Large scale adoption of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF)  — farm practices which exclude all synthetic chemical inputs and promote use of on-farm biomass — would result in ‘tremendous reduction’ in production of agricultural crops thus comprising India’s food security, an expert committee set up by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has stated.

 

ICAR had set up the committee in 2019 to empirically validate the results of ZBNF, which was promoted by Maharashtra-based Subhash Palekar and the farm practice was mentioned in two budget speeches of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in 2019-20 and 2020-21, where she referred to it as ‘innovative model for doubling farmers’ income’.“There would be tremendous yield loss if ZBNF is adopted on a large scale which may compromise India’s food security,” V Praveen Rao, vice-chancellor, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, chairman of the ICAR-appointed member committee, told FE.

 

The committee is likely to submit its report soon.While stressing for need to conduct long-term field trials on ZBNF, the 16-member committee consisting of agricultural scientists and farmers has suggested that future research on ZBNF should be carried out only in rainfed regions instead of irrigated zones which produce the biggest chunk of agricultural crops production in the country.

 

Agricultural scientists say that because of the Green Revolution initiated in early 1970s through introduction of high yielding seeds, application of chemical fertiliser and assured irrigation, India has emerged as one of the biggest producers of several agricultural crops such as rice, wheat, pulses and oilseeds. However, in the last four decades or so there has been gradual degradation of soil health because of excessive use of chemical fertiliser and pesticides.

 

In place of ZBNF, the ICAR committee has recommended adoption of an integrated production system through usage of farm practices such as conservation agriculture through usage of farmyard manure, inter-cropping, crop diversification and integrated nutrient management for improving soil health.According to Rao, the ICAR committee went through more than 1,400 scientific journals on various methods of promotion of sustainable agriculture besides interacting with farmers who have claimed to have adopted ZBNF across seven states.

 

The committee covered all the major crops such as rice, wheat, pulses, cotton and oilseeds in their assessments.Many of the elements of ZBNF such as name of Beejamrit (seed-microbial coating), Jeewamrit (soil-microbial enhancer), Waaphasa (soil-aeration), and Acchadana (Mulching), etc, are currently practised under the conservation agriculture.At present, Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati (BPKP), a sub scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), is being implemented by ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare since 2020-21, which focuses on promoting traditional indigenous practices including ZBNF.

 

Under BPKP, an area of 4.09 lakh hectares has been covered.Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to minimise the dependence of farmers on purchased inputs through ZBNF that reduces the cost of agriculture by relying on traditional field-based technologies which leads to improved soil health through natural farming should be fulfilled.Meanwhile, ICAR has decided to develop a curriculum in consultation with agriculture universities and subject experts for inclusion of ZBNF in the syllabus at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

India has secured approval of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the export of domestic mangoes to America in the new season, the commerce ministry said on Tuesday.

 

The export of Indian mangoes has been restricted by the US since 2020 as the USDA inspectors were unable to visit India for inspection of irradiation facilities due to restrictions imposed on international travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 23, 2021, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the USDA signed a framework agreement for implementing the agri-market access issues.

 

Under the agreement, India and the US will follow a joint protocol on irradiation for India's mango and pomegranate exports to the US and import of cherries and Alfalfa hay from America. The ministry said that a revised work plan has been worked out, including phase-wise transfer of oversight of pre clearance of Irradiation treatment to India as agreed upon between both countries. 'As part of the mutual agreement, India will be able to export mangoes to the USA in the mango season commencing with the Alphonso variety of mangoes by March onwards..

 

The central government has secured the approval of the USDA for export of Indian mangoes to the USA in the new season,' it noted. According to the ministry, India had exported 800 Metric Tonnes (MTs) of mangoes to the US in 2017-18 worth USD 2.75 million. Similarly, in 2018-19, 951 MT mangoes of USD 3.63 million were exported and 1,095 MT worth USD 4.35 million in 2019-20. 'As per estimates received from the exporters, the export of mangoes in 2022, may surpass the figures of 2019-20,' the ministry said.

 

The USDA approval would pave the way for exports from traditional mango production belts such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

 

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) said that this would also provide an opportunity for the export of other delicious varieties of mangoes from North and East India, such as Langra, Chausa, Dushehri, Fazli, etc from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.

