NEWS Bulletin from Indian Society For Sustainable Agriculture And Rural Development
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AVIAN FLU---
1. Govt in panic as avian flu spreads
2. Poultry industry asks govt to notify bird flu hit areas - Loss estimated at Rs 165 million a day
Trade in Green Goods & Services---
3. India-UK - Brown gets trade in green goods to the fore
India-EU----
4. Hungary to boost bilateral trade with India to 500 m euros
Bilateral Trade----
5. Israel warns global milk paucity, urges India to act
6. Arunachal asks Centre to facilitate border trade
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Govt in panic as avian flu spreads
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Monday , January 21, 2008 at 1959 hrs IST
Posted online: Monday , January 21, 2008 at 1959 hrs IST
New Delhi, January 21: The spread of avian flu to more areas in West Bengal has invited the concern of the central government.
Joint teams of the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries and health and family welfare ministry have begun touring the vulnerable states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Assam and Meghalaya. Teams to Tripura and Mizoram are also begin their tour from Monday.
According to an official press release, the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) has confirmed positive results for avian influenza (H5) in respect of samples from Chachal-I block of Malda district, Nakashipara block of Nadia district and Mejia block of Bankura district in West Bengal on the basis of rapid tests.
A total of 22 samples had been sent to HSADL from North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Nadia, West Midnapur and Birbhum districts on January 20, 2008.
As per latest information received, a total mortality of 1,07,881 poultry birds was reported from Birbhum, Dakshin Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Burdwan and Bankura districts in West Bengal.
On January 20 about 154 rapid response teams were deployed for culling operations in West Bengal. The cumulative number of birds culled since the first confirmation of outbreak in West Bengal is 160,440. About 79,260 eggs and 2865 kg feed have been destroyed so far in all the affected areas.
This is the third year in succession, India has come under the influence of avian flu. Earlier the incidence of avian flu on poultry occurred in early 2006, in western parts of the country, and in July 2007 in Manipur, in the North Eastern part. In 2006, the poultry industry suffered an estimated loss of Rs 30,000 million, while in 2007 it was Rs 6,700 million.
This time the poultry industry faces a loss of Rs 165 million a day as the prices of live birds and eggs dipped on account of the recent outbreak in West Bengal.
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Poultry industry asks govt to notify bird flu hit areas
Loss estimated at Rs 165 million a day
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Monday , January 21, 2008 at 0300 hrs IST
Posted online: Monday , January 21, 2008 at 0300 hrs IST
New Delhi, Jan 20 Faced with an estimated loss of Rs 16.5 crore (Rs 165 million) a day on account of the outbreak of avian flu in West Bengal, the poultry industry has urged the Central government to define areas under this deadly disease, so that exports from other parts of the country can be business as usual.
After several days of largescale mortality on poultry in Birbhum and Dakshin Dinajpur districts in West Bengal, the government on January 15, 2007 confirmed the incidence of avian flu (H5N1 virus), after receiving the test reports from the Bhopal-based High Security Animal Disease Laboratory.
In response to this recent incidence of avian flu, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Oman and Qatar have imposed a ban on Indian poultry exports. The UAE, which was planning to lift the ban on Indian poultry exports after India attained avian flu-free status last year, has now decided to continue with the ban.
"Wholesale prices of broilers declined by about 20-25% in almost all Markets in the country, from Rs 45 per kg live to Rs 35 or even lower in some Markets, on account of avian flu, but gained slightly later in the week. Egg prices in wholesale dropped by almost 25% across the country from, Rs 190 per 100 eggs to Rs 140 per 100 eggs," said Amit Sachdev, a market analyst and India representative of US Grains Council.
According to Sachdev, about 40 million birds are sold per week in the in the market, and keeping in view the drop in broiler prices, the estimated loss would work out to Rs 10 crore (Rs 100 million) a day. Similarly, 134 million eggs are sold per day in the market, and keeping in view the drop in egg prices, the estimated loss would be Rs 6.5 crore (Rs 65 million) a day.
