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AgroPolicy, Animal Health, Animal Husbandry, Dairy, Dairy, India, Live Stock

Key Strategies discussed to boost Livestock Sector: Vaccination, Fodder Cooperatives, Disease Control

A Regional Review Meeting of the Northern States/UTs was held on 12th November 2024 in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The meeting brought together Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, Directors and scheme officers from the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Departments of the Northern States/UTs including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to discuss the progress of various departmental programs and schemes. Key officials of the department including Ms. Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary and Shri Jagat Hazarika, Adviser (Statistics) were also present for the meeting.

During the meeting, Secretary DAHD reviewed the physical and financial progress of several key schemes, including the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), Entrepreneurship Development under the National Livestock Mission (NLM), the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) and the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) During the meeting, progress of Government of India’s flagship LHDCP(Livestock Health and Disease Control Program), which focuses on vaccination against major diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD),Brucellosis, PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants) and Classical Swine Fever(CSF) was also reviewed, with discussions on the status of six-monthly vaccinations for cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats.

Discussions were also held on several other topics including components under Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases (ASCAD), the operationalization of Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) and the formation of “Pashukalyan Samities.” Alka Upadhyaya, urged the states to speed up vaccinations and increase reporting to prevent disease spread. She underscored the need for sero-surveillance and mentioned that the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Free-zones should be a focus. Highlighting the importance of growth in the dairy sector, she emphasized upon the need to increase processing capacity and diversifying dairy products. Secretary, DAHD encouraged the States to spend funds for interest subvention under NLM. She asked the states to monitor claim-to-settlement ratio and review the progress constantly. On the issue of fodder production, she requested all the states to constitute fodder cooperatives. Increasing the coverage of the organized dairy sector, promoting Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) especially in the Goat, Pig and Poultry sector and optimising the infrastructure and wealth creation by taking the benefits of NLM and AHIDF were highlighted as strategic approaches to strengthen the livestock sector in the Northern region. Secretary, DAHD also emphasized the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure the success of the ongoing 21st Livestock Census that plays a critical role in shaping future policies and programs for the Animal Husbandry sector and called for leveraging the latest technologies to achieve its successful implementation.

Key Strategies discussed to boost Livestock Sector:

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India

The exhibit delves into the many superpowers of millets, showcasing their diverse varieties, cultivation methods, and culinary uses.

In collaboration with India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Google Arts & Culture launched a new digital exhibit, “Millets: Seeds of Change,” celebrating the rich history and growing international importance of millets, of which India is the world’s largest producer. The digital exhibition highlights the history of millets from ancient grains to modern-day superfoods, as well as their nutritional benefits, contribution to global climate resilience, and potential to address global food security challenges.

The exhibit delves into the many superpowers of millets, showcasing their diverse varieties, cultivation methods, and culinary uses. It features simple and delicious millet recipes from celebrated chefs like award-winner Chef Thomas Zacharias, who is leading a millet revival movement. Interactive elements like quizzes and crosswords allow visitors to test their knowledge and engage with the content in a fun and informative way.

Launching the exhibit at Krishi Bhavan, Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare stated: “When India spearheaded the UNGA resolution to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets, we did so with the objective of sharing our agricultural practices and experiences with the world. We were gratified to see ‘Shree Anna’, which holds immense potential for multiplier impact – including offering India’s small farmers a doorway to prosperity – receiving interest during the global G20 Summit. Our hope and ambition are that the conversations that have been generated over the past year translate into the advantages of millets spreading farther and wider. I thank Google Arts & Culture for supporting us in this endeavour with a dedicated digital exhibit.”

Amit Sood, Director, Google Arts & Culture remarked on the collaboration: “Google Arts & Culture is dedicated to leveraging technology, offering global audiences an interactive way to engage with cultural and historical treasures that shape our world. We are proud to have worked with India’s Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to celebrate one such prime example from the ancient world that is capable of transformative impact – for the world of today and of tomorrow. Given its long-standing versatility in addressing multiple nutritional and sustainability challenges, it is little surprise that millets are witnessing a global resurgence. We are glad to lend our technology and platform to support the growing popularity of this food group.”