India at the World Trade Organization (WTO) has questioned the restrictions that Singapore has imposed on the import of certain food items, such as meat and eggs, from the country for lack of mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) between the two.

'India requests Singapore to explain the reasons for the non-existence of MRA with India’s regulatory authorities despite a comprehensive free-trade agreement (FTA), which is nearly two decades old,' it asked Singapore during a trade policy review over the city-state not allowing import of certain food items.

 

Singapore claimed that meat, eggs, and their products must be imported from approved sources in accredited countries or regions that meet the Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) food safety and animal health standards and requirements.

 

'Accreditation is necessary as these products can carry food safety risks and animal diseases of public health and trade importance. We thank India for its interest and welcome further discussion with our SPS competent authority for food safety, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA),' the Southeast Asian country replied.

The SFA's accreditation procedure is a two-stage process. ,The first stage involves country accreditation, where the country is assessed for regulatory oversight and freedom from animal diseases of important trade and public health concerns (such as foot-and-mouth disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy).

The second stage involves the individual establishment accreditation, where the food safety and quality programmes and operational hygiene practices of the export meat processing plants are evaluated. This involves submission of a documentary dossier, followed by an inspection,' Singapore said.

 

Singapore currently allows the import of fresh eggs only from accredited farms in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Ukraine, and the United States.

 

'Imports of broiler chickens and ducks are allowed only from accredited farms in Malaysia. Pigs may be imported only from one farm in Indonesia and one in Malaysia. Dairy products from countries that are not free from the foot-and-mouth disease may be imported only if subjected to treatment in accordance with the OIE guidelines,' it added.

India has been taking a tough stand against non-tariff barriers (NTBs) raised by its trading partners. Trade minister Piyush Goyal has even threatened reciprocal measures if certain countries do not remove such NTBs on Indian goods and services.

 

In October last year, Goyal called upon the Asean members to do away with NTBs and curb the misuse of FTAs by third parties, often outside the region.

 

'It is unfortunate' that recently ,we had to deal with several restrictive barriers on our exports to Asean, particularly in agriculture and auto. I think this only results in reciprocal action from other countries, including India and will hurt the long-term desire of our leaders to expand trade between the two countries,' Goyal said at a special plenary with trade ministers of the region.

 

The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between India and Singapore came into force on August 1, 2005, and the first review was concluded on October 1, 2007. The second review of the CECA was launched in May 2010 but concluded in 2018. India exported goods worth $6.7 billion in FY21 and imported $9.6 billion in the same year from Singapore, leading to a bilateral trade deficit of $2.9 billion.

As State governments across India have begun imposing various restrictions to curb the surge in Covid cases, the Union Food Processing Ministry said it has set up a dedicated grievance cell to maintain uninterrupted supplies of food-related essentials.

 

In a statement the Ministry said, “Subsequent to the recent surge in Covid cases across the country, steps are being taken by State governments/UT administration to control the spread of the Covid virus. Ministry of Food Processing Industries has a dedicated grievance cell for the food and food-related industry to ensure hassle-free operations and uninterrupted supply of essentials for citizens.'

 

“The Ministry would like to assure its commitment towards all food processing and related industries and would provide the necessary support to ensure successful continuity of business of agri-food industry in India,' it added.

 

Addressing issues

 

The Ministry had set up a similar grievance cell during the first wave when the national lockdown was imposed in the country. It had also stepped in to address production and logistics related grievances of the food processing industry during the second pandemic wave last year, as different state governments had imposed different kinds of restrictions depending on local conditions.

 

The Ministry said that industry players can send in their concerns and queries on covidgrievance-mofpi@gov.in.

India has appealed against a ruling of the World Trade Organisation's trade dispute settlement panel on domestic sugar subsidies, stating that the panel has committed 'certain errors of law' in its report, the WTO said on Tuesday. The appeal was filed by India in the WTO's Appellate Body, which is the final authority on such trade disputes.

 

'India has notified the Dispute Settlement Body of its decision to appeal the panel reports in the cases brought by Brazil, Australia and Guatemala in 'India - Measures Concerning Sugar and Sugarcane,' the WTO said in a statement.

