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Agribusiness, Award, Collaborations, Company News, R&D

The event honoured India’s richest farmers and highlighted Mahindra’s dedication to cutting-edge technology to change the farming landscape

Mahindra Tractors, India’s leading tractor brand celebrates the remarkable achievements of India’s successful farmers through a ground-breaking initiative called ‘Millionaire Farmer of India Award’.

In its second edition, the awards held at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi from December 01 – 03, 2024, witnessed the esteemed presence of Shri. Nitin Gadkari – Honourable Union Minister of Road, Transport, and Highways, Government of India, Shri. Bhagirath Chaudhary – Honourable Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, Prof. Ramesh Chand – Member of National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog, Government of India, and Chairman of the Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, Shri. Parshottam Rupala – Former Union Minister, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri. SP Singh Baghel – Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, along with other dignitaries.

The 3-day event honoured over 1200 farmers, across 300 categories, at the district, state, and national levels, such as horticulturists, spice farmers, poultry, dairy etc. and includes prominent personalities from India’s agriculture industry. At the event Mahindra also showcased a wide range of cutting-edge tractors and farm mechanization solutions.

During the 3-day event, Mahindra Tractors showcased its range of tractors across various categories and farm machinery for various applications. Among these was the Mahindra OJA, Mahindra’s future-ready range of 4WD light-weight tractors.

Like the inaugural edition of Millionaire Farmer of India, Mahindra Tractors will interact with farmers at the district level through roadshows and activities at KVKs (Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s) through the year.

With a primary objective to acknowledge, inspire and elevate the profession of farming in India, the ‘Millionaire Farmer of India Awards’ recognises farmers who through unwavering efforts have not only doubled their farm incomes, but have also achieved millionaire status, through best practices, integrating technology, while attaining record levels of productivity and profitability from their farmlands over the years.

Mahindra is India’s No.1 tractor brand for nearly four decades and is the world’s largest tractor manufacturer by volume. Mahindra rolled-out its first tractor in 1963, through a joint venture with International Harvester, Inc., USA, and in March 2019 became the first Indian tractor brand to sell three million tractors including global sales. Powerful and fuel efficient for longer duty cycles, Mahindra Tractors are Built ‘Tough’ and are known for their exceptional build quality and performance on rugged and unforgiving terrains, for India and over 50 global markets. Mahindra Tractors offer the widest tractor portfolio for India and are developed based on Mahindra’s world-class R&D, product development, quality manufacturing, in India, with world-class testing standards, based on world-class engines, powertrains, and aggregate technologies. This is backed by the country’s most comprehensive tractor sales, service, and spares networks, for lowest total cost of ownership, along with the highest tractor resale value.

Spanning 60 years, Mahindra has broadened its offerings to encompass a diverse range of more than 390 tractor models. During this period, Mahindra Tractors has also established a robust network of over 1200 dealer partners across India, with a customer first orientation that has enabled the brand to provide unparalleled levels of sales, service and spares support to an expanding base of 40 lakh Mahindra Tractors customers.

About Mahindra

Founded in 1945, the Mahindra Group is one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies with 260,000 employees in over 100 countries. It enjoys a leadership position in farm equipment, utility vehicles, information technology and financial services in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality and real estate. The Mahindra Group has a clear focus on leading ESG globally, enabling rural prosperity and enhancing urban living, with a goal to drive positive change in the lives of communities and stakeholders to enable them to Rise.

The event honoured India's richest farmers and

Acts & Schemes – Centre, AgroPolicy, Climate, Environment, India, Interaction, Nature, Opinions, Soil Health, Sustainability

The scheme has a total outlay of Rs 2481 Cr till the 15th Finance Commission (2025-26)

The Govt of India has launched the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) to promote natural farming in mission mode across the country as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.

Rooted in the traditional knowledge inherited from their forefathers, farmers will practise Natural Farming (NF) as a chemical free farming which involves local livestock integrated natural farming methods, diversified crop systems, etc. NF follows local agro-ecological principles rooted in local knowledge, location specific technologies and is evolved as per the local agro-ecology.

