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01 Mar, 2023 News Image November launch missed, India-GCC trade talks likely to resume in March.

India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will engage in discussions to finalise the terms of reference as soon as March before launching negotiations for a trade deal.


 Source:  business-standard.com
01 Mar, 2023 News Image Farmers making exemplary contribution to Food Security with their agricultural produce

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that the spirit of our farmers is like that of the Indian soldier, - the way soldiers protect the nation by standing bravely on the borders, in the same way our farmer brothers and sisters generate agricultural produce, making an exemplary contribution to Food Security. If farmers don't work in the fields then we will not have food grains to fill our stomach despite having money. Our Agriculture sector is very important for 140 crore Indians, farmers should be treated with respect. Shri Tomar said this today as the chief guest at the Third Convocation ceremony of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar).

Union Minister Shri Tomar said that in view of the importance of agriculture in the country, the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given priority to this sector. Till before 2014, the budget of Agriculture sector used to be about 25,000 crores, whereas today in the Modi Government the Agriculture budget is Rs. 1,25,000 crores. For the development of agriculture, work is being done through technology. Concrete work is being done to improve the financial condition of 86 percent small farmers of the country. The Central Government is constituting 10,000 new FPOs, on which Rs 6,865 crore is being spent. As technology advances, educated youth will get more employment opportunities in the villages; with the increase in employment in the villages, the Agriculture sector will emerge a bigger pillar of strength of the country. Shri Tomar said that the agriculture sector is full of challenges, facing which the government is moving ahead with positivity. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has been implemented to compensate the loss of farmers, in which, as compared to the farmers premium of Rs. 25,000 crores, claims worth Rs. 1.30 lakh crore has been paid as claims. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi has been implemented for income support to Small Farmers, in which Rs. 6,000 is being given annually in 3 installments with complete transparency, disbursed directly into farmers’ bank accounts. Till now, more than Rs. 2.40 lakh crore has been given to crores of farmers.

Shri Tomar said that due to the hard work of farmers, efficiency of scientists and visionary policies of Prime Minister Shri Modi, India has today become a country that supplies to the world. The whole world is amazed to see the determination, technology and positive thinking with which the government is moving forward under the efficient leadership of the Prime Minister. More than 100 countries of the world look towards India with the expectation that India will help when needed, we have to accept this challenge and work. It is our responsibility to meet the needs of the country, while keeping in mind the expectations of the world, we have to prepare for the needs of the year 2050 from now itself. To attract the new generation to the traditional field of agriculture, there is a need to make timely changes. Crop diversification and new techniques will have to be adopted. Today, entire world is left spellbound with India's achievements in various fields including cashless transactions. We are also ahead in the production of agricultural products. We also have a leading role in Animal Husbandry, Fisheries & Beekeeping.

He said that whenever it comes to economic analysis, some countries do not want to praise us, but still they are bound to say that India will emerge as the fastest growing economy in the coming times. For the next 25 years, during the ‘Amritkaal’, our speed should be faster. Looking at the political conditions of the world, we have to develop ourselves in such a way that when we celebrate the centenary year of the country's Independence, we should be included in the category of Developed countries. For this, the villages and farmers will have to be strengthened.

During the convocation, degrees were awarded to 635 students, including 260 girls. Ms. Purva Sharan, a student of Fisheries College, was bestowed the Visitor's Gold Medal for securing the highest marks. Ms. Rinto Nandi of Tirhut Agricultural College, Dholi, was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal for the best performance in the postgraduate examination. Ms. Manisha Bhardwaj of Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Forestry College, Piprakothi, Ms. Nikita of Agricultural Engineering College, Ms. Jayanti Kumari of Humanities College and Mr. K.M. Veethi of Community Science College were awarded the Gold Medal.

