With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Bengaluru’s rose exports have spiked this year with some local exporters seeing a 30 per cent increase in volume with Singapore, Dubai, and Malaysia being the primary export markets this year.

 

Umesh, proprietor of KR Flora, a local flower exporter in Bengaluru said, 'After the pandemic slump, the exports have picked up well this year. We have seen a 30 per cent increase in export volumes this year to 20,000 bunches of roses. Thailand, Dubai, Malaysia, and Singapore have been our major export markets this year.'

 

Flowering anew

Several other exporters from Bengaluru, businessline spoke to, have also noticed similar trajectories with their export volume seeing a 15-30 per cent increase. This comes as a relief to the producers as the flower markets had suffered in the last two years, due to the pandemic restrictions, rising freight costs and unseasonal rainfall.

 

In tandem with international exports, the local markets too are seeing a good performance this year. Rhea Karuturi, Co-founder of Hoovu Fresh, said, 'The prices of rose stems have spiked to Rs.17 per stem and are expected to shoot up to Rs.24 by Valentine’s Day.'

 

Additionally, the production also has been good this year, given that there weren’t any heavy, irregular rainfalls and the temperature too was favourable, she added.

 

The overall export volume for this year’s Valentine’s Day sales is, however, yet to be known. Last year, international rose export spiked 137 per cent from 2.17 lakh kg to 5.15 lakh kg and domestic exports spiked by 205 per cent from 1.03 lakh kg to 3.15 lakh kg, according to the data aggregated by Bengaluru International Airport.

 

In south India, Bengaluru and Hosur in Tamil Nadu are the two largest flower-growing regions with the Garden City being the largest exporter of cut roses in the country. 

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar today said an additional area of 2.51 lakh hac. has been covered under protected cultivation including green house structures towards horticulture promotion since inception of the MIDH scheme i.e. from 2014-15 to 2021-22. An expenditure of Rs. 2963.91 crore has been reported by the States, he said.

 

Shri Tomar said, since the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme is being implemented by State Governments, therefore, the beneficiary data is available with the States.

 

Shri Tomar laid a Statement on the table of the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question on promoting Greenhouse Farming. He said, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing the MIDH Centrally Sponsored Scheme in all States/UTs for holistic development of horticulture in the country. Under MIDH, assistance is provided for the promotion of protected cultivation including greenhouse through various interventions. Details of the components are as under:

Name of the Component	Pattern of Assistance	Maximum area per beneficiary
Green House Structure	50% of the maximum permissible cost	4000 sq. m.
Shade Net House
Walk in tunnels
Plastic Tunnels	50% of the maximum permissible cost	1000 sq. m.
Anti Bird/Anti Hail Nets	50% of the maximum permissible cost	5000 sq. m.
Plastic Mulching	50% of the maximum permissible cost	2 ha

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has achieved 84 percent of its total export target for the year 2022-23 in nine months of the current fiscal, according to the data released by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S).

 

APEDA for the year 2022-23, had fixed the export target of USD 23.6 billion for the agricultural and processed food products. USD 694 billion has already been achieved in nine months of this fiscal.

 

As per the DGCI&S provisional data, the exports of agricultural and processed food products have risen 13 percent from April to December in comparison with the corresponding period of FY 2021-22.

 

The exports increased to USD 19.7 billion in April-December 2022 from USD 17.5 billion in same period last year.

 

The processed fruits and vegetables recorded a growth of 30.36 percent (April-December 2022), while fresh fruits and vegetables registered four percent growth in comparison to corresponding months of the previous year, the data pointed out.

 

Also, processed food products like cereals preparation and miscellaneous processed items reported a growth of 24.35 percent when compared to the first nine months of the previous year. Pulses have also witnessed an increase of 80.38 percent in the first nine months.

 

The export of poultry products increased by 91.70 percent and the export of other cereals recorded a growth of 13.64 percent in nine months of the current fiscal. The export of poultry products rose to USD 95 million from USD 50 million in previous year.

 

Similarly, dairy products recorded a growth of 19.45 percent as its export rose to USD 471 million in April-December 2022 from USD 395 million in the same period of the last year.

 

Speaking about the target achieved, M Angamuthu, Chairman, APEDA, said, 'We have been engaged with all the stakeholders such as farmers, exporters, processors and Indian missions to ensure that quality and high value agricultural and processed food products are exported from the country.'

 

'Through creating a necessary eco-system of exports along with collaboration with key stakeholders in the agri-exports value chains, we are aiming to sustain the growth in India’s agricultural and processed food exports in the current fiscal as well,' Angamuthu, said.

