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Category: Horticulture

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Joins Fischer, Duckworth and Colleagues to Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Make E15 Available Year-Round

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, joined Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and 11 other Senators to introduce bipartisan legislation to make E15 available year-round. The Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 would enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent, helping to lower fuel prices and provide certainty in fuel markets for farmers and consumers.

    “I have long pushed to make E15 available year-round because investing in affordable, readily-available biofuels produced in the U.S. is good for drivers and farmers alike,” said Klobuchar. “By ensuring consumers can access E15 gasoline throughout the year, our bipartisan legislation will lower prices at the pump, support farmers, benefit our broader economy, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It’s critical that we diversify our fuel supply and invest in affordable energy solutions. I look forward to working with Senators Fischer and Duckworth to pass this bipartisan bill.”

    “It’s time to once and for all solidify President Trump’s pledge to allow the sale of year-round E15—giving America’s producers and consumers the certainty they deserve. My bill will put an end to years of patchwork regulations and finally make nationwide, year-round E15 a reality. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and the Senate, as well as with President Trump, to get this bill signed into law,” said Fischer.

    “For our country to remain a global energy leader, we must continue to invest in renewable and clean energy so we can decrease our emissions and dependence on foreign oil,” said Duckworth. “Producing less expensive fuel choices like E15 that can be sold year-round would help lower gas prices, protect the environment, support our farmers and drive economic opportunity throughout the Midwest. I’m proud to join Senator Fischer in reintroducing our bipartisan legislation that would do just that.”

    Additional cosponsors of this bipartisan bill include U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Thune (R-SD), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Mike Rounds (R-SD). Representatives Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Angie Craig (D-MN) lead companion legislation in the House.

    Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, American Petroleum Institute, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmer Union, and National Association of Convenience Stores endorsed the legislation.

    Klobuchar has long been a strong advocate for investing in renewable fuel infrastructure, increasing American biofuel production, and upholding the Clean Air Act’s RFS.

    In 2023, Klobuchar and Grassley led a bipartisan letter urging the EPA to strengthen the RFS by maintaining the blending requirements for 2023; denying all pending Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs); eliminating proposed retroactive cuts to the renewable volume obligations (RVOs); and setting RFS volumes at the statutory levels.

    In February 2024, Klobuchar and Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led a group of 40 bipartisan members of Congress urging the Biden Administration to act quickly to ensure that the model used to determine eligibility for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) tax credits unlocks the potential held by farmers, ethanol producers, and airlines to reduce carbon emissions from aviation. 

    In January 2024, Klobuchar, along with Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL.) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Farm to Fly Act. This legislation would help accelerate the production and development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) through existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and allow further growth for alternative fuels to be used in the aviation sector, creating new markets for American farmers.

    In June 2021, Klobuchar announced the introduction of a package of bipartisan bills to expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels, incentivize the use of higher blends of biofuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    In 2021, Klobuchar and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) reintroduced the bipartisan Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act to create a renewable fuel infrastructure grant program and streamline regulatory requirements to help fuel retailers sell higher blends of ethanol.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: BlackRock® Canada Announces February Cash Distributions for the iShares® ETFs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (“BlackRock Canada”), an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK), today announced the February 2025 cash distributions for the iShares ETFs listed on the TSX or Cboe Canada which pay on a monthly basis as well as XIU. Unitholders of record of a fund on February 25, 2025 will receive cash distributions payable in respect of that fund on February 28, 2025.

    Details regarding the “per unit” distribution amounts are as follows:

    Fund Name Fund Ticker Cash Distribution Per Unit
    iShares 1-10 Year Laddered Corporate Bond Index ETF CBH $0.049
    iShares 1-5 Year Laddered Corporate Bond Index ETF CBO $0.051
    iShares S&P/TSX Canadian Dividend Aristocrats Index ETF CDZ $0.112
    iShares Equal Weight Banc & Lifeco ETF CEW $0.059
    iShares 1-5 Year Laddered Government Bond Index ETF CLF $0.032
    iShares 1-10 Year Laddered Government Bond Index ETF CLG $0.037
    iShares S&P/TSX Canadian Preferred Share Index ETF CPD $0.058
    iShares US Dividend Growers Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) CUD $0.079
    iShares Convertible Bond Index ETF CVD $0.072
    iShares Global Monthly Dividend Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) CYH $0.080
    iShares Canadian Financial Monthly Income ETF FIE $0.040
    iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF XAGG $0.105
    iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF(1) XAGG.U $0.061
    iShares U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XAGH $0.091
    iShares Core Canadian Universe Bond Index ETF XBB $0.079
    iShares Core Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF XCB $0.069
    iShares ESG Advanced Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF XCBG $0.119
    iShares U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF XCBU $0.121
    iShares U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF(1) XCBU.U $0.076
    iShares Core MSCI Global Quality Dividend Index ETF XDG $0.061
    iShares Core MSCI Global Quality Dividend Index ETF(1) XDG.U $0.042
    iShares Core MSCI Global Quality Dividend Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XDGH $0.060
    iShares Core MSCI Canadian Quality Dividend Index ETF XDIV $0.115
    iShares Core MSCI US Quality Dividend Index ETF XDU $0.064
    iShares Core MSCI US Quality Dividend Index ETF(1) XDU.U $0.044
    iShares Core MSCI US Quality Dividend Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XDUH $0.059
    iShares Canadian Select Dividend Index ETF XDV $0.114
    iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XEB $0.057
    iShares S&P/TSX Composite High Dividend Index ETF XEI $0.111
    iShares Core Canadian 15+ Year Federal Bond Index ETF XFLB $0.111
    iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF XFLI $0.193
    iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF(1) XFLI.U $0.145
    iShares Flexible Monthly Income ETF (CAD-Hedged) XFLX $0.179
    iShares S&P/TSX Capped Financials Index ETF XFN $0.140
    iShares Floating Rate Index ETF XFR $0.066
    iShares Core Canadian Government Bond Index ETF XGB $0.050
    iShares Global Government Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XGGB $0.040
    iShares Canadian HYBrid Corporate Bond Index ETF XHB $0.074
    iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XHD $0.083
    iShares U.S. High Dividend Equity Index ETF XHU $0.080
    iShares U.S. High Yield Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XHY $0.084
    iShares U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XIG $0.070
    iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XIGS $0.122
    iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index ETF XIU $0.275
    iShares Core Canadian Long Term Bond Index ETF XLB $0.062
    iShares S&P/TSX North American Preferred Stock Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XPF $0.071
    iShares High Quality Canadian Bond Index ETF XQB $0.053
    iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index ETF XRE $0.065
    iShares ESG Aware Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF XSAB $0.047
    iShares Core Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF XSB $0.072
    iShares Conservative Short Term Strategic Fixed Income ETF XSC $0.057
    iShares Conservative Strategic Fixed Income ETF XSE $0.053
    iShares Core Canadian Short Term Corporate Bond Index ETF XSH $0.060
    iShares ESG Advanced 1-5 Year Canadian Corporate Bond Index ETF XSHG $0.118
    iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF XSHU $0.127
    iShares 1-5 Year U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index ETF(1) XSHU.U $0.080
    iShares Short Term Strategic Fixed Income ETF XSI $0.060
    iShares ESG Aware Canadian Short Term Bond Index ETF XSTB $0.047
    iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XSTH $0.009
    iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF XSTP $0.010
    iShares 0-5 Year TIPS Bond Index ETF(1) XSTP.U $0.007
    iShares 20+ Year U.S. Treasury Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) XTLH $0.117
    iShares 20+ Year U.S. Treasury Bond Index ETF XTLT $0.125
    iShares 20+ Year U.S. Treasury Bond Index ETF(1) XTLT.U $0.087
    iShares Diversified Monthly Income ETF XTR $0.040
    iShares S&P/TSX Capped Utilities Index ETF XUT $0.090

    (1) Distribution per unit amounts are in U.S. dollars for XAGG.U, XCBU.U, XDG.U, XDU.U, XFLI.U, XSHU.U, XSTP.U, XTLT.U

    Estimated February Cash Distributions for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF

    The February cash distributions per unit for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF are estimated to be as follows:

    Fund Name Fund Ticker Estimated Cash Distribution Per Unit
    iShares Premium Money Market ETF CMR $0.124

    BlackRock Canada expects to issue a press release on or about February 24, 2025, which will provide the final amounts for the iShares Premium Money Market ETF.

    Further information on the iShares Funds can be found at http://www.blackrock.com/ca.

    About BlackRock

    BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate | Twitter: @BlackRockCA

    About iShares ETFs

    iShares unlocks opportunity across markets to meet the evolving needs of investors. With more than twenty years of experience, a global line-up of 1500+ exchange traded funds (ETFs) and US$4.2 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2024, iShares continues to drive progress for the financial industry. iShares funds are powered by the expert portfolio and risk management of BlackRock.

    iShares® ETFs are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited.

    Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investing in iShares ETFs. Please read the relevant prospectus before investing. The funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional.

    Standard & Poor’s® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”). Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). TSX is a registered trademark of TSX Inc. (“TSX”). All of the foregoing trademarks have been licensed to S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and sublicensed for certain purposes to BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”),  which in turn has sub-licensed these marks to its affiliate, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited (“BlackRock Canada”), on behalf of the applicable fund(s). The index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, and has been licensed for use by BFA and by extension, BlackRock Canada and the applicable fund(s). The funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P, any of their respective affiliates (collectively known as “S&P Dow Jones Indices”) or TSX, or any of their respective affiliates. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices nor TSX make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in such funds.

    MSCI is a trademark of MSCI, Inc. (“MSCI”). The ETF is permitted to use the MSCI mark pursuant to a license agreement between MSCI and BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A., relating to, among other things, the license granted to BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. to use the Index. BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. has sublicensed the use of this trademark to BlackRock. The ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MSCI and MSCI makes no representation, condition or warranty regarding the advisability of investing in the ETF.

    Contact for Media:
    Sydney Punchard
    Email: Sydney.Punchard@blackrock.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Action Plan funding helps children grow vegetables

    Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

    The aim is for tamariki (children) to be able to grow vegetables and plants all year round and make food in classes, demonstrating ‘garden to plate’ learning. The native plants grown will be used for the school’s riparian planting projects. 

    The school would like to eventually provide produce to food banks, and to families within the school community who need support.

    This is one of several projects supported by the latest round of Selwyn Waihora ZCAP funding.

    Just under $1,300 will go towards equipment such as an irrigation pipe and attachments, the hiring of a trenching machine (to bury the pipes) and a garden shed to act as a pump house. 

    Principal Elizabeth Coyle says the school was set up with a vision to develop an environmental awareness amongst ākonga (students).

    “We’ve achieved great things already and wish to keep the momentum going to help tamariki reach their full potential in this space.

    “This project will certainly help with that, and we’re grateful to the Selwyn Waihora Water Zone Committee for backing this important mahi.”

    Vegetables and plants growing inside the tunnel house

    Water zone committee Action Plan funding

    Each water zone committee was allocated $50,000 this financial year. The committees make funding recommendations on projects in their zone that benefit the environment or engage the community on environmental issues.   

    This support in turn helps the committees meet the goals in their Action Plans – which outline their tactics for delivering on the targets of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.  

