Global Agri & Food Updates - 28Feb'15 !

1. The real estate division of French insurance giant AXA marked the start of its aim to grow its forestry portfolio by acquiring a large swathe of forest land in Finland for €11.2m.

2. The life sciences venture capital firm Finistere Ventures is raising $200 million for its second fund that will have a strong focus on agricultural innovation.

3. UK sugar industry sales drop by 14% - Sugar sales dropped to £298m (€338m) in 2014 and coincided with findings that nearly half of British consumers had shied away from sugar that year.

4. The UK organic market has continued its recovery with sales up 4% in 2014, according to new figures from the Soil Association.

5. DS Smith has acquired Duropack Group (Duropack) recycled corrugated board packaging for approximately €300m ($339m), the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2015.

6. USDA announced that a one-time extension will be provided to producers for the new safety-net programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill, known as Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC).

7. The European Commission (EC) is taking Italy to court for failing to collect €1.34bn (US$1.5bn) of European Union (EU) milk quota fines from offending dairy farmers.

India Agri & Food Updates - 28Feb'15 !

1. The United Planters’ Association of Southern India is hoping that the Government would intervene and enhance the import duty on natural rubber to 30 per cent from the existing 20 per cent in the forthcoming budget to save the domestic rubber industry.

2. Making a case for productivity-led growth strategy in agriculture, the Economic Survey 2014-15 has observed that the regulatory framework on genetically modified crops and their implementation deserve a rethinking due to lack of ack of evidence on negative consequences from Bt and other genetically modified (GM) crops, and the significant potential productivity, food security, and sustainability benefits.

3. Due to acute shortage of water sources, There has been no improvement in the prospects for farmers in Telangana in the rabi season for almost all crops barring maize and green gram.

4. To boost farm and food sector, the Economic Survey laid in parliament prescribed huge investment in areas like research, fertilizers, soil testing, cold storage,irrigation and warehousing, besides calling for subsidy rationalisation and setting up of a national common market for agri-produce.

5. Farmers Organizations alleges that Corporate cartel suppressing castorseed prices.

6. The Economic Survey 2014-15 has recommended setting up of a national market for agricultural commodities to overcome the problems of un-integrated and distortion-ridden markets hampering the farm sector.

7. The government plans to reform the import policy of agricultural products and link customs duty of a commodity with its international prices.

Global Agri & Food Updates - 27thFeb'15 !

1. Widespread rains in the largest Arabica-producing nation Brazil have led to a 14% decline in global Arabica prices in the past two months.

2. PDC Capital Group, a private equity fund, is raising $45m in EB-5 immigrant investor funds to assist biodegradable organic chemical products.

3. USDA launches $160m fund for agri research and education.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture will award grants across water, climate, childhood obesity and food security projects.

4. The New Mexico State Investment Council (SIC) commits $200m to TIAA-CREF Global Agriculture II.

5. Eight out of the world’s top 10 peanut consumers are in Asia, where eating the nuts appears to be an altogether safer pastime than doing so in Europe or North America.

6. Kerry Group is in advanced discussions to sell its €160m ($181.28m) Australian bakery business Pinnacle.

7. pcoming EU regulation of food enzymes could affect food companies’ approach to research and development, according to enzyme specialist Novozymes.

8. Sugar sales dropped to £298m (€338m) in 2014 and coincided with findings that nearly half of British consumers had shied away from sugar that year.

9. The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed a nutrient profiling tool to help European member states that wish to restrict marketing of certain foods to children.

10. USDA announced that it's Natural Resources Conservation Service will invest an additional $84 million through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) to help disaster recovery efforts through more than 150 projects in 13 states.

India Agri & Food Updates - 27Feb'15 !

1. As per Railway Ministry, Urea prices will not increase for farmers even as freight charges have been hiked on the nutrient by 10 per cent in the Rail Budget.

2. The ban on the export of shark fins by the Central Government is unlikely to deeply hurt India’s booming seafood exports, says Seafood Exporters Association of India.

3. The United Planters' Association of Southern India is hoping that the Government would intervene and enhance the import duty on natural rubber to 30 per cent from the existing 20 per cent in the forthcoming Budget to save the domestic rubber industry.

4. As per Food Secretary, Private traders can export wheat under the open general licence (OGL) scheme. The government will not export its surplus wheat stock this year and will continue to offload the grain in the domestic market despite estimates of bumper wheat production.

5. Even as the area under plantation shrank 2.3%, the quality of wheat crop in the country, the world's second-largest grower of the grain, is expected to improve this year.

6. The govt has asked state-run FCI not to purchase foodgrains in states like Punjab and Haryana as the procurement system is fully developed there.Both states contribute 3/4th of the total procurement.

7. Indian Arabica coffee turns costly for the world, exports down 20%.

8. Asia’s food colourings market will grow to over half a billion dollars by 2019 at a time when India is struggling to break away from the synthetic products it traditionally uses in favour of natural colourings.

Global Agri & Food News - 26Feb'15 !

1. Overall diet quality worsened across the world even as consumption of healthier foods increased in many countries, according to a new global report of dietary patterns.

2. Black tea may help lower blood pressure for people with elevated levels, says a new study from Unilever R&D that adds to the potential health benefits of the beverage and its constituents.

3. High demand for meat alternatives is driving plant-based protein brands, such as Quorn and Alpro, to double their output as per industry bosses.

4. McCormick & Company has bought Italian spices business Drogheria & Alimentari (D&A) for €85M (£62.5M) in a deal it claims will boost the portfolio it offers retailers and manufacturers.

5. Aldi has seized 8% of the UK rapeseed market through a single £1.2M deal with Phoenix Speciality Oils.

6. The UK organic market has continued its recovery with sales up 4% in 2014, according to new figures from the Soil Association.

7. European Union (EU) ministers approved a new pigmeat storage aid system, helping EU producers deal with low prices caused by the Russian trade embargo and rising production.

8. Sales of frozen fruit have surged in the past three years in U.S, with the category now worth more than $1bn vs just $300m a decade ago.

India Agri & Food News - 26Feb'15 !

1. Mahindra Agribusiness is keen to enter the over Rs. 3 trillion Indian dairy sector through a Rs. 150—Rs 750 crore acquisition of a brand that has good supply chain and branding in place.

2. In a step to ensure that benefits reach small and marginal farmers, the proposal for direct fertilizer subsidy transfer to all farmers is under consideration of the Government. Steps will also be taken to stop the smuggling of Urea from India (Rs.5360/tonne) to Bangladesh & Nepal, where it costs Rs.22,000/tonne.

3. Development of organic agriculture as an alternative tool to address the ill-effects of chemical-based cultivation practices is a recent phenomenon in India. It had achieved dramatic progress in the beginning but could not maintain the pace due to Wide gap in scientific validation and research compared to the progress in the same for general agriculture, Lack of aid for farmers with advisory services (technical & management support), Non realisation of premium during transition phase, Weak linkages among entities in organic sector.

4. Kerala seeks Rs 600 cr funds from Centre to boost farm sector.

5.  As per the Socio-Economic review of Gujarat for 2014-15, There has been a significant decrease in the production of Food Grains, Cotton and Oilseeds.