In the program, ‘Mushroom Samosa’, prepared by the University, was released, which has recently received a patent. Advanced varieties of sugarcane and various technical books were released. On the occasion, Shri Tomar inaugurated the administrative building and farmers’ hostel of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sukhet (Madhubani), Narkatiaganj (West Champaran), Lada (Samastipur), Turki (Muzaffarpur), complex of Tiranga Park, Banana Research Center at Goraul (Vaishali) and the sprawling Agricultural Museum of the University. The program was attended by the Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary, Vaishali MP Smt. Veena Devi, Muzaffarpur MP Shri Ajay Nishad, Samastipur MP Shri Prince Raj, Director General of ICAR, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Chancellor Shri Prafulla Mishra and Vice Chancellor Dr. P.S.  Pandey among other dignitaries.


 Source:  PIB News
01 Mar, 2023 News Image India expects its proposed FTA with EU to be a game changer: S Jaishankar.
India expects its proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) to be a game changer and is looking forward to a mutually advantageous conclusion to the negotiation for the pact within a 'short planned timeline', external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday.
 
'We expect the India-EU FTA will be a game changer for the India-EU relationship. We look forward to a mutually beneficial, mutually advantageous conclusion to the negotiation process within a reasonably short planned timeline,' Jaishankar said, addressing the gathering at a Confederation of Indian Industry event.
 
'Europe and India can strengthen each other’s strategic autonomy by reducing dependencies, cooperating on critical technologies and ensuring supply-chain restructuring. The India-EU FTA is, therefore, our very important goal,' he said.
 
In June last year, India and the EU restarted the negotiations for the long-pending trade and investment agreement after a gap of more than eight years.
 
Jaishankar said India and the EU believe in a multi-polar global order, share a commitment to promoting effective multilateralism and are increasingly considerate of each other’s geopolitical, economic, strategic and security concerns.
 
'India’s new approach to trade agreements addresses issues of non-tariff and behind-the-border barriers, quality standards and related benchmarks,' said Jaishankar.
 
He said the recently unveiled Trade and Technology Council will provide the structure and strategic guidance to the partnership between the two sides. The council is expected to facilitate exchange of critical technologies relating to an array of domains, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors and cybersecurity.
 
The council is the EU’s second such technology partnership after the first one with the United States which was firmed up in June 2021.
 
'I would like to say that India’s relations with Europe are stronger and deeper than ever before and this event itself is a testimony of that assertion,' said Jaishankar. 'Between us rests the largest democratic and free market space globally. The business communities of India and Europe have a large stake and an enabling role in this transformation.'

 Source:  economictimes.indiatimes.com
01 Mar, 2023 News Image Indore: Efforts on to get GI tag for wild mango in state.
Here comes good news for Indore and Madhya Pradesh as forest department will work to attain Geographical Indication (GI) tag for wild mangoes in the state. The forest department will begin the possible GI tag analysis and reporting of mangoes in Betul district. 
 
Currently, India has 8 varieties of mangoes that have GI tagging in different states. If MP can score on the wild mangoes and teak, then it would add the state’s mangoes on the country’s map as unique. 
 
GI tag is given to an entrepreneur or a group of businessmen of a particular area/state/country to manufacture goods of good quality. The GI tags are issued as per the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
 
The department will soon organise a workshop in which experts on teak and jungle mango will discuss in detail and then the proposal will be prepared. This will enable teak and wild mango to get international recognition
 
Earlier, the state had conducted GI tagging of various regional crops including Basmati rice, and Sharbati wheat.
 
As per forest officials, Betul teak wood is preferred all over the country due to its good quality. There are 100-year-old trees in the forest of the district, which are tall and straight. Surprisingly, there is no lump in it, as per officials. 

 Source:  freepressjournal.in
01 Mar, 2023 News Image India, UAE working to finalise rupee-dirham arrangement for trade: Envoy.
India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are engaged in technical discussions to finalise a rupee-dirham arrangement for trade as part of the efforts to build on the free trade agreement signed by the two countries last year, UAE ambassador Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali said in an interview.
 
The UAE is also keen on revisiting the arrangement for flights to India and introducing flights to more Indian destinations to help bring down airfare, Alshaali said. The envoy further said the UAE has played a role in the past in addressing tensions between India and Pakistan, though any future role in this regard would be up to both countries. 
 
