Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the Startup Conclave-2023 organized by the Laghu Udyog Bharati in Gwalior today. On this occasion, Shri Tomar said that today we have come out of the slavery mentality of the British era, today the whole scenario has changed and this has become possible because of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

 

Union Minister Shri Tomar said that there was a time when there was talent in our country and we were not able to recognize it. There was no environment for these talents to showcase their talent. This is the reason why the talented were getting frustrated with the country and they were forced to go abroad, but today it is not so. Prime Minister Shri Modi grasped this situation and created a positive environment in the country, due to which not only India but the whole world has changed.

 

Shri Tomar said that before 2014, there used to be only 31-32 Startups in the country, but today their number has increased to more than 6,500. In the Agriculture sector alone, their number is above 2,000. He said that today the whole world is recognizing the power of India and also accepting its stature.

 

Union Minister Shri Tomar said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi, India's identity has been established in the whole world and India's position has also improved in the world. This is the reason why the Prime Minister of India could pause the war between Ukraine and Russia by saying that first let our citizens be evacuated, proving India's growing clout in the world affairs. Similarly, while introducing our Prime Minister, the US President Mr. Biden said that there is one sun, one world and one Modi, that reinstates India's pride of place in the world community.

 

The Startup Conclave was also attended by MSME Minister in the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Omprakash Sakhlecha, Member of Parliament Shri Vivek Shejwalkar and office bearers of the Laghu Udyog Bharati, - National Organising Secretary Shri Prakash Chandra, National President Shri Baldevbhai Prajapati, All India General Secretary Shri  Ghanshyam Ojha and All India Secretary Shri Sameer Mundra.

About 1.5 lakh farmers practising natural farming in Himachal Pradesh would be certified under Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana (PK3Y) in 2023-24. According to a study, 28 per cent farmers have adopted natural farming techniques on their own through peer-to-peer learning without any training and therefore the focus of PK3Y in this financial year will be consolidation of farmers practising natural farming, said Agriculture Secretary Rakesh Kanwar.

 

Addressing a meeting of the agriculture department officers to discuss the cluster-based agriculture development programme in the state, he said efforts would be made in 2023-24 to certify about 1.5 lakh farmers practising natural farming, a statement issued here on Friday said.

 

He said focus should be on consolidation of the existing farmers, increasing their area under natural farming, conducting refresher workshops, capacity building training and exposure visits.

 

The response and success in results on ground show that everyone is convinced that natural farming technique is beneficial and 'we just need to take the practice further for overall benefits in agriculture,' he added.

 

Kanwar asked the department officers to identify clusters, prioritise the issues and come out with a specific need-based budget for each cluster.

 

State Project Director, PK3Y, Naresh Thakur said PK3Y achieved the earmarked targets in 2022-23. He said over 51,000 farmers have been certified under PK3Y for natural produce and that the natural farming model villages in the state will also be strengthened.

India has stoutly defended its minimum support price (MSP) scheme for foodgrain at the World Trade Organization arguing that its public stock holding programme (PSH) not only supported small and marginal farmers and fed the poor but also kept global prices in check ensuring food security for LDCs and vulnerable countries, an official said.

 

In a presentation on its PSH experience at a seminar at the WTO Agriculture Committee meeting on March 27-28, India’s representative explained how the programme was helping to keep global prices in check and had nothing to do with subsidised exports, the official tracking the matter told businessline.

 

'Some members keep attacking our MSP programme and say that our PSH subsidies affect food security of other countries. We said in our presentation that it is the other way round.

 

'Since we were maintaining these stocks, when the crisis (pandemic) came, we could feed (provide free foodgrains) to our 800 million plus vulnerable population. Had we not been maintaining our stock, we would have been dependent upon rest of the world,' the official said.

 

The Bali ‘peace clause’

Members are specifically attacking rice subsidies as India was the first country to use the Bali ‘peace clause’, which allows developing countries to breach the subsidy ceiling of 10 per cent for agriculture produce without being dragged to dispute by members, for rice. 

