GOVERNMENT
ANNOUNCES RELIEF PACKAGE FOR FARMERS
The United Progressive Alliance has announced a debt-restructuring
package for farmers. The package would involve rescheduling of loans
extended by commercial banks, regional rural banks (RRBs) and cooperatives.
Debt rescheduling will be made available to all farmers who have suffered
losses on account of calamities in districts declared as ‘calamityaffected’.
The principal amount along with the outstanding interest due as on
March 31, 2003 would be repayable over a five-year period at current
interest rates, including an initial moratorium of two years.
Farmers who have defaulted and become ineligible for fresh credit
in view of their earlier debts and as a result have been categorised
as ‘substandard’ or ‘doubtful’, will also be extended
the benefit of debt rescheduling.
Moreover, in the case of small and marginal farmers who have been
declared as defaulters, the Reserve Bank of India and National Bank
for Agriculture and Rural Development will issue guidelines to ‘increase
flexibility’ for banks to offer them a one-time settlement. This
is aimed at reviving institutional credit flow to farmers.
EXTENSIVE
‘HIGH RISK’ FOOD ITEMS LIST DRAWN UP
The import of a number of products like edible oils, food grains,
tea, coffee and a variety of dairy products, that have been categorised
as ‘high risk’ food items by the Government. These products
would be subjected to 100 per cent sampling under the Prevention of
Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
This categorisation would mean that all the imported consignments
of these products would be referred to port health officers for thorough
testing.
The consignments would be cleared only after receipt of the test report.
In addition to testing of food items under the Act, the ‘high
risk’ items will also be subject to examination to ensure compliance
with other regulations such as Meat Food Products Order, 1973, Plants,
Fruits and Seeds (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 1989 and
the Livestock Importation Act, before these are permitted into the
country.
The 100 per cent sampling norms would also apply in respect of food
products like fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese that are categorised
as ‘perishable’.
GOVERNMENT
SHUTS DOORS TO EXOTIC FRUITS
The Ministry of Agriculture and the Plant Quarantine Department have
tightened phytosanitary checks on import consignments of certain exotic
fruits. As a result, fruits like kiwis, honeydew melons and rambutans
have been barred from entering the Indian market.
These fruits are under the open general license import list, but the
Agriculture Ministry issued a quarantine alert on them and restricted
their imports. One of the fruits put on the quarantine alert list
is melon – honey and musk varieties, from Australia and Thailand.
SPICES
EXPORT TARGETED AT RS 2,000 CRORE
The Union Commerce Ministry has set a target of Rs 2,000 crore worth
of export of spices during the current financial year. This implies
an increase by Rs 100 crore over the last financial year. The Ministry
has approved an export target of 2,50,000 tonnes in volume for 2004-05.
The target for value-added products such as spice oils and oleoresins,
mint products, curry powder and vanilla has also been raised. During
April 2004, exports of value-added products had almost doubled from
the previous year.“This increase is mainly because of the big.
jump in chilli demand, which could be offered at a fairly competitive
price,” said Ramkumar Menon, Chairman, All India Spices Exporters
Forum. The buyers were forced to turn to India due to a failure of
crop in China and problems with the coriander crop in countries such
as Bulgaria and Romania.
The export target for turmeric has also been raised, as India still
maintains a monopoly in turmeric with its qualitatively superior product.
SPECIALIST
OFFICERS TO PUSH CREDIT TO FARMERS
Following the new Government’s directive to lift agriculture
credit by 30 per cent, State Bank of India (SBI) is on the lookout
for specialist officers whose job will be to push credit for farmers.
These officers will be responsible for improving the share of agriculture
credit in total advances and also for increasing actual disbursements
amongst farmers.
The country’s largest public sector commercial bank, intends
recruiting 505 specialist officers on a contractual basis.
SOYAMEAL
CROP EXPECTS A BUMPER HARVEST
Based on the feedback and information received at the start of the
sowing season, Soyabean Processors Association of India (Sopa) is
expecting a soyabean crop of 80 lakh tonnes during kharif 2004. It
is also predicted that the soyameal exports from the country may touch
40 lakh tonnes during the next financial year.
“Encouraged by the high returns last year, farmers have brought
in more area under soyabean...
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