What are the new areas that India and the UAE are looking at? Could you tell us about the UAE’s participation in the G20 as a guest country?
 
This is the second year in a row that we are participating in G20 as a guest country and I think the lessons that everyone has been taking from this is we are even much better organised internally now to manage such participation. The first participation was in 2011, also as a guest country, but we were chairing the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) at the time and it was the French presidency. Then it was the Saudi Arabian presidency [in 2020], and we were chairing GCC. Last year with Indonesia and this year with India, we were invited as a guest country. Doing it three times in four [different] years gave us a better momentum internally in terms of who’s in charge of what, the two separate tracks, the working groups, high-level participation and so on. As of now, in India, the official taking part in working group meetings has always been at the ministerial level and we haven’t downgraded that at any point and this is going to continue all the way to the summit.
 
As far as the relationship goes, I think one thing that captures this is that we have a minister visiting almost every month, if not two ministers. For example, we had (minister of state for foreign trade) Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and Minister of State Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh coming to the Uttar Pradesh Investor Summit. We had minister Thani going to Bangalore to inaugurate the Ducab Grpoup’s office. We had Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan last November. We have the head of the Federal National Council coming in next month, and [Sheikh Abdullah] coming in [for the G20 foreign ministers meeting]. You can see there is quite some momentum here. The political relationship is obviously great. But what we are also working on is expanding economic and trade ties and to keep doing so over the coming years.
 
Are there any particular issues that the UAE would like to highlight while participating in this year’s G20?
 
We want to be an active participant and we want to be a part of the G20’s social fabric. Given where the UAE stands today, regionally and globally, I believe we have quite a strong position to navigate all of the turbulence, regardless of what’s happening around the globe, and we’re able to bridge various opinions and different points of view.
 
Where does bilateral trade stand almost a year after the signing of the India-UAE comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA)? What is being done to build on this?
 
At the moment we are at $44 billion in non-oil trade. The target is $100 billion by 2027. The reason we use this figure is because there is a strong partnership in terms of energy security and oil export to India. The figure that we focus on is non-oil. We want to make sure we’re investing in the various sectors that are important to both countries, whether they fall within the CEPA or they don’t fall within it. We want to make sure we expand the aviation ties, we want to invest in food security and by extension, food park projects in different states. Part of this also is taking the CEPA and raising awareness about it. It’s been almost a year since the implementation of the CEPA and you want to max out on that and you want to see if there are more things to be done. We just launched the UAE chapter of the UAE-India Business Council, we’re going to also launch the UAE-India CEPA Council, which is part of the CEPA mandate and that would be looking specifically at sectors that both countries want to focus on as part of the CEPA framework.
 
Have you kind of identified any sectors in this regard?
 
Space, defence, food security, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, cultural engagements – those are the main ones. There’s also energy security for both countries, which includes renewable energy.
 
There has been a demand for several years now for revisiting the aviation arrangements between India and the UAE as the flights have been maxed out. Has there been any progress on this?
 
The conversation has been ongoing for quite some time now, and you’re right, both sides have maxed out. UAE airlines have maxed out, Indian airlines have maxed out and you can see it from the prices. If you check the price of a ticket today, it’s more than 50% higher than it used to be a few years back or it used to be pre-Covid. That’s already a market signal which we need to pay attention to because we are talking about this entire relationship and aviation is a crucial point in expanding this relationship. If you can’t make sure that you have enough flights and enough seat capacity on this route, then it’s very difficult to expand anything else.
 
There is also a request from the UAE side to fly to more destinations in India?
 
There is. It’s not just expanding the current capacity, but also to additional points. Again, this is an ongoing conversation and the aviation sector in India has been going through privatisation. There are all kinds of agreements happening and we understand that, but this is something important for both markets because otherwise, I don’t see how prices are going to go down anytime because it’s a simple demand-supply question.
 
Any progress on the rupee-dirham arrangement for trade? Has anything been worked out?
 
The technical conversation is ongoing. There has been an agreement to settle a certain [amount] of trade between the two countries, just not having to go through a third currency. Let’s see, this conversation is an ongoing conversation at the technical level and how they can proceed with it. We also have the remittance facility to make it more direct and easier. There’s still technical issues to be discussed and agreed on.
 
