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03 Mar, 2023 News Image Potential of pearl millet in food processing.
After rice, wheat, maize, barley, and sorghum, pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is the sixth most significant cereal crop. It is a member of the 'Poaceae' family and is also known by a variety of other names, including Grano (Spanish), Bajra (Hindi), Kamboo (Tamil and Malayalam), Bajri (Marathi, Gujarati), and Bajra (Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu). Its origin place is Africa. Most of the world's tropical semi-arid regions in Africa and Asia are where pearl millet is farmed. Its potential to be grown in areas where wheat, maize, and other cereal crops fail to thrive is further increased by its capacity to survive in drought and hot climates.
 
The low soil fertility and high salinity are also resistive to pearl millet. In the grain of pearl millet, there are 75% endosperm, 17% germ, and 8% bran. The proportion of pearl millet germ is around twice that of sorghum, which shows that the grain of pearl millet contributes more to the nutritional content. In Asia and Africa, where 30 million hectares of land are used to cultivate it, pearl millet provides a staple food for 90 million underprivileged people.
 
India produces the most pearl millet in the world, with a total production area of 9.8 million hectares. Due to its health-promoting qualities, pearl millet is particularly advantageous for persons with disorders including diabetes, obesity, diabetic heart diseases, and metabolic diseases.
 
Nutritional Value
When compared to other cereal crops like wheat, rice, maize, and sorghum, pearl millet has a deeper root system that allows it to take more minerals from the soil and has a better nutritional value. Moreover, pearl millet has great nutrition and is a good source of macronutrients like iron and zinc. More protein (14.0%), fat (5.7%), fibre (2.0%), and ash (2.1%) are present in it than in the most widely grown cereal crops.
 
This crop is particularly beneficial to humans because to its superior protein quality in terms of tryptophan and threonine content as well as higher concentration of calcium, iron, and zinc. It has more folates (8%), magnesium (18%), thiamine (15%), niacin (14%), riboflavin (11%) and pyridoxine (11%), and it has 201 kcal of calories. It is also gluten-free and a respectable source of fibre. High levels of antioxidants, polyphenols, and phytochemicals, all of which are proven to support human health in a variety of ways, can be found in pearl millet. Frequent use of pearl millet as part of a healthy diet may help prevent nutrient deficits.
 
Health Benefits
Because the grain has relatively little gluten, pearl millet is regarded as a nutritious cereal food crop. As a result, pearl millet may show to be a practical low-cost substitute for those who are celiac, have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, are gluten sensitivity patients, or are food style enthusiasts. Due to the proliferative qualities connected to the presence of phenolic extracts, pearl millet has the ability to avoid carcinogenic effects.
 
Pearl millet eases constipation, lowers cholesterol, improves vision and eye health, and aids in reducing insulin resistance in diabetics. Compared to rice, wheat, and sorghum, it is an anti-diabetic cereal grain crop because of its low glycemic index and slow digestion capacity brought on by its higher fibre content. In vitro, the fibres in pearl millet grains have a prebiotic effect, causing probiotic cultures like Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium bifidus to proliferate. It is full of antioxidants and beneficial for weight watchers. Its flour is beneficial for the heart, controls blood pressure, prevents anaemia, increases bodily endurance, and strengthens bones.
 
Pearl Millet processing
After being dehusked, pearl millet is ingested and prepared similarly to how rice is. At the household level, a variety of traditional food processing and preparation techniques are accessible, such as soaking, blanching, decorticating, hydrothermal processing, germination, fermentation, or combining treatments and adding taste enhancers. It can be made into flour, salted ready-to-eat grains for thick and thin porridges, and confectionery.
 
It can also be roasted, popped, sprouted, and processed into flour. The taste, nutritional value, and product selection are all improved by processing pearl millet. Moreover, processing improves the bioavailability and digestibility of additional minerals while reducing anti-nutritional elements. Other processing techniques should be used with caution because they shorten the shelf life of pearl millet due to its high fat content. The grain works well for making malt as well. Its malted seeds can be used to make a booze.
 
