Agritech India NEWSPAPER- September 2012

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Jain Group to grab digitization opportunity

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AgriTech India September 2012

n a bid to leverage the digitisation opportunity, Noida Software Technology Park Ltd (NSTPL), in collaboration with Motorola, Intelsat and KIT digital, has decided to launch its own HITS (Head end in the sky) platform.

HITS is a satellite-based platform which helps cable operators to distribute digital television signals from one source, instead of each having their own digital head ends.

NSTPL is part of the Jain Group – the promoters of Jain TV. “HITS platform will help cable operators cut down their investments for digitisation.

Instead of setting up expensive individual digital head ends, they could join hands with Jain HITS to create a partnership,” said J. K. Jain, Chairman, Jain TV Group.

According to the company, the cable operators will have to make investments of Rs 12-15 lakh for the equipment, subscriber

management systems and will be able to offer value added services such as broadband.

NSTPL said it will invest Rs 250 crore in the next two years to set up the platform which will be available to cable operators by November. The company said cumulatively it will invest Rs 1,500 crore in the next five years on this project.

In the first phase, the platform will offer 200 standard definition and high definition service, interactive television and broadband services.

In the second phase, it expects to scale up its offer to 500 channels.

“Within one year of launch, the platform will evolve into multi-screen service. We are in talks with all the content providers and will have a revenue sharing arrangement with cable operators. We expect to reach out to 3 million homes initially through our HITS platform,” said Ankur Jain, Managing Director, NSTPL.

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PM’s council seeks urgent reforms in agri sector

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he Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) has called for urgent reforms in agriculture and allied sectors to boost farm production.

In particular, it has called for an end to subsidies for power in agriculture and canal water for irrigation.

Expressing concern over the slow pace of reforms in agriculture in its Economic Outlook presented earlier this month, the council said that agriculture has benefitted more from reforms in other sectors.

Two major reasons for the slow pace of reforms were the perception that given the large number of farmers being small or marginal, their capacity to absorb “shocks” was limited and the responsibility of reforms in agriculture being vested with the States as it is their subject.

“These arguments today need to be reexamined. There are various forums where the Centre and State can have meaningful dialogue and agree on key reforms,” the council said.

There are certain areas where consensus has emerged and these would have to be pursued vigorously, it said.

TENANCY REFORMS Liberalising tenancy arrangements, reforming markets and reducing input subsidies require immediate attention, the council, headed by C. Rangarajan, said.

Though seven per cent of the cropped area is shown as leased-in area, it is underestimated.

Field studies in several parts of the country have shown that tenancy varies between 15 and 35 per cent of the cultivated area. Over 90 per cent of the tenants are landless and marginal farmers.

These tenants benefit from leasing-in since it helps them to expand their miniscule holdings and permits better use of their labour resources.

Unfortunately, the lease markets are heavily restricted in most of the States, some of who have even barred tenancy. Therefore, States should legalise tenancy to safeguard the rights of tenants and register the arrangements.

“It is in the interest of agriculture that the States should remove all restrictions on leasing and make the lease market function effectively,” the council said. On the other hand, to allay fears that this could lead to concentration of land in bigger holdings, provisions of ceiling on land may apply to operational holdings too, it said.

AGRI-MARKETING On agriculture marketing, the PM’s council said that legal provisions in most States curb marketing arrangements. The Agricultural Produce Marketing Control Act bars direct marketing of produce to traders or processors.

This led to collusion among traders and price for agriculture produce is determined in an opaque way, it said.

Suitable models of contract farming should be introduced for different commodities and regions, the council said and called for fair terms for contracting parties and effective adjudication mechanism.

SUBSIDIES Stating that the growing amount of input subsidies was a disturbing feature of the agriculture policy, the council said the subsidies were progressively losing their relevance and becoming an unbearable fiscal burden.

“Three areas where action needs to be taken with some urgency are subsidies on fertilisers, power and surface irrigation,” the outlook said.

To make a beginning, fertiliser subsidy can be dismantled, while suggestions made by the Expenditure Reforms Commission and the council itself should be examined for implementation.

Power subsidies will have to go after reforming the power sector. Though a number of States have implementing reforms, no perceptible result has been attained yet.

Inefficiency in power generation and huge transmission losses were the Achilles heel in these reforms. Unless these are set right, it would be hard to remove subsidies on power for agricultural purposes.

“Free power to agriculture is not going to solve these problems; it will only make a bad situation worse,” the outlook said.

The council also called for removing subsidies on canal water, which, according to it, has not attracted serious attention of the policy makers.

“Just like other subsidised inputs, canal water is used in inefficient ways,” it said and called for encouraging involvement of consumers in water and power distribution.

Calling for a determined move to end subsidy, the council said “… the system has become addicted to subsidies and therefore, actions in this regard should aim to be a ‘retreat with disarray’.” n **Tribute to A Legend**

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AgriTech India September 2012

Pulses, edible oils import may go up, KV Thomas

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he Government may go in for higher imports of pulses and edible oils this year, as lower kharif acreage following deficient monsoon is likely to impact output.

The Food Minister K.V. Thomas in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha here on Monday, said that lower acreage may impact production of pulses and oilseeds.