6.As per the second advance food grains estimate released by Agriculture ministry, wheat production is projected to drop slightly to 95.76 million tonnes in the 2014-15 crop year (July-June) from 95.85 million tonnes in the previous year, owing to concerns about adverse impact of rising temperature on productivity.

7. Investors looking for India's budget to tackle fertiliser subsidies are likely to be disappointed, because sources say the govt plans to largely maintain the current regime. The fertiliser subsidy bill will nevertheless be cut by 4 percent to around 700 billion rupees ($11 billion) for the fiscal year starting 1stApril'15. 

Global Agri & Food Updates - 25Feb'15 !

1. The life sciences venture capital firm Finistere Ventures is raising $200 million for its second fund that will have a strong focus on agricultural innovation.

2. The venture capital arm of chemicals giant Syngenta led the $7.3m round into AgriMetis, a natural crop protection developer, with biotech firm Acidophil.

3. Agricultural cooperatives are craving capital amid growing global competition and the need to strengthen supply chains, according to a recent research report released by Rabobank New Zealand.

4. Fat burning Fruits - http://www.healthdigezt.com/fat-burning-fruits/

5. Gluten-free (GF) food manufacturers would be hit hard by taxes on high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) content, as calls to make food and drink healthier would leave the sector struggling to reformulate.

6.  Three food brands Quadbury, Heinz and Walkers make up the top five most loved brands by British consumers, according to a poll by advertising agency Isobel.

7. Stevia is forecast to account for 15% of the global sweetener market by 2020, according to a new report from Future Market Insights (FMI).

8. McCormick & Company has bought Italian spices business Drogheria & Alimentari (D&A) for €85M (£62.5M).

9. DS Smith has acquired Duropack Group (Duropack) recycled corrugated board packaging for approximately €300m ($339m).

10. USDA announced $20 million is being made available to improve wildlife habitat and enhance public access for recreational opportunities on privately held and operated farm, ranch and forest lands.

11. Hershey intends to remove genetically-modified ingredients from Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and Kisses by the end of the year.

12. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) – a panel of experts tasked with developing recommendations about what Americans should eat – has submitted its report to the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA), which will publish the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans later this year.

13. FAO suggests that Farmers must change their approach to production if the world wants to meet its food security challenges.

14. Unitherm Food Systems has revealed it has two acquisitions lined up in Europe as it continues to target market growth.

15. Coconut sugar is increasing in popularity because it is seen as being a healthier, more ethical alternative to sugar - but nutritionists remain sceptical of the health claims.

16. Russia has suspended the import of cheese products and imitation cheese from Poland after "violations" were identified in a single product.

17. The UK organic market has continued its recovery with sales up 4% in 2014 reaching 1.86 billion pounds, according to new figures from the Soil Association.

18. Kerry Group is in advanced discussions to sell its €160m ($181.28m) Australian bakery business Pinnacle.

19. Chinese food is UK's favourite foreign cuisine research organisation Mintel revealed.

India Agriculture & Food News - 25Feb'15 !

1. India Ratings & Research (Ind-Ra) has revised cotton outlook to negative for 2015-16 due to decline in domestic yarn production, unlikely recovery in cotton exports and a fall in domestic cotton prices below MSP. Also Cotton exports from India to China plummeted 26.4 per cent annually over April-October 2014.

2. Australia keen on working with Andhra Pradesh government in aquaculture sector. Australia would explore opportunities in policy-making for the marine industry, research, equipment and machinery with A.P.

3. President of India, emphasised on value-added agriculture, market reform, use of technology and improving productivity in areas with untapped potential for improving the well-being of farmers.

4. In a conference, organised by Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium on the topic 'Agriculture investment-opportunities in A.P. state', several ministers requested private investors to pitch-in to make it a profitable sector.

5. Budget 2015: Farm ministry seeks cut in oilseed import duty. India buys nearly 60 per cent of its annual demand of 18-19 million tonnes from countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

6. Punjab government announces incentives for agriculture diversification in the form of subsidies and reduced power tariffs.

7. Drawing the government's attention to farm sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Chairman said India's goal of becoming a global economic power cannot be achieved without increasing the country's agricultural production.

8. Tata Chemicals has asked the Centre to come out with a policy to decontrol urea pricing.

9. The Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) National Council on Agriculture highlighted three key areas of policy intervention in a report i.e. strengthening the agri-inputs sector for productivity enhancement, re-energising agri-marketing and better foodgrain management.

10. Bengaluru-based M5 Info Solutions Pvt Ltd formally launched an online platform – Bhoomee that seeks to connect farmers with prospective traders and buyers directly. 

Global Agri & Food Updates - 22Feb'15!

1. At least one-quarter of the world's wheat production will be lost to extreme weather from climate change in the coming decades if no adaptation measures are taken, researchers have warned. Wheat yields are projected to decrease by 6 per cent for each degree Celsius rise in temperature.

2. Phoenix Africa’s Sierra Leone rice farming project started operations in October and is now raising $1.1m to expand and buy more infrastructure.

3. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has unveiled its nutrient profiling tool to restrict the marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks to children.

4. A joint venture between palm oil giant Wilmar International and the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is set to be taken to court as Ugandan farmers seek damages for land they say was grabbed in 2011.

5. Amaranth seeds may help prevent coronary disease, lower cholesterol and manage diabetes, according to a scientific review

6. Danone has moved to patent a design for a two-compartment intended for semi-liquid dairy products such as yogurts that is easier to open and suited to multipack production.

7. A “paradigm shift” in toxicology testing is changing the way scientists at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal agencies assess the risks people face from chemical contaminants in food.

8. US household penetration of plant-based beverages has doubled in five years to more than 30%, with almond milk now accounting for almost 70% of sales and new nut-based milks such as cashew gaining momentum.

9. JBT Corporation has announced its signing of $20m in contracts to provide liquid foods equipment to Asian food companies.

India Agriculture & Food News - 22Feb'15 !

1. The government is preparing to deploy orbiting satellites to digitally map each farmland in the country, data from which will be used to provide tailor-made crop insurance cover to farmers in consultation with IRDA.

The government is preparing to deploy orbiting satellites to digitally map each farmland in the country, data from which will be used to provide tailor-made crop insurance cover to farmers

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/46337309.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

2. The 5th National Organic Farming Convention, will be held in Chandigarh at NITTR located in Sector 26 from February 28 to March 2. The event is expected to be the largest congregation of Indian organic farmers from across 25 States and the 2,500 participants will include policy makers, scientists, entrepreneurs and activists.

3. India is pushing the European Union (EU) to revoke an import ban on four vegetables: brinjal, snake gourd, taro and bitter gourd. The ban was imposed last year after fruit flies were found in some consignments from India.

4. A symposium on Genetic Engineering of Agricultural Crops and Livestock will be held at the University of Hyderabad from February 23-25. There sessions would comprise of genetic manipulation, biotechnology-Myths and facts,’ animal genetic engineering and bio-safety.

5. State Bank of India (SBI) will provide finance totalling Rs. 100 crore benefiting 3,000 small tea growers in the North East region soon.

6. Rabi crop acreage stood at 617.97 lakh hectares (lh), against 659.31 lh at the same time last year – a 6.3 per cent decrease, according to latest data released by the Agriculture Ministry.