    Selwyn Waihora Water Zone Committee’s Action Plan priorities are:   

    • enhancing mahinga kai, biodiversity and recreation opportunities 
    • raising awareness about the risks to private drinking water supplies  
    • supporting actions to restore Te Waihora to a healthy state  
    • facilitating actions to achieve catchment nutrient targets and water quality outcomes  
    • facilitating a community-wide approach to restore the Waikirikiri/Selwyn River back to a healthy state.

    Action Plan projects in Selwyn Waihora

    Rolleston Christian School’s project is one of six funded this year by the Selwyn Waihora Water Zone Committee’s Action Plan.

    The other projects are:

    $10,000 in ZCAP funding will go towards controlling the willow and the other pest species before they become overly problematic. 

    Old Tai Tapu bush deer fence  

    Old Tai Tapu bush is a 6.5 hectare indigenous lowland forest, which is being devastated by fallow deer. 

    QEII National Trust is looking to fence 11,015 metres of bush to keep deer out, eliminate deer that are already in the bush, and undertake monitoring. The project will benefit from $12,762 in ZCAP funding. 

    Lincoln students discovery plant-out and monitoring days 

    This project is part of a greater effort to restore vegetation along the Huritini/Halswell Awa (river) in Ahuriri Reserve and other awa in Selwyn Waihora.

    A plant-out day for Te Kura o Tauhinu/Lincoln Primary students will be held, centred on a variety of activities to help the students learn about the positive effects of native species on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. They’ll also look at the cultural uses of plants and certain species.

    A hands-on monitoring event for a school to check plant survival and measure biosecurity at a restoration site will also be organised. This will include a native bird count, a terrestrial invertebrate hunt, and aquatic and fish invertebrate investigations.

    $6,941 in funding will go towards the cost of running the two events. 

    The Fantail Trust native bird and plant sanctuary 

    This project will see the creation of a native bird and plant sanctuary in the Rakaia Gorge along the walkway.

    $2,500 in ZCAP funding will go towards the deployment of five AT220 traps in remote sites to help eliminate possums and rats. This is in addition to other traps already installed in the forest. The aim is to significantly improve the survival of native birds and invertebrates and enable the forest to regenerate and rejuvenate. 

    Committee delighted by high quality proposals

    Selwyn Waihora Zone Committee deputy chair Allanah Kidd says the projects will help improve freshwater and/or biodiversity outcomes. 

    “This was a highly competitive round which made allocations recommendations difficult” she said. 

    “As a committee we were delighted to see so many high-quality and worthy proposals put forward, and to be able to support a range of inspiring projects.”  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The cumulative exports (merchandise & services) during April-January 2024-25 is estimated at USD 682.59 Billion, as compared to USD 636.69 Billion in April-January2023-24, an estimated growth of 7.21%.

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Ministry of Commerce & Industry

    The cumulative exports (merchandise & services) during April-January 2024-25 is estimated at USD 682.59 Billion, as compared to USD 636.69 Billion in April-January2023-24, an estimated growth of 7.21%.

    The cumulative value of merchandise exports during April-January2024-25 was USD 358.91 Billion, as compared to USD 353.97 Billion during April-January2023-24, registering a positive growth of 1.39%.

    Non-Petroleum exports in January2025 valued at USD 32.86Billion registered an increase of14.47% as compared to USD 28.71Billion in January2024.

    The cumulative Non-Petroleum exports in April-January2024-25 valued at USD 305.84Billion registered an increased of7.90% as compared to USD 283.45Billion in April-January2023-24.

    Non-petroleum & Non-Gems & Jewellery exports registered an increase of 14.33% from USD 26.12 Billion in January2024 to USD 29.87 Billion in January2025.

    Major drivers of merchandise exports growth in January2025 include Electronic Goods, Engineering Goods, Drugs & Pharmaceuticals, Rice and Gems & Jewellery.

    Electronic Goods exports increased by 78.97 % from USD 2.29 Billion in January2024 to USD 4.11 Billion in January2025.

    Engineering Goods exports increased by 7.44 % from USD 8.77 Billion in January2024 to USD 9.42 Billion in January2025.

    Drugs & Pharmaceuticals exports increased by 21.46 % from USD 2.13 Billion in January2024 to USD 2.59 Billion in January2025.

    Rice exports increased by 44.61 % from USD 0.95 Billion in January2024 to USD 1.37 Billion in January2025.

    Gems & Jewelleryexports increased by 15.95 % from USD 2.59 Billion in January2024 to USD 3 Billion in January2025.

    Posted On: 17 FEB 2025 6:15PM by PIB Delhi

    • India’s total exports (Merchandise and Services combined) for January2025* is estimated at USD 74.97 Billion, registering a positivegrowth of 9.72 percent vis-à-vis January2024.Total imports (Merchandise and Services combined) for January2025* is estimated at USD 77.64 Billion, registering a positive growth of 12.98 percent vis-à-vis January2024.

     

    Table 1: Trade during January2025*

     

     

    January2025

    (USD Billion)

    January2024

    (USD Billion)

    Merchandise

    Exports

    36.43

    37.32

    Imports

    59.42

    53.88

    Services*

    Exports

    38.55

    31.01

    Imports

    18.22

    14.84

    Total Trade

    (Merchandise +Services) *

    Exports

    74.97

    68.33

    Imports

    77.64

    68.72

    Trade Balance

    -2.67

    -0.39

    * Note: The latest data for services sector released by RBI is for December2024. The data for January2025 is an estimation, which will be revised based on RBI’s subsequent release. (ii) Data for April-January2023-24 and April-September2024 has been revised on pro-rata basis using quarterly balance of payments data.

    Fig 1: Total Trade during January2025*

    • India’s total exports during April-January2024-25* is estimated at USD 682.59 Billion registering a positive growth of 7.21 percent. Total imports during April-January2024-25* is estimated at USD 770.06 Billion registering a growth of 8.96 percent.

    Table 2: Trade during April-January2024-25*

     

     

    April-January2024-25

    (USD Billion)

    April-January2023-24

    (USD Billion)

    Merchandise

    Exports

    358.91

    353.97

    Imports

    601.90

    560.27

    Services*

    Exports

    323.68

    282.71

    Imports

    168.17

    146.48

    Total Trade

    (Merchandise +Services) *

    Exports

    682.59

    636.69

    Imports

    770.06

    706.75

    Trade Balance

    -87.47

    -70.06

    Fig 2: Total Trade during April-January2024-25*      

        

    MERCHANDISE TRADE

    • Merchandise exports during January2025 were USD 36.43 Billion as compared to USD 37.32 Billion in January2024.
    • Merchandise imports during January2025 were USD 59.42 Billion as compared to USD 53.88 Billion in January2024.

     

    Fig 3: Merchandise Trade during January2025

    • Merchandise exports during April-January2024-25 were USD 358.91 Billion as compared to USD 353.97Billion during April-January2023-24.
    • Merchandise imports during April-January2024-25 were USD 601.90 Billion as compared to USD 560.27 Billion during April-January2023-24.
    • Merchandise trade deficit during April-January2024-25 was USD 242.99 Billion as compared to USD 206.29 Billion during April-January2023-24.

    Fig4: Merchandise Trade during April-January2024-25

    • Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports in January2025 were USD 29.87Billion compared to USD 26.12Billion in January2024.
    • Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports in January2025 were USD 41.20Billion compared to USD 34.23Billion in January2024.

     

    Table 3: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during January2025

     

    January2025

    (USD Billion)

    January2024

    (USD Billion)

    Non- petroleum exports

    32.86

    28.71

    Non- petroleum imports

    45.99

    38.35

    Non-petroleum & Non-Gems & Jewellery exports

    29.87

    26.12

    Non-petroleum & Non-Gems & Jewellery imports

    41.20

    34.23

    Note: Gems & Jewellery Imports include Gold, Silver & Pearls, precious & Semi-precious stones

    Fig 5: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during January2025

    • Non-petroleum and non-gems & jewellery exports in April-January2024-25 were USD 281.46 Billion, compared to USD 256.56 Billion in April-January2023-24.
    • Non-petroleum, non-gems & jewellery (gold, silver & precious metals) imports in April-January2024-25 were USD 378.34 Billion, compared to USD 354.86 Billion in April-January2023-24.

    Table 4: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during April-January2024-25

     

    April-January2024-25

    (USD Billion)

    April-January2023-24

    (USD Billion)

    Non- petroleum exports

    305.84

    283.45

    Non- petroleum imports

    447.06

    414.77

    Non-petroleum &Non Gems& Jewellery exports

    281.46

    256.56

    Non-petroleum & Non Gems & Jewellery imports

    378.34

    354.86

    Note: Gems & Jewellery Imports include Gold, Silver & Pearls, precious & Semi-precious stones

    Fig 6: Trade excluding Petroleum and Gems & Jewellery during April-January2024-25

    SERVICES TRADE

    • The estimated value of services export for January2025* is USD 38.55 Billion as compared to USD 31.01Billion in January2024.
    • The estimated value of services imports for January2025* is USD 18.22 Billion as compared to USD 14.84Billion in January2024.

    Fig 7: Services Trade during January2025*

    • The estimated value of service exports during April-January2024-25* is USD 323.68 Billion as compared to USD 282.71 Billion in April-January2023-24.
    • The estimated value of service imports during April-January2024-25* is USD 168.17 Billion as compared to USD 146.48 Billion in April-January2023-24.
    • The services trade surplus for April-January2024-25* is USD 155.52 Billion as compared to USD 136.23 Billion in April-January2023-24.

    Fig 8: Services Trade during April-January2024-25*

    • Exports ofOther Cereals  (103.2%), Electronic Goods (78.97%), Tobacco (59.18%), Coffee (57.07%), Rice (44.61%), Jute Mfg. Including Floor Covering (40.67%), Meat, Dairy & Poultry Products (35.66%), Mica, Coal & Other Ores, Minerals Including Processed Minerals (27.71%), Tea (21.97%), Drugs & Pharmaceuticals (21.46%), Handicrafts Excl. Hand Made Carpet (19.49%), Carpet (18.04%), Cotton Yarn/Fabs./Made-Ups, Handloom Products Etc. (16.41%), Gems & Jewellery (15.95%), Plastic & Linoleum (13.31%), Man-Made Yarn/Fabs./Made-Ups Etc. (12.14%), Rmg Of All Textiles (11.45%), Cereal Preparations & Miscellaneous Processed Items (11.13%), Ceramic Products & Glassware (10.44%), Marine Products (7.98%), Engineering Goods (7.44%), Cashew (6.85%), Leather & Leather Products (6.37%), Spices (2.32%) and Fruits & Vegetables (0.81%) record positive growth during January2025 over the corresponding month of last year.
    • Imports of Project Goods (-48.14%), Pearls, Precious & Semi-Precious Stones (-29.11%), Coal, Coke & Briquettes, Etc. (-15.22%) and Petroleum, Crude & Products (-13.49%) record negative growth during January2025 over the corresponding month of last year.
    • Services exports is estimated to grow by 14.49percent during April-January2024-25* over April-January2023-24.
    • Top 5 export destinations, in terms of change in value, exhibiting positive growth in January2025 vis a vis January2024 are U S A (39.02%), Japan (53.53%), Bangladesh Pr (17.27%), U K (14.84%) and Nepal (20.84%).
    • Top 5 export destinations, in terms of change in value, exhibiting positive growth in April-January2024-25 vis a vis April-January2023-24 are U S A (8.95%), U Arab Emts (6.82%), Netherland (9.17%), U K (14.17%) and Japan (21.12%).
    • Top 5 import sources, in terms of change in value, exhibiting growth in January2025 vis a vis January2024 are China P Rp (17.06%), Thailand (136.63%), U S A (33.46%), Germany (72.15%) and U K (101.62%).
    • Top 5 import sources, in terms of change in value, exhibiting growth in April-January2024-25 vis a vis April-January2023-24 are U Arab Emts (35.58%), China P Rp (10.6%), Russia (7.17%), Switzerland (16.61%) and Thailand (32.59%).