The supply-demand gap may have to be matched by a higher level of imports.

However, he said, no specific estimation had been made with respect to overall likely import of pulses and edible oils this year.

Due to deficient monsoon, pulses acreage is down at 8.83 million hectare so far in the kharif season, against 9.97 million hectare in the same period last year.

Oilseeds sowing area was also lower at 16.42 million hectare (16.99 million hectare).

The monsoon deficit is 14 per cent so far.

IMPORTS On an average, the country has imported about 2.5-3.5 million tonnes of pulses and 8-9 million tonnes of edible oil in the last three

years, the Minister said.

T h e Government does not maintain buffer stocks of pulses and oilseeds, he said.

India imports pulses mainly from Myanmar, Australia and Canada, while edible oils are bought from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, the US and Argentina.

Last year, pulses production stood at 17.21 million tonnes and that of oilseeds at 30 million tonnes.

SUBSIDY EXTENSION In reply to another question, Thomas said the Government was considering extending the scheme for distribution of imported edible oils with subsidy of Rs 15 a kg for another year. The scheme was due to end on September 20.

However, some States has sought an extension.

For imported pulses, he said a variant of the June 30 scheme for distribution through the public distribution system was under consideration.

India & Australia to develop ironrich bananas

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ating bananas could well be the next best thing in the fight against anaemia soon.

Indian and Australian researchers have joined hands to develop iron-rich bananas that could help women with iron deficiency.

Bananas contain vitamin B6, fibre and potassium. Globally more than 100 billion bananas are consumed annually, making it the largest agricultural product after wheat, rice and corn.

The joint effort will see the development of new strains of iron-rich bananas. It will offer an affordable option to tackle iron-deficiency anaemia, a major cause of maternal deaths during childbirth, especially in India and other developing countries.

The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (Birac) under the Department of Biotechnology and the Queensland University of Technology have signed an agreement for the purpose. The project will see an investment of A$2.6 million or about Rs 14.8 crore.

Birac is providing A$1.2 million (Rs 6.8 crore ) to the University and another A$1.4 million (Rs 8 crore) towards the cost of the Indian component of the programme, which will address a nutrition deficiency in Indian population, said Managing Director Renu Swarup.

The project will be led by the University’s Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities

Director James Dale and India’s National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute’s Rakesh Tuli. Other partners include Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, National Research Centre for Bananas, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and Indian Institute of Horticulture Research.

In a press release, Australian High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese said on Wednesday that it is an important project that would help prevent avoidable maternal mortality in India.

Dales said the project would build upon ongoing research the University was undertaking to increase the nutritional content of bananas in Uganda under the auspices of the Gates Foundation. The Indian banana project would involve an initial four-year development phase. It would then take another four to five years to prepare the bananas for release to Indian farmers.

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Maize exports suffer due to short supply

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aize (corn) prices have surged to record highs in the domestic market but they are still one of the cheapest options in the global market.

However, shortage of stocks is hindering maize exports.

“There may not be much of maize and domestic market is priced higher. But by world standards, it is still cheaper. Indian maize has been accepted in the world market and will continue to be traded in the close by markets of South-East and West Asia,” said Amit Sachdev of Techpro (India) Private Limited, in his weekly report on Indian grains.

On Monday, maize was quoted at Rs 1,537 a quintal in the spot market at Nizamabad, Andhra Pradesh.

In the futures market, maize (industrial grade) for delivery in September dropped by Rs 6 to Rs 1,548.

But other contracts were up marginally, with October rising to Rs 1,532, November to Rs 1,452 and December to Rs 1,497.

SHORTAGE “We are unable to get stocks since they are short,” said T.P.S. Madan, an exporter in Madurai. This has led to a situation wherein Indian exporters are unable to sign deals with buyers abroad. “Some small traders have sold to exporters in Chennai,” said Sachdev. “Though export may not happen now, small cargoes have gone to South-East Asia,” he said.

Indian maize is currently quoted about $305 a tonne f.o.b. In contrast, US corn is quoted at around $335 for August-November delivery.

SURGING PRICES Maize prices have surged over 10 per cent since the first week of this month on deficient monsoon and a bullish global market.

In the global market, corn prices have increased 26 per cent to near-record $8.49 a bushel. On Monday, it was quoted at $8.16.

The US corn crop is now estimated at 10.447 billion bushels, down some 0.300 billion from projections made last month.

US corn and soyabean crop have been affected by the worst drought that country is facing in five decades.

“Corn crop has been damaged in North and South America. Even at $310 CNF, Malaysians

are interested to buy Indian maize,” said A. Rajkumar of Alagendran Group that exports maize.

“As of now, Indian maize is cheaper but we are not getting the required quantity in the domestic market. Maybe, traders or farmers are holding back,” said Madan Prakash, Director of Rajathi Group of Companies that exports agricultural produce.

SOWING “There is demand from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Gulf. But no exporter is offering bulk volume,” said Alagendran.

“Kharif sowing is lower compared with last year. This has also made exporters being conservative in their offering,” he said.

While the crop situation is seen as bad in Karnataka, it is reported to be good in Andhra Pradesh.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, kharif maize sowing is lower by one per cent at 71.3 lakh hectare compared with the same period a year ago.