The exhibit delves into the many superpowers

AgroPolicy, India, Live Stock, Poultry

To promote export the department recognised 33 poultry compartments as free from Avian Influenza.

 A roundtable meeting was held yesterday here under the chairpersonship of the Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Alka Upadhaya. This strategic gathering brought together key stakeholders, including leading companies, state governments, and industry associations, to deliberate on the “Export of Indian Poultry Products: Challenges and Strategies to Strengthen the Poultry Ecosystem.”

In the meeting, Alka Upadhaya highlighted that the Indian poultry sector, now an integral part of agriculture, has played a crucial role in meeting protein and nutritional needs. While the production of crops has been rising at a rate of 1.5 to 2 percent per annum, that of eggs and broilers has been rising at a rate of 8 to 10 percent per annum. Over the past two decades, it has evolved into a mega-industry, positioning India as a major global producer of eggs and broiler meat.

In the fiscal year 2022-23, India made significant strides in the global market, exporting a notable 664,753.46 metric tons of poultry products, with a total worth of Rs. 1,081.62 crores (134.04 million USD) to over 57 countries. According to a recent market intelligence study, the Indian poultry market achieved a remarkable valuation of USD 30.46 billion in 2023 with a CAGR of 8.1 per cent from 2024-2032.

Alka Upadhaya informed that the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying has been taking various initiatives to boost the export. The Department has recently submitted a self-declaration of freedom from High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza. To promote export the Department has recognized 33 poultry compartments as free from Avian Influenza. The Department based on the validity has been notified 26 compartments to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). On October 13, 2023, the self-declaration was approved by WOAH. Further, the Department took initiatives to resolve the issue of feed shortage in the past years.

Upadhaya strongly emphasised on the promotion of poultry exports, strengthening the Indian poultry sector, improving the ease of doing business, addressing challenges in poultry product exports, and strategizing the integration of units in the informal sector and further cementing poultry sectors position on the world stage. She also shared insights on Department proactive approach to mitigate the risks associated with HPAI by adopting the concept of poultry compartmentalization to facilitate the international trade of poultry and poultry-related products.

The roundtable meeting served as a platform for dynamic exchanges, encouraging collaborative efforts to address current challenges and formulate robust strategies for the sustainable growth of the Indian Poultry sector. In the meeting the poultry sector representatives, exporters discussed various issues related to poultry export.

To promote export the department recognised 33

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, IT

Currently, the Chatbot is available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, and Tamil. In a short period, it will be available in all 22 languages of the country.

Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India launched AI Chatbot for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme at New Delhi. The launch of AI Chatbot marks a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency and reach of the PM-KISAN scheme, and also providing farmers prompt, clear, and accurate responses to their queries.

Launching the AI Chatbot, Choudhary said the AI Chatbot will help in accessing scheme information and resolving grievances. He also called upon the need to widen the service to link it with other related issues like weather information, soil conditions and bank payments etc. The minister complemented the Ministry officials for onboarding the technology in a short span of time and added that it will ease the burden for agriculture officials at the Centre and states.

During the virtual event, dignitaries from the Government of India and the State Government gathered to celebrate this significant milestone in the agricultural sector. The successful launch of the AI Chatbot for PM KISAN scheme reaffirms the Government’s commitment to leveraging technological advancements for the welfare of farmers.

 Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Family Welfare noted that the AI chatbot will also be implemented for other major schemes of the Ministry in coming months.  Pramod Mehreda, Addl. Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Family Welfare made a detailed presentation on the features of Chatbot and its benefits for farmers.

The AI Chatbot acts as a comprehensive guide for the beneficiaries, providing them with timely and accurate responses to their queries related to the scheme. This is the first AI Chatbot integrated with a major flagship scheme of the Union government. It has been developed and improved with the support of EKstep foundation and Bhashini. The introduction of the AI chatbot in the PM-KISAN grievance management system is aimed at empowering farmers with a user-friendly and accessible platform. In its first phase of development, the AI chatbot will assist farmers in seeking information related to their application status, payment details, ineligibility status, and other scheme-related updates. The AI Chatbot, accessible through the PM KISAN mobile app, is integrated with Bhashini, which offers multilingual support, catering to the linguistic and regional diversity of the PM KISAN beneficiaries. This integration of advanced technology will not only enhance transparency but will also empower farmers to make informed decisions.