NMNF aims at promoting NF practices for providing safe & nutritious food for all. The Mission is designed to support farmers to reduce input cost of cultivation and dependency to externally purchased inputs. Natural farming will build & maintain healthy soil ecosystems, promote biodiversity and encourage diverse cropping systems to enhance resilience as suitable to the local agroecology are the benefits of natural farming. NMNF is launched as a shift to scientifically revive and strengthen agriculture practices towards sustainability, climate resilience and healthy food for farmer families and consumers.

In the next two years, NMNF will be implemented in 15,000 clusters in Gram Panchayats, which are willing, & reach 1 crore farmers and initiate Natural Farming (NF) in 7.5 lakh Ha area. Preference will be given to areas having prevalence of practising NF farmers, SRLM / PACS / FPOs, etc. Further, need-based 10,000 Bio-input Resource Centres (BRCs) will be set-up to provide easy availability and accessibility to ready-to-use NF inputs for farmers.

Under NMNF, around 2000 NF Model Demonstration Farms shall be established at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agricultural Universities (AUs) and farmers’ fields, and shall be supported by experienced and trained Farmer Master Trainers. The willing farmers will be trained in Model Demonstration Farms on the NF package of practices, preparation of NF inputs, etc. near their villages in KVKs, AUs and practising NF farmers’ fields. 18.75 lakh trained willing farmers will prepare inputs like Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, etc. by using their livestock or procure from BRCs. 30,000 Krishi Sakhis/ CRPs will be deployed for awareness generation, mobilisation and handholding of willing farmers in the clusters. Natural Farming practices will help farmers to reduce input cost of cultivation and dependency on externally purchased inputs while rejuvenating soil health, fertility & quality and building resilience to climate risks like waterlogging, flood, drought, etc. These practices also reduce health risks from exposure to fertilisers, pesticides, etc. and provide healthy & nutritious food for the farmers’ family. Further, through Natural Farming, a healthy Mother Earth is bequeathed to the future generations. Through improvement of soil carbon content & water use efficiency, there is an increase in soil microorganisms and biodiversity in NF.

Farmers will be provided with an easy simple certification system and dedicated common branding to provide access to market their natural farming produce. Real time geo-tagged & referenced monitoring of NMNF implementation shall be done through an online portal.

Convergence with existing schemes and support structures of Government of India/ State Governments/ National & International Organisations shall be explored for enhancing local livestock population, development of NF Model Demonstration Farms at Central Cattle Breeding Farms/ Regional Fodder Stations, provide market linkages at district/ block/ GP levels through convergence for local farmers’ markets, APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Mandis, Haats, Depots, etc. Additionally, students will be engaged in NMNF through the RAWE program and dedicated Undergraduate, Postgraduate & Diploma courses on NF.

The scheme has a total outlay of

AgroPolicy, India, Pulses

Stock limits for each pulse is 200 MT for wholesalers; 5 MT for retailers; 5 MT at each retail outlet and 200 MT at depot for big chain retailers.

In order to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, and also to improve affordability to the consumers in respect of tur and chana, Government of India has issued an order where it has imposed stock limits on pulses applicable to wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers, millers and importers. The Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, 2024 has been issued with immediate effect.

Under this order, stock limits have been prescribed for tur and chana, including kabuli chana, until 30th September, 2024 for all States and Union Territories. Stock limits applicable to each of the pulse individually will be 200 MT for wholesalers; 5 MT for retailers; 5 MT at each retail outlet and 200 MT at depot for big chain retailers; last 3 months of production or 25 per cent of annual installed capacity, whichever is higher, for the millers. In respect of importers, the importers are not to hold imported stock beyond 45 days from the date of Customs clearance. The respective legal entities are to declare the stock position on the portal (https://fcainfoweb.nic.in/psp) of Department of Consumer Affairs and in case the stocks held by them are higher than the prescribed limits then, they shall bring the same to the prescribed stock limits by 12th July, 2024.