The data show that area is higher in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, while in Karnataka it is 15 per cent lower.

PRICE OUTLOOK With traders being bullish, corn prices could witness some correction after the second week of September. “Some correction has to happen,” said Alagendran.

Prices could then gain as kharif arrivals are likely to be late and with rain now lashing most parts of the country, the moisture content in the crop could be high.

“The new crop will be delayed slightly and could arrive in November,” said Madan.

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AgriTech India September 2012

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A grand event to turn farmers into agri entrepreneurs

AgriTech India 2012

An eye-opener for farmers to modernize

(Extracts from welcome address by S. Jafar Naqvi, Chief Coordinator – AgriTech India)

“Karnataka farmers are struggling with poor quality potato seeds. The situation can be reversed if India is allowed to import the seeds from the Netherlands. However, my attempts to enable this have remained unsuccessful, because the lobby is too strong,” said H D Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister Murarka,Chairperson, CAA, Nepal, and Shri R Ravindra, A.G.M, Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India.

The Netherlands continued its association with the expo series as the partner country while Turkey and Italy chose to become focus countries.

Mr Gowda hit hard against what he called ‘strong lobbies’ working against technology transfer and singled out a specific instance of their having prevented potato seed import from the Netherlands.

“Karnataka farmers are struggling with poor quality potato seeds. The situation can be reversed if India is allowed to import the seeds from the Netherlands. However, my attempts to enable this have remained unsuccessful, because the lobby is too strong,” he said.

Hailed by participants as a “grand success”, the three-day Agri Tech also featured the 4th edition of India Foodex and other concurrent events -- Grain Tech India (third edition), Dairy Tech India (2nd edition) and South Asian Dairy Congress and Poultry & Livestock Expo The three-day multi-show attracted over 23, 000 visitors and more than 300 delegates from all parts of India and more than 20 countries.

“I fully support this event,” Mr Deve Gowda said complimenting the organisers. “I think it is of extreme use to the farmers.”

But Mr Gowda was surprised at poor participation by state governments. “State governments’ absence is unfortunate,” he noted. Urging the governments at the Centre and states to support agriculture melas, he said, “The officers of agriculture departments should attend such exhibitions to share the information and get enlightened. “.

He rued that the fragmentation of land and labour shortage were major problems which affected scores of poor and marginalised farmers across the country. He said nearly 79 per cent farmers in Karnataka had less than 1.25 ha of land.

The former Prime Minister was immensely impressed by the technologically best display of the Dutch pavilion. He recalled his visit to Holland when he was the Prime Minister and praised its remarkable achievements in the field of agricultural inventions and technology know-how. “Indian farmers should be able to use these tools and technologies to achieve optimum value for the land and investment in farming,” he said. “Their potato seeds are highly productive and India should import them”.

He accused the state government of distributing ‘rotten’ seeds to the farmers --seeds that are past their expiry dates.

“Karnataka farmers are struggling with poor quality potato seeds. The situation can be reversed if India is allowed to import the seeds from the Netherlands. However, my attempts to enable this have remained unsuccessful, because the lobby is too strong.”

Mr Gowda felt that Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was not “getting adequate support” to change policy.

“Unproductive programmes and wasteful expenditure have prevented the country from reaching its full agricultural potential.”

“I can, however, understand the introduction of contract farming. It has become necessary if a farmer needs to lead a dignified

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cknowledged as South Asia’s biggest Agri Business event consisting of Exhibitions, Conferences, Workshops & Buyer Seller Interactions, Agri Tech India was started way back in year 2005 here in Bengaluru. It shifted to Delhi, but on popular demand from all stakeholders, it was re-launched in Bengaluru in 2009.

AgriTech India 2012 and India Foodex 2012 are the fourth in the series. With the addition of entire AgriBusiness chain, including DairyTech, GrainTech, Poultry & Livestock Expo, it is now the biggest event of its kind in South India.

And what better way to celebrate it than getting the blessings of respected H D Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister of India, who has always championed the cause of the farmers.

Here we have almost 300 stalls representing over 400 different organizations catering to entire spectrum of agribusiness, right from farming till marketing & exports.

We have tried to bring in everything required to turn progressive farmers into Agribusiness entrepreneurs.

This beautiful bouquet of exhibitions, conferences and workshops would be incomplete without support from our overseas supporting bodies, most prominently the nation of flowers, Holland, the partner country of this program. I welcome His Excellency Mr. Alfons Stoelinga, Ambassador (Designate) of The Royal Netherlands Embassy in India, and the Dutch delegation which is participating.

The Netherlands and India have a lot in common that makes Indo-Dutch cooperation in agro-food sectors a necessity rather than a routine exercise. Dutch expertise in farming and animal husbandry in fields like breeding, production, automation, healthcare and post-harvest handling is a role model for Indian farmers.

We are happy we have the rare opportunity of having here two Agriculture Counselors from the Netherlands. Mr. Henk Van Duijn, Counsellor for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in India & Sri Lanka..would be leaving India in a few days and his successor Mr. Arie Veldhuizen, who has recently come from Berlin. We hope to continue this cooperation in all our future activities to enhance the quality of life of Indian farmers, through utilization of technology, especially from Holland.