 

The rise in the export of agricultural and processed food products is the outcome of APEDA’s various initiatives taken for the export promotion of agricultural and processed food products such as organising B2B exhibitions in different countries, exploring new potential markets through product-specific and general marketing campaigns by the active involvement of Indian Embassies.

 

APEDA has also taken several initiatives to promote products having registered geographical indications (GI) in India by organising virtual Buyer Seller Meets on agricultural and food products. 

The government on Saturday said popularisation of millets in the country will lead to increase in the income of small and marginal farmers and urged international organisations, academia and hotel industry to revive the forgotten glory of 'miracle millets'.

 

The year 2023 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of the Millet, following a proposal by India, which wants to position itself as a global hub for millets. Several initiatives are being undertaken in this regard.

 

Addressing 9th International Chefs Conference organised by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations here, Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary said millets are considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa.

 

In India, millets are primarily a kharif crop, requiring less water and agricultural inputs than other similar staples.

 

'Millets are important by virtue of its mammoth potential to generate livelihoods, increase farmers' income and ensure food and nutritional security all over the world,' he said in a statement.

 

The minister also urged international organizations, academia, hotels, media, Indian diaspora, start-up communities, civil society, and all others in the millets value-chain to come forward and join hands to revive the forgotten glory of 'Miracle Millets' through a collaborative approach.

 

Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said, 'With the popularization of millets in the country, it will lead to an increase in incomes of small and Marginal farmers.'

 

Taking note of the high agricultural growth over the past few years and its robust contribution in overall GDP, he said the government is ready to take all steps to make the sector the most modern one through adoption of new and emerging technologies.

 

The government prioritised millets recognizing its enormous potential, which also aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 

The global millets market is projected to register a CAGR of 4.5 per cent between 2021-2026, the statement said.

Norway's Trade and Investment Minister Jan Christian Vestre has stated that his country fully supports India's efforts in promoting multilateralism and a rules-based trade system. The minister praised the Indian government's leadership at the G-20 and highlighted the importance of continuing the process of globalization.

 

'That's an initiative our government supports 100 per cent and we also appreciate your leadership at G-20 and that you are so focussed on multilateralism and that we need rules-based trade system,' Vestre said in an interviewI.

 

The Norwegian minister, who was here on a two-day visit to India last week, said that some countries are turning away from the path of globalization.

 

'We see now that some countries are turning in different directions but it is very important now that we continue this process of globalization-free trade, sharing is caring and that will be beneficial for all of us so all the initiatives from the Indian side that can promote this approach to how should we organize our world will have full support from Norwegian side,' the minister emphasised.

 

He spoke highly of the 2nd India-Nordic summit which held last year, calling it a great success. He expressed pride in the joint statement made by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the five Nordic prime ministers, which he sees as a testament to the strong ties between the two regions.

 

'We really hope we can gather the prime ministers again, hopefully, next time in Norway, because another thing we will follow up on right now,' he added.

 

The minister stated that he feels that the ties have 'never been stronger than now' and there is a huge momentum driving them forward with 'more close cooperation' in various areas, including the maritime industry, hydrogen, renewable energy, batteries, rare earth minerals, technologies, and innovations.

 

Trade between India and Norway has doubled in the last three years, and the minister stated that there is huge potential for even more cooperation in the years to come.

 

'It is very important to connect companies from India with firms from Norway so that they can work more closely together, exploring new technologies, do common projects and there is a need to increase common investment. And there are a lot of things we can share such as competence, knowledge, and experience,' he underlined.

 

India and Norway have decided to follow up on their initiatives in the areas of fuel cell technologies, green ammonia, hydrogen, and charging infrastructure with 'specific action plans,' with the aim of translating their discussions into tangible actions.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 130 million (over Rs 1,072 crore) loan to increase agricultural productivity and promote horticulture agribusinesses to raise farmers' income in Himachal Pradesh. More than half of Himachal Pradesh's land area is in the mountains and 90 per cent of the population lives in rural areas who are dependent on agriculture, said ADB Senior Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist for South Asia Sunae Kim.

 

'Improving subtropical horticulture in the state offers a lot of economic opportunities to farmer households. Supporting horticulture value chains will also boost the subsector's contribution to the country's development and food security,' Kim said.

 

The Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and Value Addition Project will help increase the income and resilience to the effects of climate change of at least 15,000 farm households in Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Sirmour, Solan, and Una.