 

 

'If you look at rice, the global export supplies in 2020-21 were 56 million tonnes, while we distributed 58 mt to 800 million people through PSH. So, India’s public distribution was more than global supplies. Had we required that 58 mt from outside, the prices of rice in global market would have skyrocketed. Everybody would have hiked their prices. Then food security of LDCs and vulnerable would have been actually hit,' the official said, adding that some rice exporting countries were disappointed that prices did not spike during the crisis.

 

New Delhi also struck off demands made by some countries seeking procurement data and information for all food crops that were under MSP. 'India will certainly not share information on any crop other than rice where the actual subsidy cap breach has happened. The Bali agreement only seeks information for the item for which the peace clause has been invoked,' the official said.

 

The peace clause, which is saddled with a lot of tough notification requirements and conditions such as not affecting food security of other members, was invoked by India for rice support provided in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

 

Nine countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, Thailand, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, Paraguay and Uruguay, sought consultations with India over the use of the peace clause and have been seeking a lot of information. 

 

While some, including the US, have been accusing India of habitually not including the full required information in its notifications, some members have indicated that the country did not have an adequate monitoring mechanism to ensure no stocks were exported.

 

'There were certain areas, where India has said it will provide information at a later date as it was not available. We cannot cook it for them. We are anyway notifying what is required as per the notification requirement of the AoA (Agreement on Agriculture). If they are not satisfied, we can’t help it,' the official said.

 

Concerns around exports

On concerns around exports of subsidised rice, the official said India procured common paddy under PSH while it exported premium rice. 

 

The nine countries will continue holding consultations with India on its PSH programme as they were entitled to under the peace clause.

The government is likely to extend the expanded duty remission scheme for exporters beyond the September deadline, providing relief to the pharmaceuticals, steel and chemicals sectors, said officials.

 

The Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme was expanded in December last year to include pharmaceuticals, chemicals and select steel products.

 

The commerce department had stipulated that the additional products would be eligible for tax refunds up to September 30, 2023. The department wanted to gauge if it had adequate budgetary outlay to fund the tax remission for the full financial year 2023-24.

 

The government now feels the budgetary allocation would be sufficient for the entire 2023-24, according to officials.

 

'Currently, the monthly refund claims under the RoDTEP scheme are about Rs.1,200 crore. So, the budgeted allocation of Rs.15,069 crore for FY24 should be enough to continue to extend this benefit to the sectors that were included later,' a senior official told ET on condition of anonymity.

 

However, if the department decides to further expand the scheme and include the entire iron and steel segment, it will require an additional Rs 1,000 crore for this fiscal, said the official.

 

In 2022-23, the government had disbursed Rs.13,699 crore through the scheme.

 

The government will review the scheme before September 30 and notify its decision, said the official.

 

Launched on January 1, 2021, the scheme refunds central, state and local levies incurred in the manufacture and export of products not covered by any other incentive scheme.

 

The move will help exporters of these goods as they compete for orders amid a demand slowdown in key developed markets. Exports of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and select steel products, totalled $61 billion until February last fiscal year, constituting about 15% of the overall merchandise despatches, showed the official data.

 

The Foreign Trade Policy 2023 announced last week flagged timely tax remission for exporters, as it seeks to move away from any incentive-based regime. The RoDTEP scheme is compliant with the World Trade Organization (WTO) norms.

 

The expanded RoDTEP scheme covers 10,342 export products, against 8,731 earlier. The scheme is based on the globally accepted principle that exports can be exempt from taxes, and levies imposed can be refunded.

 

Experts see the remission scheme as critical to improving the country's export competitiveness and achieving the $1 trillion merchandise export target by 2030 from $447 billion in 2022-23.

 

Chairman of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) M. Angamuthu has urged exporters in Telangana to increase millet export.