From Nepal we have Mr Ashok Murarka, Chairperson of Commercial Agriculture Alliance. The presence of a delegation from Nepal is significant since Indo Nepal cooperation in field of Agriculture is poised for a big boost. While India’s huge market provides an unlimited potential of agro-produce production, processing and exports by Nepalese agro-entrepreneurs, their unique climatic conditions can provide a large variety of fresh & processed food products to Indian consumers.

As a Focus Country, Turkey has sent a delegation and that assumes much importance as Turkey is a world leader in Grain Processing & Storage as also in Grain Milling. That technology is relevant to India which is fast emerging as a major buyer of

grain & seeds processing technologies.

We have also here Focus Country Italy’s delegation which has brought in most modern technologies & products for the benefit of India Agri Business enterprises.

Participants and experts have also come from Europe, Australia, East Asian Nations, Arabian & African nations, from Turkey, China, indeed from all over world.

Coming to Indian agriculture, we are all aware that a Indian farmers have been at the mercy of unpredictable weather and highly un-professional markets. While they are never sure of their production targets, the market does not give them good returns either. With labor shortages, depleting water tables, increasing quality demands of markets and organized retails around the corner, farmers are increasingly under pressure to modernize. Labor shortage it turning into a serious issue, in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and elsewhere. .

The answer to all these problems is speedy farm mechanization and adoption of latest technology – be it irrigation, varietal improvement, production technology or prost harvest issues.

To compete in open markets, farmers will have to upgrade their agri-Culture to agri-Business. This expo tries to bring in every such thing under one roof that will help our growers to achieve this transformation.

The event has five focused Exhibitions, making it perfect interaction place for entire agri-business sectors. For Farmers, there is AgriTech India where they can find agriculture technology & farm machineries to turn their fields into profitable agrienterprises. But they should not stop at just cultivation of crops. Indeed the next step that any progressive farmer or a rural entrepreneur can take is to start a food processing unit. India Foodex 2012 provides that perfect blend of technological solutions to enable growers to graduate themselves into making value added products for domestic and export markets.

Talking of exports, the participation of Agricultural & Processed Food Exports Development Authority (APEDA) under Ministry of Commerce, in this expo is significant.

APEDA is an organization that has taken Indian agriculture exports to great heights.

India GrainTech supports India Foodex & AgriTech India covering cultivation, mechanized harvesting, Bulk Storage & Handling, Grading & Sorting systems for grains, including Rice, Pulses etc. , and them Grain Milling , Specially flour milling technologies to efficiently turn grains into food products.

A very important profitable business for all farmers is dairy & poultry. So we have concurrently the DairyTech India 2012 that showcases everything required to turn a traditional family owned dairy into a modern dairy business. Similarly, Poultry & Livestock Expo offers options and technologies to start enterprises like poultry, Goat rearing, Emu farming and so on.

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life. I will not discourage this concept,” he said.

The former PM spent almost three hours visiting stalls and communicating with the delegates and farmers and complimenting them for the grand display. Gowda also visited APEDA stall and was impressed by the overall display. APEDA officials presented him with a special bouquet containing frozen cutvegetables.

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and unprofessional market situations,” said M B Naqvi, CEO of Media Today Group.

The convention also focused on finding solutions to turn farmers into rural entrepreneurs by giving them means to adopt the latest technology, to compete in the global markets.

Partnership The government of Netherlands, which has signed a pact with Karnataka to promote agri business, has partnered with the State in food processing, dairy and meat processing. Henk Van Duijin, the Councillor for Agriculture at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Delhi, said, “Food security is a challenge faced by most countries, and there is a need for global efforts to overlap when it comes to increasing production”.

Jafar Naqvi, Chief Coordinator and Chief

made presentation on tradition flower crops, herbal and medicinal greenhouse crops. Other prominent speakers also spoke on the same subject – Medicinal plants and Commercial Floriculture.

The Royal Embassy of the Netherlands organised a Grand Dinner at Lalit Ashok Hotel where the invitees represented virtually the who-is-who of the agri-industry. The Ambassador (Designate) of the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands H E Mr Alphonsus Stoelinga was also present This gala dinner was important as Mr Henk Van Duijn, Agriculture Counsellor of the Embassy of the Netherlands, handed over his charge to his successor Mr. Arie Veldhuizen, who has come from Berlin.

the Water Treaty which was signed by the two countries during his premiership.

Responding to this gesture, Ashok Murarka, Chairperson of Commercial Agriculture Alliance, Nepal, said that he was overwhelmed by the words of India’s former PM and added that India is like an elder brother to Nepal, and will always be a guiding light, friend and philosopher to his country. “The ancient bond is unbreakable,” he said proudly.

The Nepali delegation leader said that this event should also be held in his country so as to give greater exposure to Nepal’s farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to the global perspective and technologies. He showered praise on the exhibition’s organizer Media Today Group for connecting Nepali visitors with so many global leaders in agriculture and to technologies under a single roof. “This is the first of its kind event for Nepali farmers, and as you see they

Editor, Media Today welcomed the guests and delivered an Inaugural Speech.