    *Link for Quick Estimates

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal /  Abhijith Narayanan

    (Release ID: 2104150)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why did life evolve to be so colourful? Research is starting to give us some answers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Goldenberg, Postdoctoral Researcher in Evolutionary Biology, Lund University

    Jonathan Goldenberg, CC BY-NC-ND

    Picture a primordial Earth: a world of muted browns, greys and greens. Fast forward to today, and Earth teems with a kaleidoscope of colours. From the stunning feathers of male peacocks to the vivid blooms of flowers, the story of how Earth became colourful is one of evolution. But how and why did this explosion of colour happen? Recent research is giving us clues into this part of Earth’s narrative.

    The journey towards a colourful world began with the evolution of vision, which initially developed to distinguish light from dark over 600 million years ago. This ability probably arose in early organisms, like single-celled bacteria, enabling them to detect changes in their environment, such as the direction of sunlight. Over time, more sophisticated visual systems evolved and allowed organisms to perceive a broader spectrum of light.

    For example, trichromatic vision – the ability to detect three distinct wavelengths such as red, green and blue – originated approximately 500-550 million years ago. This coincided with the “Cambrian explosion” (about 541 million years ago), which marked a rapid diversification of life, including the development of advanced sensory systems like vision.

    The first animals with trichromatic vision were arthropods (a group of invertebrates that includes insects, spiders and crustaceans). Trichromatic vision emerged 420-500 million years ago in vertebrates. This adaptation helped ancient animals to navigate their environments and detect predators or prey in ways that monochromatic vision could not.

    Fossil evidence from trilobites, extinct marine arthropods that roamed the seas over 500 million years ago, suggests they had compound eyes. This means eyes with multiple small lenses, each capturing a fraction of the visual field, which combine to form a mosaic image. These eyes could detect multiple wavelengths, providing an evolutionary advantage in dim marine environments by enhancing the animal’s visibility and motion detection.

    Boyd’s forest dragon blends in with its habitat.
    Jonathan Goldenberg, CC BY-NC-ND

    The stage was set: organisms could see a colourful world before they became colourful themselves.

    The first burst of conspicuous colour came from plants. Early plants began producing colourful fruits and flowers, such as red, yellow, orange, blue and purple, to attract animals to help plants with seed dispersal and pollination.

    Analytical models based on present-day plant variation suggest that colourful fruits, which appeared roughly 300-377 million years ago, co-evolved with seed-dispersing animals, such as early relatives of mammals. Flowers and their pollinators emerged later, around 140-250 million years ago. These innovations marked a turning point in Earth’s palette.

    The rise of flowering plants (angiosperms) in the Cretaceous period, over 100 million years ago, brought an explosion of colour, as flowers evolved brighter and more vibrant hues than seeds to attract pollinators like bees, butterflies and birds.

    Conspicuous colouration in animals emerged less than 140 million years ago. Before, animals were mostly muted browns and greys. This timeline suggests that colour evolution was not inevitable, shaped instead by ecological and evolutionary factors, which could have led to different outcomes under different circumstances.

    Vibrant colours often evolved as a kind of signalling to attract mates, deter predators, or establish dominance. Sexual selection probably played a strong role in driving these changes.

    Dinosaurs provide some of the most striking evidence of early animal colouration.
    Fossilised melanosomes (pigment-containing cell structures called organelles) in feathered dinosaurs like Anchiornis reveal a vivid red plumage.

    These feathers probably served display purposes, signalling fitness to mates or intimidating rivals. Similarly, the fossilised scales of a green and black ten million-year-old snake fossil suggest early use of colour for signalling or camouflage.

    This snake, a juveline Bornean keeled green pit viper comes in a variety of colours.
    Jonathan Goldenberg, CC BY-NC-ND

    The evolution of colour is not always straightforward. Take poison frogs, for instance. These small amphibians display striking hues of blue, yellow, or red, not to attract mates but to warn predators of their toxicity, a phenomenon known as aposematism.

    But some of their close relatives, equally toxic, blend into their environments. So why evolve bright warning signals when camouflage could also deter predators? The answer lies in the local predator community and the cost of producing colour. In regions where predators learn to associate vibrant colours with toxicity, conspicuous coloration is an effective survival strategy. In other contexts, blending in may work.

    Clownfish lure other fish to anemone with their bright colours.
    Jonathan Goldenberg, CC BY-NC-ND

    Unlike many mammals, which have dichromatic vision and see fewer colours, most primates including humans have trichromatic vision, enabling us to perceive a broader range of hues, including reds. This probably helped our ancestors locate fruit in forests and likely played a role in social signalling. We see flowers differently from pollinators like bees, which can detect ultraviolet patterns invisible to us, highlighting how colour is tailored to a species’ ecological needs.

    A world still changing

    Earth’s palette isn’t static. Climate change, habitat loss, and human influence are
    altering the selective pressures on colouration, potentially reshaping the visual landscape of the future. For example, some fish species exposed to polluted waters are losing their vibrant colours, as toxins disrupt pigment production or visual communication.

    As we look to the past, the story of Earth’s colours is one of gradual transformation punctuated by bursts of innovation. From the ancient seas where trilobites first saw the world in colour to the dazzling displays of modern birds and flowers, life on Earth has been painting its canvas for over half a billion years.

    What will the next chapter of this vibrant story hold?

    Jonathan Goldenberg receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101126636.

    – ref. Why did life evolve to be so colourful? Research is starting to give us some answers – https://theconversation.com/why-did-life-evolve-to-be-so-colourful-research-is-starting-to-give-us-some-answers-247136

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: Flower industry blossoms during Spring Festival holiday

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Standing beneath a “flower cascade,” visitors felt like they had entered a floral wonderland. The display of thousands of butterfly orchids mesmerized everyone and became a popular photo spot.

    It was a standout attraction at Beijing Garden of World’s Flowers during the Spring Festival. This year, the garden has been bursting with vibrant colors and fragrant blooms, making it a must-visit destination.

    Another highlight of the garden was the Hippeastrum exhibition, which featured 35 varieties from around the world and nearly 1,000 plants.

    Hippeastrum, known for its auspicious name “Zhu Ding Hong” (a homophone for “certain to thrive” in Chinese), symbolizes good luck and prosperity, according to Shi Wenfang, director of the Beijing Garden of World’s Flowers.

    “This is our first time displaying so many Hippeastrum varieties, half of which are imported. Their unique shapes, bright colors, and symbolic meanings have made them a major attraction,” said Shi. “During the Spring Festival holiday, we welcomed around 35,000 visitors, a 20 percent increase from last year.”

    As China’s Spring Festival gains global attention, it has become an opportunity for the world to share in the Chinese market. Throughout the holiday, flowers from both domestic and international growers decorated parks, malls and homes, adding to the festive vibes and driving economic growth.

    Statistics show that Beijing’s parks welcomed about 9.38 million visits during the 8-day holiday. Popular flower-related events, like the family flower arrangement at Yuyuantan Park and the orchids exhibition at Zhongshan Park, attracted many visitors to enjoy the beauty of flowers.

    During the holiday, flower sales also achieved remarkable success.

    “More than 50,000 bunches of Hippeastrum have nearly sold out. Our overall sales of flowers around Chinese New Year have increased by about 30 percent compared to the same period last year,” said Liu Meng, head of Beijing Hualanzi Technology Co., Ltd.

    Ecuadorian roses were also very popular, with over 40,000 sold before and during the Spring Festival holiday. The easier import channels and lower prices made them a top choice, according to Liu.

    As living standards rise, there’s a growing demand for diverse, high-quality flowers. Liu said the import of flowers provides consumers with more options, helping to meet their needs and becoming a key part of holiday shopping for younger generations.

    This year, a “New Year Flower Treasure Map” was introduced to simplify flower shopping in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province. With a simple QR code scan, buyers can find district-specific flower varieties, farm locations, and purchasing details down to individual growers, their locations, varieties and quantities.

    In Guangzhou’s Zengcheng District, 18 villages in Zhongxin Township have developed a flower industry that generates an annual output value of 57 million yuan (about 7.95 million U.S. dollars). With nearly 2,000 mu (about 133 hectares) of planted area, it has helped over 1,500 villagers boost their income.

    China has emerged as the world’s largest flower producer, with a flower planting area of 1.5 million hectares and over 5 million workers in the industry, according to the China Flower Association.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Introduces Year-Round E15 Bill to Cut Costs at the Pump, Support Wisconsin Farmers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and a bipartisan group of her colleagues introduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025. The legislation would allow the year-round, nationwide sale of E15 which will help lower costs at the pump and support Wisconsin agriculture.

    “Homegrown biofuels cut costs at the pump for Wisconsin families while supporting our farmers and increasing our energy independence from foreign oil,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to ensure cleaner E15 fuel is available year-round, support our agricultural communities, and move our Made in Wisconsin economy forward.”

    Senator Baldwin has long championed increasing the use of biofuels to reduce prices at the pump and support Wisconsin’s farmers, producers, and rural communities. In 2023 and 2024, Senator Baldwin successfully pushed the Biden administration to allow E15 fuel to be sold during the summer months.

    The bill is led by Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) and also co-sponsored by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

    The legislation is endorsed by American Petroleum Institute, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmer Union, and National Association of Convenience Stores.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Fischer Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Authorize Year-Round, Nationwide E15 Sales

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, reintroduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025. The legislation is currently the only permanent, nationwide solution to unleash the power of E15—fulfilling President Trump’s mandate for energy independence. The legislation will end years of patchwork regulations and provide certainty to producers and consumers.

    “E15 is good for consumers, the environment and our national security – in short, it’s good, good, good. Unleashing year-round E15 would be a major victory for Iowa and the entire country. President Trump promised to support our farmers, and Congress must do our part to support the president’s mission and American consumers. Authorizing the year-round, nationwide sale of E15 is just common sense, and it will help cut prices at the pump, create jobs in rural America and restore America’s energy dominance,” Grassley said.

    “It’s time to once and for all solidify President Trump’s pledge to allow the sale of year-round E15—giving America’s producers and consumers the certainty they deserve. My bill will put an end to years of patchwork regulations and finally make nationwide, year-round E15 a reality. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and the Senate, as well as with President Trump, to get this bill signed into law,” Fischer said.

