector is very important, the government is making continuous efforts in this direction.

 

 

Union Minister Shri Tomar said that there are possibilities of new challenges in the agriculture sector, therefore, along with change in strategy from time to time, change in methodology is necessary. Talking about the agriculture sector, without the support of technology, we will not be able to achieve our goals in the future, so efforts are being made to link the schemes with technology. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also always emphasizes on the support of technology and also works on them himself. Talking about major schemes, today under the Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi, about Rs 2.5 lakh crore have reached the accounts of the farmers, in which there is no question mark. The micro irrigation project is also yielding good results. Topics like Natural Farming are being taken forward. Our country made Nano Urea and the farmers will soon be able to avail the benefits of Nano DAP. Drone technology has been accepted by the government in the Agriculture sector. Last time when there was an outbreak of locusts, the need for the use of drones was felt at that time, since then drone technology is before us with the full support of the central government under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Modi. In reducing the cost in agriculture and avoiding the side effects of pesticides, farmers will get extensive benefits from drones.

 

Shri Tomar said that whenever we undertake any new scheme, we must keep in mind that its benefits reach the last person. This is the reason why when the scheme of drones was being made, common farmers, common graduates were also included in it, so that the use of drones could be made accessible to small farmers. Everyone needs to work together in this direction. For this, he stressed on the need to make Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) more efficient and said that awareness sessions should be organized for graduate/post-graduate agricultural students in agricultural universities & colleges, through which they can get employment, besides making them capable for farming on their own land. A plan should be made for the benefits of drones to reach the common man.

 

Shri Tomar said that on the initiative of Prime Minister Shri Modi, according to the declaration of the United Nations, the year 2023 is being celebrated worldwide as the International Year of Millets (Shree Anna). Shree Anna is getting priority and recognition in various events. For this our responsibility has increased along with making us proud. If the demand and consumption of Shree Anna will increase in the country and the world, then along with production-productivity, processing and export will also have to be increased.

 

Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Manoj Ahuja, Director General of ICAR, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Abhilaksh Likhi, Joint Secretary Smt. Shubha Thakur, Smt. S. Rukmani and Ms. Vijayalakshmi, Agriculture Commissioner Shri P.K. Singh, Deputy Commissioners (Mechanization & Technology) Shri C.R. Lohi and Shri A.N. Meshram, Senior Officers, Scientists and representatives from Drone Federation of India, ICAR, SAU and States, Civil Aviation Ministry, FMTTI Director and farmers participated.

 

Grant-in-Aid for Drones - Under the Agricultural Mechanization Sub-Mission, ICAR institutes, KVKs, SAUs, other State/Central Government Agricultural Institutes and Government of India PSUs engaged in agricultural activities are provided financial assistance at the rate of 100% of the drone cost (up to Rs. 10 lakh per drone) besides Contingent Expenses for the purpose of demonstration of drones in the farmers' fields. FPOs are given grant-in-aid at the rate of 75% for purchase of drones for demonstration on farmers' fields. For the purpose of providing agricultural services through the use of drones, financial assistance is given at the rate of 40% of the original cost of the drone by CHCs to Farmers Cooperative Society, FPOs and Rural Entrepreneurs for the purchase of drones, subject to a maximum of Rs.4 lakh. Agricultural Graduates setting up CHCs are provided financial assistance up to Rs. 5 lakh at the rate of 50% of the cost of drone. Individual small and marginal farmers, SC-ST farmers, women farmers, farmers of North-Eastern states will also get 50% of the cost of the drone subject to a maximum of Rs 5 lakh while other farmers are eligible for assistance at 40% of the cost of the drone, subject to a maximum of Rs. 4 lakhs.

Multiple points of convergence will ensure that India is an essential partner in the plan of the United Arab Emirates to strengthen food security in the Global South

 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), whose food security has been built on imports from global markets, is now focusing on the twin objectives of food access and readiness to confront supply chain crises. India, the world’s second-largest food producer, is an essential partner in the UAE’s ambition to strengthen food security. The India-UAE food security partnership stands to benefit from multiple points of convergence.

 

Many capabilities

 

India has built its status as a global agri-export powerhouse using its vast tracts of arable land, a highly favourable climate, and a large and growing food production and processing sector. Along with serving global markets with its diversified agri-produce, India has, in recent years, acted as a humanitarian provider of food to developing countries, demonstrating awareness of its evolving role in advancing regional and global food security. India has also made major budgetary outlays towards setting up massive food parks, with due emphasis on modern supply chain management spanning farm gate to retail outlet. These investments, complemented by how India has placed its food sector to benefit from bilateral trade agreements, reflect the country’s strong and sustained intent to make the most of its agri-capabilities in the global food marketplace.

 

In parallel, India runs the Public Distribution System, the world’s largest food subsidy programme, providing nearly 800 million citizens with subsidised grains, providing its people with the reassurance of daily, affordable meals. Equally laudable is India’s ‘Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition (POSHAN) Abhiyaan’, the world’s largest nutrition programme for children and women. As a part of its G-20 presidency, India is promoting the consumption and farming of millets — nutritious, drought-resistant, sustainable, crops — that demonstrate the resilience focus that India offers to the global food security dialogue. In the realm of food security, India’s G-20 presidency seeks to address the three Cs, of “Covid, Conflict, and Climate' (to borrow from India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s address last year), issues pernicious to food security in India and across the globe.

 

What the UAE brings to the table

 

Seen together, India brings to the table an incredible wealth of food sector experience and the ability to operationalise the world’s largest food supply chains — formidable capabilities that are strengthening the India-UAE food security partnership in a variety of ways. During the I2U2 (India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States) summit in July last year, the UAE committed $2 billion in investment towards constructing food parks in India (in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat), while the signing of a food security corridor on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)’s sidelines (with logistics partner DP World) has taken forward India’s envisioned presence on the global food value chain, beyond the UAE.

Negotiations over a US-led Indo-Pacific trade pact are likely to yield results this year, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said.

 

Momentum is growing for the 14-nation economic initiative known as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, with the next round of talks set in Singapore in May, Tai said Thursday at a press conference in Tokyo.

 

The IPEF, launched last May during President Joe Biden’s trip to Asia, aims to strengthen US trade relationships in the region excluding China and is part of Washington’s efforts to counter Beijing’s growing global clout. The pact, which includes nations accounting for 40% of the global economy, demonstrates its trade commitment to the region, she said.