The use of pearl millet in the creation of gruel, composite flour, cookies, cakes, biscuits, nankhatai, muffins, namkeen sev, matar, ladoo, popped ladoo, dhokla mix, idli mix, chapati mix, pasta, extruded products, ready-to-eat snack mix, rabadi, dumplings, and milk-based beverages has been demonstrated in several research work. Pearl millets are also used to make a number of traditional dishes, including bhakri, suhali, khichri, churma, shakkarpala, popped grain, dalia, and chapathi. Scientists have also developed a variety of pearl millet-based diabetic food compositions by parboiling them.
 
Koozh, a fermented beverage made from rice and pearl or finger millet, is a favourite among people in India's southern states. Pearl millet-based fermented beverages are becoming more popular on the market. Some of the common products of Africa include alcoholic beverages such opaque beer, chibuku shake, mbeg, and merissa as well as non-alcoholic beverages like boza, marewa, mahewu, pombe, pito, kunun zaki, bushera, and oskikundu. In India, it is also used to make flour for bread and as animal feed. Moreover, it lowers cholesterol and aids in digestive problems.
 
Problems with pearl millets
Pearl millet can grow in a variety of ecological situations with low precipitation and relative humidity, but there are still some difficulties that act as a barrier to pearl millet production. In Asia and Africa, 'downy mildew' or 'green ear' causes great damage to pearl millet.
 
The illness is transmitted through the soil and is brought on by the fungus Sclerospora graminicola, which causes the longitudinal shredding of the leaves and the browning of leaf streaks. Although pearl millet has many health advantages, it also includes antinutrient chemicals that prevent or impair the body's ability to absorb other nutrients, which may result in shortages.
 
One of these substances, phytic acid, prevents the absorption of potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Moreover, the millet includes trypsin inhibitors, phenols, tannins, and dietary fibre, which function as 'antinutrients' by chelating minerals. By building complexes with proteins and blocking enzymes, these substances are associated with a decrease in protein digestibility.
 
Moreover, the presence of polyphenolic pigments in the pericarp, alurone, and endosperm regions may result in the development of an unappealing grey colour and flavour in the finished product.
 
The occurrence of lipase activity in the pericarp, aleurone layer, and germ of grains is primarily responsible for the development of off flavours and aromas in flour and its products. Reduced anti-nutritional factors can be achieved by adopting a variety of processing procedures, including as dehulling, milling, malting, blanching, parboiling, acid and heat treatments, to increase the shelf life of pearl millet flour as well as processed products.
 
There are several major issues with pearl millet that have been limiting its consumption, including inadequate investments in product development and commercial ratio, low social status of small millet food, resistance to dietary fibre, and lack of knowledge on the use of pearl millet in the daily diet.
 
Future scope of pearl millets
The Food and Agriculture Organisation will celebrate 2023 as 'The International Year of Millets' to encourage the use of all millets, especially pearl millets, which highlights the significance of pearl millet. Pearl millets can be used to create a variety of baked goods, milk products, and beverages.
 
Adding pearl millet to food formulations can also enhance or fortify the nutritional content of finished goods. Further research should be done in order to better understand the potential of all the pearl millets cultivars grown in the nation as well as the development of new cultivars that are intriguing for grain production and food nutrition.
 
Studies on the effects of various food preparation methods, the development of a variety of products, sensory evaluation, grain and flour lipid stability, and clinical essays taking into account Indian diets where hypoglycemic and goitrogenic effects would be researched should all be taken into account.

 Source:  fnbnews.com
03 Mar, 2023 News Image Union Agriculture Minister Shri Tomar holds talks with Mr. Scott Moe, Premier of Canada s Saskatchewan province.
The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Mr. Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan province of Canada, met in New Delhi today. Mr. Scott Moe was accompanied by the Canadian delegation. Welcoming the delegation, the Agriculture Minister noted the age-old and friendly relations between India and Canada, which reflect the shared values of democracy, growing economic engagement, regular high-level discussions and long-standing people-to-people ties.
 