7. ITC to launch B Natural fruit juices in eastern, western markets soon after its successful introduction in introduced in the five southern States of  Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala.

8. The 3day Aqua Aquaria India 2015 is being organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in Vijayawada, Andhra Loyala College from 20th 22ndFeb'15.

9. Uttarakhand sets up expert panel for agriculture development to review policies related to forest, rural development departments and to recommend amendments if any.

10. Nestle India working on removing artificial flavours from its chocolates.

11. Mother Dairy enters premium ice cream segment with its 'Belgiyum choco bar'.

12. MDH, Everest & other curry masala companies keep recipes secret, alter product to stay up in Rs 6,500-crore market.

India Agriculture & Food Updates - 20Feb'15!

1. The Cabinet on Thursday approved a higher subsidy of Rs 4,000 a tonne for exports of raw sugar, a decision that could support local prices by reducing excess supplies as India stares at a glut in production. The export incentive will be given for 1.4 million tonnes of raw sugar in the 2014-15 season, which began on October 1. The subsidy is given for specific periods and it was most recently Rs 3,371.

2. Dairy major Amul will invest Rs 5,000 crore over the next three years to ramp up milk production and new processing capacities.

3. Fruit drink concentrate maker Rasna is working on launching its first exclusive food product for kids by July this year.

4. Future Group picks up 51% stake in Sublime Foods for an undisclosed sum.

5. Basmati exports may dip 10% on Iran ban.Iran accounts for 38% of overall shipments last financial year.

6. T Nanda Kumar, Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board, said the board was giving priority to two aspects – breeding of genetically better cows and buffaloes and increasing availability of balanced feeds — for raising milk productivity.

7. With monsoon failing for the second successive year, Telangana is in for severe shortage of fodder.Significant fall in paddy acreage and failure of other crops such as maize have left the farmers with no fodder. Farmers fear escalation in cost of production. 

8. The Centre is considering reducing the Customs duty on oilseeds import as part of its “Make in India” programme. The duty could be cut in the Budget if the Finance Ministry decides to bite the bullet.

Global Agri & Food Updates - 20Feb'15 !

1. Phoenix Africa’s Sierra Leone rice farming project started operations in October and is now raising $1.1m to expand and buy more infrastructure.

2. Failure to thoroughly clean and sanitize is allowing Listeria monocytogenes to persist in some delis, according to a Purdue University study.

3. The number of people dying of food poisoning grew slightly last year in China, with figures released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission showing an increase of 0.9% (110 deaths).

4. Aldi has seized 8% of the UK rapeseed market through a single £1.2M deal with Phoenix Speciality Oils.

5. Nestlé missed its growth estimate for 2014 and has forecast around 5% growth for 2015 – at the low end of its previous target of 5-6%.

6. U.S.Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and U.K's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) announced five jointly funded research awards that total more than $2.3 million from NIFA and £2.3 million British pounds ($3,502,683 equivalent) from the BBSRC for the US-UK Collaborative Animal Health and Disease and Veterinary Immune Reagents program.

7. There have been more than 200 class action lawsuits filed against food and beverage companies over allegedly deceptive labeling since 2012, 60 of which have been dismissed at various stages, and 25 of which have been settled, but none have yet gone to trial.

8. Black tea may help lower blood pressure for people with elevated levels, says a new study from Unilever R&D that adds to the potential health benefits of the beverage and its constituents.

9. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today nearly $37 million in investments to mitigate wildfire threats to landowners and communities. This is the second year of a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help improve the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems where public and private lands meet.

India Agri & Food Updates - 19thFeb'2015 !

1. India the second largest sugar producing nation is expected to produce 260lt for 2014-15. According to the latest estimates by the Indian Sugar Mills’ Association (ISMA), 518 sugar mills have produced 167.08 lakh tonnes (lt) of the sweetener in the 2014-15 sugar season as of February 15. It represents a rise of 15 per cent, with output during the corresponding period last season having been 145.28 lt produced by 479 mills.

2. Owing to poor monsoon, India’s foodgrain production in 2014-15 is likely to be 257.07 million tonnes i.e. almost 3.2%  decline to 8 million tonnes (mt)  less than the fourth advance estimate for 2013-14.

3. North and Northwestren India has experienced good rainfall in India except in the Met subdivisions of west Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi.

4. Wheat prices have started softening ahead of the harvest of yet another large crop that would commence in about a month's time prompting buyers to go slow their purchases. The lack of clarity on the Government's stand on exports of wheat from the Central Pool stocks is seen aiding the downward trend in the prices of the cereal.

5. Drones to help Rajasthan, Gujarat farmers detect crop diseases. Weather forecaster Skymet has already conducted a pilot project in parts of Gujarat to map the groundnut crop along with Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC) of India.

6. The government's agri-research body Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has already initiated a pilot project Krishi Dak Service' aimed at distribution of improved seed varieties to farmers at their doorstep through post-office in 20 rural districts.

7. Rubber producers and consumers have reached a deadlock over the issue of import duty on rubber with over a week to go for the Union Budget. Producers want an immediate ban on imports and enhancement in duty to 30%, to which the consumers say such a demand is without any merit.

Global Food & Agri Updates - 19Feb'15 !

1. Oil uptake in fried products, such as potato chips, can be reduced using Elea’s pulsed electric field system, the company claims.

2. Nestlé and Swedish-based supplier BioGaia have announced the launch of a new toddler formula containing the patented probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri Protectis.

3. Fruit d’Or, a Quebec-based cranberry processor, has announced the commercial launch of Oral Cran, a specially formulated and packaged whole cranberry powder aimed at the oral health market.

4. A nationwide campaign to highlight the contribution of food and farming to British national life and the economy, ahead of the general election will be launched by the National Farmers Union (NFU) next week.

5. When it comes to breakfast, vast majority of Americans want something quick and easy at home, but surprisingly most people prefer to make their first meal of the day “from scratch” instead of consuming a ready-to-eat or heat-and-serve consumer packaged good, according to Datassential research.

6. Coffee pods are driving growth in the ground coffee sector, says FMCG market and shopper intelligence firm IRI, thanks to cheaper coffee machines and the popularity of the coffee shop experience.

7. Adding in vitamins and minerals is one way the industry is getting around current health and nutrition regulation and creating a 'health halo' around otherwise unhealthy products, according to the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC).

8. Nestlé intends to replace all artificial colors and flavors in confectionery sold in the US with ingredients from natural sources by the end of the year.

9. Supplementation with purified anthocyanins may improve blood lipid levels and lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics, says a new study from China.

10. The world’s richest confectioner Michele Ferrero, owner of the Ferrero Group, has died aged 89 as his company gains traction in emerging markets.

Indian Science Congress Association Event: TREES and WATER for HUMAN WELFARE !

TOPIC: NATIONAL CONSULTATION ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

FOCUS: TREES AND WATER FOR HUMAN WELFARE

Dates - February 27th, 28th & 1st March'2015 !

Venue: MADANAPALLE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Angallu, Chittoor District, Andhraprades, India.

Organised By: Indian Science Congress Association, Tirupati Chapter.

Contact: tirupatichapter.isca@gmail.com, gauthama.rallapalli@gmail.com

Phone: 9849488390, 09500020893

Global Agri&Food Updates - 18Feb'15 !