The imposition of stock limits on tur and chana is a part of slew of measures taken by the Government to crackdown on prices of essential commodities. The Department of Consumer Affairs had been closely monitoring the stock position of pulses through stock disclosure portal. The Department had, in first week of April, 2024 communicated State Governments to enforce mandatory stock disclosure by all stockholding entities, which was followed up with visits to major pulses producing States and trading hubs across the country from last week of April to 10th May, 2024. Separate meetings with traders, stockists, dealers, importers, millers and bigchain retailers were also held to encourage and sensitize them for truthful disclosure of stocks and maintaining affordability of pulses for the consumers.

It may be recalled that the Government had reduced import duty of 66% on desi chana w.e.f. 4th May, 2024 in order to augment the domestic production. The duty reduction has facilitated imports and elicit higher sowing of chana in major producing countries. As per report, chana production in Australia is estimated to increase from 5 lakh tons in 2023-24 to 11 lakh tons in 2024-25 which is expected to be available from October, 2024 onward.

Sowing of Kharif pulses like tur and urad are expected to increase significantly in this season due to high price realization by farmer and above-normal monsoon rains predicted by IMD. Further, import of current year crop of tur from East African countries are expected to arrive from August, 2024 onward.

These factors are expected to help in bringing down the prices of Kharif pulses like tur and urad in the coming month. Arrival new crop of chana in Australia and its availability for import from October, 2024 will help in maintaining availability of chana to the consumers at affordable prices.

Stock limits for each pulse is 200

AgroPolicy, Animal Husbandry, Goat farming, India, Live Stock, Poultry

Livestock Census will be conducted with the use of mobile technology and further transmitting the data online.

A workshop cum training on Pilot Survey of 21st Livestock Census organised at Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh under the Chairpersonship Jagat Hazarika Advisor Animal Husbandry Statistics Division of DAHD, Govt. of India with the senior officers of States/UTs and certain members of Technical Committee constituted for 21st Livestock Census.

The 21st Livestock Census is due in 2024 and will be conducted in participation of all the States/UTs during the period of Sept-Dec, 2024 with the use of mobile technology and further transmitting the data online. The enumeration will be done in all villages and urban wards. Various species of animals (cattle, buffalo, Mithun, yak, sheep, goat, pig, horse, pony, mule, donkey, camel, dog, rabbit and elephant), poultry birds (fowl, duck and other poultry birds) possessed by the households, household enterprises and non-household enterprises will be counted at their site, breed-wise with their age, sex.

Since breed-wise data of animals will also be collected, ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) presented the State wise latest breed list for various species and also highlighted the technique to identify the breed in the field.

Apart from the uses of statistics produced from Livestock Census for implementation of various programme of Livestock Sector, it is also used for National Indicator Framework (NIF) of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Jagat Hazarika, Advisor (Statistics), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India, B. P. Mishra, Director, ICAR-NBAGR, Sh. V. P. Singh, Director DAHD Govt. of India, Anil Chandra Deori, Director, Govt. of Assam, Dr Danjan Longri, Director, AHV & DD Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, Dr (Mrs.) F. S. Thakar, Director, Govt. of Gujrat, Dr Manjunath S. Palegar, Director, Govt. of Karnatka, R. N. Singh, Director, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh and Dr Hana Tama, District Nodal Officer  Govt. of A.P. and other Senior Members of  Union and State Governments were  present in the occasion. 

Livestock Census will be conducted with the

AgroPolicy, Horticulture, India, Supply Chain, Vegetables

For the procurement, NAFED and NCCF are to pre-register the onion farmers to ensure that payments to the farmers are transferred to their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer.

In the current year, the Government has directed NCCF and NAFED to initiate procurement of 5 lakh tonnes of onion for the buffer requirement directly from the farmers as Rabi-2024 harvest started arriving in the market. For the procurement, NAFED and NCCF are to pre-register the onion farmers to ensure that payments to the farmers are transferred to their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer.

Rabi onion is critical for country’s onion availability as it contributes 72 -75 per cent of annual production in the country. The Rabi onion is also crucial for ensuring year-round availability of onion as it has better shelf life compared to Kharif onion and can be stored for supplies till November- December.