Asian Dairy Congress, which drew wide participation of livestock and technology experts and industry leaders.

Against the backdrop of stakeholders of dairy industry in the region making determined efforts to expand and diversify their activities, the organisation of this congress was most timely. Crucial issues facing dairy development came in for in-depth discussion.

The Dairy Congress was coordinated by NDRI, Bangalore.

Explaining the need for Poultry &Livestock Expo, MB Naqvi said, “This is important for farmers in terms of value-addition and diversification of activities. Since the presentday farmers growing main crops are very keen to explore possibilities of augmenting their income, rearing cattle and poultry can certainly be a good option, as it opens up avenues of ancillary activities as well. This is also not too

infrastructure to facilitate the development.His remarks were followed by Vote of Thanks by S Jafar Naqvi, Chief Coordinator, Media Today Group. The session was coordinated by Dr. P.K. Dixit, Principal Scientist, NDRI, Bangalore.

are simply overwhelmed,” he said.

But he requested all the stall managers and experts to communicate with Nepali visitors in Hindi for full comprehension.

Japan did not participate this time, while Nigerian delegation took part on the last day of the exhibition. There were over 300 stalls, most of them displaying more than two technologies or products. Various innovative tools such as mobile solar milking machine hogged the limelight at Bangalore’s Palace Ground.

According to the organizers, Agritech India 2012 successfully brought together all the agrarian business stakeholders under one umbrella. It covered all facets of agriculture and offered an insight into farm mechanisation, pre and post-harvest management of food crops, food processing, marketing and retailing. “The primary focus of the event was to help farmers, especially those facing “unpredictable weather

Meet witnessed larger presence of members of Karnataka’s Women Cell.

much of a burden for them.”

Around 30 stalls were set up under Poultry & Livestock Expo displaying latest technologies to enhance productivity and to fight bovine diseases. The Expo was actively supported by the Poultry Federation of India.

After the keynote Address by Ms. Rajni Sekhri Sibal (J.S – Dept. of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, MoA), Guests of Honour made their presentations. She also highlighted the growing relevance of efforts to enhance productivity of milch animals, health management and supply chain management. She assured all possible help for development of dairy industry in India and invited suggestions of dairy professionals for possible policy supports. Henk van Duijn, Counsellor for Agriculture in the Netherlands Embassy touched on some of the aspects of dairy technology while stressing on quality.

Mr Bansal, Vice President, Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India, spoke about the national perspective or overall scenario of the flour milling industry, issues and challenges. Over 150 participants from across the country took part in this useful session. In his Welcome Address, Karnataka Roller Flour Mills Association President Mr Gopalkrishnan talked about the issues, problems and other aspects of the segment. The programme was also supported by the Food Processing & Packaging Machinery Industry Association, India (FPPMIA).

Duttaraj, Former President, RFMY, and a well-known name in this segment, also shared his experiences and enlightened present delegates about the industry. He talked about the need of technology upgradation Bueller Group, a global major, made a presentation on its technologies for grain

Nepali Delegation Meeting Nepali delegates, he exuded warmth of feelings and fondly said that the bond between India and Nepal went beyond business and facts. “The two nations are historically and culturally connected to each other, and this brotherly feeling is present in al walks of shared life.” He also mentioned

Special Farmers’ Meet Inaugural function was followed by a Special Farmers’ Meet, organized by the Women’s Cell of Bhartiya Krishak Samaj, where experts discussed key issues of Indian farmers in the presence of Krishan Bir Choudhary, President, Bhartiya Krishak Samaj.

The speakers felt that technology transfer in very important for farmers to enable them to boost productivity and for value addition.

The President appealed all present members to use this platform (exhibition) to take the message further to those who need it, and those members who were not present.

He promised cooperation to the organizers and said that this event was like an eyeopener for the members and farmers. The

Special Conference on Farm Mechanization A special conference on “Emerging Market for Agriculture Technology and Crops in South Asian Countries” was held, and it was an important meet since technology adoption and farm mechanisation are gaining ground fast in this region to ensure better food and nutrition security to its bourgeoning population.

In the Inaugural Session, S. Jafar Naqvi, Chief Coordinator, welcomed the participants, while the tone for the discussions was set by thought-provoking addresses by prominent industry speakers. It was followed by an interactive Q&A session.

This was followed by a technical session, chaired by Dr.R.K.Roy, Ph.D.(Hort.), Principal Scientist (Horticulture), NBRI, Lucknow. He

South Asian Dairy Congress An important concurrent event was South

He stated that all possible help and cooperation will be extended for improving trades in milk and milk products. Mr.R. Ravindra, AGMAPEDA, Bangalore, in his address highlighted the growing role of APEDA and stated that APEDA would cooperate in every activity for improvement of dairy sector and international trade.

The welcome address was delivered by S. Jafar Naqvi, Chief Coordinator of the event.

Dr. A.K. Srivastava, Director, NDRI, Karnal, presided over the session. He stressed the rising importance of milk sector in the Indian Economy and reiterated that the importance would increase in the times to come. He discussed various issues of dairy industry pertaining to Milk Production, Animal Health Management, Dairy Processing, Marketing & Food safety and the requirement of adequate

Interactive Session for Roller Millers & International Technology Suppliers A special feature of Grain Tech India 2012 was an Interactive Session, which was attended by over 100 roller flour mills, rice millers and grain processors. Members of Karnataka Flour Millers Association were also present.