Given that the UAE is set to host COP28, how do you plan to ramp up cooperation with India on renewable energy? Is there any particular area that you’re looking at, such as wind or solar energy?
 
It’s everything. What we’re trying to do is to be a part of India’s goal and achieving their renewable energy target. At the same time, the UAE is expanding its renewable energy investments worldwide. We are in 40 countries and we want to make sure that we expand our portfolio in different countries.
 
In terms of COP28, the main focus that we have at the moment is how can we find areas of cooperation and expand on them that overlap between the G20 and the COP28 presidency. We’re supporting India’s presidency and the Indian government has been doing great in managing the engagements and obviously, we can count on India’s support in the COP28 presidency as well.
 
Can India and the UAE also work together on funding technology transfers to developing countries as part of climate transition?
 
One thing that India has been focusing on is South-South cooperation, which is why also they came out with the theme of [being the] voice of the Global South. In that sense, you could tell even from the countries that have been invited to the G20 that this is an area of focus. You can’t work on aspects that impact those countries without having those countries as part of the conversation. As the UAE, we stand in a very good position to navigate all of that. We are able to relate to what troubles the countries of the Global South and at the same time be able to bridge them with developed nations.
 
Is any work underway to build on India’s arrangement with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for strategic energy reserves?
 
It is where it is right now. It’s been a major success for the relationship. Energy security is important both for the UAE and for India, and we want to be part of India’s energy security. The fact that the strategic oil reserve has been agreed on and it’s been established and has been ongoing for quite some time, it is quite helpful and constructive, especially given the current state of affairs. I think this was probably, on both sides, a very good foresight into the future and making sure that you know we stabilise the market for our partner.
 
Any talk [on expanding the arrangement] would be at a technical level, but obviously, this will be up to the Indian government and how they want to take this forward.
 
Could you tell us more about the UAE’s plans to invest in food parks and renewable energy in India under the I2U2 framework? Has the practical work for this started?
 
The Gujarat government shared a proposal on specific food commodities and their levels of production and those were shared with [the holding company] ADQ on the sidelines of the I2U2 Business Forum, which took place in Abu Dhabi last week. There was also a conversation between ADQ and officials from Gujarat, so the conversation is ongoing.
 
ADQ has been the one involved in food parks for quite some time. The initial problem has been that this has been passed on quite a few times, but now ADQ is the main stakeholder from UAE and they have recently met on the sidelines of the I2U2 Business Forum.
 
Would these investments be in Gujarat or would you also look at other states?
 
Well, for now, it’s Gujarat. But then, if it works in Gujarat and this seems quite feasible, then this can be expanded elsewhere because the whole idea is looking into food security and establishing the infrastructure for better logistics, better shipping, etc. If it works and it’s easy, then replicate it everywhere else.
 
The pandemic showed the importance of food security because the Indian side continued to supply food to the UAE despite disruptions.
 
This is the connection that I was trying to make between energy security and food security. Food security is important for us. We don’t produce that much food and we import a lot of it. And it’s quite vital for us that we have a partner that we can rely on, and India is a reliable partner when it comes to that.
 
How does the India-France-UAE trilateral plan to ramp up cooperation in areas such as climate change, green technologies and defence?
 
It is in a very early stage when it comes to the official part of it. As a conversation, this probably has been mentioned here and there a few times. We don’t want to just focus on the bilateral aspect of the relationship with India, but we want to expand other forums. So we want to look into multilateral stuff. I2U2, for example, is a great platform for trilateral cooperation. The main idea here is you have excellent relations with certain countries. We have excellent relations with certain countries. France has excellent relations with certain countries, and we want to leverage the commonalities between all of those, whether it’s country-wise or sector-wise.
 
pecifically in defence cooperation, are you looking at joint development of hardware?
 
The conversation is still going on. We had a high-level visit last September, so they came here and met with their counterparts and they moved around. They’re looking at everything. We have our own production capabilities. India is big on “Make in India” in terms of defence production. What we’re trying to find or work on in the future is also expanding this area of cooperation.
 