    “As farm income has plummeted, year-round E15 represents the single biggest way to build demand for corn in the near term. Senator Grassley has always been a champion for biofuels and IRFA looks forward to working with him to pass this bill in 2025. Iowans are done waiting. The time for E15 is now,” said Monte Shaw, Executive Director, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

    Additional cosponsors are Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.).

    The legislation is supported by the American Petroleum Institute, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmer Union and National Association of Convenience Stores.

    Find bill text HERE.

    Background:

    On his first day in office of his second term, President Trump directed the Environmental Protection Agency to explore the benefits of making E15 available year-round through his Executive Order Declaring a National Energy Emergency.

    Grassley has long-championed year-round E15:

    1. April 2024: Welcoming the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement permitting summertime E15 sales in eight Midwestern states
    2. December 2023: Pushing the Biden administration to quickly finalize a summertime waiver, helping retailers prepare for summer 2024 sales
    3. May 2021: Introducing legislation to restore integrity to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)
    4. May 2019: Leading the effort to encourage the first Trump administration to approve year-round E15
    5. October 2018: Authoring an op-ed with Sen. Ernst in support of year-round E15
    6. October 2010: Welcoming the EPA’s decision allowing ethanol to be blended with gasoline at 15 percent

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Renew Bipartisan Push to Approve Sale of E15 Year-Round

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    February 13, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—founding co-chair of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Caucus—and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) and a bipartisan group of Senators in reintroducing the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. This legislation would allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10%—ending years of regulatory uncertainty and preventing a patchwork of uneven state regulations. Increasing the availability of biofuels like E15 would benefit the economy and the environment.

    “For our country to remain a global energy leader, we must continue to invest in renewable and clean energy so we can decrease our emissions and dependence on foreign oil,” said Senator Duckworth. “Producing less expensive fuel choices like E15 that can be sold year-round would help lower gas prices, protect the environment, support our farmers and drive economic opportunity throughout the Midwest. I’m proud to join Senator Fischer in reintroducing our bipartisan legislation that would do just that.”

    “E15 is a low-priced fuel for drivers and helps Illinois farmers who are facing uncertainty as Trump’s tariffs loom,” said Durbin. “Congress passed this legislation last December, but billionaire Elon Musk, who owns competing technology, stopped it in its tracks. We’re reintroducing the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, which would make E15 available year-round, nationwide.”

    Along with Duckworth, Durbin and Fischer, the legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD) Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

    The legislation is endorsed by the American Petroleum Institute, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmer Union, National Association of Convenience Stores, Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Farm Bureau and Renewable Fuels Nebraska.

    A copy of the bill text can be found on Senator Duckworth’s website.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Index Numbers of Wholesale Price in India for the Month of January, 2025 (Base Year: 2011-12)

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 14 FEB 2025 12:00PM by PIB Delhi

    The annual rate of inflation based on all India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) number is 2.31% (provisional) for the month of January, 2025 (over January, 2024). Positive rate of inflation in January, 2025 is primarily due to increase in prices of manufacture of food products, food articles, other manufacturing, non-food articles and manufacture of textiles etc. The index numbers and inflation rate for the last three months of all commodities and WPI components are given below:

    Index Numbers and Annual Rate of Inflation (Y-o-Y in %)*

    All Commodities/Major Groups

    Weight (%)

    November-24 (F)

    December-24 (P)

    January-25 (P)

    Index

    Inflation

    Index

    Inflation

    Index

    Inflation

    All Commodities

    100.00

    156.4

    2.16

    155.4

    2.37

    154.7

    2.31

    I. Primary Articles

    22.62

    197.9

    5.49

    193.8

    6.02

    189.9

    4.69

    II. Fuel & Power

    13.15

    149.9

    -4.03

    149.9

    -3.79

    150.6

    -2.78

    III. Manufactured Products

    64.23

    143.1

    2.07

    143.0

    2.14

    143.2

    2.51

    Food Index

    24.38

    200.2

    8.86

    195.9

    8.89

    191.4

    7.47

    Note: F: Final, P: Provisional, *Annual rate of WPI inflation calculated over the corresponding month of previous year

     

    2. The month over month change in WPI for the month of January, 2025 stood at (-) 0.45% as compared to December, 2024. The monthly change in WPI for last six-month is summarized below:

     

    Month Over Month (M-o-M in %) change in WPI Index#

    All Commodities/Major Groups

    Weight

    Aug-24

    Sep-24

    Oct-24

    Nov-24

    Dec-24 (P)

    Jan-25 (P)

    All Commodities

    100.00

    -0.58

    0.19

    1.29

    -0.19

    -0.64

    -0.45

    I. Primary Articles

    22.62

    -1.37

    0.21

    2.61

    -1.35

    -2.07

    -2.01

    II. Fuel & Power

    13.15

    0.07

    -0.74

    1.09

    0.74

    0.00

    0.47

    III. Manufactured Products

    64.23

    -0.28

    0.42

    0.70

    0.14

    -0.07

    0.14

    Food Index

    24.38

    -1.23

    1.45

    3.22

    -0.99

    -2.15

    -2.30

    Note: P: Provisional, #Monthly rate of change, based on month over month (M-o-M) WPI calculated over the preceding month

     

    3. Month-over-Month Change in Major Groups of WPI:

    1. Primary Articles (Weight 22.62%): – The index for this major group decreased by 2.01% to 189.9 (provisional) in January, 2025 from 193.8 (provisional) for the month of December, 2024. Price of food articles (-3.62%) decreased in January, 2025 as compared to December, 2024. The Price of crude petroleum & natural gas (6.34%), non-food articles (0.66%) and minerals (0.22%) increased in January, 2025 as compared to December, 2024.
    2. Fuel & Power (Weight 13.15%): – The index for this major group increased by 0.47% to 150.6 (provisional) in January, 2025 from 149.9 (provisional) for the month of December, 2024. Price of mineral oils (0.71%) and electricity (0.20%) increased in January, 2025 as compared to December, 2024. The price of coal has remained same as in the previous month.
    3. Manufactured Products (Weight 64.23%): – The index for this major group increased by 0.14% to 143.2 (Provisional) in January, 2025 from 143.0 (Provisional) for the month of December, 2024. Out of the 22 NIC two-digit groups for manufactured products, 15 groups witnessed an increase in prices, 5 groups witnessed a decrease in prices and 2 groups witnessed no change in prices. Some of the important groups that showed month-over-month increase in prices were other manufacturing; manufacture of food products; machinery & equipment; chemicals & chemical products; pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemical & botanical products etc. Some of the groups that witnessed a decrease in prices were manufacture of basic metals; fabricated metal products, except machinery & equipment; wearing apparel; beverages; and other transport equipment in January, 2025 as compared to December, 2024.

    4. WPI Food Index (Weight 24.38%): The Food Index consisting of ‘food articles’ from primary articles group and ‘food product’ from manufactured products group decreased from 195.9 in December, 2024 to 191.4 in January, 2025. The annual rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index decreased from 8.89% in December, 2024 to 7.47% in January, 2025.

    5. Final Index for the month of November, 2024 (Base Year: 2011-12=100): For the month of November, 2024, the final Wholesale Price Index and inflation rate for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2011-12=100) stood at 156.4 and 2.16% respectively. The details of all India Wholesale Price Indices and Rates of Inflation for different commodity groups based on updated figures are at Annex I. The Annual rate of Inflation (Y-o-Y) based on WPI for different commodity groups in the last six months are at Annex II. WPI for different commodity groups in the last six months are at Annex III.

     

    1. Response Rate: The WPI for January, 2025 has been compiled at a weighted response rate of 90.4 per cent, while the final figure for November, 2024 is based on the weighted response rate of 95.5 per cent. The provisional figures of WPI will undergo revision as per the revision policy of WPI. This press release, item indices, and inflation numbers are available at our home page http://eaindustry.nic.in.
    2. Next date of Press Release: WPI for the month of February, 2025 would be released on 17/03/2025.

    Note: DPIIT releases index number of wholesale price in India on monthly basis on 14th of every month (or next working day, if 14th falls on holiday) with a time lag of two weeks of the reference month, and the index number is compiled with data received from institutional sources and selected manufacturing units across the country. This press release contains WPI (Base Year 2011-12=100) for the month of January, 2025 (Provisional), November, 2024 (Final) and other months/years. Provisional figures of WPI are finalised after 10 weeks (from the month of reference), and frozen thereafter.

    Annex-I

    All India Wholesale Price Indices and Rates of Inflation (Base Year: 2011-12=100) for January, 2025

    Commodities/Major Groups/Groups/Sub-Groups/Items

    Weight

    Index

    January-25*

    Month over Month (MoM)

    Cumulative Inflation (YoY)

    Rate of Inflation (YoY)