This was a technical platform where foreign technology providers and machinery manufacturers had interaction with their Indian counterparts and prospective buyers.

They discussed such issues as costing, credit and after-sales service, necessary for every foreign manufacturer entering a new market.

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AgriTech India September 2012 processing and food sector and showed a corporate film on its technologies, facilities and activities in India and elsewhere. Another presentation was made by PETKUS India displaying its new features about flour milling and silos. This was followed an interactive Q&A session.

S. Jafar Naqvi welcomed and moderated the programme.

Overall, the exhibition and conferences were a great success. The organizers have already announced the dates for the next issue

i.e. 23, 24 and 25 August, 2013, Bangalore.

Expo Facts & Figures: Total Area-14000 Sq. Meter, Total Stalls312, Companies Display-Over 475 Indian Delegations-27 States, Foreign Participation (Major)- The Netherlands, Turkey, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, China, Singapore, Thailand, Nepal.

(Total Approx 70 Companies, from 14 nations).

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India can be a Processing hub for

Dairy Industry

Inauguration by Chief Guest, Ms. Rajni Sekhri Sibal

– T V Satyanarayanan a traditional family-owned dairy into a modern dairy business. All inputs required to modernise the dairy sector in India like good breeding practices, milking and milk processing machines, packaging systems and so many other products were on display.

Modernisation is vital for dairy development in India, since, only 16 per cent of the milk is at present handled by the organised sector. As a result, only a very small percentage of milk is being processed into value added products.

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espite having achieved an impressive annual growth rate of 4.2 per cent in milk production in the last decade, visà-vis the world average of 2.2 per cent, India has to work much harder to meet the domestic demand, going up by leaps and bounds.

Emerging trends indicate that the annual demand for milk in this country would be in the range of 200-210 million tonnes by 202122, as against the current output 121.85 million tonnes.

Going by even a lesser projected demand of 172.2 million tonnes, as assessed by the Planning Commission in the tenth plan, the average incremental increase in milk production in India would need to be around six million tonnes per annum. The trend has to be sustained over a period of next fifteen years.

A tall order?

This scenario was highlighted by Ms. Rajni Sekhri Sibal, Joint Secretary in Union Agriculture Ministry’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, in her keynote address to the South Asian Dairy Congress held in Bangalore. The congress was one of the concurrent events held along with Agri Tech India 2012 organised by Media Today group.

The congress, attended by experts and top scientists in animal husbandry and dairying, was coordinated by National Dairy Research Institute, Bangalore.

Vast opportunities Ms Sibal sought to drive home the point that the scope, potential and opportunities for dairying are huge in this country. Being a treasure house of experienced manpower with excellent technical know-how, India can be used as a processing hub to tap the benefit of a growing market in the country and markets in the developed economies.

After the keynote Address, Guests of Honour made their presentations. Henk van Duijn, Counsellor for Agriculture spoke on Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands, a world leader in dairying...

Dr. A.K. Srivastava, Director, NDRI, Karnal, presided over the session. The session was coordinated by Dr. P.K. Dixit, Principal Scientist, NDRI, Bangalore.

In his address of welcome, S Jafar Naqvi, Chief Coordinator, said the Dairy Tech India 2012 which was being held simultaneously, showcased everything required to turn

Inaugural Session: The South Asian Dairy Congress was inaugurated by Ms. Rajni Sekhri Sibal, Joint Secretary Dept. of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture New Delhi. In her key note address, she highlighted the growing relevance of efforts to enhance productivity of milch animals, health management and supply chain management. She assured all possible help for development of dairy industry in India and invited suggestions of dairy professionals for possible policy supports. Mr. Henk van Duijn, Counsellor for Agriculture, Netherlands spoke on the occasion and stated that all possible help and cooperation will be extended for improving trades in milk and milk products.

Mr. R. Ravindra AGM-APEDA, Bangalore in his address highlighted the growing role of APEDA and stated that APEDA would cooperate in every activity for improvement of dairy sector and international trade. Dr. A.K. Srivastava, Director, NDRI, Karnal, Presided over the function. He stressed the rising importance of milk sector in the Indian Economy and reiterated that the importance would increase in the times to come. He discussed various issues of dairy industry pertaining to Milk Production, Animal Health Management, Dairy Processing, Marketing & Food safety and the requirement of adequate infrastructure to facilitate the development. Mr. M.B. Naqvi, Managing Director, Media Today was also present at the function. Mr. S Jafar Naqvi, Chief Editor, Media Today welcomed

Challenges of dairy industry

Dr. A.K. Srivastava, Mr. M B Naqvi, Mr. Henk van Duijn & Ms. Rajni Sekhri Sibal

Welcome address by Mr. S Jafar Naqvi

Mr. Henk van Duijn

Dr. A.K. Srivastava

Excerpts from keynote address by Rajni Sekhri Sibal

he Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries sectors play an important role in the national economy and in the socio-economic development of the country. These sectors also play a significant role in supplementing family incomes and generating gainful employment in the rural sector, particularly among the landless labourers, small and marginal farmers and women, besides providing cheap nutritional food to millions of people.