 

The project will improve on-farm irrigation and water management in about 6,000 hectares (ha) of farmland by rehabilitating and constructing new irrigation facilities, establishing new water sources, and strengthening the capacity of water user associations and of Jal Shakti Vibhag (Water Resources Department).

 

Farmers will be organised into cluster-wide Community Horticulture Production and Marketing Associations (CHPMAs) and district-wide CHPMA cooperative societies.

 

They will be introduced to other agricultural practices such as intercropping, beekeeping, and other modern agronomic techniques and skills, it said, adding, a Farmer Producer Company (FPC) will be created at the state-level to lead agribusiness development with the aim of ensuring profitability and access to markets of subtropical horticulture.

 

The FPC will handle business plan development; agribusiness promotion; and designing value-addition facilities such as sorting and packaging facilities, and storage and collection centres.

 

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members - 49 from the region, it added.

The 2nd Indian Rice Congress-2023 was inaugurated in Cuttack today by the President Smt. Draupadi Murmu in the presence of Odisha Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and Odisha Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Fisheries and Animal Resource Development, Shri Ranendra Pratap Swain. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that rice is the basis of food security in India and also a major factor for our economy.

 

Addressing the grand ceremony at the National Rice Research Institute, the President Smt. Murmu said that today India is the leading consumer and exporter of rice, for which a lot of credit goes to this institute, but when the country became independent, the situation was different. In those days we were unable to meet our food requirements and were dependent upon imports to fulfill our needs. The President said that as irrigation facilities expanded in the last century, rice was grown in new places and found new consumers. Paddy crop requires large amounts of water, but many parts of the world are facing severe water scarcity due to climate change. Droughts, floods, cyclones are more frequent now, making rice cultivation more vulnerable. He said that even though rice is being grown on new land, there are places where traditional varieties are facing challenges. Today we have to find a middle way, on the one hand we have to preserve the traditional varieties and on the other, maintain the ecological balance. There is also the challenge of saving the soil from excessive use of chemical fertilizers, we need to reduce the dependence on such fertilizers to keep the soil healthy. He expressed confidence that scientists are working to develop ecofriendly rice production systems.

 

The President said that rice is the basis of our food security, so its nutritional aspects should also be considered. A large section of low-income groups depend on rice, which is often their only source of daily nutrition, so providing protein, vitamins and essential micronutrients through rice can help combat malnutrition. On the development of country's first high protein rice by NRRI, she said that development of such bio-fortified varieties is ideal and expressed confidence that the scientific community of the country will be able to meet the challenge.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Shri Tomar said that India is an agricultural country, so the government tries to give priority to agriculture. Agriculture sector has made a lot of progress as the hard work of our farmers is supplemented by the scientific research. We are not only self-sufficient in terms of food grains, but also among one of the countries which help the world, which is a matter of pride for us. It is the resolve of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi that no child or person in the country remains malnourished. To solve the problem of malnutrition, biofortified rice varieties should be produced to increase nutritional value; taking steps in this direction, the institute has developed varieties namely CR 310, 311 and 315. This institute has developed 160 varieties of rice. Shri Tomar said that while starting a pilot project, provision has been made in the budget for biofortified rice to be supplied in the PDS. He said that the rice production in the country was only 89 million tonnes in 2010, which has increased by 46 percent to 130MT in 2022, with the efforts of farmers and scientists. India is the second largest producer of rice and we are at Number One in exports.

 

Shri Tomar said that the Prime Minister, in the last 8-and-a-half years, under the supervision of the President, has taken initiatives to compensate the farmers for the crop loss, so he has given a security cover like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, while under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, 11.5 crore farmers have been given Rs. 2.24 Lakh Crore by depositing money in their accounts in an effort to aid their incomes. The use of technology is very important in agriculture to reduce costs, increase production and solve challenges like water scarcity, for this budget provision has been made for attracting technology and private investment in the agriculture sector. The Government of India is working with the States on the Digital Agriculture Mission, for which Rs 450 crore has been allocated in the budget. There are 86 percent small farmers in the country, for their welfare the Prime Minister has increased the short term loans to Rs 20 lakh crore from Rs.6-7 lakh crores in 2014, so that the small farmers do not get buried under loans from moneylenders, This has definitely empowered the farmers.It is the effort of the Government of India to attract private investment in the field of agriculture, for which Rs 1 lakh crore has been allocated towards the Agri Infra Fund and another Rs. 1.5 lakh crore provision made for agriculture and allied sector. This has opened the doors of private investment and efforts are being made to provide necessary infrastructure to the villages. Loans worth Rs. 16,000 crore have been approved so far for projects in the Agri Infra Fund, which is going to benefit the agriculture of our country. It is our endeavour that this Rs. 1 lakh crore reaches the ground as soon as possible, in this effort we moved forward in converting agriculture into an advanced and remunerative avenue by including private investment in it. He expressed the hope that a better roadmap regarding rice cultivation will be prepared in this Congress.