1. While anti-GMO activists warn that the technology behind non-browning ‘Arctic apples’ is untested, unnecessary, and "dangerously imprecise", the grower behind them Neal Carter says he’s confident that the food industry and public will come to their own conclusions based on the facts.

2. Food manufacturers and retailers need leadership from an EU level, less “silly legislation” and more data sharing in order to tackle food waste.

3. Almost 2,500 litres of fake wine and spirits were seized by Interpol and Europol as part of a pre-Christmas enforcement campaign involving more than 50 countries.

4. Food firms that fail to comply with the Food Information for Consumers Regulations (FIR) will feel the enforcers’ sting later this year, a leading food lawyer in UK has warned.

5. A handheld sensor to stop fraudulent seafood species claims has been developed at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science.

6. An EU-wide revamp of on-pack nutrition information is a missed opportunity to make front of pack labelling compulsory, says the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC).

7. More than 2,500 tonnes of counterfeit and illicit food have been seized in 47 countries as part of a joint Interpol and Europol operation.

8. Two MEPs have asked the Commission to detail its plans to tackle high cholesterol among Europeans, who have the highest levels of bad cholesterol in the world.

9. 2015 Sweets & Snacks Expo: With five years of solid growth, the Expo is the proven destination to discover new products, business, industry insights and innovations - May 19 – 21, 2015, Chicago, USA.

10. A “paradigm shift” in toxicology testing is changing the way scientists at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other federal agencies assess the risks people face from chemical contaminants in food.

India Agri & Food updates - 18Feb'15 !

1.India is one of the largest exporters of grapes, with European Union being one of the largest international market .Seedless grapes from India have become an integral part of certain French sparkling wines and Australian wines. In 2013-14, India exported 46,136.91 mt of grapes to the Netherlands, valued at ₹527 crores.  Russia secured the second spot, accounting for 24,503 mt and exported 17,212.25 million tonnes of grapes to the UAE, its fourth highest export destination valued at ₹129.62 crore.     

2.Pulses importers in India and exporters around the world – mainly Canada, US, Australia and Myanmar - are on tenterhooks, worried over a possible Budget proposal to impose customs duty on imports. India is the world’s largest market for pulses and the target market for growers in advanced economies.

3.Faced with a liquidity crunch, fertiliser industry body FAI has written to Finance Ministry seeking arrangement of funds to clear outstanding subsidy arrears, which are likely to cross Rs. 40,000 crore by March-end.

4.In its bid to provide single window system to farmers for accelerating agriculture growth in the state, Punjab government will set up a 'Bureau of Agriculture Promotion'.

5.Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) will be hoping that its new ice cream brand 'Epic' leaves a lingering taste among ice cream lovers when Hindustan UnileverBSE 1.36 % officially launches its 'Magnum' brand in the national capital on Wednesday.

Global Agri & Food updates - 17Feb'2015 !

1. Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) for foods and drinks again emerged as a sticking point in the latest round of trade negotiations between the EU and the US.

2. Unilever said it met its target of sending zero non-hazardous waste to landfill from its 240 factories around the world and this goal has saved it 200million Euros in costs.

3. Globally Whole Foods Market continues to evolve in the face of increased competition and gain market share by responding to consumers’ changing shopping habits with a broad online presence that is gaining traction.

4. The Chinese business regulator has given the green light for Wilmar International and First Pacific to acquire Australian food manufacturing major Goodman Fielder.

5. US household penetration of plant-based beverages has doubled in five years to more than 30%, with almond milk now accounting for almost 70% of sales and new nut-based milks such as cashew gaining momentum.

6. FAO and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics team up to develop high tech tools to fight bird flu and other infectious diseases.

7.  Global fertilizer use is likely to grow by 1.8 percent a year to rise above 200.5 million tonnes in 2018, 25 percent higher than recorded in 2008.

8. Food Crisis escalates in Sudan and FAO warns of deteriorating situation.

India Agri&Food News -17Feb'2015 !

1. The Centre has fixed wheat procurement target for the 2014-15 rabi marketing season at 30.06 million tonnes against the actual procurement of 28.02 million tonnes.

2. Despite being one of the largest producers of oilseeds in the world, India’s import dependence has doubled over the past few years owing to expanding consumption of edible oils and stagnating production of oilseeds. India imported vegetable oils worth $10 billion in 2013-14 compared with $5 billion in 2007-08.

3. Faced with a liquidity crunch, fertiliser industry body FAI has written to Finance Ministry seeking arrangement of funds to clear outstanding subsidy arrears, which are likely to cross Rs 40,000 crore by March-end.

4.  A roadmap for comprehensive urea policy with deregulated pricing and adequate budgetary provisions are the expectations of fertiliser industry from upcoming Budget. Urea price was kept unchanged at Rs.4,830 a tonne between 2002 and 2010 and raised marginally to Rs.5,310 and Rs.5,360 ($86) in 2010 and 2012, respectively.

5.A centrally-sponsored nationwide " Soil Health Card" scheme benifitting 14 crore farm holdings across the country in three years will be finally rolled out from Suratgarh in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan on February 19.  The card, carrying crop-wise recommendations of nutrients/fertilizers required for farms of different soil types, will make it possible for farmers to improve productivity through judicious use of fertilizers and water.

6. In a goal to improve overall productivity of crops, Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds (Mahyco) said it has achieved a key milestone in the development of 'water use efficient' rice using the technology by Arcadia Biosciences.

7. Haryana Govt. Manohar Lal Khattar has approved the proposal for providing technical assistance to Telangana and Mizoram for setting up centres in horticulture.

8. On a per capita basis, Indians consumed roughly 117 gm of chocolate a year, the least among emerging markets. India's chocolate sale crosses Rs.10,000 crore in 2014, up 24% from last year.

9. Agricultural University in Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad is imparting training on growing Mushrooms every Saturday from 9 a.m to 4 p.m by charging Rs.500 for one day's session. A kg. of Mushrooms cost Rs.100. Please contact:  040-24015011, 24015462.

India Agri & Food Updates - 15Feb'2015

1. Outstanding subsidy bills for the fertiliser sector will exceed Rs.40,000 crore by March'15. according to the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI). Domestic urea manufacturers are the hardest hit with dues amounting to Rs.30,000 crore.

2. The Union Agriculture Minister, lent vocal support to genetically modified (GM) crops stating that technologically enhanced seeds could help India realise its food security ambition and believed it held great promise in minimising productivity losses particularly on account of abiotic stress factors like floods and drought.

3. The price of turmeric is likely to go up to Rs. 6,600-7,400 a quintal in the next two months, as per calculations made by a set of statistical tools Arima (Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average) and Sarima (Seasonal Arima).

4. Bihar Government during its annual agricultural fair - Agro Bihar, announced that farmers belonging to scheduled castes and tribes having 5 acres of land will have free electricity for agricultural endeavour and also announced 80 per cent subsidy on all farm machineries for the farmers belonging to these two groups.

5. Vegetable oil imports were up 21 per cent last month at 11 lakh tonnes (lt) against 9 lt in the same period a year ago. Shipments of vegetable oil into the country include 10.82 lt of edible oil and 12,796 tonnes of non-edible oil.