In terms of people-to-people contacts and cooperation in education, what’s on the table to take things forward?
 
We have been working on the cultural exchanges and making sure there’s people-to-people contacts. That people can easily fly between the two countries. We want to also see more Indians coming in to study in the UAE.
 
We want to always have some sort of exhibition taking place, whether it’s in the UAE or in India. For instance, we recently had the Bollywood exhibition at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi and we want to keep that kind of engagement going. We recently had Jindal Global University sign an MoU with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. IIT-Delhi would be meeting with the Diplomatic Academy as well. At the moment, [IIT-Delhi officials] are touring Abu Dhabi for their [planned] campus. Those are ongoing engagements and we want to make sure that we maximize on them.
 
At a time when growing numbers of Indian students are going to Europe for further studies, what is the UAE’s unique selling point when it comes to attracting them?
 
I think the unique selling point here is that we have global universities based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and we are just three hours away. There’re cultural similarities. People have been living in the area for quite some time. We have Emiratis living in India, even though in a much smaller number. When you look at it, why would you send your kids to study 11 hours away when you could just send them to a place three hours away? We have France’s Sorbonne University, the New York University from the US and a few British schools and if you have IIT-Abu Dhabi as well, then there you go.
 
Are there any new initiatives to boost cooperation in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation?
 
For both countries, counter-terrorism is important and this has been very clear from everything that came out from both countries. In all cases, this will always be an area of interest for us, as much as it is for India and we will always continue to look into how we can expand our cooperation.
 
The Pakistan prime minister recently spoke about asking the UAE leadership to help build a bridge with India. There were reports that the UAE and Saudi Arabia helped reduce tensions between India and Pakistan in 2019. Where does the UAE see itself in this process?
 
So our relationship is good both ways, right? And we have played such a role in the past, but again this is going to be up to both countries and whether this is something that they would want us to do or not. But as a country, we continue to maintain very good relations with both countries.

 Source:  hindustantimes.com
01 Mar, 2023 News Image Denmark proposes a framework between India and Europe to increase trade, says Foreign Minister Rasmussen.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Tuesday said that Denmark was 'advocating a framework' to increase trade between India and Europe.
 
During an interaction with the media after the beginning of the two-day CII-India Europe Sustainability Conclave, the Danish minister said, 'Denmark is a small country but I am proud to say that we are a prosperous country and that we have gained all our prosperity trading with other nations.' Denmark has traded with India for the last 400 years, he said.
 
'We now due to the geopolitical situation due to the pandemic, the rise of China, the war in Ukraine where globalisation could be pushed backwards, which is not in our best common interest,' the foreign minister said.
 
Denmark and India have also committed to a green strategic partnership to promote green energy and sustainability.
 
According to a statement from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the two-day conclave that began today is one of the largest congregations of senior ministers, policymakers and business leaders from European countries and India, cutting across sectors.
 
The Conclave focuses on the strategic role of the India-Europe partnership in changing the geo-political scenario, strengthening bilateral engagements and discussions on emerging economic opportunities.
 
India and the EU have recently announced three Working Groups within the India-EU TTC for strategic cooperation in Trade, cooperation in Green Transition and cooperation in Digital Partnership.
 
The EU is one of India’s largest trade partners. The bilateral trade was in excess of US$ 115 billion in 2021-22, which is the highest ever.
 
Besides bilateral and regional discussions, the conclave presents opportunities in different sectors such as – healthcare, IT and IT-enabled services, maritime and logistics, defence, smart manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, education, power and energy, infrastructure and more.
 
Earlier today, in the inaugural session of the conclave, Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India’s relations with Europe are stronger and deeper than ever before.
 
'India is today one of the leading countries in climate change mitigation commitments and environmental protection. Our Low-Carbon Development Strategy lays out the path to a carbon-neutral economy while taking into account specific development goals. We have the third biggest installed renewable energy capacity in the world. Without stressing about our ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions to the UNFCCC, let me say that we will reach our goals even earlier,' Jaishankar remarked.
 