The representative body of the poultry industry, the National Egg Coordination Committee has demanded that the government take up the issue of zoning poultry areas in the country on priority, so that poultry exports from zones not affected by avian flu can continue. It has also demanded strict surveillance and vaccination in the country's border areas to prevent the entry of deadly avian flu virus from neighbouring countries.
Sachdev has also suggested hygienic mobile slaughter facilities for culling birds. In West Bengal the avian flu has spread to the Murshidabad district and unusual poultry, mortality has been reported in Burdwan, Bankura, Cooch Behar, Nadia, and Purulia, and 24 South Paragans districts. According to reports received, the tests samples from birds in Purulia, Cooch Behar, and Nadia proved negative for bird flu. Samples from affected areas have also been sent to ascertain transmission of avian flu virus to humans and animals.
However, the West Bengal animal resources minister Anisur Rehman said.that the situation was under control and a target has been set to cull 4,00,000 chickens within seven days, of which 60,000-70,000 had already been culled. The culling team of 85 would be increased to 300.The Union animal husbandry commissioner, Santanu Bandopadhaya said that there was no evidence so far that the current incidence of avian flu was due to migratory birds.
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India-UK
Brown gets trade in green goods to the fore
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Tuesday , January 22, 2008 at 1857 hrs IST
Posted online: Tuesday , January 22, 2008 at 1857 hrs IST
New Delhi, January 21: On the lines of the recent EU-US proposal for introducing trade in green goods and services in the WTO agenda, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown called for "an opportunity" to innovate and market new technologies to meet the challenges of climate change.
He also said, for reforms in international rules and institutions to reflect the urgency of tackling global poverty and climate change. He supported India's bid to have a permanent place in the UN Security Council.
He said that India, the world's largest democracy and Britain, one of the world's oldest democracy can work in a partnership of equals and an alliance of shared values.
Speaking at an event hosted by two apex industry bodies – FICCI and CII – in Delhi on Monday, Brown said: "Finding a low carbon path should also be seen as an opportunity – both to innovate and market new technologies and by reducing their costs and sharing them – not least through a global carbon market – enabling developing countries to leapfrog the already industrializing countries and move straight to a cleaner future."
Expressing the urgent need for financing environmentally sustainable development, he called for strengthening World Bank's capacity and reach "I propose as a first stage- building on Britain's new $1.6 billion international environmental transformation fund – the creation of a global climate change fund; a multi-billion pound fund operating within the World Bank Clean Energy Investment Framework that will finance low carbon investment, sustainable forestry programme, adaptation and climate-resilient development in the poorest countries."
Hinting at multilateral trade system, he said: "the task ahead is to agree for our new time the rules than can make globalization a force for hope and progress for people from Birmingham to Bangalore."
Indian commerce minister, Kamal Nath said that there were challenges in the WTO and India was committed to the successful conclusion of the Doha Round. The rise in global food prices was a matter of concern, he said and added that the economies of the West and the emerging economies of the East should collectively meet this challenge. Nath also cautioned against the growing economic nationalism in the West.
Brown also suggested revamping of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and said that the institution maintaining its independence should focus on surveillance of the global economic and financial system and thus prevent crises and not just resolve them. In a wider role, he said, IMF should work with the Financial Stability Forum, set up in the aftermath of Asian crises for an early warning system for financial turbulence affecting the global Economy. He also suggested changes in the G8 that reflect the rise of India and Asia.
Naming organizations like Al-Qaeda, Taliban and referring to tragedies in Bosnia, Rwanda, Myanmar and Darfur, Brown said : "the world is not currently equipped to respond as we must to the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the rise of non-state terrorism, the threat to civilians during conflict and from genocide and the need to rapidly underpin peace with support for reconstruction." He suggested all countries to strengthen networks of global law enforcement authorities, intelligence agents, police and financial regulators.