 

It said that given the ongoing lack of agreement among WTO members regarding the filling of Appellate Body vacancies, there is no Appellate Body division available at the current time to deal with the appeal.

 

The panel in its ruling on December 14, 2021, recommended India to withdraw its alleged prohibited subsidies under the Production Assistance, Buffer Stock, and Marketing and Transportation Schemes within 120 days from the adoption of this report.

 

Ruling in favour of Brazil, Australia, and Guatemala in their trade dispute against India over New Delhi's sugar subsidies, the WTO panel has stated that the support measures are inconsistent with WTO trade rules.

 

In its submissions to the Appellate Body, India has appealed and requested the body to  reverse, modify, or declare moot and of no legal effect, the findings, conclusions, rulings and recommendations of the Panel', with respect to certain 'errors of law or legal interpretation contained in the panel report'. -PTI

Anticipating higher output of tur (pigeon pea) and urad (black matpe) in 2022, Myanmar pulses exporters want the Indian Government to enhance its annual import quota for these. Last year, India - the largest producer and consumer of pulses - had signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with Myanmar to annually import 2.5 lakh tonnes of urad and one lakh tonnes of tur from the neighbouring country. According to the Overseas Agro Traders Association (OATA) Myanmar, the pulses exporters association based in Yangon, production of tur in Myanmar is seen more than doubling to around 2.5 lakh tonnes, while urad crop size is seen higher by around eight per cent at 6.75 lakh tonnes in 2022.

 

'We would like to urge the governments of India and Myanmar to consider doubling of import quantities for tur and urad under the MoU,' said Vatsal Lilani, President, OATA Myanmar, at a recent webinar on the outlook for tur and urad in Myanmar. 'If the quotas are not increased to five lakh tonnes for urad and two lakh tonnes for tur by the Indian Government, it’s possible that farmers switch over to other cash crops that have a ready market across Myanmar’s land borders. If the Indian demand in subsequent years is for larger tonnages and they are not available we could see meteoric price rises,' Lilani said.

 

Nidhi Khare, Additional. Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs said 'Myanmar is a very important partner when it comes to supplying urad and tur. It has been contributing to 69 per cent and 98 per cent of the total imports in 2019-20 and 2020-21. We are dependent on import because there is a huge demand supply gap. The five-year MoU is an important step towards a stable and predictable import policy with respect to pulses and assured availability irrespective of short-term policy changes and adjustments.'

 

Hitesh Jain from AGT Foods and Secretary for OATA Myanmar said every policy India makes on urad will have a direct impact on the farmers in Myanmar. This year urad production is expected to be higher by 50,000 tonnes or more compared with last year as the sowing increased, which means the estimated production for 2022 would be around 675,000 tonnes. With the Indian Government extending the OGL regime till March 31, 2022, and the Myanmar harvest being around the corner, it will be interesting to see how markets react in both the countries The increase in MoU quota would ensure that farmers do not shift to other crops as to wean them back would be difficult, he said.

 

Lalit Pant of Viterra India said urad production in India this year was expected to be around 27.50 lakh tonnes production (in accordance with first advance estimates) but given the possible crop damage due to excessive rains during harvest, the production could be similar to last year. India’s annual requirement stands between 30 to 33 lakh tonnes creating a gap between supply and demand leaving room for import.

 

Nitin Kalantri of Kalantri Food Products said the production of tur, which has been impacted by excess rains this year, is likely to be lower by 15-20 per cent. The Agriculture Ministry in its first Advance Estimate have estimated the tur crop to be in the range of 44.30 lakh tonnes.

 

Kalantri said the India’s total annual consumption of tur is around 39 to 40 lakh tonnes, which is met through domestic production and imports. 'As of now, India has imported around five lakh tonnes out of which around 3 lakh tonnes have been consumed. So, we have 38 lakh tonnes of this year’s production plus 1.50 lakh tonnes of carryover with NAFED, 1.20 to 1.30 lakh tones carryover with private players and around 1.75 lakh to 2 lakh tonnes on imports expected from Myanmar by end-June. Currently, the farmers are among the biggest stockists and we do not expect the farmer to sell tur at distress prices.' Kalantri further said that tur prices are expected to be in the range of Rs5,700-6,500 per quintal.