6. Food chains like Faasos, Goli Vada Pav use Mobile apps to deliver fast.

7. Rubber Board of India to help boost rubber cultivation in Arunachal Pradesh.

8. Punjab CM sought a slew of demands - a. Exemption of excise duty on Farm Machineries b. Interest free short term crop loans to small and marginal farmers c.Income tax exemption to those involved in Agriculture, Dairy, fisheries and other subsidiary activities besides raising the support price of farm crops by 50 per cent of the production cost .

Global Food & Agri Updates - 15Feb'15

1. The China Agriculture Industry Development Fund has invested Rmb400 million into Fujian Provincial Pingtan County Ocean Fishing Group.

2. Kellogg’s 136% profit plunge for the fourth quarter (Q4) resulting in a $293 million net loss, can be attributed to poor cereal and snack sales in developed markets.

3. The 2015 Food Vision Big Debate will take place on 19 March 2015 during the truly global event for food and drink industry business leaders. It will be a highlight of the Food Vision programme, giving attendees the opportunity to have their say on the issues, challenges and opportunities their industry faces as world populations – and their appetites – increase.

4. Parmalat South Africa has recalled its apple juice after customer complaints prompted tests which found contamination with cleaning fluid.

5. People who eat organic foods have about half the pesticide exposure of those who eat conventional foods, according to a new study – but all are well within established safe limits.

6. Despite regional security concerns, attractive soft drinks sales growth in the Middle East and North Africa still entices manufacturers, according to Euromonitor International.

7. Caobisco says it is ‘concerned’ about the British Heart Foundation’s ‘chocolate detox’ campaign, which encourages people to stop eating chocolate for a month to raise money and awareness for heart research.

8. Beginning in July, five Cheerios products will be going gluten free: Original Cheerios, Honey Nut, Multi-Grain, Apple Cinnamon and Frosted, General Mills has revealed.

9. Stevia sweeteners derived from fermentation – without stevia plants – could be launched as early as 2016, according to Evolva Holding SA, the Swiss firm working on the technology with agri-giant Cargill.

10. Up to 90 research posts are being created by a £19M investment at the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), but fears have surfaced that its privatisation could damage its work.

11. The new Product Watch tool from consumer insights expert Instantly (formerly uSamp) could prove a game-changer in the CPG industry by using crowdsourcing to enable subscribers to find out what new products have been launched in their categories, how and where they are being positioned - and exactly what consumers really think about them – in real time.

12. FMC Corporation reported revenues in its health and nutrition sector of $828 million for its 2014 fiscal year.  Soft omega-3 demand for the year was a blemish on an otherwise robust sector performance, the company said.

India Agriculture & Food Updates - 13Feb'2015 !

1. INDIA made NFSA (National Food Security Act) applicable to 40% of the population instead of 67% through a high-level committee decision.

2. Stock prices of leading sugar companies have fallen since the July budget with leading producers such as Balrampur Chini Mills, Bajaj Hindusthan and Dhampur Sugar losing 27-35 per cent of their value in seven months.

3. In a move that will bring some cheer to rice exporters, the Finance Ministry has restored duty drawback after a span of nearly seven years. 

4.  Agro-chemicals major Insecticides (India) Ltd on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit of Rs. 8.34 crore for the quarter ended December 31, a 23.2 per cent rise from the corresponding period the previous fiscal when it recorded Rs. 6.77 crore.

5. Farmers now account for just 5% of National Bulk Handling Corp’s ₹6,500-cr business. After becoming an accredited warehouse of the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) last month, the National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC) will focus on bringing small farmers, who currently account for about 5 per cent of its total business into its fold in the next fiscal.

6.  Spices Board has taken up with Commerce Ministry for imposing minimum import price for cardamom, there by issuing a notification to permit import of small and large cardamom not below the CIF value of ₹500 per kg as well as meeting the quality standards/specification of the FSSAI.

7. According to a Euromonitor report released last month, average unit price of chocolates rose by 9 per cent mainly due to premiumisation.

8. Recognising India as a highly promising market for the food sector, a Dubai export promotion agency has held a networking session to link key Indian suppliers to the UAE.

9. Coca-Cola’s tea & fruit juice combo Fuze Tea likely to hit shops in India in June quarter.

10. The Indian Tea Association (ITA) is set to promote the beverage among youth through carnivals in colleges, beginning with Delhi, National Capital Region, Chandigarh and Kolkata later this month, as the industry lobby seeks to reach out to the consumers that it believes are fast turning to coffee due to its more contemporary image.

11. Online restauarant guide Zomato to start taking online food orders; invests Rs 300 crore ($50 million).

12.  Retail inflation rises to 5.11% in January on costlier food.

13. Germany will help Punjab in promoting organic farming in the state which is considered to be as the foodbowl of the country.

14. Agriculture Insurance Co. of India Ltd. (AICIL) has been introduced to protect agriculture farmers against heavy rain, hailstorm, pests or other natural calamities. Though plantation items like rubber or coffee are covered under the schemes, tea is yet to join the league.

15.  Dhanuka Agritech Ltd today launched herbicide 'SEMPRA' to protect sugarcane crop from weeds.

16. NABARD projects Rs 89,049 crore of credit potential for Haryana and announces Rs 1,14,927 crore credit plan for Rajasthan.

Global Agri & Food Summary - 12Feb'2015 !

1. One of agriculture’s preeminent annual conferences begins Thursday, Feb. 19. USDA has hosted the Agricultural Outlook Forum since 1923 providing farmers and ranchers, government, and agribusinesses with sound information for decision-making.

2. A survey conducted by the School of Agriculture and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia, revealed that Western Australian farmers are supportive of foreign investment as a means to bring capital into the region.

3. Own-and-operate strategies dominate the agri fund market in Australia, but investment firms are now paying increased attention to buy-and-lease structures.

4. Mars and Danone launch €120m Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming.The impact fund is aimed at promoting sustainably-sourced food and smallholder farming communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

5. A forum of Australian and New Zealand ministers met in Auckland to discuss a number of proposed and recently implemented changes and additions to the countries’ food regulations. They voted against allowing hemp as a legal food in Australia and New Zealand.

6. Cocoa flavanols can play an important role in maintaining cognitive health in ageing consumers, a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has claimed.

7. Europe’s central food science agency says European adults require on average 0.83 g protein/kg body weight each day from “high quality protein and to protein in mixed diets” in a just-issued opinion.

8. Fruit d’Or, a Quebec-based cranberry processor, has announced the commercial launch of Oral Cran, a specially formulated and packaged whole cranberry powder aimed at the oral health market.

9. A £30M food research centre is being developed by Queen’s University, Belfast, as an extension to its existing Institute for Global Security, which is pioneering work on food security systems.

10. Fruit and veg company Stirfresh has signed a contract worth £250,000 annually to supply 58 Aldi stores in Scotland.

11. Food and drink manufacturers’ exports could be threatened by the recent Greek election result, if the successful Syriza party destabilises the euro, warns a specialist foreign exchange provider.

12. Tesco’s sales are rising again as growth in UK grocery sales speeds up, but its market share is still falling, according to Kantar Worldpanel.

India Agri&Food updates - 12Feb'2015 !