 

Odisha Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal said that rice is the staple food of the people of our country and it is deeply embedded in our culture and tradition. Referring to the story of Lord Krishna and Sudama from mythology, he said that rice can solve the issue of food security. He underlined the importance of rice as the staple food of many people. Odisha's Agriculture Minister Shri Swain said that Odisha is not only self-sufficient in rice production, but also supplies rice to 6 other states. There is a lot of scope for increasing rice production in eastern states like Odisha.

 

In the inauguration ceremony, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, DARE and Director General of ICAR, Dr. P.K. Aggarwal, President of the Association of Rice Research Workers, Dr. A.K. Nayak, Director of the Institute and Organizing Secretary Dr. S. Saha were present. Farmers, scientists from India and abroad, officers of central and state agriculture and other departments are participating in the four-day Congress. Books were also released on this occasion.

There have been commitments to the tune of lakhs of crores to invest in Uttar Pradesh and this has been made possible due to the honest government and safe environment in the state, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal said today, while addressing the UP Global Investors Summit in Lucknow. 

 

The fast pace of progress that we can see and feel in the Global Investors Summit in Uttar Pradesh is due to the capable leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said, adding that Uttar Pradesh is now on the move and no one can now stop its progress. 

 

Shri Goyal recounted the story that started way back in 2017 when UP Assembly elections were in progress. 'At the time we were given the task of making a manifesto for the party. We met people across the state and people from all sections of life wanted change and able administration. We wondered where we will get the required funds to do what was to be done. Prime Minister was clear that whatever we promised in the manifesto will have to be implemented', he said.  

 

The Minister said that at the time Home Minister Shri Amit Shahji said that we will have to do three things: to put an end to land-mafia, sand-mafia and liquor mafia. Shri Shah said that if we are able to do this, there will never be a shortage of resources in the state, Shri Goyal added. The way UP has progressed in recent years shows that an honest government, a government working for the welfare of the people, a government that does not tolerate any wrongdoing, can ensure necessary revenues and take the state to new levels of achievement, Shri Goyal said.

 

Union Commerce Minister pointed out that there have been commitments of several lakhs of crores rupees by investors at this Summit. It is the proof that the people now believe that it is now easy to invest in the state, that the state has an honest system, that law and order is in place and the investors have invested their faith in the people of the state, he said. They believe that the people of UP will, even in the future, vote for such honest government, he added. 

 

Speaking of Ease of Doing Business Ranking, Shri Goyal said that it is done across the country to assess where it is easy to do business and that India has jumped in the global ranking in the recent years. He pointed out that the Prime Minister believed in competitive and collaborative federalism and therefore there is a ranking of states also. UP now ranks at number 2 in the country among the states, he said. 

 

The progress of Start Up India in Uttar Pradesh is a matter of satisfaction, Shri Goyal said. UP was an emerging ecosystem state in 2020 but in 2021 ranking, UP is the leader in Start Up ecosystem, he pointed out. There are 8,277 Start Ups in the state and the state is on 4th number, he said. Shri Goyal wondered 'Who could have thought this possible a few years ago?' He said that he had the opportunity to speak to some young men and women who are running some of these Start Ups and could see their enthusiasm and their wonderful ideas.

 

Shri Goyal said that India signed three important Free Trade Agreements last year and this year also we were hoping to sigh two or three FTAs. They will open the doors for the breweries and wineries of UP as they will get market access, investments and technologies. 'I saw in the presentation today that there are 28 fruits and 4 flowers excluding grapes that are found in UP which can produce various kinds of wine in the state. These products will have ready markets worldwide,' he added.

 

Shri Goyal pointed out that the increase of UP’s excise has gone up three times despite reduction in rates. This is because of the honest system enforced in the state and due to breaking the back of liquor mafia. This is an example for the entire country, he concluded.The speeding up of approval of licencing in the state has helped the state attract investment and it is smooth and investor friendly, Shri Goyal said.