 

Anant Chhajed of Swiss Singapore Overseas Enterprise said the expected opening stock of tur is around 10,000 tonnes and production during the year will be around 2.5 lakh tonnes.

 

Myanmar mainly depends on India for tur exports with very little quantity being exported to Nepal, UAE and others. A more consistent import policy from India will definitely help production in Myanmar and the five-year MoU will help the bilateral trade as well by providing stability to the trade. 'There is a demand deficit in the India numbers, so, the governments of India and Myanmar must consider increasing the quantity in the MoU for tur and it should be at least around two lakh tonnes since increasing the quantity and MOU also helps Indian Government in controlling retail inflation,' he said.

Despite the constraints arising in international trade and shipping due to the ongoing Covid pandemic and the resulting constraints on the cargo handling front, Deendayal Port Trust under Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterway, has crossed the 100 MMT milestone on 10.01.2022, and in the process became the 1st Govt. Sector Major Port, to cross the mark in the year 2021-22. Incidentally, in the current fiscal year, DPT has crossed the milestone 4 weeks ahead in comparison of the last fiscal, i.e. FY 2020-21 during which DPT had reached the landmark on 09.02.2021.

 

Increase was seen in the Import cargoes such as POL, Edible Oils, Liquid Fertilizer Raw Materials like Phosphoric Acid and Ammonia, Chemicals, Rock Phosphate, Steel pipes, Iron ore, Coal, Timber logs and Crude Oil. Export cargoes such as Edible oil, Chemicals, Foodgrains like Wheat and Soya Bean Mill, Bentonite and POL products at Vadinar have also witnessed growth in cargo throughput during FY 2021-22 as compared to FY 2020-21.

 

The DPT’s cargo throughput growth in the 3rd quarter of current fiscal was the highest among all Govt. Major Ports, with the Port registering 33.52 MMT traffic in the Oct-Dec21 quarter. In the month of December 2021 only, DPT had handled 11.32 MMT cargo which had contributed to about 18% of the total cargo handled by all Major Ports.

 

Shri S.K. Mehta, Chairman-DPT and Shri Nandeesh Shukla, Dy. Chairman-DPT congratulated the Trustees, Officials, Workers, Trade Unions of DPT, Port Users and Stakeholders for their efforts, initiatives and their continuous support behind reaching this important milestone. The Port’s cargo handling is expected to cross 127 MMT by end of the current fiscal.

Indian Ambassador in Madagascar Abhay Kumar on Tuesday attended a review meeting over the progress in bilateral ties between New Delhi and Antananarivo, according to the Embassy of India in Antananarivo, Madagascar & Comoros.

 

The meeting was chaired by Madagascar Prime Minister Christian Ntsay in which several cabinet ministers including the Minister of Foreign Affairs Patrick Rajoelina and Indian Ambassador Abhay Kumar were present.

 

'Today Hon'ble Prime Minister of Madagascar H.E. @NtsayC chaired a meeting to review the progress in bilateral relations between #India and #Madagascar which was attended by several cabinet ministers including the Minister of Foreign Affairs @prajoelina and @AmbassadorAbhay,' the embassy tweeted.

Bilateral ties between India and Madagascar are on the upswing for the last three years. Madagascar, along with Comoros, became part of the Indian Ocean Region Division in December 2019.

 

India became an observer at the Indian Ocean Commission in March 2020 which is a grouping of western Indian Ocean islands.Prime Minister Christian Ntsay had hosted a meeting in October 2020 to review the bilateral relations between India and Madagascar which were attended by several cabinet ministers and Ambassador Abhay Kumar.

 

This is a second such meeting taken by the country's Prime Minister to review India-Madagascar bilateral ties. It shows the high importance Madagascar gives to its relations with India.

 

India has been sending regular humanitarian aid to Madagascar under its SAGAR policy. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a telephonic conversation with his Malagasy counterpart in March 2021, and India deployed INS Jalashwa with 1000 tonnes of rice for the people of drought-hit Southern Madagascar.

A special training team of the Indian navy trained Malagasy armed forces in the same month. Madagascar's Defence Minister visited India in February 2021 to attend the Indian Ocean Region Defence Ministers Conclave and AeroIndia exhibition in Bangalore.The ties between the two Indian Ocean neighbours are growing in all spheres. There are about 20,000 people of Indian origin, mostly from Gujarat, who live and work in Madagascar.