It may be recalled that the Department of Consumer Affairs had, through NAFED and NCCF, purchased about 6.4 LMT of Onion during 2023-24 for the buffer stocking as well as intervention by way of simultaneous procurement and disposal. The continuous procurements by the NAFED and NCCF have guaranteed remunerative prices for onion farmers all through the year in 2023. Subsequently, the Department of Consumer Affairs adopted retail sale intervention for disposal of onion through retail outlets and mobile vans operated by NCCF, NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar and other State controlled cooperatives at subsidized price of Rs.25 per kg during last year. The timely intervention and calibrated release ensured stabilization of retail prices effectively without impacting farmer realization.

Global supply scenario and dry spell induced by El Niño had necessitated the Government to take up policy measures to regulate onion exports during FY 2023-24. These measures included 40 per cent duty on onion exports imposed on 19th August 2023, imposition of Minimum Export Price (MEP) of USD 800 per MT with effect from 29th October, 2023 and export prohibition w.e.f. 8th December, 2023 to ensure availability of onion to the domestic consumers at affordable prices.

The recent decision to extend onion export prohibition has been necessitated by the overall domestic availability against the prevailing international prices and global availability concerns.  The Government, meanwhile, has allowed exports to neighboring countries that rely on India for their domestic consumption requirements.  The Government has allowed the export of Onion to Bhutan (550 MT), Bahrain (3,000 MT), Mauritius (1,200 MT), Bangladesh (50,000 MT) and UAE (14,400 MT i.e. 3,600 MT/ quarter).

For the procurement, NAFED and NCCF are

Agro chems – Fertilizers, AgroPolicy, Sugar industry

PDM manufacturers can also claim subsidy at Rs 345/Ton at present rates under Nutrients Based Subsidy Scheme (NBS) of Department of Fertilizers.

The Central Government has facilitated mutually agreed price of Potassium Derived from Molasses (PDM) at Rs 4263/MT for sale by sugar mills to fertilizer companies for the current year. In addition, PDM Manufacturers can also claim subsidy at Rs. 345/Ton at present rates under Nutrients Based Subsidy Scheme (NBS) of Department of Fertilizers. Now, both, sugar mills and fertilizer companies are discussing modalities to enter into long-term sale/purchase agreement on PDM.

PDM, a potassium rich fertilizer derived from ash in molasses-based distilleries is a by-product of sugar-based ethanol industry. These distilleries produce a waste chemical called spent wash during production of ethanol which is burnt in Incineration Boiler (IB) generating Ash to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD). The potash-rich ash can be processed to produce PDM having 14.5 per cent potash content and can be used by farmers in field as an alternative to MOP (Muriate of Potash with 60 per cent potash content).

Currently, potash as a fertilizer is totally imported in the form of MoP. Production of PDM domestically will reduce import dependency and will make India Atmanirbhar (Self-reliant) in production of PDM. Presently about 5 LMT of Potash Ash generated from ethanol distilleries is being sold domestically whereas the potential to produce this Ash could reach up to 10-12 LMT.

Manufacturing and sale of PDM is going to be another revenue stream for sugar mills to add to their cash flows and also to make payment to farmers in timely manner. It is another initiative of Central Government to reduce import dependence in Fertilizer Sector.

PDM manufacturers can also claim subsidy at

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Digital Technologies

A Tripartite MoU signed between the National Farmers’ Welfare Programme Implementation Society, IndiaAI and Wadhwani Foundation

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, is leveraging cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies for the benefit of farmers and to increase overall productivity. As a pioneering force in the integration of AI, the Ministry is setting a precedent for leveraging advanced technologies to address the challenges faced by the farmers in India. It is championing the India Digital Ecosystem Architecture (InDEA) 2.0’s network approach, designed by the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India.

A significant milestone in this journey is the development of ‘Kisan e-Mitra,’ an AI-powered chatbot addressing farmers’ queries about the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This comprehensive solution, available in Hindi, Tamil, Odia, Bangla, and English, is evolving to support other government programs and has been accessed by more than 21 lakh farmers within 2 months.