 

He underscored this need in the backdrop of 2023 having been declared International Year of Millets (IYoM) and Telangana being one of the major millet producing States, according to a release on his interaction with exporters at APEDA’s regional office in Hyderabad. APEDA is a body under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

 

Lauding exporters for their contribution, Mr. Angamuthu said there was a huge potential to increase exports from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Promising them the support of APEDA, he called upon exporters to promote products unique to the region such as Neera, palm fruits, jaggery, honey, GI-tagged products like Banganapalli mango and natural and tribal products.

 

Exporters of cereals, millets, processed food and fruits participated in the meeting, which saw discussions on issues, opportunities and future strategies to boost exports from Telangana.

 

Senior officers of APEDA and other stakeholder agencies, including the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, export inspection agency and plant quarantine, were present, the release said.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will hold a series of meetings with leaders and top CEOs of France and Italy next week during his three-day visit to these two countries to further boost trade and investment ties. The minister will be on an official visit to France (Paris) and Italy (Rome) on April 11-13. He will be accompanied by a delegation of top Indian CEOs.

 

In France, Goyal along with Olivier Becht, Minister delegate of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Government of France, will co-chair the India-France Business Summit on April 11, the commerce ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

 

The summit will focus on various themes, including building a green future, emerging technologies, defence cooperation and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific regions, it added.

 

Goyal is also scheduled to meet with French business leaders across various sectors and will attend a CEOs roundtable.

 

Both Indian and French ministers will participate in an event that will showcase India's cultural heritage and soft power and are expected to witness the participation of over 600 dignitaries from the French government, the Indian business diaspora in France and members of the French business community.

 

Goyal will also be interacting with members of the Indian community in Paris.

 

In Rome, the statement said, Goyal would meet Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

 

'He is scheduled to meet top Italian CEOs for bilateral meetings followed by CEOs Interactive Business Session, where 35 CEOs are likely to participate,' the ministry said, adding this would be followed by a meeting with Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, who would also interact with Indian CEOs.

 

There are over 1,000 French businesses in India in different sectors, such as defence, ITES, consulting, engineering services, and heavy industry.

 

France is the 11th largest foreign investor in India, with a cumulative FDI of USD 10.5 billion between April 2000 and December 2022. It accounts for about 1.7 per cent of the total FDI (USD 625.3 billion) that India has received during the period.

 

India-France bilateral trade stood at USD 12.42 billion in 2021-22. During April-January 2022-23, India's exports to France stood at USD 6.5 billion, while imports aggregated at USD 4.36 billion. The trade gap is in favour of India.

 

In 2021, a dedicated desk was set up by Invest India for investor queries for French businesses.

 

Italy is among India's top 5 trading partners in the EU.

 

India-Italy bilateral trade stood at over USD 13 billion in 2021-22. During April-January 2022-23, India's exports to Italy stood at USD 7.15 billion, while imports aggregated at USD 4.6 billion. The trade gap is in favour of India.

 

Italy is the 17th largest foreign investor in India, with a cumulative FDI of USD 3.25 billion between April 2000 and December 2022. It accounts for about 0.52 per cent of the total FDI India received during the period.

 

The main items of Indian exports to Italy are ready-made garments, leather, iron ore, motor vehicles, textiles, chemicals, gems and jewellery. Main imported items include machinery, machine tools, metallurgical products and engineering items.

 

Around 140 large Italian companies are active in India. Some of the major Italian companies that have invested in India are FIAT Auto, Heinz Italia, Italcementi, Necchi Compressori, Perfetti, Lavazza, ENI, SAI India, Isagro (Asia) Agrochemicals and Piaggio.

 

Indian companies present in Italy are in sectors such as IT, electronics, pharmaceuticals, automobile, textile and engineering.

 

The prominent Indian companies operating in Italy include Tata, TCS, Wipro, Engineers India Limited, L&T, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ranbaxy, and Raymonds. SBI has a representative office in Milan. Six Italian banks have representation in India.