'Looking ahead, India’s ambitious Green Hydrogen policy incentivizes an indigenous ecosystem for local needs and exports. In this, we have already seen collaborations between many major European firms and Indian companies,' Jaishankar highlighted the importance of green ties.
 
Jaishankar also referred to the remarks from foreign minister Rasmussen on the green transition, saying, 'Electric vehicles, as Minister Rasmussen noted, will be the next big thing for a green transition of India’s urban landscape. Green transition is also the core of our sustainability goals and it is enshrined in our agenda for the G20 presidency, and in fact, Prime Minister Modi’s LiFE Initiative adds the dimension of individual responsibility and ownership of our environment, in synergy with India’s declared climate and environmental goals.'

 Source:  financialexpress.com
28 Feb, 2023 News Image The orange bowl of Manipur.
10 years ago, around this time, your columnist accompanied the Shaurya Chakra Awardee Col DPK Pillay, at his insistence, to the remote and beautiful district of Tamenglong of Manipur to study the potential of Citrus Reticulata Blanco Mandarin — a unique sub-tropical fruit which grows in abundance in this district of 4,400 square kilometres lying between 24°30’N and 25°27’N latitudes and of 93°10’E and 94°54’E longitudes at a height of 1,290 metres above the MSL. Tamenglong is bounded by Nagaland in the North, Churachandpur and Senapati districts in the South and East, and the state of Assam in the West.
 
The Colonel, who is hero worshipped by the local community for having risked his own life to save two young children who were seriously injured in a crossfire between the army and the extremist groups, was keen that in my capacity as the Mission Director of National Horticulture Mission (now Mission for the Integrated Development of Horticulture), I should study first-hand the potential of this crop in the economic transformation of the region. The initial discussions held there have not only led to organic certification by APEDA, but also a GI tag for this commodity, and made it a part of an integrated value chain. While APEDA started the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) in 2016, and has covered over 400-hectare acres since then, the Mission for Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) of Directorate of Horticulture applied for the GI tag in 2017 and received it on August 31, 2020. This is, in many ways, a fulfilment of a commitment made to the farmers’ of Tamenglong who had received us with abundant enthusiasm and cheer. I must confess here that when I first undertook the journey with Colonel Pillay, the district was known more for roadblocks and encounters, rather than for this mandarin tree with long, willowy branches and the luscious oranges, which are not only delicious to eat, but also used in salads, desserts and main dishes. The current value chain includes wine, juices, candy, jam, jelly, marmalade, canning, extraction of essential oils, pectin and much more.
 
Manipur is considered to be one of the most verdant states for citrus genetic diversity since it is adjoined to Myanmar where maximum landraces of citrus have been found. Manipur also has a proliferation of different strains of rough lemon and semi-wild species (Citrus macroptera) but the focus is on the mandarin oranges of Tamenglong district, which account for more than 80 per cent of the total orange production of the state. The soil and the climate of this hill district is quite favourable for orange growing, and almost 40 per cent of the total landmass is under orange cultivation. No wonder, it is called the 'Orange Bowl' of the state.
 
The fruit consists of three layers:
 
* The outer yellow/orange peel is with oil glands which exude the essential oils, producing the typical orange odour;
 
* The whitish thread like mesocarp;
 
* The endocarp consists of 10-14 segments filled with juice sacs (vesicles).
 
It is distinguished from other citrus species by the relatively loose skin of the fruits and the relative ease with which the segments can be separated. Most varieties of Mandarin are self-pollinated, but some of the hybrids require cross pollination. Typically, a heavy crop is followed by a lighter crop in the next season. Generally, citrus trees start bearing fruits from the third year of planting, although economic yields start from the fifth year and the trees may take eight to ten years to achieve full productivity.
 