Agriculture Minister Shri Tomar referred to the MoU signed between the two countries on Agriculture and Allied Sectors in 2009 and expressed satisfaction over its implementation through the meetings of the Joint Working Group. He informed the delegation that in view of the International Year of Millets - 2023, India is organizing an International Millets Conference in New Delhi on 18 March 2023, which will be graced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He also extended an invitation to Mr. Scott Moe to attend the conference.
 
The two leaders also talked about India's current chairmanship of the G-20. The Agriculture Minister explained India's preparations and programs for the G-20 meetings and urged Canada's active cooperation and support for these global events.
 
Mr. Scott Moe thanked the Agriculture Minister for the meeting and pointed out the commonalities between India and Saskatchewan in their agricultural challenges. He spoke about the initiatives and developments made in Saskatchewan, Canada in agriculture, food security, industries, technologies etc. He mentioned that a delegation from his Agriculture Minister had recently visited India and a technical delegation from Saskatchewan is also visiting India next week.
 
The two leaders reiterated their commitment to work together in all areas, including Agriculture, to ensure Food Security for each other and the world.

 Source:  pib.gov.in
03 Mar, 2023 News Image Govt targets to procure 7.5 lt millets, Karnataka to contribute 6 lt.
Buoyed by several events taking place in the country to promote millets, the Food Ministry has asked States to procure more such nutri cereals, for which it has set a target of 7.5 lakh tonnes (lt) during 2022-23 (October-September), of which Karnataka alone will buy 6 lt (5 lt of ragi and 1 lt jowar).
 
The procurement of nutri and coarse cereals was 6.30 lt during 2021-22. The procurement in the current year since October 1, 2022 has reached 2.63 lt — including 1.36 lt of ragi and 1.25 lt of bajra, as on March 1.
 
'All the States were asked to open procurement centres for coarse grains in producing districts, especially, in tribal areas at the conference of Food Secretaries on Wednesday. State governments have also been asked to encourage consumption of millets,' a Food Ministry official said.
 
Revised norms
Addressing the conference, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said that the guidelines for millet procurement and distribution have been revised. Accordingly, if there are surplus millets, States have been allowed to distribute them to other states, he said. 'We have given permission to Karnataka government to distribute surplus millets to Kerala. We hope in the coming years, we will be able to procure and distribute in a big way,' Chopra said.
 
All States have been urged to learn from the best practice of using millets in schemes like ICDS, mid-day meal and PDS in Karnataka which is helpful in adding nutrition and promoting healthy diet.
 
Meanwhile, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday urged small and marginal farmers to grow more millets, which can help address malnutrition in the country. Stressing that millets need less water but has high nutrition, he said these miracle cereals were kept out thinking it was poor man’s food.
 
'We are eating well but not nutrition-rich food... There is a problem of malnutrition not only in India but in many parts of the world. We can address the malnutrition problem by growing more millets,' Tomar said inaugurating the annual ‘Krishi Vigyan Mela’ in Delhi’s Pusa campus.

 Source:  thehindubusinessline.com
03 Mar, 2023 News Image 37th edition of Aahar All segments in food & hospitality under one roof.
Aahar, the international food & hospitality fair, is the most awaited event of the year 2023. It is a flagship B2B event that brings together all sectors in the food and hospitality segment under one roof.
 
The 37th edition of Aahar will be organised from March 14 to 18, 2023, at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
 
Aahar is one of Asia's best known brands in food & hospitality shows. It has grown by leaps & bounds in recent years and has become a well known destination for global vendors and sourcing professionals.
 
The event is organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), the premier trade promotion body of Government of India.
 
Exhibition Verticals
Food Products & Beverages; Food & Beverage Equipment; (Preparation/Processing/ Packaging); Hospitality & Décor Solutions; Confectionery and Bakery; Spices and Agri-Produce.
 
New Attractions
Nutraceuticals, aquaculture & marine products, floriculture, dairy products, fresh fruits & vegetables, plant proteins and plant-based meat.
 
 
Exhibitors
The event is a great opportunity to exhibit products, technology, services to national & international buyers, generate sales leads, order bookings, network with the industry, establish business contacts, launch new products, appoint agents & distributors, promote company products, brand building, market research, and gauge market trends.
 