 

Shri Goyal said that Prime Minister has asked all states to take export as a special responsibility and in this,UP has taken a lead. One District One Product was taken seriously and now in the last 5 years the exports from UP has doubled. Telecom equipment export from UP has increased 63 times, fruits and vegetables have increased 26 times in this period, he noted. There are immense possibilities for the state to grow. 

 

This is truly a land of opportunities because we are doing reforms not because of any pressure but because of our conviction that it will take the state and country ahead in Amrit Kaal. This summit has been done at the right time to attract large amounts of investment in the state, Shri Goyal concluded.

The Government has taken several proactive steps to promote the GI tagged products in the global market, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Shri Som Parkash said in reply to a parliamentary question today.

 

The Directorate General of foreign Trade (DGFT) is the agency of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India, responsible for execution of the import and export Policies of India with the main objective of promoting India's exports. DGFT plays a very important role in the development of trading relations with various other nations.

 

Further, the Government has established various Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) to  cater to the speci?c requirements of di?erent export products and thus, to help and assist Indian exporters by providing access to international markets, promoting Indian products through various activities and increasing the overall exports from India. The councils are formed as non-pro?t organizations under the Companies Act / Societies Registration Act. In addition to these councils, some export industries have Commodity Boards and Export Development Authorities which were set up through special Acts passed in the Parliament.

 

FIEO (Federation of Indian Export Organisations) is the apex trade promotion organisation in the country, which was set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the private trade and industry segment. The organisation is responsible for representing and assisting Indian entrepreneurs and exporters in foreign markets. It acts as the crucial interface between Indian exporters, Central Government, State Governments, ?nancial institutions, ports, railways, surface transport and other concerned stakeholders.

 

Among the products promoted through these export promotion organisations, there are some categories for which GI tag has been granted. List of these export promotion organisations including EPC, commodity boards, export development authorities is enclosed at Annexure-I.

 

Some of the initiatives taken by Government to promote the GI tag products in the global market are as under:

 

APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) has taken initiative to promote products having registered geographical indications (GI) in India by organizing Virtual Buyer Seller Meets     on Agricultural and Food products GI with UAE, USA and Qatar in association  with the Indian Missions.

APEDA organized GI Mango Promotion Programme and Tasting Event in Belgium in association with Embassy of India, Brussels on 17th June, 2022. APEDA also facilitated GI Mango promotion Programme at Copenhagen  Denmark in association with Embassy of India at Copenhagen.

APEDA facilitated export of GI Products to di?erent destinations. Notable shipments of GI products in 2021 included export of Naga Mircha (King Chilli) from Nagaland to UK, Black Rice from Manipur to the United Kingdom, Assam Lemon to the United Kingdom and Italy, three GI varieties of Mango (Fazli, Khirsapati, and Laxmanbhog) from West Bengal and one GI variety of Mango (Zardalu) from Bihar to Bahrain and Qatar.

APEDA organized in-store promotional programmes in importing countries in association with foreign retailers to enhance exports.

DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) organized the 'India Geographical Indications (GI) Fair 2022' from 26th - 28th August, 2022 through Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, to promote GI products in India and abroad.

DPIIT recently set up a pavillion for GI products in India International Trade Fair (IITF), Delhi from November 14th to 27th, 2022.

DPIIT organized various GI Promotion Programmes/Exhibitions/ Conferences/ Buyer Seller Meets/ Workshops with focus on GI Products to boost its sale in India as well abroad.

 

List of some of the export promotion organisations in the country which includes products that have got GI tag, is as under:

 

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority

Apparel Export Promotion Council

Carpet Export Promotion Council

Cashew Export Promotion Council of India

Coffee Board

Coir Board

Council for Leather Exports

Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts

Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council

Handloom Export Promotion Council

Indian Silk Export Promotion Council

Jute Products Development & Export Promotion Council

Rubber Board

Shellac and Forest Products Export Promotion Council

Spices Board

The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council

Tea Board

Handicrafts Business Promotion

The National Logistics Policy announced by the government is expected to propel the Indian business sector to a greater height, by facilitating the quick export of Indian goods, said Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, congratulating Andhra Pradesh for excelling in the Ease of Doing Business Rankings for the year 2020-21.

 

Participating as Chief Guest at the National Business Excellence Awards presentation programme here on Saturday, Governor Biswa Bhusan said that the achievement is proof of the business-friendly environment offered by the State.

 

The Governor said that the state is known as the ‘Rice Bowl of India’ and growth of the State is mainly driven by agriculture, industry, and service sectors. The Global India Business Forum can promote industrial investment in the State by showcasing business opportunities available to prospective investors from across borders, said the Governor.