    Jan-24

    Jan-25*

    Apr-Jan 2023-24

    Apr-Jan 2024-25*

    Jan-24

    Jan-25*

    ALL COMMODITIES

    100.00

    154.7

    -0.40

    -0.45

    -0.92

    2.22

    0.33

    2.31

    I. PRIMARY ARTICLES

    22.62

    189.9

    -0.77

    -2.01

    3.33

    5.81

    4.07

    4.69

    A. Food Articles

    15.26

    199.9

    -1.26

    -3.62

    6.52

    8.27

    6.91

    5.88

    Cereals

    2.82

    212.3

    -0.10

    0.38

    7.03

    8.25

    4.60

    7.33

    Paddy

    1.43

    203.1

    -0.42

    -1.07

    8.96

    9.24

    9.51

    6.22

    Wheat

    1.03

    219.6

    -0.20

    1.76

    4.46

    7.42

    -1.86

    9.75

    Pulses

    0.64

    217.0

    -3.19

    -3.13

    13.69

    13.36

    15.95

    5.08

    Vegetables

    1.87

    223.1

    -8.24

    -22.72

    7.32

    21.40

    19.02

    8.35

    Potato

    0.28

    295.4

    -10.70

    -19.44

    -22.91

    77.02

    -8.18

    74.28

    Onion

    0.16

    316.6

    -30.41

    -23.55

    40.16

    43.48

    23.04

    28.33

    Fruits

    1.60

    196.4

    -1.90

    1.60

    -0.60

    10.30

    0.89

    15.12

    Milk

    4.44

    187.2

    0.33

    0.75

    7.93

    3.36

    5.44

    2.69

    Eggs, Meat & Fish

    2.40

    174.7

    1.81

    0.00

    1.28

    0.63

    -0.76

    3.56

    B. Non-Food Articles

    4.12

    167.4

    0.18

    0.66

    -5.69

    -1.14

    -6.39

    2.95

    Oil Seeds

    1.12

    183.0

    -1.19

    0.11

    -9.99

    -2.37

    -9.18

    -0.05

    C. Minerals

    0.83

    230.1

    2.76

    0.22

    8.14

    5.14

    10.58

    2.86

    D. Crude Petroleum & Natural gas

    2.41

    150.9

    -0.33

    6.34

    -4.78

    -0.65

    0.20

    -0.53

    Crude Petroleum

    1.95

    130.0

    2.10

    8.79

    -11.22

    -1.06

    4.13

    -0.76

    II. FUEL & POWER

    13.15

    150.6

    -0.58

    0.47

    -5.19

    -1.73

    -0.45

    -2.78

    LPG

    0.64

    123.7

    -0.49

    -0.72

    -12.16

    3.23

    0.41

    2.23

    Petrol

    1.60

    150.8

    -0.45

    1.07

    -3.74

    -3.67

    0.26

    -3.64

    HSD

    3.10

    165.6

    -0.12

    0.61

    -11.19

    -3.47

    -5.29

    -3.61

    III. MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS

    64.23

    143.2

    -0.21

    0.14

    -1.81

    1.45

    -1.20

    2.51

    Mf/o Food Products

    9.12

    177.0

    -0.50

    0.17

    -3.46

    6.34

    -1.72

    10.42

    Vegetable & Animal Oils and Fats

    2.64

    186.6

    -0.43

    1.58

    -21.97

    12.77

    -15.59

    33.10

    Mf/o Beverages

    0.91

    134.4

    0.30

    -0.15

    2.11

    1.98

    2.00

    1.51

    Mf/o Tobacco Products

    0.51

    177.4

    0.87

    0.23

    5.04

    1.96

    5.00

    1.84

    Mf/o Textiles

    4.88

    136.9

    0.22

    0.00

    -6.36

    1.14

    -2.26

    2.16

    Mf/o Wearing Apparel

    0.81

    154.1

    -0.66

    -0.19

    1.51

    1.69

    1.21

    2.12

    Mf/o Leather and Related Products

    0.54

    126.3

    -0.48

    0.56

    1.65

    0.61

    1.90

    2.27

    Mf/o Wood and of Products of Wood and Cork

    0.77

    149.3

    0.34

    0.20

    1.95

    2.12

    3.49

    0.81

    Mf/o Paper and Paper Products

    1.11

    139.4

    0.22

    0.36

    -7.95

    -1.32

    -6.47

    0.50

    Mf/o Chemicals and Chemical Products

    6.47

    136.7

    -0.22

    0.22

    -6.07

    -0.58

    -5.51

    0.96

    Mf/o Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemical and Botanical Products

    1.99

    145.0

    -0.21

    0.62

    1.49

    1.04

    0.56

    1.40

    Mf/o Rubber and Plastics Products

    2.30

    129.3

    -0.24

    0.15

    -1.93

    1.16

    -1.09

    1.65

    Mf/o other Non-Metallic Mineral Products

    3.20

    131.8

    -0.74

    0.38

    1.08

    -2.84

    -0.67

    -1.93

    Cement, Lime and Plaster

    1.64

    130.0

    -1.22

    0.39

    0.55

    -5.60

    -1.22

    -5.25

    Mf/o Basic Metals

    9.65

    137.1

    -0.57

    -0.36

    -5.16

    -1.13

    -4.60

    -1.22

    Mild Steel – Semi Finished Steel

    1.27

    116.7

    -0.51

    -0.17

    -5.35

    -2.20

    -6.16

    -0.43

    Mf/o Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment

    3.15

    135.4

    -0.07

    -0.51

    -0.02

    -2.12

    -0.07

    -1.74

    Note: * = Provisional. Mf/o = Manufacture of

     

    Annex-II

    WPI Inflation (Base Year: 2011-12=100) for last 6 months

    Commodities/Major Groups/Groups/Sub-Groups/Items

    Weight

    WPI based inflation (YoY) figures for last 6 months

    Aug-24

    Sep-24

    Oct-24

    Nov-24

    Dec-24*

    Jan-25*

    ALL COMMODITIES

    100.00

    1.25

    1.91

    2.75

    2.16

    2.37

    2.31

    I. PRIMARY ARTICLES

    22.62

    2.52

    6.48

    8.26

    5.49

    6.02

    4.69

    A. Food Articles

    15.26

    3.06

    11.48

    13.49

    8.48

    8.47

    5.88

    Cereals

    2.82

    8.66

    8.50

    7.80

    7.71

    6.82

    7.33

    Paddy

    1.43

    9.60

    8.77

    7.47

    7.58

    6.93

    6.22

    Wheat

    1.03

    7.38

    7.71

    8.04

    8.20

    7.63

    9.75

    Pulses

    0.64

    18.27

    12.94

    9.27

    5.97

    5.02

    5.08

    Vegetables

    1.87

    -9.95

    48.97

    62.86

    29.34

    28.65

    8.35

    Potato

    0.28

    77.78

    77.29

    79.11

    82.64

    93.20

    74.28

    Onion

    0.16

    67.25

    81.43

    39.25

    1.08

    16.81

    28.33

    Fruits

    1.60

    16.75

    12.17

    13.60

    5.59

    11.16

    15.12

    Milk

    4.44

    3.51

    2.94

    3.00

    2.04

    2.26

    2.69

    Eggs, Meat & Fish

    2.40

    -0.75

    -0.92

    -0.52

    3.16

    5.43

    3.56

    B. Non-Food Articles

    4.12

    -1.84

    -1.46

    -1.34

    -0.61

    2.46

    2.95

    Oil Seeds

    1.12

    -4.90

    -0.49

    1.98

    0.32

    -1.35

    -0.05

    C. Minerals

    0.83

    10.75

    1.04

    4.51

    6.30

    5.47

    2.86

    D. Crude Petroleum & Natural gas

    2.41

    1.77

    -13.04

    -11.80

    -7.74

    -6.77

    -0.53

    Crude Petroleum

    1.95

    -0.98

    -16.78

    -12.49

    -7.20

    -6.86

    -0.76

    II. FUEL & POWER

    13.15

    -0.54

    -3.85

    -4.31

    -4.03

    -3.79

    -2.78

    LPG

    0.64

    14.40

    13.18

    2.57

    1.81

    2.47

    2.23

    Petrol

    1.60

    -4.23

    -7.10

    -7.35

    -6.83

    -5.09

    -3.64

    HSD

    3.10

    -3.03

    -5.33

    -6.23

    -5.68

    -4.30

    -3.61

    III. MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS

    64.23

    1.00

    1.07

    1.78

    2.07

    2.14

    2.51

    Mf/o Food Products

    9.12

    3.54

    6.61

    9.39

    9.57

    9.68

    10.42

    Vegetable & Animal Oils and Fats

    2.64

    2.03

    14.09

    26.03

    28.83

    30.47

    33.10

    Mf/o Beverages

    0.91

    1.98

    2.28

    2.13

    2.28

    1.97

    1.51

    Mf/o Tobacco Products

    0.51

    1.97

    2.13

    1.09

    1.14

    2.49

    1.84

    Mf/o Textiles

    4.88

    1.34

    1.12

    0.89

    1.42

    2.39

    2.16

    Mf/o Wearing Apparel

    0.81

    1.53

    1.99

    1.25

    1.52

    1.65

    2.12

    Mf/o Leather and Related Products

    0.54

    -0.48

    0.89

    1.37

    1.45

    1.21

    2.27

    Mf/o Wood and of Products of Wood and Cork

    0.77

    3.17

    1.43

    1.09

    0.54

    0.95

    0.81

    Mf/o Paper and Paper Products

    1.11

    0.58

    1.01

    0.94

    0.07

    0.36

    0.50

    Mf/o Chemicals and Chemical Products

    6.47

    0.29

    0.15

    -0.22

    0.29

    0.52

    0.96

    Mf/o Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemical and Botanical Products

    1.99

    2.12

    0.98

    0.42

    1.19

    0.56

    1.40

    Mf/o Rubber and Plastics Products

    2.30

    1.57

    0.55

    1.89

    1.42

    1.25

    1.65

    Mf/o other Non-Metallic Mineral Products

    3.20

    -3.85

    -3.26

    -3.83

    -2.38

    -3.03

    -1.93

    Cement, Lime and Plaster

    1.64

    -7.13

    -6.19

    -7.20

    -5.38

    -6.77

    -5.25

    Mf/o Basic Metals

    9.65

    -1.64

    -3.71

    -2.04

    -1.14

    -1.43

    -1.22

    Mild Steel – Semi Finished Steel

    1.27

    -5.22

    -6.24

    -1.67

    -0.68

    -0.76

    -0.43

    Mf/o Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment

    3.15

    -1.66

    -2.22

    -2.81

    -2.87

    -1.31

    -1.74

    Note: * = Provisional. Mf/o = Manufacture of

     

     

    Annex-III

    Wholesale Price Indices (Base Year: 2011-12=100) for last 6 months

    Commodities/Major Groups/Groups/Sub-Groups/Items

    Weight

    WPI Numbers for last 6 months

    Aug-24

    Sep-24

    Oct-24

    Nov-24

    Dec-24*

    Jan-25*

    ALL COMMODITIES

    100.00

    154.4

    154.7

    156.7

    156.4

    155.4

    154.7

    I. PRIMARY ARTICLES

    22.62

    195.1

    195.5

    200.6

    197.9

    193.8

    189.9

    A. Food Articles

    15.26

    209.0

    210.8

    217.9

    213.7

    207.4

    199.9

    Cereals

    2.82

    204.6

    206.8

    208.6

    211.0

    211.5

    212.3

    Paddy

    1.43

    202.0

    203.4

    204.4

    205.9

    205.3

    203.1

    Wheat

    1.03

    202.2

    205.4

    209.6

    213.8

    215.8

    219.6

    Pulses

    0.64

    233.7

    237.4

    234.5

    230.8

    224.0

    217.0

    Vegetables

    1.87

    303.3

    310.9

    360.9

    334.6

    288.7

    223.1

    Potato

    0.28

    393.6

    376.2

    375.6

    384.1

    366.7

    295.4

    Onion

    0.16

    391.2

    493.3

    478.2

    495.8

    414.1

    316.6

    Fruits

    1.60

    207.7

    209.3

    210.5

    198.4

    193.3

    196.4

    Milk

    4.44

    185.9

    185.3

    185.6

    185.2

    185.8

    187.2

    Eggs, Meat & Fish

    2.40

    173.1

    172.6

    171.0

    173.1

    174.7

    174.7

    B. Non-Food Articles

    4.12

    160.2

    162.2

    161.9

    162.8

    166.3

    167.4

    Oil Seeds

    1.12

    178.6

    184.6

    185.4

    185.6

    182.8

    183.0

    C. Minerals

    0.83

    227.6

    223.2

    229.6

    229.4

    229.6

    230.1

    D. Crude Petroleum & Natural gas

    2.41

    155.0

    146.1

    147.3

    146.7

    141.9

    150.9

    Crude Petroleum

    1.95

    131.6

    123.5

    126.1

    125.0

    119.5

    130.0

    II. FUEL & POWER

    13.15

    148.3

    147.2

    148.8

    149.9

    149.9

    150.6

    LPG

    0.64

    114.4

    116.8

    119.8

    123.6

    124.6

    123.7

    Petrol

    1.60

    153.9

    151.7

    149.9

    148.7

    149.2

    150.8

    HSD

    3.10

    166.7

    165.1

    164.2

    164.4

    164.6

    165.6

    III. MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS

    64.23

    141.3

    141.9

    142.9

    143.1

    143.0

    143.2

    Mf/o Food Products

    9.12

    166.5

    171.0

    175.9

    177.5

    176.7

    177.0

    Vegetable & Animal Oils and Fats

    2.64

    150.5

    162.8

    178.2

    183.2

    183.7

    186.6

    Mf/o Beverages

    0.91

    134.0

    134.3

    134.5

    134.7

    134.6

    134.4

    Mf/o Tobacco Products

    0.51

    176.0

    177.5

    176.0

    177.0

    177.0

    177.4

    Mf/o Textiles

    4.88

    135.9

    135.8

    135.9

    136.1

    136.9

    136.9

    Mf/o Wearing Apparel

    0.81

    152.9

    153.6

    153.9

    153.7

    154.4

    154.1

    Mf/o Leather and Related Products

    0.54

    124.9

    125.0

    125.7

    125.8

    125.6

    126.3

    Mf/o Wood and of Products of Wood and Cork

    0.77

    149.5

    148.6

    148.7

    148.5

    149.0

    149.3

    Mf/o Paper and Paper Products

    1.11

    139.8

    139.8

    139.8

    138.5

    138.9

    139.4

    Mf/o Chemicals and Chemical Products

    6.47

    136.7

    136.5

    136.3

    136.4

    136.4

    136.7

    Mf/o Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemical and Botanical Products