1. Iran will resume import of Basmati rice from India, the temporary ban placed on imports late last year will be lifted shortly and the process of registration of suppliers will begin.

2. Due to record Corn productions in South America and U.S.A, India, a key exporter of the high cost grain to Asia is experiencing a slump in export demand and are counting on local chicken farms to absorb millions of tonnes of the grain as poultry output heads for yet another record year.

3. On account of a lack of productivity in central India, the Cotton Association of India (CAI) on Wednesday revised its total domestic cotton projection downward for 2014-15 to 39.7 million bales (of 170 kg each).

4. Accepting to the demands of Industry, A Cabinet note on subsidy extension for up to 1.4 million tonnes of raw sugar exports has been circulated.

5. Agricultural economists expect the price of the poovan, karpooravalli and nendran banana to remain stable till April 2015. The farmers can expect up to Rs. 17 a kg for the poovan, Rs. 18 – 20 /kg for karpooravalli and nendran at the farm gate.

6. Indian Tea Association to promote beverage among youth with tea carnivals in colleges like Hindu, SRCC.

7. With more and more people surfing online for FMCG products, the Internet would influence over a third of total sales in the sector by 2020, while online sales will constitute $5 billion, says a study by Google and Bain & Company.

8. Currently worth almost Rs60bn (US$960m), India’s quick-service restaurant segment is expected to grow by 26% each year to reach Rs117bn by 2017, fuelled by the arrival of more international chains and strengthening of local players.

9. A US-India commercial research project has hit a milestone in its goal to develop more draught resistant and water use efficient (WUE) rice.

Global Agri Updates - 11Feb'2015 !

1. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been urged to implement a Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) in California to reduce the "disparity" between Class III and Californian Class 4b milk prices.

2. US giant Ball Corporation is in talks to buy UK rival Rexam, in a £4.3bn ($6.6bn) deal that would combine two of the world’s largest beverage can manufacturers.

3. The global Halal food trade is top of the agenda at Gulfood this week, as the show sees its 20th and biggest edition to date, with 4,800 exhibitors and 80,000 visitors expected.

4. A proof-of-principle, i.e. Lab on Chip approach using an end point polymerase chain Reaction (PCR)  and capillary eclectrophoresis (CE) has been designed and demonstrated for a system to detect crop species in processed foods.

5. High altitude cooking could help preserve foods’ flavour, aroma, colour, moisture and nutritional value, according to a new study from Nestlé researchers.

6. Stevia sweeteners derived from fermentation – without stevia plants – could be launched as early as 2016, according to Evolva Holding SA, the Swiss firm working on the technology with agri-giant Cargill.

7. The European Union remains the largest market for Italian technologies, followed by Asia and non-EU European countries, according toUcima, the Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association.

8. Klöckner Pentaplast has completed €6.4m expansion to increase capacity and introduce green technology at its factory in Crumlin, Wales, UK.

9. Experts from the Food Packaging Forum, Environmental Health Sciences, the Food Control Authority of the Canton of Zurich and the US Natural Resources Defense Council will discuss the key issues such as BPA, and challenges in the migration of chemicals from packaging materials into food during a free online forum.

10. The French food safety agency ANSES has created a cooperation agreement with the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA), to train experts and technicians in food analysis and monitoring methods, microbiology and chemistry.

11. USDA announced that rural agricultural producers and small business owners can now apply for resources to purchase and install renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements. These efforts help farmers, ranchers and other small business owners save money on their energy bills, reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, support America's clean energy economy, and cut carbon pollution.

12. Parmalat South Africa has recalled its apple juice after customer complaints prompted tests which found contamination with cleaning fluid.

13. Glanbia Nutritionals is launching a new line of non-GMO, gluten-free plant-based protein crisps and powders derived from ancient grains, flax and chia that can be used in everything from beverages to baked goods and gluten-free foods.

India Agriculture & Food Updates - 11Feb'2015 !

1. For the 2014-15 crop year, Foodgrain estimates for Telangana stands at 6.7 mt and for A.P it is 11.1 mt.

2. Subash Palekar is organizing a 5 day Zero Budget Natural Farming workshop in Kurnool from 25th February to 1st March'2015!

Contacts: B.Venkateswarlu - 94408 16090. For other details: 040- 27654337, 27635867 (Morning 9 A.M to Evening 6 P.M).

3. Chennai based Tech startup 'Microspin Machine Works', came up with a unique solution for cotton farmers in Vidarbha. The idea was to develop a different method of spinning in a much smaller scale than the conventional spinning. It integrated activities in the production line such as weaving and dying under a single roof eliminating intermediary costs.

4. Small tea growers, contributing up to 35% of nation's output of the commodity, have urged finance ministry to propose measures in his forthcoming Union budget to give them benefits such as bank loans and subsidies that are provided to the plantation sector.

5. Enterprising people in tropical Karnataka are experimenting in growing apples, mostly cultivated in the cold regions of Himachal Pradesh and the Jammu and Kashmir.

6. The Haryana Government today said it has recommended 30 per cent increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of various crops viz. Wheat, Sugar & Cotton to make agriculture sector profitable.

7.Dairy products giant Amul does not have any plans to raise milk prices for next 4-5 months but it would review the price situation during the monsoon season.

8. Dhanuka Agritech plans to launch ‘Sempra’, a new-age weedicide for sugarcane, from the stable of its partner Japan-based Nissan Chemicals. The first of its kind product will be launched in Lucknow on Wednesday followed by Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

9. Demand for raw coconuts from north Kerala and Tiptur copra from Karnataka has led to coconut oil prices remaining steady this week.

10. Cardamom prices continued to rule steady despite a slowdown in demand from upcountry markets at the auctions held in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. There was said to be a matching demand and supply.

11. Increased selling pressure from producers for old stocks pulled down spot sugar prices on the Vashi market by Rs.15-20 a quintal at the lower side while new stocks ruled steady.

12. Bearish futures amid slack physical demand kept edible oils markets under pressure on Tuesday but tracking weak local currency and mixed Malaysia palm oil data kept the sentiment cautious. On the Bombay Commodity Exchange, barring palmolein and soya oil, all other edible oils remained unchanged.

13. Leading marketer and distributor of high quality fruits IG Supply Chain Pvt Ltd (IGSC)  plans to invest Rs. 150 crore in cold chain logistics.

Global Food&Agri Updates - 10Feb'2015 !

1.Howard Buffett will invest $500m into a country-wide irrigation project and an agri training institute in Rwanda through his Sequoia Farm Foundation.

2. Food & agriculture was one of the top 10 industry sectors for the first time attracting Chinese overseas M&A investment in 2014, according to a recent report from KPMG.

3. The private equity arm of Cargill has closed two funds: Black River Agriculture Fund 2 on $587m and Black River Food Fund 2 on $700m.

4.  The €167 billion Dutch pension fund PGGM has committed between €50 million and €100 million to Black River Food Fund 2, a private equity fund managed by the PE subsidiary of US agribusiness Cargill.

5. To “maximize efficiencies and meet growing demand for its products,” Tyson Foods has announced it will spend $110m to make “major improvements” to its Vienna, Georgia, chicken processing plant.

6. The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are hosting a public meeting next month to update stakeholders on work to improve foodborne illness source attribution estimates for major pathogens.