Currently, the Chatbot is available in English,

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, Start ups

FICCI PwC Knowledge Report: Propelling India’s millet sector towards a sustainable future, was released in FICCI Millet Conclave ‘Shree Anna’.

Dr Sudhanshu, Secretary, APEDA, highlighted the emergence of more than 80 startups in the millet sector within the past year and a half, responsible for developing well-packaged products, and acknowledged the innovation from large retail organisations.  Dr Sudhanshu was addressing the FICCI Millet Conclave ‘Shree Anna’.

Dr Sudhanshu emphasised the need for continuous efforts to provide guidance and support to small entrepreneurs and startups in the millet area, recognising the need for handholding rather than focusing solely on large export houses. In addition, he stressed sustaining the momentum after the launch of the campaign and expressing the commitment to take it to the next level.

Reflecting on the past one and a half years, Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops, Oil Seeds), Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare noted the significant growth of startups in the millet sector, which has captured the attention of the highest levels of government. She emphasised the importance of making the millet movement a mass movement in India and globally. 

The programme also saw the felicitation of winners of the 2nd Edition of Millet Startup Awards and Millet Idea Competition of Higher Education Students on “Creating India’s Millet Revolution: Game-Changing Idea”. 

On occasion, FICCI PwC Knowledge Report: Propelling India’s millet sector towards a sustainable future, was released. Speaking on the report, Shashi Kant Singh, Partner at PwC India, outlined the policy implications for the next 10 to 15 years, production aspects, awareness creation, innovation, and market development for millets.

Speaking on occasion, TR Kesavan, Chairman of the FICCI National Agriculture Committee & Group President, TAFE, passionately advocated for integrating millets into the regular diet, emphasising its multifaceted benefits, including nutritional value, climatic resilience, and income generation for farmers. He highlighted the challenges in cultivation, the need for mechanisation, and the importance of making millets profitable.

In his address, Dr Khader Vali, known as the Millet Man of India, passionately advocated for millets to eliminate various diseases. He emphasised that millets go beyond nutrition, offering a unique solution to global health challenges. Dr Vali highlighted the sustainable cultivation of millets, which requires minimal water, and lamented the disappearance of many traditional varieties. His insights served as a call to action, urging a reconnection with millets, recognising their unparalleled health benefits, and promoting sustainable cultivation. 

 Ravinder Balain, President South Asia at Corteva Agriscience, highlighted the United Nations’ declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millet on India’s proposal and the Indian government’s subsequent initiatives to raise awareness about millets.

FICCI PwC Knowledge Report: Propelling India’s millet

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Foodgrains, India

Agriculture sector is growing at a fast pace, and we need to have frameworks to strengthen the eco-system in the agriculture sector.

“The government is devising a model for development of the agriculture sector under the PPP mode. It will allow the private sector to work with the government for the benefit of the farmers. Due to the increasing demand coming in the maize sector in coming years, we would require a quantum jump in our production to the level of 40-45 million tons in the next 4-5 years. We also need to systematically understand the wastage and losses in the entire value chain and solve it,” said Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt of India. Ahuja was addressing the 9th edition of ‘India Maize Summit 2023’, organized by FICCI in New Delhi.

 Ahuja also emphasized that agriculture sector is growing at a fast pace, and we need to have frameworks to strengthen the eco-system in the agriculture sector. We need to have workable frameworks in which we can work together in a collaborative and easy manner. It will bring more ease of doing business, certainty, clarity and transparency while working with the government,” he added.

 Abdul Sattar, Minister of Agriculture, Govt of Maharashtra said that Maharashtra government is committed to support the industry coming forward to support the welfare of farmers and agricultural sector. “The state government will provide all necessary support to the industry along with providing financial support and connecting with the farmers. Through this process we can also increase farmers income by increasing the maize production,” he stated.