    1.99

    144.8

    144.1

    143.5

    144.1

    144.1

    145.0

    Mf/o Rubber and Plastics Products

    2.30

    129.1

    128.7

    129.6

    128.6

    129.1

    129.3

    Mf/o other Non-Metallic Mineral Products

    3.20

    129.8

    130.6

    130.4

    131.4

    131.3

    131.8

    Cement, Lime and Plaster

    1.64

    127.7

    128.9

    128.8

    130.1

    129.5

    130.0

    Mf/o Basic Metals

    9.65

    138.3

    137.7

    139.3

    138.6

    137.6

    137.1

    Mild Steel – Semi Finished Steel

    1.27

    114.4

    114.1

    118.0

    117.5

    116.9

    116.7

    Mf/o Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment

    3.15

    136.6

    136.3

    135.0

    135.3

    136.1

    135.4

    Note: * = Provisional. Mf/o = Manufacture of

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan

    (Release ID: 2103131) Visitor Counter : 20

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Second Reading Speech – Early Childhood Education And Care (Three Day Guarantee) Bill 2025

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    Ask any parent, and they’ll tell you early education and care is an essential service. It helps them get back to work and helps their children get ready for school. Under
    the Liberals the cost went through the roof and the rules were tightened to make it harder for some children to get the start in life they deserve. We’re fixing that.

    Over 10 years the cost of child care exploded by more than 49 per cent—double the OECD average—under Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison. We said we’d cut the cost of child care and we have, for more than one million families right across the country. As a result of the changes we made and passed through this Parliament two years ago, a family on a joint income of about $120,000 has saved $2,768 since July 2023. That’s helped a lot of parents get back to work and put more money in their pockets, and it’s meant more children are now getting the benefits of our early education system. The number of children in our early education system is now about 100,000 more than it was when we were elected 2½ years ago. That’s a good thing. There are also 1,000 more centres and more services. That’s good, too.

    When we came to office 2½ years ago, something else was happening. The people who educate and care for our children were leaving the sector in droves. They were leaving the job that they loved. The attrition rate was through the roof. That’s now changed, too. The reason for that is the 15 per cent pay rise that we’re now rolling out. The best example of that is what’s happening at Goodstart Early Learning, the biggest childcare operator in the country. At their centres, across the country, job applications have now jumped by 35 per cent. Expressions of interest have jumped by 50 to 60 per cent, and vacancy rates are down by a massive 28 per cent. We’re seeing that right across the country. Vacancy rates right across the sector are now down by 22 per cent. It turns out that, if you pay people more, more want to do the job. Early educators are some of the most important workers in this country and some of the most underpaid. They were leaving the job that they love, the job that we need them to, not because they didn’t want to do it but because they couldn’t afford to keep doing it. That 15 per cent pay increase is fixing that.

    The next step in making our early education system better and fairer is making sure that more children who currently can’t get access to it get that chance. In February 2023, we asked the Productivity Commission to comprehensively review our early education system. We asked them to help build a blueprint for reform and tell us how we can build a truly universal early education system. We got their final report in June of last year. One of the things it says that we have to do if we want to build that universal early education system is build more centres where they don’t exist, what are sometimes referred to as ‘childcare deserts’. We’re doing that. In December, the Prime Minister announced that, if we win the next election, the government will create a $1 billion Building Early Education Fund. This will be the single biggest ever investment by an Australian government in new childcare services. It will build or expand over 160 early education and care centres where they’re needed most. I want to thank GrainGrowers, who said that this is positive step and that this fund will help expand and build new childhood education and care centres in areas of need. I want to thank the National Farmers Federation too for imploring the Liberals and the Nationals to match what we’re doing. They get it. Unfortunately, the Liberal Party and National Party haven’t heard them, because they don’t support this. They’ve spent 2½ years in this Parliament talking about childcare deserts. They spent a decade in government doing nothing about it. Now there is a $1 billion fund on the table that they could support, but they choose not to. It’s unbelievable. The Productivity Commission also recommended something else that we need to do next. That’s to get rid of the Liberals’ activity test. This is a real barrier that was purposefully put in place by the Liberal Party to limit access to early education for a lot of children—in particular, a lot of disadvantaged children and kids from poor families. It is deeply unfair. A test to determine if your child is worthy of accessing early education is one that no family should have to pass. The Productivity Commission report gives us a definition of what a universal early education and care system could and should look like. It says it’s a system where every child can get access to affordable early education and care three days a week or 30 hours a week. This bill gets rid of the Liberals’ activity test and replaces it with a guarantee of access to three days a week of government supported early education and care for every child who needs it. It’s still means tested, but it means that families will not be left out because parents are looking for work or preparing to go back to study. It means that over 100,000 families will be able to get more subsidised hours of early education and care. And it means real cost-of-living relief for 66,700 families in the first full financial your alone. Those families will save an average of $1,370 per year on their childcare costs. About half of those families earn less than $100,000 per year. Lower-income families will save even more: an average of $1,460 a year.

    This is going to make a real difference for a lot of young families. It will help with the cost of living but it will do more than that. Fundamentally this is about helping every child get a great start in life—what every parent wants for their children and what every child deserves—helping them to get ready to start school, helping to make sure they don’t start school behind. That’s what early education does. This is not babysitting; it’s early education. The evidence is clear: children who get access to early education and care are more likely to start school ready to go, ready to learn. They’re also more likely to finish school and then go on to more study. Former US President Joe Biden often made the point that a child who goes to preschool is 50 per cent more likely to go to college. At the moment, while lots of Australian children get the benefit of this life-changing opportunity, not all do. As the Productivity Commission pointed out in its final report, at the moment it’s children who need it most who are least likely to access early education and care. In 2021 only 54 per cent of children in the most disadvantaged areas were enrolled in early education and care, compared with 76 per cent of children in the highest socioeconomic areas. The most recent Early Development Census report found that only 42.7 per cent of children experiencing the highest level of socioeconomic disadvantage were on track when they started school, compared with 54.8 per cent of all children. That’s what this is about: helping them, helping to make sure more children are ready to start school.

    This bill does something else, too. As part of our commitment to closing the gap we are setting a target of ensuring that at least 55 per cent of Indigenous Australian children are developmentally on track. At the moment it’s 34 per cent. That’s a big gap. Not unsurprisingly, Indigenous children’s attendance at early education and care is way below the national average, and the activity test is one of the reasons for this. That’s why this bill increases the base entitlement to 100 hours for Indigenous children. It’s a really important change—one that Indigenous families and communities have been calling for since the activity test was created. And we have listened. You only have to listen to the words of the CEO of SNAICC, Catherine Liddle, after the Prime Minister announced this policy to know how important this is. This is what Catherine said:
    This can be a game-changer for our babies. It will mean more children are developmentally ready for school, setting them up for a thriving future.

    It’s just one part of the work we need do to close the gap, and I am so very proud that it’s part of this bill. I want to thank the Prime Minister for his leadership in driving reform in this area, and I know how personally important it is to him to see these changes being made. I also want to thank my dear friend and colleague the Minister for Early Childhood Education, the awesome Anne Aly. I also want to thank our offices, and I want to thank our department for the work they have done in preparing this legislation. And I want to thank our early educators and our teachers, and I hope you see in this bill how this government values the important work you do. I also want to thank everyone who has called for this for years and years and years—groups like the Parenthood, whose CEO, Georgie Dent, called this ‘a paradigm shift’; people like Ros Baxter, the CEO of Goodstart, who said, ‘This will change lives;’ or Jay Weatherill at the Minderoo Foundation who called this ‘a momentous step’; or the Centre for Policy Development, who said that this guarantee ‘is a game-changer’ and that it demonstrates ‘a real dedication to delivering a universal system’; or the Business Council of Australia’s Wendy Black, who said that they have ‘long called for an early childhood education guarantee based on quality, universal access to give children a strong educational foundation’.