7. USDA announced $30 million in funding today for 22 projects to help citrus producers combat Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening, a devastating citrus disease that threatens U.S. citrus production. 

India Agri&Food Updates - 10Feb'2015 !

1. Maharashtra plans to cut power tariff to farmers, aims to install solar pumps in fields.

2. The fishing industry is expecting a shortfall next year because of the risks from RMS disease that some farms have reported in recent weeks.

3. Downtrend continued in soya oil and soyabean on slack demand and weak global cues with soya refined declining to ₹630-32, while soya solvent slipped to Rs.605-08 for 10 kg.

4.  Coffee exports fell over 27 per cent to 18,475 tonnes in January due to volatile global prices and lower supplies of the old crop.

5. India's tea production in the 2014 calendar year fell 1.3 per cent from a year ago to 1,185 million kg due to lower production due to dry weather in Assam.

6. in an effort to steer Indian consumers to lowercalorie choices,  McDonald's has cut almost 50-60 calories on an average from all its burgers, about 40 per cent of the fat content in sauces and roughly 20 per cent sodium in fries.

7. China may pip Mexico as top importer of US (Washington) apples.

8. Twenty-seven trade union organisations representing tea garden workers took out to procession demanding wage revision.

9. In the Erode market, of the arrival of 3,300 bags of turmeric for sale on Monday, only 45 per cent stocks were sold.

Global Agri&Food Updates - 09Feb'15 !

1. USDA Announces Over $9 Million to Support Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers

2. Arla Foods and Australian firm F Mayer Imports have established a joint venture to market Castello cheese, Lurpak butter, and other Arla products Down Under.

3. To “maximize efficiencies and meet growing demand for its products,” Tyson Foods has announced it will spend $110m to make “major improvements” to its Vienna, Georgia, chicken processing plant.

4. Leading Japanese direct-seller Q’SAI Co Ltd is entering the US with a new wholly-owned subsidiary and will launch American versions of its health product 'Fujikale' that have become staples in Japan.

5. Kellogg has added cranberries to its Raisin Bran cereal in the US in response to consumer calls for more nutritious breakfast options. Each serving consists of 5gms fibre and provides an excellent source
of antoxidant vitamin E.

6. A handheld sensor GrouperChek (realtime nueclic acid sequence based amplification assay (RT-NASBA) to stop fraudulent seafood species claims has been developed at the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science.

7. Food vision 2015 is scheduled in Cannes, France from March 18-20.

8. Sales of the natural sweetener stevia are set to rocket beyond their £4M market value in the UK, as sweet-toothed consumers search for indulgent products with fewer calories, analysts have predicted.

9. EU funded project APROPOS has developed a range of sustainable co-stream products (Animal feed for Energy) using food industry waste, including protein supplements from fish discards and rapeseed.

10. India’s nutraceuticals industry is expected to nearly treble by 2020 from US$2.2 billion to US$6.1 billion largely growing at 20% per year, because of the country’s changing lifestyle and attitudes to fitness.

11. The niche market for sprouted grains and seeds is primed to shoot up in the next five years to $250 million with sales in the U.S.

12. Large intakes of foods cooked at high temperatures could increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

13. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of more than $16 million in funding to support research, education and Extension efforts to improve food production and increase food security, defined as regular access to affordable, nutritious food.

Forthcoming CII Agriculture Events - India !

1. Foodpro2015 - Aug 28, 2015 To Aug 30, 2015

Venue: Chennai Trade Centre, Hall 1, 2 & 3, Nandambakkam, Mount Poonamali Road,, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India Free Car Parking

Contacts: sanndeep.v@cii.in, kazhal.vendhan@cii.in

2. Krishi Vikas 2015 - Apr 16, 2015 To Apr 18, 2015

Venue: College of Agriculture Ground, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, College of Agriculture Ground, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India

Contacts: saurabh.rajurkar@cii.in, amol.pardeshi@cii.in

3. AGRO BIHAR 2015 - Feb 11, 2015 To Feb 14, 2015 

Venue: Veterinary College Grounds, Patna, Bihar, Patna, Patna, Bihar, India

Contact: tarun.tapadar@cii.in

4. AP-TEC 2015(Technologies for Modern Agriculture) - Jun 05, 2015 To Jun 07, 2015

Venue: CENTRAL TOBACCO RESEARCH INSTITUTE, BHASKARNAGAR, RAJAHMUNDRY, ANDHRA PRADESH, India 

Contact: macha.dinesh@cii.in

India Agri & Food Updates - 09Feb'15

1. Urban Gardening Trends - Wicking Bed Containers can be used to grow a variety of Garden crops by consuming less water.

2. With the arrival of medium and poor quality turmeric, spot prices of the spice at Erode markets decreased on Friday. At the Erode Turmeric Merchants Association sales yard, the finger turmeric was sold at ₹5,777-8,061 a quintal; the root variety ₹5,499-7,534.

3. Continuous selling by mills kept sugar prices under pressure on spot and futures markets. Sugar prices on the Vashi wholesale market dropped by ₹10 a quintal for S-grade at higher side and ₹20 for M-grade at lower side.

4. The sluggish trend continued in a majority of pulse seeds and pulses in Indore mandis barring tur, which gained on report of lower crop output in Karnataka and higher prices of imported produce.Masur prices over the past one week have fallen by almost ₹300 a quintal with arrivals outstripping demand.

5. Crude oil prices advanced further in Asia today as dealers cheered signs of a dip in North American crude production, while a robust US jobs report also provided support, analysts said.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March delivery rose 65 cents to USD 52.34 while Brent crude for March rose 35 cents to USD 58.15 in mid—morning trade.

6.  Packaging material maker Essel Propack Suzhou Ltd (EPSL) at Suzhou of East China expanded manufacturing capabilities in Egypt and China to cater to FMCG and cosmetic brands in West Asian, African and Chinese markets.

7. There are 22,000 packaging companies in India and the sector is expected to grow from  $24.6 billion to $32 billion by 2025.

India Food & Agri News - 6thFeb'15 !

1. Easy Planter - With the help of Easy Planter, Vegetable samplings can be planted at low cost. Savings of Rs.3000 per acre can be noted and 3 people instead of 15 people effort would suffice.This tool is made of stainless steel and weighs 2kgs costing just Rs.3000 per unit.

2. The World Ocean Science Congress (WOSC-2015) began on Thursday in Kochi. Participants said that Rapid commercialisation of the ocean sector with little regard to ecology is a major threat to marine ecosystem and the very existence of mankind.

The fishing community of Kerala said implementation of the Commission’s recommendations would adversely affect their livelihood and lead to their displacement.

3. As per data released today, as much as 32.24 lakh tonnes of urea was available in January compared to the requirement of 29.41 lakh tonnes and the maximum quantity was supplied to Uttar Pradesh, followed by Punjab and Haryana.

4. Led by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, oil millers have appealed to the Government to increase the import duty on cooking oils with the steady fall in international prices (6%) hurting the domestic industry.

5. A brood of egg companies in India are innovating the breakfast staple with odourless and herb-infused variants, which are flying off discerning urban shelves.

6. 270 Indian firms, trade bodies to attend 'Gulfood', scheduled to be held from February 8-12 in Dubai.

