Maharashtra Agribusiness and related fields

NASHIK: After blocking the import of Indian table grapes for two years, Germany has resumed placing orders to Indian exporters after the issue was resolved at a meeting with the authorities in Berlin in February.

Indian exporters have started despatching consignments and, in fact, around 120 containers (1,440 metric tonnes) of grapes have been exported so far to Germany.

European countries had rejected Indian consignments of grapes after a chemical residue was found in the 2010 season (January-April). After joint efforts by the government and exporters, European countries, except Germany, had accepted some consignments at lower rates, while the rest of the consignments were diverted to Russia and other countries.

Since 2010, Germany had been stalling the import of table grapes from India on safety grounds. With an aim to settle the issue with Germany, an Indian delegation, including officials from the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), National Research Centre (NRC), Pune, and Grape Exporters' Association (GEAI) had visited Germany and held talks with the authorities and importers there.

"Around 90 containers have been exported directly, while the remaining 30 were sent via Rotterdam port in Netherland," Jagannath Khapare, president, Grapes Exporters' Association of India (GEAI), told TOI.

Though the contribution of European countries in total grape exports from India is 30-40%, value-wise its contribution is 50-55% as Europe pays better rates. In 2010-11, India's grape exports were 99,278.53 metric tones, amounting to around Rs 412 crore; of which, 30,284.62 metric tonnes of grapes amounting to Rs 200 crore were exported to European countries. Of the total grape exports to Europe, Germany contributes 40%, according to APEDA sources.

Click to expand...

Wholesale Commission Agents Fume At Proposal On Direct Sale Of Agri Produce

Pune: The state governments proposal to allow farmers to sell vegetables and fruits directly in the market or to a private company has evoked mixed response from the commission agents at the wholesale markets.However,farmers organisations have welcomed the move.
The commission agents,who currently influence the sale of vegetables,fruits and spices,through the agriculture produce market committees,will lose their monopoly if the sale of agriculture produce is decontrolled.But,the state has defended the move as investmentfriendly and beneficial for farmers and consumers.
The state government had announced the proposal a few weeks ago and had invited objections and suggestions on it till April 30.There are about 300 small and large agriculture produce market committees in the state,which control the sale of agri produce and fruits in the market.Traders source the goods from these market committees and sell them to vendors,who in turn sell them to small retailers.Commission agents normally get an idea about shortage or glut of a particular produce and can manipulate the prices.
All the wholesale markets in the state come under the Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board,a government body that looks after the marketing of the produce.A senior official of the board,on condition of anonymity,said,We are aware of the power wielded by the commission agents vis--vis demand and supply of vegetables and fruits.They can manipulate the prices and within hours transactions of lakhs of rupees take place,but farmers hardly get any benefit.The existing laws have given more powers to the market committees.It should be modified as we want private companies to invest in this sector.
When the state government had compiled data of infrastructure in the agriculture produce market committees and its quality,it was found that the infrastructure was inadequate.
The official added: After implementation of the model act,where private players were allowed to procure vegetables and fruits from farmers directly,we received good feedbacks from private players and farmers.The consumers were also happy buying vegetables and fruits in clean retail shops than buying it from roadside vendors.The decontrolling of the system will make this process faster and more investment will come from private players in infrastructure,setting up of supply chain and better processing facilities The current vegetable handling methods cause about 30% wastage,which can be reduced with the help of sophisticated methods used by private players.
The farmers organisations have extended full support to the proposal.Raghunath Patil,leader of the Sangli-based Shetkari Sanghatna,said: With the decontrol of vegetables and fruits,the market committee network will not collapse in a day.The private players and market committees will compete for vegetable procurement,which will help the farmers get higher returns for the produce.So far,farmers never had the opportunity to decide the price.
The competition will also provide better infrastructure to farmers and money for increasing yield and improving quality,he added.
Shivlal Bhosale,chairman of the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard Commission Agents Association at the Pune market committee,said: The commission agents understand farmers need and we try to get good price for their produce in the market.It is a mystery why the state wants to break the existing network of farmers,commission agents,small vendors,and consumers.There are thousands of families that depend on each market committee in the state,which includes farmers,suppliers,transporters,labourer and vendors,who purchase vegetables from the wholesale market.Their life will be at stake if private companies snatch their source of earning.
The commission agents have already communicated their objections to the state government and have decided to intensify their protest against decontrolling of vegetables and fruits business.

Click to expand...

Pune: The state will soon launch a public-private partnership scheme for developing infrastructure in the agriculture sector,where facilities like cold storage and pack houses will be constructed and grading machinery and artificial ripening equipment would be bought for farmers.The Agribusiness Infrastructure Development Investment Programme (AIDIP) will have funding from the Asian Development Bank and the government.
The AIDIP was designed almost five years ago.It has reached implementation stage this year as the Asian Development Bank has started disbursement of funds recently.As per the scheme,private players would invest 60% of the total cost,whilethe remaining 40%willbe contributed by the ADB and the statein the ratioof 80:20.
Milind Akare,deputy project director of AIDIP,told TOI: This programme is aimed at addressing three main constraints to agriculture growth outdatedtechnologies,lackof public investment in basic infrastructure and limited diversification in high value horticultural crops.To overcome these constraints,integrated value chain (IVC) model will come up in Nashik and Aurandabad districts first.Pune wouldbeincludedin thesecond phase.
Market experts say that private investment would encourage professional practices and strict quality norms in the agriculture sector.The facilities such as grading and pack houses will reduce wastage due tohandling,increaseshelflifeof the produce and provide better valuefor money tocustomers.
Thetotal projectcostwould be aroundRs 150crore.Thecost of Nashik and Aurangabad IVCs is estimated to be Rs 102.45 crore.The state government will soon issue advertisements inviting private bidders.It will offer land for infrastructure development available with local wholesale markets.The construction work should be started by the end of this calendar year, Akaresaid.

Click to expand...

The Maharashtra government has signed an agreement with the Chennai-based Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) to boost farmed fish production.

The MoU involves setting up of a seabass hatchery, and continuing the partnership of CIBA with Mangrove Foundation of Maharashtra for the promotion of brackishwater cage farming. Maharashtra, with huge brackishwater resources along its 720-km coastline, offers good potential in the farming of brackishwater fin-fishes such as seabass, said KK Vijayan, Director, CIBA.

Location

CIBA will provide technology support to the hatchery with an annual production capacity of 20 lakh of seabass larvae. The facility, which is is to be established in Vengurula taluk of Sindhudurg district, will provide livelihood support to the fisherfolk and coastal villagers living on the fringes of mangrove forests, he said.

Seabass is a sought-after fin fish along the west coast with high market demand. The partnership between CIBA and Mangrove Foundation has already demonstrated the economic benefits in the value chain, from larval production to grow-out in the cages.

CIBA in collaboration with Mangrove Foundation is implementing a project on brackish water cage culture with multi-trophic candidate species in diverse rearing systems for alternate communities living near the mangroves. The self-help groups formed under the project has already undertaken the cage farming of Asian seabass using the hatchery produced seeds.

First harvest

The first harvest from a single unit of cage was conducted at Malvan in Sindhudurg by harvesting more than 500 kg of seabass, realizing ₹2 lakh.

Currently there are 32 brackishwater cage units under the project and Mangrove Foundation is going to double the number in the next cycle, he said adding, that the partnership with Maharashtra government can be a good model for replicating the model across coastal states to increase the fin-fish production when catch from the seas has been stagnated for many years.

Click to expand...