Additionally, the Ministry is developing a National Pest Surveillance System in collaboration with the private sector. AI and Machine Learning (ML) models detect crop issues, offering timely information to farmers for swift action. This initiative is expected to result in healthier crops, potentially boosting yields and improving farmers’ livelihoods.

A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Farmers’ Welfare Programme Implementation Society, IndiaAI under Digital India Corporation, and Wadhwani Foundation. The MoU was signed in the presence of Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Dr. P.K. Meherda, Additional Secretary, Ruchika Gupta, Advisor(Digital), Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary(Extn.), Muktanand Agrawal, Director (Digital), other senior officials from Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Electronics & IT and Prakash Kumar, CEO, Wadhwani Institute of Technology and Policy.

Per the MoU, the Wadhwani Foundation will provide critical support in formulating and executing an AI strategy. The Foundation commits to assisting the Ministry in establishing India as a global leader in AI-driven digital agriculture transformation, aligning with MeitY’s National Plan for AI. This collaboration marks a pivotal moment in India’s agricultural landscape, where the Ministry has institutionalised the use of AI in transforming digital agriculture through the creation of an AI cell within the Ministry.

A Tripartite MoU signed between the National

India, Interaction

Photo caption: Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India lighting the lamp to inaugurate the Growers Conclave at the 5th World Coffee Conference 2023 along with other dignitaries on September 28, 2023 in Bengaluru.

“The demand for coffee has grown over the past decade. We consume close to 3 billion cups of coffee worldwide which is expected to double in the next 25 years,” said Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India.

Speaking at the Growers Conclave, a critical component of the four-day event of 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) 2023 Bhatia said “The demand for coffee is being led by coffee producing countries who are rising to the demands despite the challenges of climate change and other factors.”

Bhatia further said “Adoption of sustainable practices which is the theme of this conference is apt and the discussions have resulted in enlightening insights. Coffee Growers are at the heart of this conference and therefore the conference addresses challenges and solutions aimed at this community, many of whom are fourth and fifth generation growers.”

At the session- Exploring Coffee Origins: An Insider’s Perspective of coffee production and agricultural practices Dr Manuel Diaz, Senior consultant

ONA Consulting, offered valuable insights into the journey of coffee from farm to market, focusing on the challenges faced by farmers and the strategies they employ to ensure high-quality coffee production. “The backbone of the coffee value system is the flavour of the coffee. We are still in the evolution phase of coffee processing. Fermentation, metabolic action, and heat pressure play an active role, as do methods of growing coffee in various regions. Hence, farmers need to focus on producing ‘flavours’ and not ‘beans’” explained Dr Diaz.  

Advancement in technology and innovation are the two primary factors which not only mitigate the negative impacts of climate change but also help to ramp up coffee production, said experts at the session on ‘Correlation of Quality with Advances in Machine Technology, Mechanisation and Processing of Coffee’. Coffee has been an integral part of human culture for centuries, but the way we produce and enjoy it has evolved significantly, thanks to the relentless progress of technology. “Technology can not only increase efficiency, but also offer better quality control and improve blends leading to more profits and happier clients”, said Carlos Brando, a coffee expert with over 20 years of experience in the coffee industry.

Dr K.G. Jagadeesha, CEO and Secretary, Coffee Board of India and a host of esteemed dignitaries, government officials, national & international delegates and most importantly Coffee Growers were present at the Growers Conclave.

Photo caption: Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Additional Secretary,

AgroPolicy, India, Pulses

Stock limit for wholesalers and big chain retailers at depot reduced to 50 MT.

The government has extended the time period for existing stock limits under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 in respect of tur and urad from 30th October 2023 to 31st December 2023 and also revised the stock holding limits for certain stockholding entities. As per the notification issued today, the limit for stock with wholesalers and also big chain retailers at depot has been reduced from 200 MT to 50 MT, and the limit for miller has been reduced from last 3 months production or 25 per cent of annual capacity, whichever is higher to last 1 month production or 10 per cent of annual capacity, whichever is higher.