India Agri & Food Updates - 5th Feb'15 !

1. Sugar production this season (October 2014-September 2015) increased to 134.83 lakh tonnes (lt) as of January 31, about 15 per cent higher than the same period a year ago, according to data released by the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA).

2. Government has decided to make it mandatory for sugarcane farmers to use drip irrigation systems in their farms. The fund raising and modalities of such a massive plan is being worked out by various departments .

3. A fresh wet spell is being forecast for not just central and adjoining north-west India but also for parts of peninsular India from the weekend as another bout of interactive weather unfolds.

4.  Prospects for wheat exports in the new marketing season are turning bleak on falling global prices even as the country is seen headed for a bumper output this year.
The recent fall in Euro against the dollar has made the French wheat cheaper thereby exerting pressure on the global prices. Wheat prices, which hovered around $6.6 a bushel in Chicago during mid December are now down to $4.98 per bushel.

5. Agriculture supporters in India are requesting to lift the prevailing restrictions on Transport, Processing and Storing of agri commodities in place not only among States, but within a State and even within a district.

6. Shimoga-based University Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS) suggest farmers to adopt an integrated farming approach i.e to grow to grow pepper, papaya, ginger and turmeric as intercrops in cashew plantations.
Farmers, who take up arecanut cultivation, should consider taking up cocoa as an intercrop in their plantations.

7. Maharashtra and Karnataka appear to be leading the way as producers of high quality grapes, bringing cheer to India’s fledging wine industry. As cooler temperatures last February and March improved yields and quality, India’s wine production hit a record 17 million litres in 2014.

8. To capture the Hard boiled candies segment growing at 9 percent with a total market size of Rs 1,800 crore,  DS Group today announced its entry to the Candy segment with the launch of Pass Pass 'Pulse' candy in Jaipur.

Indian Agri updates - 03Feb'2015 !

1. The Centre has called upon coconut Farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to leverage the benefits of the ‘Make in India’ campaign to capture the global market for coconut products. The total foreign exchange earnings from this crop has gone up to ₹2,632 crore in 2013-14 against ₹2,318 crore in 2012-13.

2. With the leverage of Cloud (Amazon) and Social Media (FaceBook, Google Adwords), the mother and son duo of Girija & Karthik managed to sell online 17,000 bags of odourless, soil-less mix made of coco peat, vermiculite and organic fertilisers to customers in 110 cities across India last year.

3. India ranked fourth in the area under genetically modified (GM) crops in 2014, says a report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), with a coverage
of 181.5 million hectares (m ha) last year.

4. Fiji is keen on signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India for technology transfer between the two countries, especially in market development activities in the coconut sector.

5. About 84 fisherfolk from the States of Bihar and Jharkhand have been brought to the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad on Monday for a 10-day training and exposure programme. They will be exposed to best management practices including culture, processing and marketing aspects.

6. After witnessing a muted growth in 2014, India's FMCG sector is all set for a healthy revival due to drop in inflation. The growth in FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sector was a tepid 7 per cent in the just concluded calendar year, a steep decline from 18-19 per cent clocked in 2010-11.

7. Punjab State Co-operative Milk Producers Federation Limited (Milkfed) has procured 453.93 lakh kg of milk from 6,359 societies of the state in December. Milkfed's daily average milk procurement in Punjab is 1,464.3 thousand kg.

India Agri & Food updates - 02Feb'15 !

1. The Indian nutraceuticals industry which is at USD2.2 billion, is expected to grow at 20 percent to USD 6.1 billion by 2019-2020.

2. Biscuits and confectionery manufacturer Parle Products, will only be focussing on its existing range of products,to consolidate its market position over the next 1-2 years rather than launching new items.

3. The Rs.175 Crore, Homegrown food brand Sankalp will make its food retailing foray by March to compete with MTR, GITS and McCain with a range of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook processed foods.

4. Monsanto India shares jumped 18 per cent in morning trade and was headed towards its biggest daily gain since September 2014, on reports that Govt may back GM crops.

5. Edible oils experienced a mixed trend on the Bombay Commodity Exchange. Imported palmolein, soya oil and cotton refined oil declined by ₹3, ₹5 and ₹5 for 10 kg each.

Global Agri Round-up - Jan'15 !

1. The precision agriculture market is set to reach a target of $6bn by 2022 with a growth rate of 17% in U.S.

2. The Andersons an established U.S player has launched Maumee Ventures to invest into emerging agriculture technologies.

3. FarmLogs, the mobile application agtech firm raised $10 million in Series B round from new and existing investors.

4. A lack of good quality information about agriculture commodities prices and weather is holding back development for many of Africa’s farmers – and creates an opportunity for information service providers.

5. Aqua Spark, the open-ended sustainable aquaculture fund has invested $4m into a US biotech company and a tilapia producer in Mozambique.

6. The Uruguayan timber group recently raised $70m for its second domestic timber investment trust, Bosques del Uruguay II.

7. Speaking at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin, FAO’s director-general called for a widespread transition into sustainable farming globally.

8. GrowLife, the hydroponic equipment seller, has sold a minority stake to ex-CEO Sterling Scott. The company is likely to need additional funding for expansion soon.

9. Gotham Greens raised $10million in the Series B capital to expand the construction of its greenhouse projects into new cities.

10. A recent data report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association puts venture capital investment into agriculture at $175m in 2014.

11. The Swedish packaging industry is growing 1% faster than GDP, according to packaging organization, packbridge.

January'2015 - India Agri Roundup !

1. The 51st Asia Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) meeting will be held at Crowne Plaza in Koch (Kerala) from February 2 to 5.

2. Hit by oversupply of oranges from Maharashtra, growers on kinnow, a citrus mandarin fruit, in Punjab have seen almost 50 per cent plunge in their returns this season from potential markets.Growers expect transport subsidy from Govt.

3. Baba Ramdev extends his empire from Yoga and Ayurveda to FMCG sector under the umbrella name of Patanjali, with a range of products from soaps to corn flakes.

4. The Central Govt of India has said that 2.26 million tonnes of urea has been supplied till Jan'26.

5. While Govt of Maharashtra has approved GM trials, farmers oppose the same.

6. Sugarcane Breeding Institute has urged Industry to experiment new cane varieties.

7. The world’s biggest trade fair on coir and natural fibres began on 1st Feb in Alapuzzha, with participation of around 170 buyers from 53 countries, including the US, Russia, Africa and many European countries.

8. SourceTrace Agri Business solution mobile app tracks the flow of goods from the farmer’s field (source) to the central processing facilities in the world’s remotest pockets. This US-headquartered company with offices in India, Costa Rica and Bangladesh aids digitisation of field-level transaction data of small and marginal farmers.

9. Fiji is keen on signing a MoU with India for technology transfer between the two countries, especially in market development activities in the coconut sector.

10. The Gubba group, which has a network of 12 cold storage facilities, has set up the country’s first Germplasm Bank in the private sector. Set up with an investment of Rs 4 crore at Medchal Hyderabd, the bank can withstand earthquakes, power outages and fire accidents.

11. India has challenged a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling against a ban on US poultry imports as scientifically invalid. India had banned these imports on fears that they could result in spread of the bird flu.