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India and Belgium have agreed to establish mechanisms to resolve trade issues in areas such as pharma and agri products to boost bilateral trade, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday. The issues were discussed during the meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Bernard Quintin, in Brussels. "Regulatory barriers, particularly in the approval processes for pharmaceuticals and agri-products, were also discussed, with both sides agreeing to tackle these challenges through continuous dialogue," the commerce ministry said. It said that the two ministers agreed to establish stronger mechanisms for resolving trade issues. The leaders also discussed the progress of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks and emphasised the importance of prioritising trade issues to streamline negotiations and strengthen economic ties. Emerging sectors such as renewable energy, life sciences, infrastructure, .
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Thursday that any subsidy given to the farm sector, in any form, must reach the farmer directly. The VP was delivering his address as chief guest at the inaugural event of Amrut Mahotsav and Alumni Meet of College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences in Dharwad on January 16. Let the farmer decide, even fertilizer subsidy, which is huge... economists in agronomy must think if this assistance has to go directly to the farmer it will initiate the farmer into an alternative to chemical fertilizers. The farmer can utilize these funds for going organic and natural, said Dhankhar. The Vice President also said distress of farmers calls for urgent national attention and that the concerns of peasants cannot be put on the back burner. Farmers need economic security... I would say time is of absolute essence when it comes to finding resolution of farmers' problems. The government is working. We want everyone to be in synergetic mode, to .
Indian exporters have huge opportunities to increase their share in the global agriculture trade from the current 2.4 per cent, a government official said on Wednesday. The global agriculture trade is about USD 2 trillion. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Chairman Abhishek Dev said that given these numbers, "huge opportunities" are there to increase exports from the country. Despite being the seventh largest agri exporter in the world, "our share is 2.4 per cent in the overall world agri trade and immense possibilities are there to increase this share," he said at the inauguration of Indusfood 2025 at Greater Noida. India's agri export was about USD 50 billion in 2023-24 and this year also, the country is looking at pushing the figure to "new record", he said. Dev added that the overall focus now is to promote exports of value-added goods. Talking about exports of organic products, the chairman said India's share in this segment is abo
Agriculture minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday reviewed various schemes with state agriculture ministers and sought their suggestions on ongoing programmes and budget allocation ahead of the Union Budget. During a virtual meeting, Chouhan expressed satisfaction over the agriculture and allied sector's likely higher growth rate of 3.5-4 per cent in the 2024-25 fiscal year, and urged state governments to work at a "faster pace", according to an official statement. He welcomed the State Bank of India's report showing that the rural poverty rate declined to below 5 per cent for the first time in FY24 from 7.2 per cent in FY23. The minister said the Centre is implementing a six-point strategy to boost the farm sector, including increasing production per hectare through research by ICAR and release of new seed varieties. The government is also focusing on reducing production costs, promoting micro irrigation, farm mechanisation, technology adoption, and new agricultural ...
UPL-Sustainable AgriSolutions (UPL-SAS) is spearheading a transformative approach to Indian agriculture, leveraging technology, digital innovations, and a holistic strategy to address the complex challenges facing the country's farming ecosystem, CEO Ashish Dobhal revealed in an exclusive interview. With agriculture spanning 400 million acres and involving 130 million farmers, 80-85 per cent of whom are smallholders, the company is reimagining its role from a crop protection product seller to a comprehensive solution provider. "Each state has its own nuance, cropping pattern, and cultural nuances of farming," Dobhal explained, underscoring the intricate landscape of Indian agriculture. Emerging from a challenging period, Dobhal confidently asserted that "the worst of the industry downturn is behind us." UPL-SAS, a subsidiary of UPL Ltd, is implementing a multi-pronged strategy to revitalize its performance with key strategic priorities. These priorities include developing crop ...
Agricultural solutions provider UPL and CH4 Global announced a strategic partnership on Thursday to distribute a seaweed-based feed supplement in five major markets, including India that could reduce cattle methane emissions by up to 90 per cent. The multi-year agreement targets India, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, which together account for more than 40 per cent of the global cattle population, the UPL said in a regulatory filing. The partnership will focus on distributing CH4 Global's Methane Tamer product, a feed supplement derived from Asparagopsis seaweed, through UPL's existing distribution networks and feed formulations. "Methane is almost thirty times as harmful for global warming than CO2," UPL Chairman and Group CEO Jai Shroff said. "Recent reports show the highest levels in 8,00,000 years, so its reduction must be our top priority." The initiative comes as the livestock industry faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact. Enteric methane fro
The government on Saturday lifted the ban on onion exports but imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 550 per tonne. The decision assumes significance as the commodity is politically sensitive and general elections are going on in the country. "The export policy of onions is amended from prohibited to free subject to MEP of USD 550 per metric ton with immediate effect and until further orders," the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification. Last night, the government imposed a 40 per cent duty on the export of onions. In August last year, India had imposed a 40 per cent export duty on onions up to December 31, 2023.
Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated a tur dal procurement portal through which farmers can register and sell their produce to NAFED and NCCF at a minimum support price or market price. A similar facility will be launched in future for urad and masoor farmers as well as maize farmers, he said. The minister also transferred via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) about Rs 68 lakh to 25 farmers towards payment for sale of tur via the portal. Cooperative National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF) undertake procurement of pulses on behalf of the government's in order to maintain a buffer stock. After the launch, the Minister said before the sowing operation, tur farmers can register on the portal to sell their produce to NAFED and NCCF at minimum support price (MSP). The registered tur farmers will have an option to sell to either NAFED/NCCF or open market, he said and a
Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd (BCML) expects its growth momentum to remain robust, fueled by increased crushing and higher yield in the current sugar season October 2023-September 2024, a top company official said. In addition to the organic growth it is achieving, the company is also exploring suitable "acquisition opportunities" in the inorganic space. "I don't want to stall our growth trajectory. We need to evaluate various opportunities to ensure sustained healthy growth given the favourable government policies. We expect our performance is going to be only better in the years to come," Avantika Saraogi, Promoter and Business Lead (New Initiatives), told PTI, without divulging specific targets. BCML's 2022-23 topline stood at Rs 4,728 crore. H1FY'24 (April-September 23) revenue jumped 33 per cent YoY to Rs 2,929 crore. Saraogi who played a pivotal role in BCML's success, expressed confidence in the company's future performance. The city-based sugar major, which operates ten sugar