Lower duty on edible oils, nuts; target growth in spice, rice in US deal: Niti Aayog.
India should offer concessions on agricultural products from US such as edible oils and nuts where domestic supply gaps exist, and explore duty concessions to boost high-performing exports — including shrimp, fish, spices, rice, tea, coffee, and rubber — in the US market during the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations, a Niti Aayog working paper has argued. The need for calibrated negotiations on agricultural trade relations between India and the US arises as India has traditionally maintained relatively high tariffs on politically sensitive agricultural sectors to protect farmers, but the US, under President Donald Trump, has been aggressively pushing for greater market access and lower tariffs, posing a challenge for developing countries such as India.
Source: indianexpress.com
Philippines Aims to Cut Reliance on Vietnam for Rice.
The Philippines, the world’s top rice importer, plans to look beyond its dominant supplier, Vietnam, to ensure steady supplies and competitive prices at home. The agriculture department is in talks with private importers on purchases from producers like India, Pakistan, Cambodia and Myanmar, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in an interview on Friday. There may also be a 'deal' with Indonesia and Thailand, he added.
Source: bloomberg.com
Progress of Area coverage under Summer crops as on 30.05.2025.
Progress of Area coverage under Summer crops as on 30.05.2025.
Source: pib.gov.in
Cherry on the rake: Red drupes from Kashmir’s orchards make their way to Mumbai.
The first parcel train carrying freshly-plucked cherries from the Kashmir Valley reached Mumbai on Sunday evening, completing a journey of nearly 2,000 km in around 30 hours. The train departed from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra station in Jammu on Saturday with a consignment of 10 to 12 tonnes of cherries, marking a milestone in efforts to boost horticulture exports from the region.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Mangoes sweeten Air India’s cargo performance.
Air India is reaping the benefits of high global demand for mangoes, which witnessed a 15 per cent increase in exports this season. Buoyed by increased cargo capacity, in April the airline shipped 1,000 tonnes of the king of fruit and volume in May is higher than the previous month, an airline spokesperson said. The UK, the US, UAE, Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands are the main export destinations. The top varieties exported include Alphonso, Safeda (Banganpalli) and Dussehri.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
Bihar has tremendous potential for agricultural development: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Motihari to promote agricultural development in Bihar. He highlighted the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA) campaign. The campaign aims to empower farmers with innovation and infrastructure. Focus is on increasing production of jardalu mango, shahi litchi, and marcha rice. The government is exploring ways to preserve shahi litchi for longer shelf life.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Goa's feni gets its first GI tag; here's what it means for the state.
Nestled in Nanora village, 35 kilometres north of Panaji, Goa Heritage Distillery is having its moment in the spotlight. Ozzo Feni (pronounced uzo, which means fire in Konkani under brand Cazcar has just received the first-ever Geographical Indication (GI) tag for feni in the country.
Source: mid-day.com
'India, US to resolve all issues bilaterally': Piyush Goyal.
India and the US will continue to work together to resolve all issues bilaterally including America's decision to double the tariffs on steel and aluminium to 50%, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said. 'Let us wait and watch...both the US and India share good relations and we will continue to work together to resolve all these issues bilaterally,' he said.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
India and Japan agrees to deepen Maritime Relations.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal held a bilateral meeting with His Excellency, Terada Yoshimichi, Japan’s Vice Minister for International Affairs, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport & Tourism (MLITT) in Oslo today. With a goal to deepen the maritime relations between the two countries, the meeting entailed discussions on multiple areas including investment by Japanese Shipyards, collaboration on port digitisation and green port initiatives, increase in R&D cooperation, upskilling human resources, employment of Indian seafarers in Japan among others.
Source: pib.gov.in
'Will negotiate a fair balance,' Piyush Goyal optimistic of wrapping up FTA with EU by year end.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal expressed optimism that India could finalise its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) ahead of the year-end deadline, citing minimal divergences between the two economic blocs. Goyal emphasised the complementary nature of the Indian and European economies. 'There are not too many issues where we have divergence of opinion.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com