The Minister further added that Maize is a safe and secure crop since it is less perishable as compared to other crops. “We must work to motivate farmers to move towards maize production,” he emphasized.  Sattar also highlighted the need to work together to create a system for maize storage and stocking. The role of industry, government and other agencies will be key in this, he noted.

Mr TR Kesavan, Chairman, FICCI National Agriculture Committee & Group President, TAFE said that we must look at establishing Centre of Excellence for mechanization in agriculture sector which will be crucial for India.

 Anuja Kadian, Government & Industry Affairs Director, Asia Pacific, Corteva Agriscience said that a sustainable roadmap to strengthen maize value chain needs a holistic approach and is need of the hour. Adoption of new seed technologies by farmers will take Indian maize to next level. She also highlighted that multi-stakeholder approach with the coming together of policymakers, research institutions and the private sector to develop strong foundation to meet future demand of maize is imperative.

 Sunjay Vuppuluri, Head-Food & Agribusiness Strategic Advisory & Research segment, YES BANK shared the insights on FICCI- YES BANK knowledge report. He highlighted that for India to meet the growing demand for maize and remain competitive in the global market, it is essential to promote innovative technologies and practices across the maize ecosystem.

Agriculture sector is growing at a fast

Agri Genomics, India, R&D

Prof. K C Bansal, Secretary, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, and Former Director, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR), New Delhi

For a country like India, ensuring sustainable food security in a rapidly changing climate is a significant concern today. With the slow pace of yield increase, it is crucial to accelerate the genetic improvement of crops for enhancing food production and achieving self-sufficiency. The rapid adoption of science-based technologies for crop improvement, such as GM crops and gene-edited crops are likely to play major roles.

Science-based advancements of breeding technologies continue to dominate global agriculture, playing a crucial role in increasing food production. While conventional plant breeding has historically made significant contributions and continues to do so, plant genetic engineering has emerged as a powerful modern tool for crop improvement. Since 1996, several genetically modified (GM) crops with improved traits have been developed, and they have been widely adopted globally. Currently, they are grown in over 190 million hectares across 30 countries, including India. This makes plant genetic engineering the fastest-adopted technology in the history of modern agriculture. Furthermore, GM crops and their derived products have been used as food or feed in more than 70 countries over the last 25 years, demonstrating their safety to humans, animals and the environment.

In India, Bt cotton was the first GM crop to be commercialised in 2002, and its impact has been viewed as a great success story globally. Two decades later, in 2022, GM mustard hybrid DMH-11 and its parental lines were environmentally released in India, and genome editing was exempted in plants from biosafety assessment for crop improvement. These two modern science-based developments occurred in the interest of farmers and the national economy.

GM Mustard

In the mid-1960s, India experienced a Green Revolution that resulted in a significant increase in food production, from 50 million tonnes in 1950-51 to over 300 million tonnes in 2020-21. However, this progress was not replicated with any oilseed crop, which is urgently needed to meet our growing demands. Due to a serious deficit in domestic edible oil production, we heavily rely on imported edible oils.  In 2020-21, India imported 13.35 million tonnes of edible oils at a cost of around Rs 117,000 crore. Nevertheless, the approval for the environmental release of GM mustard hybrid DMH 11, developed by a public sector institution in India, with approximately 28-30 per cent higher yield, is a significant step towards reducing our dependence on imports. 

Mustard is predominantly a self-pollinating crop, making it difficult to develop high-yielding hybrids by crossing two diverse parental lines. To facilitate cross-pollination, a robust system has been developed in India using two transgenes: the barnase gene for male sterility (MS) and the barstar gene for the restoration of male fertility (RF). Hybrid seeds are produced by crossing the MS and RF lines. This two-gene system is also used worldwide in rapeseed, a sister crop of mustard, to develop GM hybrids that farmers grow on a large scale for higher yields.

To read more click on : https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

Prof. K C Bansal, Secretary, National Academy

AgroPolicy, India, Pulses, Supply Chain

Centre directs pulses importers to declare stocks availability in a routine transparent manner.

Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Rohit Kumar Singh directed major pulses importers to ensure that all stocks available with them are declared in a transparent manner regularly.  They were advised not to hold back any stock which may disrupt availability of pulses in the domestic market. The Government has stepped up its efforts to monitor stock disclosures of pulses by millers, stockists, traders, importers, etc. to ensure that prices of Tur are normalised and the availability and affordability of Tur is ensured in the domestic market.