Livestock are the best insurance against the vagaries of nature like drought, famine and other natural calamities.

than paddy, wheat and sugarcane.

India stands first in terms of the bovine population having 20% of the world’s population. In spite of India’s position as highest producer of milk, productivity of our bovines is very poor. It is only 1525.20 Kgs/ year as compared to the world average of 2,159 Kg/year. The productivity in China and Pakistan are 2140 Kg/year and 1681 Kg/year respectively. We know that the low productivity in our country is mainly due to low genetic potential for milk production of non-descript bovines and poor level of nutrition.

Yield Increase The milk production in India during last decade increased from 78.3 million tonnes to 121.85 million tonnes. As per FAO, the average growth in milk production in the world during last decade was at 2.2% whereas in India the annual growth rate for the domestic milk production is higher at 4.2% for the corresponding period. An increase in the growth rate of milk production has contributed to increase in the per capita availability of milk close to world average, notwithstanding the increase in human population.

Sector’s Contribution The contribution of livestock sector in agriculture in terms of output, which was 17.3 per cent during 1980-81, increased to 28.40 per cent in 2009-10. Similarly, contribution of the sector to National GDP has been around 5 per cent over the years, despite pronounced variation observed in contribution of crop sector to National GDP, indicating the stability of the livestock sector. The value of output from livestock and fisheries sector together at current prices was about Rs. 4,614 billion during 2010-11 and the contribution of milk alone is about Rs 2,622 billion which was higher

Major Constraints In the livestock sector, major constraints experienced by farmers relate to breed, feed and fodder, health care and remunerative prices for the produce. The policy envisages addressing these issues through adopting an appropriate strategy. As Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries is a State subject; the emphasis of the Department has been on supplementing efforts of the State Governments in the development of these sectors. The Department of Animal Husbandry has been providing assistance to the State Governments for the control of animal diseases, scientific management and upgradation of genetic resources, increasing

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availability of nutritious feed and fodder, sustainable development of processing and marketing facilities and enhancement of production and profitability of livestock and fisheries enterprises.

India -- an emerging market India is one of the biggest emerging markets, with over 1.2 billion population and a 300 million strong middle class. Rapid urbanisation, increased literacy, increased participation of women in workforce and rising per capita income, all have caused rapid growth and changes in demand patterns, leading to tremendous new opportunities for exploiting the large latent market. Demand for milk continues to rise on account of increased consumption and growing population. The per capita household consumption of milk has increased both in rural and urban areas.

Government Support Government is actively supporting the dairy sector by implementing various schemes like National Dairy Plan (Phase-I), National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB), Fodder and Feed development scheme, Intensive Dairy Development Programme, Strengthening Infrastructure for Quality & Clean Milk Production, Assistance to Cooperatives & Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme to increase the milk production in the country. The Government through suitable Interventions is assisting dairy cooperatives in creation of infrastructure and improving conditions in dairy plants to ensure proper hygiene and food safety. Cooperative dairy plants are assisted in implementing food safety and quality management systems, achieving energy efficient operation and maintaining clean environment.

Mr. R. Ravindra

Dr. P.K. Dixit

the dignitaries on the dias and the august audience. Dr. P.K. Dixit, Principal Scientist, NDRI Bangalore co-ordinated the Session and proposed Vote of Thanks.

Technical session 1 : Milk production and animal health management Chairman : Dr C. S. Prasad, Director, NIANP, Bangalore Co Chairman : Mr B. S. Khanna, Regional Director, NDDB, Bangalore Rapporteur : Dr N. K. S. Gowda, Principal Scientist, NIANP, Bangalore Co-ordinator : Dr K. P. Ramesha, Principal Scientist, NDRI, Bangalore There were four Speakers in the session.

The first presentation on Animal Breeding was made by Dr K R Trivedi, NDDB, Anand. He briefed about the National Dairy Plan (NDP) and strategies required to achieve the targeted milk production in India. He emphasized the need of scientific breeding, nutrition and use of information technology. He highlighted the aspects of breeding policies, biosecurity in bull stations, semen quality and progeny testing programme. The second speaker

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AgriTech India September 2012

News

Flour mills cry for wheat despite bumper production

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espite a record production of over 93 million tonnes, domestic wheat prices have surged to a record high. Consumers, particularly flour mills, are facing a tough time since they are unable to get supplies though they are willing to pay a higher price.

The situation has turned grim in the last two days with prices on the futures market gaining over Rs 100 a quintal.

“Prices were up for September contracts by Rs 43 a quintal on Wednesday and by Rs 60 on Thursday,” said M.V. Balasubramaniam, Managing Director, Narasu’s Sarathy Enterprises Pvt. Ltd (formerly Narasu’s Roller Flour Mills).

On the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange, wheat for September delivery ended at Rs 1,558 a quintal on Thursday. October contracts were quoted at Rs 1,583, November at Rs 1,609 and December at Rs 1,629.

In Shahjahanpur Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard in Uttar Pradesh, the modal price or the rate at which most trades took place increased to Rs 1,450 a quintal on Thursday against Rs 1,350 on Wednesday.