 

The top sectors attracting FDI inflows from Italy are the automobile industry/ transportation, food processing, metallurgical industry, textiles, electrical equipment and others.

Famous Banarasi paan and langda mango of Varanasi have entered the Geographical Indication (GI) list recently. As many as 33 products were granted GI certification on March 31 by the GI Registry, Chennai, as per news reports. Among them, 10 belonged to UP, including two from Varanasi.  

 

Besides, Banarasi paan and langda mango two more products from the region, Ramnagar Bhanta (brinjal) and Chandausi's adamchini chawal (rice) were given the GI tags.  

 

As per the GI Registry list, the newly added items from Varanasi include Aligarh Tala, Bakharia Brassware, Banda Shazar Patthar Craft, Nagina Wood Craft, Pratapgarh Aonla, and Hathras Hing. 

 

A geographical indication (GI) tag is a sign used on locally produced products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities that are due to that origin. A product can be given a GI tag if it is a specialty of a given place. 

 

The tags were first introduced in 2003, wherein Darjeeling Tea was the first Indian product to get a GI tag.

 

The GI tag recognition is a significant achievement for the people associated with the production and trade of these crops.  Talking about the GI tags, Dr Rajnikant, a GI specialist, told India Today: 'All four products are related to agriculture and horticulture. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and the Uttar Pradesh government have played a pivotal role in the process to obtain the GI tags. ' 

 

He added that over 20 lakh people are involved in the trade of the four products with an annual business of approximately Rs 25,500 crore.  

 

Earlier, two varieties of betel leaf were given the tag from the GI Registry. The first is the Maghai paan from Bihar, a distinctive variety grown in four districts of the state, which fetches a high price.  

 

The second is the Mahoba Desawari paan, which grows in the Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh and Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh. 

 

More GI tags 

 

In the last few years, the Uttar Pradesh government with its One District One Product (ODOP) scheme is trying to promote the special products of the region, such as Banarasi sarees and metal crafts, and obtain GI tags for them. 

 

Some of the 15 handloom and handicraft items, which already have the GI tag, are Banaras Brocade and Banarasi Saree, wooden toys, metal repoussé craft items, soft stone Jali craft, Gulabi Meenakari, hand block print, wood carving and glass beads produced by local craftsmen living in different areas of Varanasi.

PM Narendra Modi, who represents the Varanasi constituency, has been trying to push local Varanasi products at the international level. During his to the G7 summit, he gifted GI products, including Banarasi Gulabi Meenakari and wood carving, to foreign dignitaries.

The country may look at importing dairy products if needed as there is a supply constraint for such items due to milk production remaining stagnant in the last fiscal, a top government official said on Wednesday. The government will intervene to import dairy products like butter and ghee, if required, after assessing the stock position of milk in Southern states, where the flushing (peak production) season has started now, he added.

 

Milk output in the country stood at 221 million tonne in 2021-22, up 6.25 per cent from 208 million tonne in the previous year, as per the official data.

 

Addressing a press conference, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said the country's milk production remained stagnant in the 2022-23 fiscal due to lumpy skin disease in cattle, while the domestic demand grew by 8-10 per cent in the same period because of a rebound in the post-pandemic demand.

 

'There is no constraint in milk supply as such in the country...There is an adequate inventory of skimmed milk powder (SMP). But in the case of dairy products, especially fats, butter and ghee etc, the stocks are lower than the previous year,' he said.

 

The government will intervene to import dairy products like butter and ghee, if required, after assessing the stock position of milk in Southern states, where the flushing (peak production) season has started now, he said.

 

Singh, however, observed that the imports may not be beneficial at this point in time as international prices in recent months are ruling firm.

 

'If global prices are high, there is no point in importing. We will assess the flush season in the rest of the country and then take a call,' he said.