Aahar is an order-writing show where the hotel industry, restaurants, catering industry, institutions, importers, buyers, and distributors meet with vendors, to source best of the products in the food, hospitality and equipment sectors. Senior management, professionals like CEOs, managing directors, vice presidents, directors, general managers form a substantial part of the visitors.
 
Visitors
The event will give visitors the opportunity to meet overseas buyers, trade delegations, importers & distributors, executive chefs & executive housekeepers, hospitality procurement heads, start-ups & entrepreneurs, purchase professionals & consultants, overseas & Indian industry associations, organised retailers, mega chains hospitality service providers, policy makers & media, diplomatic & commercial representatives of foreign missions in India.
 
Hall Verticals
• H2GF Dairy Products & Technology, Confectionery & Bakery Products, Chocolate Products, ICMA
• H3GF APEDA
• H4GF Foreign Participation and FIFI Pavilion
• H5GF Processed Food, Frozen Foods, Marine Products, Organic Products, Tea, Coffee, Beverages, Meat Products, Fresh Fruits & Vegetables, Aquaculture
• H2FF Dairy Products & Technology, Confectionery & Bakery Products, Chocolate Products
• H3FF Spices, Condiments, Ingredients, Agri Produce, Farm Produce, Floriculture
• H4FF Foreign Participation, Processed Food, Frozen Foods, Marine Products, Organic Products, Tea, Coffee, Beverages, Meat Products, Fresh Fruits & Vegetables, Aquaculture, Supply Chain Solutions, Food Grade, Packaging Material
• H5FF Processed Food, Frozen Foods, Marine Products, Organic Products, Tea, Coffee, Beverages, Meat Products, Fresh Fruits & Vegetables, Aquaculture, Supply Chain Solutions, Food Grade Packaging Material, Culinary Art India Show by Indian Culinary Forum
• H7(ABC) Hospitality & Decor, Furnishing, Housekeeping Products, Gift Items
• H7 (DEFGH) Bakery, Heavy Machinery Equipment, Refrigeration, Tentage & Decor, Logistics/Packaging, Software Solutions & Catering / F&B Equipment
• H 8-11 Kitchen & Hotel Equipment
• H12&12A Kitchen & Hotel Equipment, Start-Ups
• H14  Kitchen & Hotel Equipment
• Open Area  Mist Coolers, Hospitality & Decor, Furnishing, Housekeeping Products, Gift Items
 
India is the fastest growing economy in the world. The growing domestic / foreign business tourists have resulted in huge demand for star hotel properties which need high grade services and facilities for the guests. Aahar is the largest and most well known event for sourcing F&B equipment and hospitality supplies and services in the sub-continent.

 Source:  fnbnews.com
03 Mar, 2023 News Image A sweet forecast. India s fresh grape exports seen higher this year on good demand, higher supplies.
India’s fresh grape exports for the financial year 2022-23 are seen higher both in volumes and value on good demand from Europe, the largest buyer and ample supplies.
 
This is despite a delayed start to the export season and adverse factors such as a hike in import duty by one of the large buyers Bangladesh and slower shipments to Russia due to the war situation, exporters said.
 
'The demand is good from Europe. We are expecting this year’s exports to touch the peak levels of 2019,' said Vilas Shinde, Chairman and Managing Director, Sahyadri Farmers Producer Company Ltd (Sahyadri Farms), a large exporter of fresh grapes.
 
All-time high
India’s grape exports had touched an all-time high of $335 million in 2018-19 but had declined in subsequent years to factors such as Covid-related lockdown and soaring freight rates triggered by global logistics challenges and a decline in output due to the inclement weather conditions.
 
Though the export season was delayed by a fortnight this year and started in January’s third week due to the impact of unfavourable weather, the shipments have picked up and gained pace.
 
'The climate is clear now and is seen helping the production and productivity, unlike in the past three years when output suffered due to the bad weather. The only issue is shipments are not happening to Russia due to the war situation. Also, Bangladesh has increased the import duty to Rs.53 a kg from Rs.32, which is a bit of concern and may result in a decline in shipments of around 10-15 per cent to that country,' Shinde said.
 