    This is important reform for an essential service for more than a million families across the country. It helps parents get back to work, but, even more important than that, it helps the next generation of Australians to prepare for school, to prepare for their life ahead. That’s what makes this reform so important, and I am so happy to commend it to the House.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Reintroduces Legislation to Support America’s Energy Independence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, led her colleagues in reintroducing the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025. Senator Fischer’s legislation is the only permanent, nationwide solution to unleash the power of year-round E15—fulfilling President Trump’s mandate for energy independence.
    By allowing the year-round, nationwide sale of E15, this legislation will finally end years of patchwork regulations and give both producers and consumers the certainty they deserve.Securing this permanent fix, coupled with Senator Fischer’s work with the administration to ensure strong renewable volume obligations (RVOs), will enable biofuels to contribute to our nation’s energy dominance.
    Additional cosponsors of this bipartisan, bicameral bill include U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Dick Durbin (D. Ill.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). U.S. Representatives Adrian Smith (NE-03) and Angie Craig (MN-02) introduced identical companion legislation in the House.
    “It’s time to once and for all solidify President Trump’s pledge to allow the sale of year-round E15—giving America’s producers and consumers the certainty they deserve. My bill will put an end to years of patchwork regulations and finally make nationwide, year-round E15 a reality. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and the Senate, as well as with President Trump, to get this bill signed into law,” said Senator Fischer. 
    “For our country to remain a global energy leader, we must continue to invest in renewable and clean energy so we can decrease our emissions and dependence on foreign oil,” said Senator Duckworth. “Producing less expensive fuel choices like E15 that can be sold year-round would help lower gas prices, protect the environment, support our farmers and drive economic opportunity throughout the Midwest. I’m proud to join Senator Fischer in reintroducing our bipartisan legislation that would do just that.”
    “I have been fighting to eliminate unnecessary, unscientific, and misguided barriers to E15 access since 2010. It is time to enact year-round E15 nationwide to provide relief at the pump and certainty for producers. I thank my House colleagues and Senator Fischer for their partnership on our tenacious bipartisan efforts to honor congressional intent in the RFS. From ethanol to biomass-based diesel to sustainable aviation fuel, the world depends on liquid fuels to meet consumer demand and move us forward. We have just scratched the surface of our production capacity, which is why it is so important to codify year-round E15 and ensure robust RFS volumes,” said Congressman Smith.
    “Homegrown biofuels are tools we have right now to address climate change, strengthen our nation’s energy infrastructure and lower costs for Americans at the gas pump,” said Congresswoman Craig. “This bill is the kind of commonsense legislation we need more of in Washington, and I’m proud to be a part of the bipartisan coalition fighting for year-round E15 in the House.”
    Nebraska Stakeholder Support:“We applaud Senator Fischer’s leadership and continued passion in reintroducing the year-round E15 legislation, a critical step forward for America’s corn farmers,” said Nebraska Corn Growers Association farmer and President Michael Dibbern. “Although we’re disappointed that this common-sense legislation didn’t pass during the lame duck session, we’re grateful for Senator Fischer’s perseverance. By securing year-round E15 approval, we can increase corn grind, drive economic growth and provide a vital market opportunity for farmers. This legislation would also bring much-needed consistency and stability to the marketplace, allowing American families to choose lower-cost, lower-emission E15 at the pump every day. We’re appreciative of Senator Fischer’s tireless advocacy and look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to advance the interests of Nebraska’s corn farmers.”
    “The Nebraska Farm Bureau again thanks Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer for her continued leadership on trying to approve the sale of E-15 year-round. It is past time for the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act to become law, and we look forward to working to get this important legislation to President Trump’s desk this year. For too long, outdated rules and regulations have prevented the year-round sale of E-15, and 2025 must be the year we finally rectify this issue,” said Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation President Mark McHargue. 
    “Thank you to Senator Fischer for leading the fight for year-round E-15, which is a huge opportunity for Nebraska’s ethanol industry, farmers, and drivers. This bill means stronger rural economies, lower prices at the pump, and a cleaner fuel option for drivers. On behalf of our members across the state, Renewable Fuels Nebraska applauds her leadership and calls on Congress to act now and pass this bipartisan policy,” said Renewable Fuels Nebraska Executive Director Dawn Caldwell. 
    Full List of Nebraska Endorsements: 
    Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Farm Bureau, and Renewable Fuels Nebraska.
    National Stakeholder Support:
    “Year-round, nationwide E15 sales will prevent a confusing patchwork of state regulations and give consumers reliable access to the fuels they use every day. We thank Representatives Smith and Craig, as well as Senators Fischer and Duckworth, for championing this important bipartisan effort. Now, Congress must act to bring certainty and consistency to the fuel marketplace,” said American Petroleum Institute SVP Government Relations Kristin Whitman.
    “This bipartisan legislation would finally bring nationwide consistency and stability to the marketplace and eliminate the need for last-minute emergency waivers. With the summer driving season just around the corner, we urge lawmakers to swiftly adopt this bill and deliver a win for American families seeking cleaner, lower-cost fuel options. Time is of the essence,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Ethanol producers, oil refiners, fuel retailers, equipment manufacturers, farmers, and consumers have all rallied behind this commonsense approach. We thank Sens. Deb Fischer and Tammy Duckworth for their continued leadership on this important issue. RFA commends them and their fellow renewable fuel supporters in the Senate for continuing to fight for fair market access for our nation’s farmers, ethanol producers, and consumers.”“We applaud Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Representatives Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) for leading the charge once again to unlock permanent, nationwide access to E15. Rural families and American consumers are lucky to have them in our corner, and we hope this is the bill that finally makes it over the finish line. The American people have waited for too long to get reliable access to a fuel that can lower costs while creating jobs in rural communities. We look forward to continuing our work with our champions in Congress and the White House to finally make year-round E15 the law of the land,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. 
    “Nationwide consumer access to E15 will save drivers money at the pump while boosting the farm economy,” said Illinois farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr. “We want to applaud the sponsors and co-sponsors of this bill for introducing legislation that promises to significantly benefit consumers and farmers alike.”
    “E-15 is a win for both farmers and consumers, offering a vital opportunity to lower fuel prices and provide more choices at the pump,” said National Farmer Union President Rob Larew.“This legislation supports family farmers by creating stronger, more reliable markets while helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With this bill, we’re taking critical steps toward a more sustainable future, and we urge lawmakers to act quickly to ensure farmers and consumers benefit from these opportunities.”
    “To effectively serve their customers, convenience retailers need a stable and predictable year-round market for fuels like E15,” said National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) General Counsel Doug Kantor. “We are grateful to Senator Fischer and Senator Duckworth for their continued leadership on this issue, with legislation that will improve the environmental attributes of summer gasoline while lowering costs for families and small businesses across the country.”
    Full List of National Endorsements:
    American Petroleum Institute, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmer Union, and National Association of Convenience Stores.
    Background:Senator Fischer has been a steadfast champion for year-round E15 since 2015, when she first co-led a bill to allow year-round E15 during the 114th Congress.
    In 2017, during the 115th Congress, she introduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act to amend the Clear Air Act and help make year-round E15 a reality. Later that year, she testified before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in support of her bipartisan legislation.
    In 2019, Senator Fischer traveled with President Trump to Nebraska and Iowa when he announced regulatory efforts to allow the sale of E15. When President Trump’s efforts were struckdown by courts, Senator Fischer continued to lead by reintroducing this legislation in 2021, during the 117th Congress. Senator Fischer released an updated bill in 2022 that included unprecedented support.
    In 2023, Senator Fischer introduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2023 to break down remaining barriers and unlock the full potential of nationwide, year-round E15, advancing America’s energy independence. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03) introduced companion legislation.
    Last month, on the first day of his term, President Trump took steps to make E15 available year-round through his Executive Order Declaring a National Energy Emergency.
    Click here to read the text of the bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Northland News – $600,000 of Climate Resilient Communities Funding allocated

    Source: Northland Regional Council

    Twenty-two projects around Te Taitokerau are to share $600,000 of Northland Regional Council funding designed to help build climate resilience.
    Council Deputy Chair Tui Shortland says during the council’s Long-Term Plan 2024-2034 consultation, the region’s communities had emphasised the importance they placed on council taking a leading role in helping to build that resilience.
    That had resulted in the council establishing a $600,000 fund to support communities to prepare for the growing effects of climate change and the natural hazard risks our region faces.
    Councillor Shortland says the council had received a huge level of interest from communities across Northland, expressing their ideas and aspirations for a climate resilient future for Te Taitokerau.
    “In this first round we had an overwhelming response, with 96 applications requesting $3.2 million.”
    Councillor Shortland says deciding how to allocate the $600,000 available had been extremely difficult, but 22 projects that met the fund criteria and aimed to build community capacity and strengthen connections to build community resilience would receive a portion of this pūtea.
    “Six of the projects directly focus on building kai resilience for the region.”
    “These include on the ground community-led mahi that aims to educate and empower communities to grow their own kai and projects that identify and strengthen food support networks and develop a strategy for how the region can become self-sufficient in food production and distribution.”
    Four projects supported water supply investigations to future proof water resilience and water tanks in vulnerable communities. “This extends the water resilience mahi NRC previously supported through the Water Resilience Fund which has now been replaced with this Climate Resilient Communities Fund.”
    Three rural marae will receive funding to support the installation of solar panels, improving energy resilience and benefiting the wider community in times of need. Investing in energy security not only keeps the power on when energy infrastructure goes down, but reduces energy costs for our people and importantly helps reduce Te Taitokerau’s greenhouse gas emissions.
    Funding will support four projects that look to nature-based solutions to build resilience to the changing climate, recognising how restoring wetlands, river margins and coastal dune systems can enhance protection from weather events, increase carbon sequestration and support our indigenous biodiversity.
    Three other projects aim to build resilience across multiple impact areas looking holistically at how our resilience could be improved as the climate changes.
    Two planning projects have been funded that will help the respective communities understand how climate change could impact them and to formulate specific plans to reduce these impacts.
    Successful applicants and their projects are:
    • Bream Bay Coastal Care Trust – Bream Bay Coastal Restoration Project ($23,000)
    • Climate Change Taitokerau Northland Trust – Kai Sovereignty Strategy ($20,000)
    • Coastal Restoration Trust of New Zealand- Te Taitokerau branch – Te Taitokerau How to restore dunes video ($30,708)
    • Community Business Environment Centre – Hokinganui a Kai ($40,000)
    • Hokianga Community Educational Trust – He Kete Kai o Hokianga -Future Proofing our Hokianga Food Systems ($36,786.39)
    • Matatina Marae Trust – Matatina Kai Whenua – community garden at marae for self sufficiency ($22,476)
    • Maungarongo Whenua Trust on behalf of Ricco Tito -Taiao Kaitiaki Oranga ō te Waīma ($30,000)
    • Morehu Marae Committee – Water tank replacement at marae ($7127.66)
    • Ngaitupoto Trustees Marae – Solar system ($35,000)
    • Opuawhanga Community Hall Trust – Resilience Network ($10,500)
    • Oromahoe 18R2B2B2 Trust – Te Wai Ora, Te Whenua Ora: Oromahoe Water Feasibility Study ($25,000)
    • Pakanae 5A Trust – Cultural and Nature-Based Resilience Programme ($30,000)
    • Puketawa Marae – Solar Energy for marae resilience ($26,037.49)
    • Roma Marae – Te Ngao ki te Marae o Roma (Energy Resilience at Roma Marae) ($25,000)
    • Rural Support Trust Northland – Rural Support Climate Resilience ($40,000)
    • Te Hapua Sports and Recreation Club – Water Resilience ($6956.52)
    • Te Kōhanga Reo O Manaakitia – Kia manawaroa Te Kōhanga Reo o Manaakitia ($7200)
    • Te Maire Whanau Trust – Whānau-Led Fruit Orchard Development ($30,000)
    • Te Paatu ki Kauhanga Trust Board – Kāmehameha ($40,000)
    • Te Pokapu Tiaki Taiao O Te Tai Tokerau Trust -Tuituia Te Kahunuku & Food Resiliency ($32,325)
    • Te Runanga o Ngati Hine Trust – Tanks a lot ($40,000)
    • Whakapara Marae Trust – Te Taiao o nga Waipukehia” The environment of the flooded waters ($30,000) .

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cold Storage and Supply Chain Infrastructure Under PMKSY

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 13 FEB 2025 6:13PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing Central Sector Umbrella Scheme – PMKSY since 2016-17 to create post-harvest infrastructure and processing facilities to boost the overall development of the food processing sector including reduction in post-harvest losses. The component schemes under PMKSY provide credit linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing/preservation infrastructure which, inter-alia, includes cold storages and refrigerated vehicles to minimize post-harvest losses.

    The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has been implementing schemes to boost food processing industries through infrastructure creation, grant of sales based incentives, capacity expansion, and other supporting measures. Under component schemes of PMKSY, as per the Scheme guidelines, consent to operate (CTO) issued by the concerned state Pollution board/Agency in respect of Water and Air, is mandatory for release of instalment of Grant-In-Aid/Subsidy to the approved projects. Further, Project Implementation Agency (PIA) has to comply with the requirements of Cold Chain infrastructure as per the directions of Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate change, Government of India with respect to use of Non-ODS (Non- Ozone depleting Substances) and low GWP (Low Global Warming Potential) refrigerants-based energy efficient cooling systems.  

    Under PMKSY component schemes, assistance can also be availed for Renewable/alternate energy technologies (solar, bio-mass, wind, etc.) for the project (Max. eligible permissible cost is Rs. 35 Lakh per project). Eligible entities from across the country may apply and avail the benefits.