However, there are issues and challenges which the farmers are facing, especially from the menace of ‘bamboo flowering’ which appears cyclically, as well as from climate change and aberrant weather conditions. Both the ICAR and the state horticulture department are trying to address these issues, and also taking note of observations of local farmers, some of whom are suggesting that oranges seem to grow better in the soil which has some layers of rock beneath the topsoil. Others feel that grazing of cows in their farms helps clear up the growth of other bushes and herbs; and that orange trees thrive better in such an environment. Farmers are also trying to ensure that birds are encouraged to nest in the foliage as they feed on worms, thereby minimising the damage and risk to the trees.
 
From 2001, a state-level Orange Festival has been held annually to promote tourism and provide an opportunity to orange farmers to display their produce before potential buyers besides offering an opportunity for both the growers and fruit processing industries to establish value chains. The credit for launching this initiative goes to the Manipur Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium under the kind aegis of Central SFAC.
 
As things stand, thanks to the road network, and the much-improved security situation, Mandarin oranges are now the key economic growth driver, and the main source of income for the farmers of the district. Since the fruits are harvested mainly in the winter season, the farmers celebrate Christmas and New Year with good cheer, and also save adequate funds for children’s admission in the next academic year. As per current market indications, a full-grown good tree can yield up to 5,000 fruits, and with a pack of ten oranges being sold at the farm gate for about a hundred rupees, many farmers have become lakhpatis in the course of the last decade!

 Source:  millenniumpost.in
28 Feb, 2023 News Image I will get personally involved: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on India-EU FTA.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday underlined the importance of the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union for boosting two-way trade and said he will personally get involved to see its early fruition. After holding wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Scholz said the finalisation of the FTA and the investment protection pacts will contribute significantly to expand India-Germany trade as well.
 
The German Chancellor said he and the Indian prime minister are committed to finalising the deal.
 
'We want to further deepen trade relations between the European Union and India and this is why we speak strongly for the free trade agreement. It is an important topic and I will get personally involved to ensure that this does not drag on,' he said.
 
Scholz said over 1,800 German companies are operating in India and have provided thousands of jobs.
 
'India has so much talent to offer and we want to benefit from that cooperation. We want to recruit and attract that talent in Germany. The development of IT and software is booming in India,' Scholz said.
 
He also said Germany wants deepening of trade relations between India and Europe.
 
In his media statement, Modi said Germany is also an important source of investment in India along with being its largest trading partner in Europe.
 
'Today, due to 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' campaign, new opportunities are opening up in all sectors in India. The interest shown by Germany in these opportunities is very encouraging for us,' Modi said.
 
Separately, Modi and Scholz interacted with top executives from Indian and German companies to discuss ways to deepen economic ties.
 
The focus areas for mutual cooperation include digital transformation, financial technology, IT and telecom.
 
'Held productive talks with Chancellor @OlafScholz. Our talks focussed on ways to boost India-Germany cooperation and further augment trade ties. We also agreed to deepen ties in renewable energy, green hydrogen and biofuels. Security cooperation was also discussed,' Modi tweeted.
 
'Chancellor @OlafScholz and I met top CEOs to discuss ways to strengthen economic relations between our nations. Sectors like digital transformation, FinTech, IT and Telecom featured prominently in the meeting,' he said.
 
India and Germany also unveiled a vision document to enhance cooperation in areas of innovation and technology.
 
It said India and Germany recognise the close ties that have been nurtured through the decades, reaffirmed in 2022 by the India-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP), and acknowledge the positive and proactive roles of the governments, institutions, academia and industry on both sides.
 
After his talks with Modi, the German Chancellor also visited Rajghat and paid his respects to Mahatma Gandhi by laying a wreath.

 Source:  economictimes.indiatimes.com
28 Feb, 2023 News Image Modi: India should produce domestically farm products that are imported.
Pitching for an Atmanirbhar Krishi (self-sufficient agriculture), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday exhorted people to allow Indian farmers to reap its benefits as the country has been spending as high as Rs.2 lakh crore annually to import a few farm products which can be domestically produced.
 
Pointing out that earlier the country was depended on the world for food security, Modi said, 'But our farmers not only made us self-reliant, but today because of them we have also been able to export. We have made it easier for farmers to access domestic and international markets. But we also have to keep in mind that whether it is self-reliance or exports, our aim should not be limited only to rice and wheat.'
 