The revision in stock limits and extension of the time period is to prevent hoarding and elicit the continuous release of Tur and Urad in sufficient quantities to the market and make tur dal and urad dal available at affordable prices for the consumers.

As per the latest order, stock limits have been prescribed for tur and urad until 31st December, 2023 for all States and Union Territories. Stock limits applicable to each of the pulse individually will be 50 MT for wholesalers; 5 MT for retailers; 5 MT at each retail outlet and 50 MT at depot for big chain retailers; last 1 month of production or 10 per cent of annual installed capacity, whichever is higher, for the millers. In respect of importers, the importers are not to hold imported stock beyond 30 days from the date of Customs clearance. The respective legal entities are to declare the stock position on the portal (https://fcainfoweb.nic.in/psp) of Department of Consumer Affairs and in case the stocks held by them are higher than the prescribed limits then, they shall bring the same to the prescribed stock limits within 30 days of issue of the notification.

Earlier the government had on 2nd January 2023, issued stock limit notification for tur and urad in order to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation and also to improve affordability to the consumers. The Department of Consumer Affairs is closely monitoring the stock position of tur and urad through stock disclosure portal which has been reviewed on weekly basis with the State Government.

Stock limit for wholesalers and big chain

AgroPolicy, Biofuel industry, India

India’s Biofuel Standards Offer Significant Support to Industry

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India commits to complement the green initiatives of the country through the development of relevant standards. Through an official release, BIS also announced that the Indian Standards will significantly complement the objectives of the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA), the multilateral forum announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 leaders’ summit held recently in New Delhi.

The BIS release also quoted the Director General, of BIS, Pramod Kumar Tiwari who said, “The announcement of Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 summit is a historic development in global efforts towards achieving clean energy goals. We, at the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), being the National Standards Body of India, are committed to supporting this path-breaking initiative of the Government of India through the development of relevant Indian Standards and necessary quality parameters/performance specifications.”

The release also highlighted the key standards that would aid stakeholders including manufacturers, traders, and other entities dealing with biofuel or related matters. The release stated that espousing the ethanol blending program and the objectives of the GBA, BIS has developed the following nine Indian standards on biofuels:

IS 15464: 2022 Anhydrous Ethanol for Use as Blending Component in Motor Gasoline – Specification

IS 15607: 2022 Biodiesel B-100 – Fatty Acid Methyl Esters FAME – Specification

IS 16087: 2016 Biogas (Biomethane) – Specification (First Revision)

IS 16531: 2022 Biodiesel Diesel Fuel Blend B8 to B20 Specification

IS 16629: 2017 Hydrous ethanol for use in ED95 automotive fuel – Specification

IS 16634: 2017 E85 fuel (Blend Of Anhydrous Ethanol And Gasoline) – Specification

IS 17021: 2018 E 20 fuel – Admixture of anhydrous ethanol and gasoline – As fuel for spark-ignited engine-powered vehicles – Specification

IS 17081: 2019 Aviation turbine fuel (Kerosene Type, Jet A – 1) containing synthesized hydrocarbons – Specification

IS 17821: 2022 Ethanol as a Fuel for Use in Positive Ignition Engine Powered Vehicles – Specification

It is also informed by BIS that additionally, the development of a standard on paraffinic (green) diesel, which is derived from 2G feedstock, is also under progress. With the help of these set of standards, BIS believes, that increased capacity of biofuel production can be achieved and will provide multipronged benefits. It was also added that ‘it will not only help in meeting the target of net zero by 2070 and 50 per cent energy through renewable sources, but will also contribute in achieving several other objectives such as Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Waste to Wealth, and increasing farmers’ income to name a few.

Notably, during the 18th G20 Summit under the presidency of India at New Delhi, the G20 leaders launched the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA) – a forum of 30 countries and international institutions to facilitate the adoption of biofuels.  GBA is an India-led initiative towards the goal of sustainability and clean energy. It aims at achieving worldwide development and deployment of sustainable biofuels through the formulation of national policy, development of the marketplace, evolution of technological competency, and adoption and implementation of internationally recognized standards and codes of practice.

