No MEIS benefit on guar gum products is impacting its exports
Aamir H Kaki The modest and humble guar gum, a low-value crop grown on marginal land got transformed into one that can generate substantial income for farmers in recent years. The modest seed mostly harvested in the tropical regions of India (Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat) and Pakistan, used as a food crop for animals, gained international fame due to its viscosity. The innocuous looking seed/powder transformed into a product that can generate substantial income for processors, manufacturers, traders and farmers. Owing to its usefulness in food, paper, textile and in the gas and oil industries India’s export of guar gum powder, saw a steep increase from a mere $84.7 million in 2001-02 to $3,930 million in 2012-13, becoming the largest agricultural export ...
Clear policy vital for production of better quality seeds: Expert
Jayarama Emani | The Dollar Business “Enable and encourage new technologies obviously after due assessment, but move ahead and don’t keep matter in limbo,” said Venkatram Vasantavada, COO- Asia & Africa, Advanta Ltd; (A UPL Group Company) a global plant genetics company that sells high quality seeds in about 25 countries. Speaking exclusively to the Dollar Business, a day after Radha Mohan Singh, Union Agriculture Minister spoke on the importance of an appropriate policy support for seed improvements through conventional and biotech methods, Venkatram said, “The government has done some work in this regard. Going forward, it should create enabling mechanisms to fuel the growth in quality seed production. Public sector spending on irrigation, rural infrastructure (storage, post-harvest ...
