Search Result for : Food Security

The Dollar Business Bureau Senior officials of the Ministry of Commerce will discuss and deliberate upon several major issues with regards to World Trade Organisation (WTO) in New Delhi this week. Indian officials posted at the WTO headquarter in Geneva (Switzerland), including JS Deepak - Permanent Representative of India to WTO, will take part in the deliberations, according to an official. The key issues that would be discussed include the matters related to the upcoming WTO ministerial conference in December in Argentina, subsidies on fisheries and permanent resolution on government’s stock-holding of foodgrains for the purpose of food security. The WTO ministerial conference is the topmost body for decision making. The issue pertaining to food security concerns various developing countries which offer foodgrain at subsidised ...

The Dollar Business Bureau A Joint review meeting on revival plans for closed fertilizer projects was held today, to realise PM Narendra Modi's vision of ‘Fertilizer Security for Food Security'.  The two-pronged strategy includes existing fertilizer capacity augmentation by increasing the efficiency of the plants and revival of closed fertilizer projects. "With the revival of the fertilizer projects, Gorakhpur, Barauni, Sindri and Talcher, an additional annual production capacity of 75 LMT would be created making India self-reliant in meeting the annual domestic demand of around 320 LMT, from being a net importer currently," Ananthkumar, Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs said, after the meeting. "Financial allocations and the ground level work would start in 2017 and the five plants would become fully functional by 2020-21," he added. Through optimum utilisation of existing capacity, India ...

Source: PTI Trade ministers of WTO member countries concluded their talks on December 19 without any commitment from developed countries on cutting farm subsidies   After a ‘disappointing’ year at WTO, India is looking to beef up its efforts in 2016 to push for early conclusion of the long-stalled Doha Round talks at the global trade body and for finding a permanent solution to food security issues. At its recent Nairobi meet, the World Trade Organisation failed to address the concerns of developing countries, resulting in India coming back 'thoroughly disappointed' as far as the 14-year-old Doha commitments are concerned. Successful conclusion of the Doha Round agenda has been very important for developing countries and one of the main pending issues is ...

Source: PTI    Backed by several developing countries, India will strongly pitch for finding a permanent solution to the food security issue and a mechanism to protect poor farmers from surge in imports at the WTO meeting of 160 trade ministers', beginning in Nairobi on Tuesday. During the four-day meet, India wants the multi-lateral body to deliberate on pending issues of the Doha Round and deliverables of the Bali package, including issues of the least developed countries. “Focus of the deliberations will include issues relating to continuance of the Doha negotiating mandate; finding a permanent solution to the issue of public stock holding for food security; special safeguard measures,” an official said. The negotiations, launched at the Qatari capital in 2001 and ...

Source: PTI WTO acceptance enabled India to continue procurement and stocking of foodgrain for distribution to the poor under its food security programme without attracting any kind of action from WTO members   Members of the WTO will have to provide permanent solution to India's food security issue and the country does not see any “hitch” in that, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said. “Peace clause is with us and it's only natural that they (WTO) have to give a permanent solution. How it is going to be given... I do not see any hitch in that. Whether it is going to happen before Nairobi meet or not is get to be seeing,” Sitharaman told PTI. Ending months-long deadlock, ...

The Dollar Business Bureau Australian companies are expected to invest up to $10 billion in India as part of the economic collaboration between the two countries in various sectors. “Investments worth $10 billion is in the pipeline in varied sectors, including resources and manufacturing,” Patrick Suckling, Australian High Commissioner to India, was quoted as saying in a report. Speaking at an interactive session with MCC Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Kolkata, Suckling said that his country was willing to join hands with India, especially in energy, food, education and infrastructure sectors. “Australia has very rich resources of mineral. For procuring Uranium, there are a lot of geo-political issues involved. India is in dire need of Uranium and Australia can be ...

The Dollar Business Bureau (Pic. Source - WTO)   The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has advanced the date to find a permanent solution on public stockholding and food security programmes from 2017 to December 31, 2015, and has made the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) Facility operational. At a meeting of the General Council yesterday, Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General, WTO, congratulated the 160 members for adopting decisions related to public stockholding for food security programmes, the TFA and the post-Bali work. He said, “WTO work is back on track.” Three decisions were arrived at the General Council meeting. The first decision was about finding a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes by 31 December 2015. Members have also ...

The Dollar Business Bureau | @TheDollarBiz Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry (Independent Charge), announcing the breakthrough in WTO TFA talks in New Delhi on November 13, 2014 (Pic. source - Ministry of Commerce)   After months of resistance, India has agreed to support the implementation of the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The TFA is considered the biggest breakthrough since the formation of the WTO and a major reform in multilateral trade. The TFA aims to reduce trade barriers, simplify trade procedures and reduce trade costs significantly. According to WTO estimates, the TFA has the potential to add over $1 trillion to the global economy. In the Bali conference last year, WTO members had agreed ...