He suggested that the UN Security Council resolutions should authorise peacekeeping missions in conflict affected countries to also kick start stabilization and reconstruction and one envoy should be entrusted with authority for this purpose. Rapid response teams of police, judges, lawyers, trainers and other civilian experts from different countries should be constituted to place the affected countries on road to economic recovery and political stability. A UN crisis prevention and recovery fund should be set up to provide immediate support for reconstruction.
Britain has decided to press for early agreement to a new IAEA-led international system to help non-nuclear states acquire the new sources of energy they need, including through an enrichment bond. But this offer must be made only in return for firm commitments to the highest non-proliferation standards, he said
Brown said: "facing serious challenges from Iran and North Korea, we must send a powerful signal to all members of the international community that the race for more and bigger stockpiles of nuclear destruction is over."
The expiration of the remaining US-Russia arms control deals, the continued existence of large arsenals and the stalemates on a fissile material cut-off treaty and the comprehensive test ban treaty must all be addressed, he said and added that Britain was prepared to help determine the needs for the verifiable elimination of nuclear warheads. Britain would also work to achieve a global arms trade treaty
At a roundtable of India-UK CEOs on Monday, India sought investments from UK in the areas like highway projects, bridges, expressways, ports, power generation, water plants, water management techniques. So far investments from UK were mainly from the sectors such as telecom, chemicals, fuels, service sector. The roundtable was attended by Lord Digby Jones, UK minister of state, for trade and investment.
At the India-UK annual summit held in Delhi on Monday the delegation from the UK was led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and that from India was led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. A joint statement was issued covering areas like India-UK strategic partnership, economic and commercial, education, research, science and technology, civil nuclear cooperation, climate change, millennium development goals (MDGs), WTO, proposed India-EU FTA, international issues and measures to counter terrorism.
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Hungary to boost bilateral trade with India to 500 m euros
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Friday , January 18, 2008 at 2056 hrs IST
Posted online: Friday , January 18, 2008 at 2056 hrs IST
New Delhi, Jan 18 Hungary has called for easing visa regime and allowing resident permits for boosting bilateral trade and investment. It has also proposed to increase the bilateral trade with India from the existing 300 million Euros to 500 million Euros.
Speaking at a business meeting organized jointly by the apex Indian industry bodies FICCI, CII and Assocham and the Hungarian industry body ITD here on Friday, the visiting Hungarian Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany said : "our government is focusing on providing better and credible regulations with no political obstacles to enhance the investment from Indian Companies and to facilitate the growth of industry. India is a very reliable partner for Hungary because of skilled and reliable employers and investors."
He said the Hungarian government would provides various incentives to Indian Companies to enhance the investment in R&D; subsidy for employment creation and training; development tax benefit and the tailor- made incentive package for strategic investors.
Gyurcsany suggested easing visa regime between India and Hungary and allowing resident permits.
The secretary in the Hungarian ministry for international economic affairs and transport, Abel Garamhegyi said "our focus is to increase the bilateral trade from 300 million euro to 500 million euro. We seek investment in R&D, innovation, high added value, knowledge based Economy, healthcare and defence sector,"
He added that Hungarian government will provide the customized incentive package to strategic investors for the 10 million EUR investment in terms of cash subsidy; development tax allowance and training subsidy.
The Indian minister of state for external affairs, Anand Sharma said that liberal policy of the Hungarian government was investor friendly. He said, agro processing and tourism were areas in which both the countries can cooperate. To further strengthen the bilateral relations, the Indian government was seeking investment in sector such as tourism, infrastructure, and biotechnology.
Phiroz Vandrevala, Member, CII national council and executive director and head of the global corporate affairs in Tata Consultancy Services suggested measures to promote bilateral economic cooperation in education, healthcare, biotechnology, IT and other services and joint ventures in infrastructure projects.