 

The shortage will be less in north India where the lean season has been postponed with temperature cooling down due to untimely rains in the last 20 days, he added.

 

According to the secretary, the country's milk output remained stagnant due to the impact of lumpy skin disease that killed 1.89 lakh cattle last year and the post-pandemic rebound in milk demand.

 

'The impact of lumpy skin disease on cattle can be felt to the extent that the total milk production is a little stagnant. Normally, milk production has been growing at 6 per cent annually. However this year (2022-23), it will be either stagnant or grow at 1-2 per cent,' Singh said.

 

Since the government takes into account the milk production data of the cooperative sector and not the entire private and unorganised sector, 'we assume it will be stagnant,' Singh said.

 

It is a true rise in fodder prices that has led to milk inflation. There is a problem in fodder supply as the fodder crop area has remained stagnant in the last four years, while the dairy sector has been growing annually at 6 per cent, he added.

 

India last imported dairy products in 2011.

Kerala has topped the list of States in the country with the most number of products securing the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in FY23, data shared by the GI Registry said on Wednesday.

 

Attappady Aattukombu Avara (beans), Attappady Thuvara (red gram), Onattukara Ellu (sesame), Kanthaloor Vattavada Veluthuli (garlic), and Kodungallur Pottuvellari (snap melon) were picked for the GI recognition tag as per the data released by the registry.

 

Besides the 6 products from Kerala, Mithila Makhana (aquatic fox nut) from Bihar was selected for GI recognition followed by Alibag white onion from Maharashtra.

 

Tandur Redgram from Telangana, the local variety of pea, Ladakh Raktsey Karpo Apricot from Ladakh, and Gamosa handicrafts from Assam were also chosen for the honours.

 

The Geogrphical Indication relates to particular location and product manufactured from that region.

 

Accordingly, between April 2022 and March 2023, 12 products were selected for the recognition with two of them from overseas.

 

Brandy De Jerez from Spain, which is locally manufactured was selected, while Provolone Valpadana from Italy also received GI recognition.

 

In FY22, as many as 50 products from domestic and overseas markets were selected for the recognition, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list with seven GI tags, followed by Uttarakhand at six.

 

Handcraft products like Chunar Glaze Pottery, Banaras Zardozi, Mirzapur Pital Bartan, Banaras Wood Carving, Banaras Hand Block Print, Rataul Mango, and Mau saree were selected for the GI recognition from Uttar Pradesh.

 

Other handcraft products from Uttarakhand the Aipan, Munsyari Razma, Uttarakhand handcraft Ringal Craft, Tamta from Uttarakhand, Thulma (Handicraft), and Kumaon Chyura Oil were selected with the GI tag recognition.

 

The famous Kanniyakumari Clove, wood carving from Kallakurichi, Karuppur Kalamkari paintings, and Narsinghapettai Nagaswaram (a wind instrument) also were chosen for recognition from Tamil Nadu between 2021-22, the data said.

Bihar's famous 'Marcha Rice' which is known for its aroma and palatability was awarded the Geographical Indication tag, according to the GI registry. Marcha is a short indigenous cultivar of rice found in West Champaran district of Bihar. By its size and shape, its grain appears like black pepper so it is known as 'Mircha' (pepper in Hindi) or 'Marcha Rice'.

 

The Journal of GI Registry said it has accepted the application seeking the GI tag for the rice.

 

A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.

 

'It (the rice) is also known as Mircha, Marchaiya, Marichaetc locally. Plants, grains and flakes have a unique aroma that makes it different,' said the journal.

 

Expressing happiness over the development, Bihar agriculture minister told PTI: 'This will further boost the production of Marcha Rice. It will also help farmers, engaged in the cultivation of Marcha rice, get a decent price for their produce'.

 

The major growing areas of Marcha rice include Mainatand, Gaunaha, Narkatiyaganj, Ramnagar and Chanpatiya blocks of West Champaran district.