Smooth sail for sugar exports as Centre allows shipment quota swap, sales to SEZs
Sales of the commodity to buyers abroad seen topping six million tonnes
Two key decisions taken by the Union Government to help the sugar industry have buoyed the commodity’s exports and meet the shipment target of six million tonnes (mt) for the current season (October 2020-September 2021)
“By March 15, we have signed contracts to export 4.3 mt and by April-end, we could sign deals to export 4.6 mt,” said Rahil Shaikh, Managing Director, MEIR Commodities India.
Summer crops area up 15% at 56 lakh hectares
Planting of summer crops has picked up and the total acreage jumped by 15 per cent to exceed 56 lakh hectares till March 26 against 48.82 lakh ha during the same period a year ago, as per the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare’s latest data.
Paddy acreage went up to 36.87 lakh ha — an increase of 16 per cent over same period a year ago, as farmers in states such as West Bengal and Telangana planted more area under the cereal crop.
Dairy players oppose free trade pact with EU
‘Inclusion of dairy in pact would affect domestic units’
Even as the Centre is inching closer to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) deal with the European Union (EU), India’s dairy sector has flagged some concerns involving livelihood scores of Indian farmers.
The inclusion of dairy products in the FTA is feared to hamper farmers’ interests and stymie Government’s efforts to boost dairy exports from India, they claimed.