Meanwhile, the Committee under the Chairmanship of Additional Secretary Nidhi Khare took a meeting with all the States/UTs today wherein they were requested to explore all the sources to increase the number of registered entities in Stock Declaration Portal including FSSAI licensees, APMC registered traders, GST Registered traders of pulses etc.  To cross validate the stocks declared, States were also requested to get information from warehouse service providers, both public and private.  The need to monitor stocks of imported pulses at custom bonded warehouses was also emphasized, to ensure their timely release from Ports.

The Department is also planning to hold interaction with all stakeholders across value chain to ensure availability and affordability of pulses for consumers. The Pulses Associations and Importers have assured wholehearted cooperation in disclosing the stocks in a transparent manner.

Centre directs pulses importers to declare stocks

AgroPolicy, India

The WSC will open new opportunities to promote international trade of Indian spices with G20 countries

With an aim to open up newer opportunities to promote international trade of Indian spices, the 14th edition of the World Spice Congress (WSC), is to be held in Mumbai from 16-18 February 2023. The theme of the WSC 2023 is VISION 2030: S-P-I-C-E-S (Sustainability, Productivity, Innovation, Collaboration, Excellence and Safety). The WSC is organized by the Spices Board with active participation of Spice Trade Associations in India like the Indian Spice & Foodstuff Exporters’ Association –Mumbai, Indian Pepper and Spice Trade Association –Kochi, Indian Chamber of Commerce-Kolkata and Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders – Unjha, Gujarat.

D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stated that this edition of the WSC is special because it coincides with India’s G20 presidency. He was speaking at the curtain-raiser press conference held in Mumbai. He further said that it will provide a platform for the stakeholders to discuss the industry’s current trends after COVID-19 and chart out a way forward. The event, organised to create a platform not only for traders but also policy regulators, will have special business sessions dedicated to promoting spice trade among the G20 countries. Policy makers, regulatory authorities, spice trade associations, government officials as well as technical experts from key G20 countries will participate in the event, informed Sathiyan.

Providing details of the events planned for the Congress, Sathiyan said that, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Anupriya Patel, Minister of the State, Ministry of Commerce and Industry have consented to grace the WSC 2023, to be held at the CIDCO International Convention Centre, Navi Mumbai. Piyush Goyal will also distribute the trophies and Awards for Excellence in Exports of Spices on 17th February 2023.

WSC 2023 Highlights:

This year’s WSC 2023, supported by the Government of India, is expected to be bigger and far more diverse compared to previous editions and will have special state pavilions and commodity pavilions. The event will provide an opportunity for the spice fraternity to meet and promote Indian brands before a bigger global audience.

The business sessions of WSC 2023 will focus on topics such as:

India – The Spice Bowl for Global Market

Perspectives on addressing Food safety & Quality Requirements for Spices (Presentation/Panel Discussion with Regulatory Authorities);

Strengthening Global Spice Trade-Country Perspective & Opportunities

Crops & Markets – Forecasts & Trends

Spice Market outlook by International Spice Trade Associations

The WSC will open new opportunities to

Agri Genomics, Agro Universities, AgroPolicy, India, Opinions, R&D

ICAR has initiated a network project on All India Coordinated Research Project on Biotech crops which has both research and third-party evaluation components for the targeted traits

Dr Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR issued a detailed statement on various issues of GM mustard, saying that the recent approval for environmental release of Genetically Modified (GM) mustard DMH 11 and its parental lines by GEAC, has attracted the attention of press and public at large.

There are many myths that are being propagated in relation to DMH 11 approval by the opponents of GM. All the National agencies and public research systems with expertise in the areas of agriculture, health including modern and ayurvedic science, environment & ecology are officially and formally involved in the risk assessment of the product for its being safe to humans, animals and environment.

This Statement is therefore being issued in public interest to clarify that any opinion or article published on the subject by anyone not authorized or former employees of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) different from the stated documentations and decisions made by the regulatory authorities functioning under the EPA (1986) are not endorsed by the Council and are subjectable to any administrative procedures required in public interest.