The share of rice and wheat was nearly half at $11.79 billion in export of major agri produce (as promoted by APEDA) worth $24.76 billion (Rs.1,84,769.23 crore) in 2021-22.
 
The Prime Minister also said that in 2021-22, about Rs.17,000 crore was spent on the import of pulses, Rs.25,000 crore on value-added food products and Rs.1.5 lakh crore on edible oils.
 
'About Rs.2 lakh crore were spent on the import of only these three (segments) which means this much money went outside the country. This money can reach our farmers, if we become self-sufficient in these agricultural products, too. For the last few years, decisions are being taken in the Budget to take these sectors forward. We increased MSP, promoted pulses production, increased the number of food parks. Along with this, work is also going on in mission mode to become completely self-sufficient in edible oil,' Modi said.
 
Addressing a webinar on provisions made for the agriculture and co-operative sectors in the next year Budget, Modi said the agricultural budget, which was less than Rs.25,000 crore before 2014, has been increased to more than Rs.1.25 lakh crore now. 'Every Budget in recent years has been called a budget for Gaon, Gareeb and Kisan', he said.
 
Complete development
Out of Rs.1,31,972.41 crore allocated for two ministries — Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying — in FY23-24, over 73 per cent of the allocations are for three schemes- PM-Kisan, Modified Interest Subvention Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
 
While the interest subsidy on crop loan was handled by the Finance Ministry before 2014, the other two schemes were launched after Modi became the Prime Minister. The combined budget allocation of the undivided Agriculture Ministry in 2013-14 was Rs.30,223.88 crore.
 
Appeal to youth
Modi said the goal of complete development cannot be achieved until the challenges related to the agriculture sector are eliminated. He also observed that private innovation and investment are keeping a distance from the farm sector leading to lower participation of youth in agriculture when compared with other sectors.
 
On the Budget announcement of an Accelerator Fund for agritech start-ups, Modi said the government is not only creating digital infrastructure but also preparing funding avenues. He appealed young entrepreneurs to move forward and achieve their goals in the farm sector.

 Source:  thehindubusinessline.com
28 Feb, 2023 News Image Agricultural products from across India on display at VAIGA 2023 exhibition.
Tamarillos and cherry pepper from Sikkim, the fiery bhut jolokia from Assam, saffron and dry fruits from Jammu and Kashmir, and millet-based products from Karnataka, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu are among the highlights of the exhibition organised as part of the VAIGA 2023 agricultural expo that opened at the Putharikkandam Ground on Saturday.
 
Stalls of agricultural agencies from other States and Union Territories are billed as a major draw alongside Kerala stalls at the exhibition, which is on till March 2.
 
Kerala Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, along with Loknath Sharma, Tage Taki, and Chander Kumar, Agriculture Ministers respectively of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh jointly inaugurated the exhibition.
 
With 2023 being observed as the International Year of Millets, millet-based products are prominently featured in many of the stalls put up by other States. Visitors are also offered samples of millet-based snacks at some of the stalls.
 
Southern States such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu have stalls at the expo. The Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation Ltd has millet noodles, pastas, and health mix, on display. The stall of the Tamil Nadu Agriculture department also features a big poster highlighting the medicinal value of thinai (foxtail millet), kuthiravali (barnyard millet), chama (little millet), and varagu (koda millet). 
 
Organic farm products from Sikkim are another major draw at the exhibition. They include ginger, the Sikkim mandarin orange, buckwheat, tamarillos (tree tomato), and cherry pepper. Close by, the Assam stall has on display red and black varieties of rice, the famed Assam lemon, Assam tea, and the bhut jolokia chilli pepper, in addition to the Karbi Anglong turmeric.
 
The exhibition features several GI-tagged products such as saffron from Kashmir. It also offers effective and attractive examples of value addition and attractive packaging and labelling.
 
Kerala government agencies and departments, including the Agriculture department, State Horticulture Mission, and farmer producer companies, have set up stalls at the exhibition. Stalls of Central government institutes such as the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) also are featured here.

 Source:  thehindu.com