Reportedly, the USA, Brazil, and India are the major producers and consumers of biofuels. These three countries collectively contribute to 85 per cent production and 81 per cent consumption of ethanol globally. The global ethanol market was valued at $ 99 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 5 per cent by 2032, creating a huge opportunity for Indian industries and contributing to farmers’ income, job creation and overall development of the Indian ecosystem.

It was estimated that currently, about 98 per cent of the fuel requirement in India for the transportation sector is met by fossil fuels and the remaining 2 per cent by biofuels. India’s import of petroleum in 2020-2021 cost about 55 billion dollars to the exchequer. More recently, the Russia-Ukraine war has spiked global oil prices and the import of oil and gas with inflated prices has further burdened the Indian economy. Blending of ethanol up to 20 per cent with gasoline will lead to savings of around $4 billion.

Hence, Indian Oil Manufacturing Companies (OMCs) are working towards provisioning new distilleries for the production of 1G and 2G ethanol and Indian vehicle manufacturers are developing engines compliant with ethanol-blended fuel. The government has also started an interest subvention scheme for molasses and grain-based distilleries to promote ethanol production. It is also foreseen that flex-fuel vehicles, which are capable of utilising ethanol-blended gasoline up to 85 per cent and are already operational in the USA and Brazil, are soon to make an entry in India.

India’s Biofuel Standards Offer Significant Support to

AgroPolicy, Sugar industry

This fully digital initiative will facilitate smooth sugar market with deterrence to commodity hoarders from any speculative transactions.

Government of India has been successfully maintaining stable retail price of sugar in the country. As a proactive measure to combat hoarding and curb unscrupulous speculation in the sugar market Government has issued orders to mandatory disclose stock position of sugar for Traders/Wholesaler, Retailer, Big Chain Retailer, Processors of Sugar on the portal (https://esugar.nic.in) of Department of Food and PD on every Monday.

This mandatory weekly stock disclosure for these entities is another proactive step in Government of India’s efforts to maintain a balanced and fair sugar market. By preventing hoarding and speculation, Government of India is aiming to ensure that sugar remains affordable for all consumers. This proactive measure empowers regulatory authorities to closely monitor stock levels and take prompt action against any potential market manipulation.

This fully digital initiative will facilitate smooth sugar market with deterrence to commodity hoarders from any speculative transactions. Besides, it will also provide real-time data on sugar stocks and help the Government to make further policy decisions, as and when need arises, to mitigate the impact of rumours of rising sugar prices on consumers and the industry.

Further, Government is also expecting cooperation from sugar mills and traders to adhere to the relevant laws and monthly domestic quota norms. Strict action will be taken against the mills violating the same.

With 83 LMT at the end of August 2023 and expected beginning of crushing in Oct 2023, India has sufficient stocks for domestic consumption with absolutely no shortage for festivals. In fact, Government has released first tranche of domestic sales quota of 13 LMT also which sugar mills can start selling with immediate effect. More quota will be released in due course in view of market conditions.

This fully digital initiative will facilitate smooth

AgroPolicy, India, Interaction

The 14th World Spice Congress commenced on Friday, September 15 in Navi Mumbai where Amardeep Singh Bhatia, IAS, Additional Secretary, Government of India said, the India Spice market will reach the milestone of $10 billion export by 2030.

The mega spice event, the 14th World Spice Congress (WSC) commenced on Friday, September 15 at the CIDCO Exhibition Centre at Vashi in Navi Mumbai where around 1300 delegates both from India and internationally participated with great enthusiasm. Amardeep Singh Bhatia, IAS, Additional Secretary, Dept. of Commerce, Government of India, during his inaugural address for the 14th edition of the WSC said that India’s spice export is $4 billion and is expected to reach $10 billion by 2030.

“India is a leading player in the global spice industry. Traditionally India has been the spice centre of the world. In order to ensure that India continues to maintain its traditional strength there are several things to work on in the entire chain of spices from growers to marketers,” he added. “It is a shared responsibility of the government and Spices Board to come up with schemes and programmes to facilitate testing labs, assessment quality standards, etc. This three-day event will give a lot of business opportunities to all the stakeholders, delegates, exhibitors and producers,” he said.