GM technology is a disruptive technology capable of bringing any targeted change with in the crop variety to overcome a problem that is difficult or impossible to achieve that are also safe to humans, animals and environment. Thus, the GM technology has imminent potential for the much-needed revolution in Indian agriculture. It is important to look at the current scenario particularly in relation to domestic production, requirement and import of edible oils in the country.

Atamnirbharata in edible oil- The need of the hour:

India’s import of edible oils is on continuous rise to meet the domestic demand. During 2021-22, we spent Rs.1,56,800 crore on import of 14.1 million tonnes of edible oils consisting of mainly palm, soybean, sunflower and canola oils, which is equivalent to two-thirds of India’s total edible oil consumption of 21 mt. Therefore, self-sufficiency in edible oil is essentially required to reduce the forex drain on agri-import.

Shortfall in domestic production and challenges:

Productivity of oilseed crops viz., soybean, rapeseed mustard, groundnut, sesame, sunflower, safflower, niger and linseed in India is much lower than the global productivity of these crops. During 2020-21, India had total area of 28.8 million hectares (ha) under oilseed crops with total production of 35.9 million tonnes and productivity of 1254kg/ha, which is way lower than the global average. Edible oil recovery of8 mt from 35.9 mt of total oilseeds hardly meets even 35-40 per cent of the total edible oil requirement pegged at 21 mt per annum (mtpa). The situation will worsen in the future as the demand for cooking oil has been increasing year-on-year, with projected demand at 29.05 mt by 2029-30.

Rapeseed-mustard is an important oilseed crop in India grown on 9.17 million ha with total production of 11.75 million tons (2021-22). However, this crop suffers from low productivity (1281 Kg/ha) compared to global average (2000 kg/ha) Disruptive technological breakthrough is needed for enhancing productivity of oilseed crops in general and Indian mustard in particular in the country.

Bright future Ahead:

ICAR institutions and universities are deeply engaged in development of GM crops for different traits such as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, yield and quality improvement in 13 crops viz., Cotton, Papaya, Brinjal, Banana, Chickpea, Pigeonpea, Potato, Sorghum, Brassica, Rice, Flax, Wheat and Sugarcane involving 11 Institutions through its “Network Project on Functional Genomics and Genome Modification” since 2006.

Further, to take the leads obtained from earlier project forward, ICAR has initiated a network project on All India Coordinated Research Project on Biotech crops which has both research and third-party evaluation components for the targeted traits as well as biosafety studies of six crops during 2021-26 plan period with a total budget outlay of Rs. 24.75 crores. Therefore, it is high time and purely in public interest for the welfare if farmers and consumers of India that the positivity created in minds of both experienced and young budding scientists about the research in the area of transgenic development by this landmark decision of the Govt, to approve GM mustard is taken to logical conclusion.

ICAR has initiated a network project on

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy

NN Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development was addressing, the first conference on Fishtech, organised by the industry chamber FICCI.  

It is crucial to have an integrated chain of activities when organising fish farmers, especially those who are poor, said NN Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, at the First Conference on Fishtech, organised by the industry chamber FICCI.  

Delivering the Special address, Sinha alluded to the need to develop an integrated structure akin to the dairy sector. “There is a lot of scope for developing such a value chain”, he said. The secretary also referred to growing seaweed, ornamental fishing, and cage culture as viable livelihood activities. “We think aquaculture is an important livelihood option for a large number of people”, he said, adding, “we will work with everyone in the sector”.

A FICCI PwC report, “Championing the blue economy: Promoting sustainable growth of fisheries sector in India”, was released on occasion. The report showcases the potential of India’s fisheries sector, trends, opportunities, challenges, and strategic interventions needed to support the blue economy in India and build a sustainable and profitable future for the industry.

Speaking on occasion, Hemendra Mathur, Chairman, FICCI- Taskforce on Agri-Startups, said, “we need a dedicated fund for fishery start-ups, which can put in early-stage funding for start-ups trying to build interesting models and features”.