Of the close to 2.4 lakh tonnes of fresh grapes exported from India, Europe accounts for over 1 lakh tonnes, followed by Bangladesh at around 60,000 tonnes. Other geographies including West Asia and Russia account for the rest.
 
As per the latest data from APEDA, India has shipped out grapes worth $69.65 million in the April-November period of the current financial year, an increase of 23 per cent over the same period last year. Being a short seasonal fruit, the bulk of the fresh grape shipments take place during the January-March period.
 
Positive growth expectations
Currently, India is the 11th largest exporter of grapes in the world and shipments have grown at a compounded annual growth rate of 12.6 per cent in the last decade.
 
'This year will be good and positive for the grapes exports. We will do very well,' said M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA. 'Because of our strong traceability system, upgraded with blockchain technology, we have managed to tap the high-value European market, which has given a boost to grape exports. APEDA is making efforts to penetrate new markets and intends to improve product diversification and value addition too,' Angamuthu added.
 
'Grapes exports are relatively okay compared to the last year. So far, the season has been good and we are expecting to ship out over 100 plus containers, around 1,500 tonnes,' said Pankaj Khandelwal, Chairman and Managing Director, INI Farms, which was acquired by agri-tech firm AgroStar. INI Farms exports around 100 containers of grapes annually, mainly to Europe.
 
Sahyadri’s Shinde said considering good demand and production this year, his organisation is expecting to clock a growth of 10-15 per cent in fresh grape shipments this year. Last year, Sahyadri shipped out around 1,100 containers, each carrying about 14 tonnes.
 
What the stats say
India’s grape exports during 2021-22 stood at $305.7 million, a 2.6 per cent decline over the previous year’s $314 million.
The top ten export destinations of grapes during 2021-22 were the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Russia, the UK, UAE, Germany, Nepal, Saudi Arab, Malaysia, and Thailand.
As per the third advance estimate for 2021-22, grape production is seen higher at 3.47 million tonnes over 2020-21’s final estimates of 3.358 million tonnes.

 Source:  thehindubusinessline.com
03 Mar, 2023 News Image India-Australia trade deal to boost bilateral ties, says Tony Abbott.
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday said the recently-implemented trade deal between India and Australia would boost economic and bilateral ties between both nations.
 
'The existing FTA is good... can it be further developed? Yes, it can (be) and my understanding is that the trade ministers (of both the countries) will start discussions in coming days (on expanding the scope of the existing trade deal),' he said at a media briefing, adding that businesses on both sides should formulate strategies to take advantage of the deal.
 
The interim trade deal between both nations was signed in April last year but kicked in from 29 December. Both sides have now started working towards a comprehensive trade deal.
 
Abbott is here in India for the multilateral conference Raisina Dialogue.
 
'I will make it my personal mission... to make India a much more important strategic partner of Australia than China,' he said. In recent times, he said it was observed that China is using trade as a weapon against Australia and India would never do anything like that.
 
With regard to a question on Adani group, and allegations by Hindenburg Research, Abbott said that he has not seen the details of the report and 'assume if there is anything in them, the relevant corporate regulators will do their job'.
 
'As far as I am concerned I regard Adani as a benefactor to Australia and I admire his success in building up a very large diverse business empire from scratch,' said.

 Source:  business-standard.com
02 Mar, 2023 News Image Two-day Millets Mahotsav organised at Bhojpur, Bihar

A two-day Millets Mahotsav was organized from 28th February to 1st March 2023 at Bhojpur, Bihar. The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras and brought the stakeholders of the food-processing sector on a common platform with a special focus on millets.

During his inaugural address, Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras stated that due to the initiative of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the United Nations declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets. He added that the UN declaration has put India at the forefront of championing the initiative and building a strong name for Millets globally. Touching upon the importance of millet and the immense market potential for millet-based value-added products, Shri Paras talked about the opportunities in millet processing in the state of Bihar. The state is known for the production of Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and Small Millets. During the year 2021-22, Bihar has exported 21,187.60 MT Millets worth 5.92 Million US Dollars and Bhojpur is the hub of sourcing of Sorghum and Small Millet.

Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras appreciated the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries for capacity-building activities in the food processing sector, benefitting the entrepreneurs to set up or upgrade the processing units in the region. He also elaborated on the various initiatives the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has undertaken to support the food processing sector. In addition, he cited the role of the PMFME Scheme in empowering micro food-processing enterprises by providing financial, technical, and business support across the value chain.

Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras also spoke about the efforts of the Government of India to augment trade across the global market through participation in events like GULFOOD-2023 held recently in UAE. The event, which witnessed participation from 125 countries, saw extensive participation from Indian exporters encompassing women entrepreneurs, start-ups, merchants and manufacturers showcasing agricultural, dairy, pulses and meat-based produce with a focus on Millets and their products.

The two-day event at Bhojpur, Bihar encompassed a wide range of activities like the exhibition and sale of various millet-based products, informative sessions on millet processing, interactive sessions between industry experts and micro food processing enterprises, SHGs, FPOs engaged in food processing. It witnessed an overwhelming response, with more than 1,000 participants attending the event, including micro food processing enterprises, self-help groups, farmer-producer organizations, producer cooperatives, etc.

The event was organised as part of a series of Millets Mahotsavs being celebrated across 20 States and 30 Districts in the country by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in the wake of the United Nations General Assembly declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The States that will be hosting the events include Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Punjab, Kerala, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.

In addition to the Millets Mahotsavs, a mega-food event - World Food India-2023 is being organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries from 3-5 November 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The event will provide a unique platform for all stakeholders, including producers, food processors, equipment manufacturers, logistics players, cold chain players, technology providers, academia, start-up & innovators, food retailers, etc. to interact and dialogue. Furthermore, the event, slated to be the biggest-ever congregation of dignitaries, global investors, and business leaders of major international and domestic food companies, will put India firmly on the global food landscape.

Being grown in more than 130 countries, Millets are considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa. Millets are important by the virtue of their mammoth potential to generate livelihoods, increase farmers’ income and ensure food & nutritional security all over the world. India is one of the leading producers of millets in the world with an estimated share of around 41 percent in global production. Recognizing the enormous potential of Millets, which also aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Government of India (GoI) has prioritized Millets. Spearheaded by the Honourable Prime Minister, the Government of India’s proposal for International Year of Millets (IYoM) 2023 was accepted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The declaration has been instrumental for the Government of India to be at the forefront of celebrating IYoM.


 Source:  PIB
02 Mar, 2023 News Image Asian buyers step up Indian corn imports as drought cuts Argentine crop.
Feed millers in Asia are boosting corn purchases from India, as a severe drought has reduced production in traditional supplier Argentina, two traders said on Thursday.
 
Importers in Malaysia and Vietnam are booking around 200,000 tonnes of Indian corn a month, they said.
 
'The drought has reduced production in Argentina and we have the ongoing issue with supplies from Ukraine due to the war,' one Kuala Lumpur-based trader said on the sidelines of a grains conference in Singapore.
 
'India is offering competitive prices, so there is more interest in buying Indian corn.'
 
Argentina's 2022/23 corn production is estimated to drop to 41 million tonnes, compared with 44.5 million tonnes previously estimated, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said.
 
Early frosts could further hurt the country's already beleaguered soybean and corn crops.
 
Indian corn is quoted around $310-$315 a tonne, including cost and freight (C&F), to Southeast Asia, compared with South American corn being offered around $330 a tonne, traders said.
 
India is expected to continue corn shipments to Southeast Asia in the coming months amid ample supplies from crops in southern parts of the country, said one of the traders.
 
'We are getting good supplies from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (states),' said one India-based trader.

 Source:  economictimes.indiatimes.com
02 Mar, 2023 News Image Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) further Simplifies the process of levying Composition Fee for Export Obligation Extension to include more cases under Advance Authorization Scheme

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has notified amended rules for implementing all PRC (Policy Relaxation Committee) decisions regarding the levy of Composition Fee. DGFT is extending the benefit of reduced Composition Fee for cases where it has allowed an extension in EOP (Export Obligation Period) and/or regularization of exports already made. This was notified vide Public Notice No. 59/2015-20 on February 28, 2023 by amending Para 4.42 of Handbook of Procedures (2015-20).