Highlighting the potentials of the Indian spices industry, D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board, said, “The spices legacy is part of human culture. India is the spice bowl of the world. There is tremendous potential to explore product development, biotech, etc. in India. More than 75 spices are grown in India and each state has spices to offer. The future of the world spice industry will be discussed at the three-day event of World Spice Congress.”

The first day of the event commenced with the inauguration of an exhibition highlighting the variety of spices and value-added spice products as well as innovative technologies and solutions in the spices industry and a visual presentation on Indian Spice Sector by D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board. While presenting he highlighted the illustrious journey of the Indian Spice industry, current trends, emphasizing technology, sustainability, and the demand for unique blends. With an eye on the future, he ignited optimism for the industry’s boundless growth potential in an increasingly diverse world.

                                                                                                                    By Abhitash Singh

The 14th World Spice Congress commenced on

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Supply Chain

Centre brings down the reserve price by Rs 200 per qtl and the effective price will be Rs 2900 per Qtl.

Government of India has decided that Food Corporation of India (FCI)shall offload 50 LMT of wheat and 25 LMT of rice in open market in a phased manner under Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic)[OMSS(D)] for sale through E-auction. Keeping in view the experience of the past 5 e-auctions for rice by FCI, it has been decided that the reserve price will be brought down by Rs 200/Qtl and the effective price now will be Rs 2900/Qtl. The cost on account of reduction in the reserve price will be borne from the Price Stabilization Fund maintained by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

As on 7.8.2023 in one year, the wheat prices have gone up by 6.77 per cent in retail market and 7.37 per cent in wholesale market. Similarly, the rice prices in retail market have gone up by 10.63 per cent and 11.12 per cent in wholesale market.

Keeping in view the benefit of over 140 crore citizens of the country, Government of India has taken this decision to offer wheat and rice under OMSS(D) to private parties for increasing availability, moderate the rise in market prices and control food inflation. However, it is relevant to mention that Government is also providing foodgrains to NFSA beneficiaries as per their entitlement free of cost as committed under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PM-GKAY) w.e.f. 1st January, 2023.

Stocks are offloaded under OMSS(D) from time to time to achieve multiple objectives including, inter-alia, disposal of excess stocks, reducing the carrying cost of foodgrains, enhance supply of foodgrains during lean season & deficit regions and to moderate the market prices. In the calendar year 2023, wheat & rice are being offloaded by FCI in a phased manner as per reserve prices fixed by GoI.

Centre brings down the reserve price by

Company News, Horticulture, India

The event will be held from September 25th to 28th at the Bangalore Palace in Bengaluru

The 5th World Coffee Conference (WCC) 2023 has been announced by the International Coffee Organisation (ICO), in partnership with the Coffee Board of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Government of Karnataka, and the coffee industry. The event will be held from September 25th to 28th at the well-known Bangalore Palace in Bengaluru.

During the unveiling, the global coffee community gathered to celebrate the future of the coffee sector, with the theme of ‘Sustainability through Circular Economy and Regenerative Agriculture,’ reflecting the industry’s commitment to environmentally friendly practices. Dr S. Selvakumar, Principal Secretary of the Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Karnataka, highlighted the investment and employment opportunities across the coffee value chain.

Dr K.G. Jagadeesha, CEO, and Secretary, of the Coffee Board of India, announced Rohan Bopanna, India’s top Tennis Player and Arjuna Awardee, as the Brand Ambassador for the event, which marks the first time Asia will host the conference.

Jagdish Patankar, Executive Chairman of MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications and Event Curators, presented an exciting lineup of activities, including a Conference, Exhibition, Skill-Building Workshops, CEO & Global Leaders Forum, Growers Conclave, Competitions & Awards, Plantation Tours, Cultural Evenings, Buyer-Seller Meet, and B2B Meetings, ensuring a comprehensive and enriching experience for attendees.

The event will be held from September