 Further, Mathur said, “We should at least have 500 fishtech start-ups in the country, given the sector’s potential. All start-ups put together account for less than 2-3 per cent of the market potential”. He said that fishery is an important sector with more than 1.5 crore fishermen engaged in the activity and its contribution to GDP being more than USD30 billion.

 Noting the considerable headroom for growth, Mathur alluded to the need to develop an innovation ecosystem in fishtech on the lines of agriculture and said, over the last five to seven years; we saw 1500-plus agri-tech startups in the country due to ecosystem development.

Shashi Kant Singh, Executive Director, Agri & Natural Resources, PWC, also noted the potential of increasing the use of technology and, further, the headroom available to increase the production, exports and domestic consumption in the fishery sector. He added that a lot of “policy support”, “ecosystem support”, and “well-designed schemes” were introduced by the government during the last four to five years.

 Devleena Bhattacharjee, Chair, FICCI Committee on Fishtech and Founder & CEO, Numer8 Analytics, said, “India is the second largest fish producing country in the world and contributes to about 7.56% of the global fish production. She noted that the fishery sector is a sunrise sector owing to tremendous scope in domestic consumption and expansion, strong export potential and greater economic returns with strong policy support.

NN Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development

Acquaculture, Agrotech, Live Stock

Discussions were held on Neoteric Techniques and Technologies in Fisheries and Aquaculture

Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India recently organised a webinar on ‘Neoteric Techniques and Technologies in Fisheries and Aquaculture’. The event was presided over by Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary, Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India (GOI) and well-attended by more than 350 participants including fishers, farmers, entrepreneurs, officials of Department of Fisheries, GoI and fisheries officials of different States/UTs, faculties from state agriculture, veterinary and fisheries universities, scientists, hatchery owners, students and stakeholders from aquaculture industry across the country.

In his inaugural address, Union Secretary Fisheries, Shri Swain highlighted the growth and development of fisheries sector over the recent years and added that there is ample scope and need of expansion and diversification of Indian fisheries and aquaculture with the help of advanced technologies. He further requested the scientists and entrepreneurs to motivate farmers and develop innovative ways for increasing profits, decreasing input cost, species diversification and increasing the production and productivity of fish species and commercialize these techniques. 

Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries), in his opening remarks, briefly highlighted that GOI is promoting scientific methods, innovations and infusion of modern technologies by providing financial assistance under various schemes which can benefit fishers and farmers of the country using latest techniques and the need of research and development in focus areas.

The webinar began with the welcome address by Sanjay Pandey, Assistant Commissioner, DoF along with introduction of the theme of the Webinar and the distinguished panelists, Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary, Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary (Inland Fisheries) along with Dr AP Sharma, Former Director, ICAR-CIFRI and Dr L Narasimha Murthy, Senior Executive Director, NFDB and other participants. 

During the technical session, Dr AP Sharma, Former Director- ICAR CIFRI made a comprehensive presentation on ‘Technological trends in fisheries and aquaculture’ focusing on the reproductive innovations, productivity trends, molecular technologies, along with commercially viable trends like RAS, biofloc technology, coldwater fisheries, ornamental fisheries, multi trophic aquaculture, aquatic health management, genetics and biotechnology along with future technologies highlighted the importance of investing in good quality fish feed for ensuring high quality fish is produced and reared. 

Dr L Narasimha Murthy, Senior Executive Director, NFDB gave an insightful presentation on ‘Training & Capacity building on new technologies in fisheries and aquaculture’ and highlighted the significance of skill & capacity building of fishers/fish farmers for building a pool of skilled workforce in the Aquaculture activities. 

After the presentation, a session sharing the success stories was also held and stories highlighting the success aquaculture ventures were presented by the Department of Fisheries, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh which served as motivation of the participants. This was followed by an open discussion forum with the participants, led by Sagar Mehra with Dr AP Sharma and Dr L Narasimha Murthy, focusing on real-time successful techniques being invented and practiced by fish farmers accross the country. The forum also provided an opportunity to the participants to ask relevant questions and queries about benefits under various schemes run by the GoI. 

The webinar concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Dr SK Dwivedi, Assistant Commissioner, DoF.

Discussions were held on Neoteric Techniques and