P K Sandell, chairman, Assocham computers and electronic committee said that India- Hungary bilateral trade last year has been to the tune of $ 150 million only. This was far below the level of our good relations. This needs to be increased he said and added "I urge the distinguished members of your delegation to actively interact with the Indian business persons to find means and ways to increase the trade, and explore fresh avenues and opportunities for more intense economic interaction"
Onkar S Kanwar, former president of FICCI said "India sees Hungary as not only the gateway to Europe but the most effective window of engaging 27 countries of Europe. Hungary's liberalization and globalization process has become a benchmark for may countries in the world."
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Israel warns global milk paucity, urges India to act
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Monday , January 21, 2008 at 2001 hrs IST
Posted online: Monday , January 21, 2008 at 2001 hrs IST
New Delhi, January 21: Israel predicted severe global shortage in milk production in the next three years and urged India to cooperate in resolving the emerging situation.
With a view to meet the likely challenges to be posed on account of global climate change Israel has offered to cooperate in areas of water management, micro-irrigation projects, sewage water recycling for use in agriculture and prevention of desertification.
The Israeli minister for agriculture, Shalom Simhon is in Delhi with a business delegation and is expected to meet the Union agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar on Tuesday to work out concrete plan of action.
"There may be milk shortage in the world for more than three years, if corrective action is not taken in time," said Simhon. Noting that India is the largest producer of milk in the world, he said: "both the countries need to work together to face the emerging challenge. Israel has improved technology for the dairy sector and our Companies can invest in India."
He proposed genetic improvement of animals and application modern dairy equipment.
The Israeli delegation was on a visit to Rajasthan and found the climate there similar to that in Israel and hence a conducive place to begin their work. Israel would help India in replicating its experiences of olive and date plantation and also in other horticulture crops in desert areas. It would also share its technology of protected agriculture like poly and greenhouses. An agreement on cooperation between the two countries was signed by Pawar in May 2006 during his visit to Israel on the occasion of AgriTech Expo.
Simhon also suggested cooperation in R&D, particularly relating to post-harvest management and increasing shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Two-way trade and investment can play a vital role, he said and added that a free trade agreement between the two countries can boost the prospects further.
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Arunachal asks Centre to facilitate border trade
ASHOK B SHARMA
Posted online: Sunday , January 20, 2008 at 2344 hrs IST
Posted online: Sunday , January 20, 2008 at 2344 hrs IST
New Delhi Arunachal Pradesh, a landlocked state in the remote northeastern part of the country, has asked the central government to facilitate border trade with three neighbouring countries, namely, Myanmar, Bhutan and China.
State chief minister, Dorjee Khandu, has said in a recent memorandum to the Centre that Arunachal Pradesh has a 1,680 km-long international border with Myanmar, Bhutan and China and this opportunity presents prospects for border trade for the benefit of the people. He suggested opening up of trade points at Pangsu Pass in Nampong in Changlang district, Bletting and Bumia in Tawang district, Joring, Gelling, Gelling, Kibitho, Nampong, Mechuka, Taksing and Sarli.
Khandu also said that the success of India's Look East Policy would largely depend upon the promotion of border trade with its neighbouring countries.
In the memo, the chief minister also demanded attention for providing basic civic amenities to villages near the international borders. ''Allocation under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) is not adequate enough to match the growing demands of settlers in border areas, particularly those bordering China,'' he said, and added that the recommendations of the task force on BADP constituted by the Planning Commission should be implemented in a time-bound manner.
He said that there were difficulties in planning roadway connectivity near border areas by state government agencies in border areas as the defence ministry had imposed restrictions on the availability of topo sheets for the area.
As the region is a centre of flora and fauna biodiversity, Khandu has demanded speedy action for setting up of the proposed National Institute of Bio-diversity Studies.
The state had also drafted a Tourism Policy 2003 for promotion of eco cultural heritage and adventure tourism. With a view to facilitating tourism, the state government has now asked for assistance from the Centre for all-round infrastructure development.
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