The rationalization of Composition Fee calculations aids in automation and accelerated delivery of services by attempting to make the procedure simpler and more understandable. The revised Composition Fee model, which is based on a specific rate for different levels of the 'CIF value of Authorisation,' is less complicated and simpler to calculate. This will assist in streamlining the compliance process with minimal human intervention, reducing the risk of discrepancies and confusions. 

Automating the process will result in faster service delivery by reducing the need for manual calculations and paperwork. This initiative aims to integrate a uniform and transparent system for implementing all PRC decisions, including past decisions related to levying Composition Fee in the case of extending Export Obligation Period (EOP) and/or regularization of exports made under the Advance Authorization Scheme. The goal is to make doing business easier and reduce transaction costs.

Calculation simplification also contributes to the "Ease of Doing Business" mission by reducing complexity and making the procedures relatively easy for exporters. 

DGFT is working towards this goal by making the Composition Fee calculation procedure smoother and easier to understand for exporters. This initiate started with Public Notice No. 52 dated 18.01.2023 and continues with this PN issued today. These initiatives will eventually result in stronger trade facilitation and ease of doing business.


 Source:  PIB
02 Mar, 2023 News Image Indian govt s rice procurement at 93% of target up 2% year-on-year.
The Indian government has procured nearly 93 per cent of the paddy targeted from the kharif season in the first five months of the current marketing season to September. Initially, the target was 518 lakh tonnes (lt) but it was subsequently revised to 521 lt after procurement was higher in Haryana. However, the revised target for the kharif season for which the harvest began is 514.72 lt.
 
As rice procurement has been falling constantly every month since November in Tamil Nadu, the target for the state has been revised lower to 12.9 lt against the initial target of 19.9 lt. This has resulted in an overall downward revision in the pan-India target, an official source said.
 
According to official data, the overall rice procurement in October was 114.34 lt (up 12 per cent from a year ago), 104.39 lt in November (up 13 per cent), 137.2 lt in December (up 9 per cent), 81.4 lt in January (down by 29 per cent) and 41 lt in February (up 21 per cent).
 
The procurement of kharif-grown paddy in West Bengal will continue until May 31 and in Assam, upto June 30. It will end in Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka on March 31. In other States, the procurement is already over.
 
99 lakh beneficiaries
Pan India procurement in terms of rice was 478.3 lt worth over Rs 1.47 lakh crore until February 28 against 469.9 lt in the year-ago period, which has benefitted nearly 99 lakh farmers who are able to sell their paddy at minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,060/quintal (Grade A variety).
 
But the absolute increase of 8.4 lt from a year ago can be attributed to higher procurement in West Bengal, where it has reached 14.71 lt as of February 28 from 7.27 lt as of January 31. 'There was some error in the year-ago procurement data until February 28 as it could not be updated with the latest and remained at 3.72 lt - same as on January 31' the official source said.
 
In Uttar Pradesh, the procurement has already exceeded the target of 40 lt, reaching 43.8 lt against 43.6 lt a year ago whereas, in Bihar, the purchase is reported to be at 28.17 lt, marginally down from 30.09 lt. The target for Bihar is to purchase 30 lt in terms of rice from kharif crop.
 
The procurement in Punjab and Haryana has been completed with 122 lt and 39.5 lt, respectively, being purchased. While the purchase in Punjab is lower by 3.5 lt (down by 2.8 per cent), it is 2.4 lt more (up by 6.6 per cent) in Haryana.
 
In Chhattisgarh, the rice procurement ended at 61.6 lt, the same as last year despite 16 lt being purchased in November by advancing the buying schedule by a month from normal. In Odisha, the purchase has reported a 14 per cent jump to 40.9 lt whereas in Telangana it is up by 8.3 per cent at 43.5 lt. There was some revision in last year’s procurement in Telangana which led to showing an increase as it was 9 per cent lower this season until January 31. Madhya Pradesh has reported a 30.9 lt purchase, a notch higher from 30.7 lt year-ago.

 Source:  thehindubusinessline.com