 

India and Madagascar share deep cultural connections and India is a key trade partner of Madagascar with bilateral trade reaching about 400 million USD in 2020-21.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday spoke to his British counterpart Liz Truss, covering 'shared interest' in trade, investment and security.

 

The telephonic conversation between Mr Jaishankar and Truss came days before the start of negotiations between the two countries for a comprehensive free trade agreement.

 

British Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to India from Wednesday to launch the negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

 

Mr Jaishankar described the talks with Truss as a 'warm conversation'.

 

'A warm conversation with UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz. Discussed our shared interest in trade, investment and security. Look forward to welcoming her in India,' S Jaishankar tweeted.

 

In May last year, India and the UK adopted a 10-year-roadmap to expand ties in the key areas of trade and economy, defence and security, climate change and people-to-people connect among others.

 

The Roadmap 2030 was adopted at a virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson at a virtual summit.

 

The conversation between Mr Jaishankar and Truss came days before India and the UK are set to start negotiations for a comprehensive free trade agreement. British Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan is scheduled to pay a two-day visit to India from Wednesday to launch the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.

 

Mr Jaishankar also spoke to Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn.

 

'Spoke to DPM and FM Prak Sokhonn of Cambodia. Discussed India ASEAN relations, Mekong-Ganga Cooperation and the situation in Myanmar. Will work closely with Cambodia in its capacity as ASEAN Chair,' he tweeted.

 

The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.

 

The ties between India and ASEAN have been on an upswing in the last few years with the focus being on ramping up cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence.

 

In the last few days, Mr Jaishankar spoke to his counterparts from the US, Russia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria.

 

He also spoke to the foreign ministers of Egypt, Israel, Australia, Indonesia, the Maldives, Bhutan, Iran and France.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack may have missed an opportunity when it comes to timing of announcements

 

The agriculture secretary had long left the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting Monday when he and Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced that India has agreed to allow imports of U.S. pork and pork products. U.S. officials and the pork industry noted it's taken nearly two decades of talks to reopen pork trade to India.

 

'This new opportunity marks the culmination of nearly two decades of work to gain market access for U.S. pork to India – and it signals positive movement in U.S.-India trade relations,' Vilsack said. 'We will continue working with the Indian government to ensure that the U.S. pork industry can begin shipping its high-quality products to consumers as soon as possible.'

 

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) applauded the announcement to allow imports of U.S. pork and pork products into India. The world's second most populated country at 1.26 billion people, India has kept a de facto ban on U.S. pork. Given the population along, NPPC stated the potential market opportunity is significant. The agreement with the United States also sets the stage for larger trade discussions, NPPC added.

 

'After decades of work, a market that had been closed to U.S. pork is being opened,' said Jen Sorenson, NPPC's president. 'NPPC thanks the Biden administration for reaching an agreement with India on market access for our products. We look forward to the new access, which will allow us to provide affordable, wholesome and nutritious U.S. pork products to consumers in India.'

 

Getting access to the Indian market has been one of NPPC's top trade priorities, which also include: elimination of China's retaliatory tariffs on U.S. pork, which are 37% while competitors' are only 12%; broader market access in Southeast Asia, including through permanent reduction of tariffs in Vietnam and the Philippines; and unfettered market access for U.S. pork in Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, Jamaica, South Africa and Thailand, markets that are completely closed or only partially open to U.S. pork exports.

 

Vilsack and Tai stated the announcement comes after the revitalization of the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum held in New Delhi in November 2021, during which Tai raised the importance of access for U.S. pork with Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal.

 

'India's agreement to allow U.S. pork imports for the first time is great news and a significant development for U.S. producers and for Indian consumers,' said Ambassador Tai. 'We will continue working to strengthen the U.S.-India trade relationship and I appreciate Minister Goyal's efforts to facilitate this important development.'

 

Despite 1.26 billion people, the U.S. exported just 1.6 billion in agricultural products to India in fiscal year 2021. Meanwhile, the U.S. exported $7.7 billion in pork in 2020 alone.