The interesting fact about Thursday’s trade was that the offering almost trebled to 1,191 tonnes on Thursday from 411 on Wednesday.

“Wheat prices are quoting at 1,625 a quintal in New Delhi. Wheat has never scaled such a height,” said Raj Narayan Gupta, a miller in Uttar Pradesh. The New Delhi market is seen as the benchmark for wheat prices.

“Mills in the South are facing greater problems since traders are quoting Rs 1,900 a quintal for delivery here,” said Pramod Kumar, Executive Director of Sunil Agro Foods Pvt. Ltd. “On Wednesday, we were offered at Rs 1,800. We are ready to pay higher prices provided we are assured of supply,” said Balasubramaniam.

Mills in South India are looking for stocks in view of the festival season ahead. “At this rate, we fear many mills may shut shop,” said Balasubramaniam.

Flour mills have been caught stranded since they did not build inventories during the peak arrival season of April-June.

“We did not stock up since the Government said it would release wheat from the stocks that the Food Corporation of India was holding,” said UP miller Raj Narayan Gupta.

Sunil Agro’s Kumar said: “The Government should resume the open sale scheme of wheat immediately.”

Narasu’s Balasubramaniam said: “The Government is holding huge stocks and is responsible for the current situation.” The Centre has

procured over 38 million tonnes of wheat under the minimum support price (MSP) operations out of the record crop of 93.9 million tonnes.

Last year, production was 86.8 million tonnes. The stocks meant to meet any food emergency were bought at Rs 1,285 a quintal, the MSP. “While the Centre has garnered 38 million tonnes, traders have bought some quantity, while growers have retained wheat for seed and also expecting prices to rise on reports of drought affecting the US crop,” said Gupta.

Wheat prices on the Chicago Board of Trade have increased by 13 per cent this year to $8.9775 a bushel (approximately Rs 18,000 a tonne).

Not only drought in the US but also fears on nations in the Black Sea region such as Russia and Ukraine banning wheat exports are driving prices high.

Wheat from the Black Sea region seen at a par with the Indian foodgrain is currently quoting at $308 a tonne (Rs 17,000).

“We don’t get Black Sea wheat since we don’t buy in large quantities,” said Balasubramaniam.

Mills in the South are enquiring about Australian wheat. “Australia offers wheat in containers but prices are as high as Rs 24,000 a tonne,” he said.

The solution then, industry players say, is for the Government to take a few measures.

“The Government has to ban wheat exports,” said Gupta. However, Balasubramaniam said that exports by private traders should be stopped and all shipments should be done by the Government.

“Exporters are now buying for even Rs 1,600 a quintal,” said Balasubramaniam.

Though exact figures are not available, at least 10 lakh tonnes of wheat have been exported so far this year.

Exports are resulting in diversion of wheat meant for the public distribution system, said a miller who did not wish to be quoted.

“The other measure the Government can take is to release significant stocks at whatever price it deems fit,” said Gupta.

The Centre had begun selling wheat through open market sale scheme in July at Rs 1,175 a quintal but stopped it abruptly. Rumours were agog that it would resume sale at Rs 1,275 but nothing has happened so far.

“The Government has to prevent traders from buying wheat. Wheat is not consumed as it is,” said Gupta. “It has to stop the tender system since it is not helping millers to get wheat,” he said.

Coconut Tech Mission adds 18 projects

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he Project Approval Committee on Technology Mission on Coconut has cleared 18 projects for financial assistance under the scheme.

The 38th meeting of PAC, which was held here in May, sanctioned 41 projects involving an outlay of Rs 27.49 crore and subsidy of Rs 3.37 crore during the year.

The approved projects include four research projects, projects for establishment for setting up of processing units, project on market promotion and establishment of coconut hybrid seedlings production unit under farmers’ participatory programme.

Out of four research projects, three development projects on coconut water / Virgin Coconut Oil have been submitted by CAReKeralam Ltd, Kinfra Park, Koratty.

The other research projects on improving coconut production in Kerala using soil data through remote sensing and GIS techniques was submitted by Amritha Viswa Vidya Peetham University, Amritanagar, Coimbatore.

The project on establishment of coconut hybrid seedlings production unit under farmers’ participatory programme was submitted by Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani in Thiruvananthapuram.

There are six projects for setting up of processing units for valueadded products such as dessicated coconut, virgin coconut oil, tender coconut water preservation and packaging units, carbonised shell lumps and granules and ball copra making unit.

Under the TMOC scheme, the Coconut Board provides back-ended credit capital subsidy limited to 25 per cent of the project cost not exceeding Rs 50 lakh to NGOs, individual entrepreneurs and other organisations for setting up processing units such as desiccated coconut, packed tender coconut water, shell charcoal, shell powder, activated carbon, copra processing unit, ball copra making unit etc.

The Board invites applications for TMOC assistance from various coconut processing units.

Printed, Published and owned by Syed Mohammad Baqar Naqvi, printed at Sonu Printer, B-82, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi 110020 and Published from A-44, 1st Floor, Freedom Fighter Enclave, Neb Sarai, New Delhi - 110068 (India). Editor : Syed Jafar Naqvi