    National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management -Thanjavur under Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has made efforts to promote and develop sustainable packaging technology through development of biodegradable plastics, safe and environmental friendly packaging solutions from biopolymers such as poly lactic acid (PLA), starch, nano fibres etc

    The Ministry of Food Processing Industries through implementation of PMKSY, helps in creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet across the country. The scheme not only provide a boost to the growth of food processing sector in the country but also helps in, interalia, reducing wastage of agricultural produce, increasing the processing level and enhancing the export of the processed foods.

    MoFPI is also implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme- PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME) for providing technical, financial and business support for setting up/upgradation of 2 lakh Micro Food Processing Enterprises. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has been launched by MoFPI for the period 2021-22 to 2026-27 to create global food champions and improving the visibility of Indian food brands abroad.

    Besides above, the allied Ministries/Departments and their Agencies such as Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, APEDA, MPEDA, etc. also extend enabling support through their respective schemes like Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, Agriculture Export Promotion Plan Scheme, National Agriculture Infra Financing Facility, etc.

    Steps to help the agri-products and the processed foods export sector include inter- alia financial assistance to exporters by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Scheme of quality control, setting up of in house quality control laboratory and implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) in processing units, conducting awareness programme on quality assurance and quality management system and training programme on food safety norms, developing packaging for export of various food products and setting up of agri export zones in geographically contiguous areas in different states. In addition. Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under its Plan Scheme, also provides financial assistance to food processing industries for implementation of total quality management including ISO 9000, HACCP etc. and to establish Quality Control Laboratories in the Country

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Shri Ravneet Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Promotion of Food Processing in Rural and Backward Regions

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 13 FEB 2025 6:12PM by PIB Delhi

    In order to promote and ensure overall development of Food Processing Industries, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been incentivizing setting up/expansion of related infrastructure through its Central Sector Scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and Centrally sponsored PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme across the country including rural and backward regions. These schemes are not region or state specific but demand driven.

    Under PMKSY, credit linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) is provided to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing industries with total outlay of Rs 5520 Cr for 15th Finance Commission Cycle.

    Under PMFME scheme, financial, technical and business support is provided for setting up / upgradation of micro food processing enterprises. The scheme is operational for a period of upto 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs.10,000 Crore.

    PLISFPI is, inter alia, intended to support creation of global food manufacturing champions and support Indian brands of food products in international market. The Scheme is operational for a period from 2021-22 to 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs. 10,900 crores.

    Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under its schemes, does not provide financial assistance for establishment of standalone cold storages facilities. However, it incentivizes creation of cold chain, preservation and value addition infrastructure as part of food processing projects under relevant component schemes of PMKSY.

    These schemes aim towards creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet which includes storage, transportation, value addition, etc., thereby help in providing better returns to farmers and creating huge employment opportunities, reducing wastage of agricultural produce and increasing the processing level.

    Ministry extends financial support to prospective entrepreneurs for setting up of different kinds of food processing industries including bananas processing, as per respective scheme guidelines.

    Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) under which capital assistance is provided for various horticulture activities including Construction/Expansion/ Modernization of cold storages of capacity up to 5000 MT in the country on the basis of Annual Action Plan (AAP) received from States/UTs. AAPs are prepared by the States/UTs based on their requirement, capacity and availability of resources. The component of Cold Storage is demand/entrepreneur driven for which Government assistance in the form of credit linked back ended subsidy is available at the rate of 35% of the project cost in general areas and 50% of the project cost in hilly and scheduled areas through respective State Horticulture Missions. Under the scheme, assistance is available to individuals, Groups of farmers/ growers/ consumers, Partnership/ Proprietary firms, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmers Producer Organization (FPOs), Companies, Corporations, Cooperatives, Cooperative Marketing Federations, Local bodies, Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) & Marketing Boards and State Governments.

    Scheme also provides assistance for setting up of food processing units in North East and Himalayan States only;. For Food Processing Units credit linked back ended assistance @ 50% of eligible project cost, in North Eastern and Himalayan States of the maximum project cost of Rs. 800.00 lakh/unit is available.”

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Shri Ravneet Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Making Valentine’s Day More Expensive This Year

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – There are many ways to show one’s love on Valentine’s Day, but unfortunately, due to President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and refusal to help lower food prices, Americans will likely shell out record amounts this year for things like flowers, chocolate, or a dinner date at their favorite local restaurant. 

    U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) says it’s time President Trump follow through on his campaign promise to actually do something to help lower prices instead of making moves to increase costs on consumers and American businesses.

    “Donald Trump pledged to fix the economy, but so far he’s made things worse.  He’s fixated on tax cuts for the wealthy and tariffs that economic experts say will only drive up prices for American consumers.  Since Trump took office, inflation is accelerating and groceries, gas, and rents rose over the last month.  His chaotic, destabilizing approach is sending prices in the wrong direction for families,” said Senator Reed.

    During Trump’s second term in office, the consumer price index rose 3 percent in January from a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. It has increased from a 3-and-a-half year low of 2.4 percent in September.

    Those planning to wine and dine their sweetheart this Valentine’s Day will likely face higher costs than last year for everything from flowers to food to fuel.  In fact, Trump’s focus on everything but the economy might leave Americans a little lighter in their wallet for things like:

    Flowers: A majority of florists import their bouquet flowers from countries like Colombia and Mexico. Recent tariff threats by President Trump are already creating supply chain pressures and impacting prices on products coming into the U.S.  In order to stay afloat, some mom and pop flower shops are estimating they could have to raise prices as much as 10 percent on bouquets compared to last year’s Valentine’s Day.

    Chocolate: It will be harder to find a sweet deal on chocolate this Valentine’s Day because chocolate prices are up about twenty percent as cocoa prices hit new heights.  Several factors contribute to the price hike, and not all are within Trump’s direct control. For instance, key cocoa-producing regions of West Africa have been impacted by severe weather, exacerbated by climate change. But Trump’s inaction and climate denial only exacerbates environmental and health hazards that don’t respect borders. The chocolate industry in the U.S. is also impacted by consolidation.  Trump has allowed anti-competitive industry consolidation in the past which leads to higher prices in the long run and allows huge companies to stomp out upstarts. 

    Restaurant Dining: Not only are menu prices rising under the Trump Administration, but due to Trump ignoring his pledge to take action on day one to address food prices, staples like eggs and entrée items like steak have shot up in the last month.

    “Americans want the federal government to work effectively and they want action to lower prices and strengthen the economy.  Donald Trump needs to stop with the culture war sideshows and focus on the things he pledged to do — like lowering food, housing, and health costs.  Giving away massive tax windfalls for the wealthy and slashing Medicaid doesn’t lower prices.  So far, Trump’s policies have made things worse for many Americans.  He needs to change course,” concluded Reed.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins Senator Moran, Hoeven on Moving Food for Peace to USDA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined Senators Moran, Hoeven, and Representatives Mann, Crawford, Newhouse, and Rouzer, as well as House Agriculture Chairman Thompson in introducing legislation to move the Food for Peace program from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
    “Food for Peace was started in Kansas by farmers who wanted to feed people in need across the world. Now, over 70 years later, the mission continues. The USDA understands farmers and food distribution better than any other agency in town, and moving the jurisdiction of Food for Peace under the USDA ensures that American grain is going to the people who need it most,” said Senator Marshall. “As President Trump and congressional leadership continue to find ways to curb wasteful spending and promote our nations’ goods and commodities, this is a step in the right direction toward a brighter future for America, its farmers, and the original mission of Food for Peace.”
    “The move of this program to USDA strengthens our ability to get food to those who need it most while supporting US sorghum farmers,” said Amy France, National Sorghum Producers Chairwoman. “NSP supports this shift, as it ensures the long-term success of Food for Peace and the efforts to deliver American-grown sorghum to food-insecure communities worldwide.”
    “Kansas farmers take great pride in Food for Peace and the impact the program and American commodities have had on feeding the world,” said Chris Tanner, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers President. “Moving Food for Peace to USDA would continue to provide the needed relief for people in need.”
    “Kansas-grown sorghum is a critical crop for food security in America and abroad,” said Adam York, CEO of Kansas Sorghum Producers Association. “Throughout changes in administrations, sorghum farmers have worked to have a seat at the table in international food programs housed across many agencies to ensure America’s farmers can contribute to our national security. We recommend policy makers continue prioritizing American agriculture as a solution to challenges in domestic and foreign policy.”
    “Our nation’s millers take great pride in feeding those facing famine emergencies around the world,” said Kim Z Cooper, Vice President of Government Affairs for the North American Millers’ Association. “Our flagship emergency food aid program Food for Peace not only helps those abroad, but is a critical component of Buy American and America First policies.”
    Senator Marshall has championed reforms to the Food for Peace program in the past, co-leading the America’s Farmers Feed the World Act, which sought to restore the Food for Peace program to its original intent by using U.S.-grown commodities to fight global hunger rather than spending American taxpayers’ dollars on foreign goods with limited oversight and accountability safeguards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Moran, Hoeven & Rep. Mann Introduce Legislation to Move Food for Peace Program to USDA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) – members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry – joined Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01), Rick Crawford (AR-01), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), David Rouzer (NC-07) and House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson (PA-15), in introducing legislation to move the administration of the Food for Peace Program from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

    For the past 70 years, American farmers have helped combat international hunger through Food for Peace, feeding more than 4 billion people in more than 150 countries.

    “Kansas has a long history of providing food to the hungry beginning with a Kansas farmer suggesting the U.S. provide surplus grain to countries in need, to President Eisenhower establishing the resulting humanitarian aid program, to Senator Bob Dole expanding Food for Peace, to the farmers who grow the crops that feed the world,” said Sen. Moran. “As part of an ongoing effort to save money and increase efficiency, Food for Peace should be moved to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By moving this program closer to the producers who grow these crops, we can help reduce waste and make certain our farmers have access to this valuable market. Food stability is essential to political stability, and our food aid programs help feed the hungry, bolster our national security and provide important markets for our farmers.”

    “Our nation’s farmers and ranchers are the best in the world and work hard to provide food and fuel not only for our nation, but those in need across the globe,” said Sen. Hoeven. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture already administer U.S. farmer-based food aid programs and it only makes sense that USDA would oversee the Food for Peace program, as well.”

    “President Trump made a promise to the country to cut wasteful spending, reduce overbearing federal bureaucracy, and to ensure every taxpayer dollar was spent wisely and responsibly,” said Rep. Mann. “I applaud President Trump for upholding that promise and reviewing our federal spending line by line to root out waste, fraud, and abuse while ensuring programs like Food for Peace are in line with his mission and vision. For 70 years, Kansas and American farmers have played an active role in sending their commodities to feed malnourished and starving populations around the world. This free gift from the American people is more than food. It’s diplomacy and feeds the most vulnerable communities while helping them recognize the freedom, prosperity, and good America can establish across the globe. By moving Food for Peace to USDA, the program can continue to equip American producers to serve hungry people while providing more transparency and efficiency as to how taxpayer dollars are stewarded. I will continue to work with the Trump Administration to uproot wasteful spending while ensuring America can continue to be the beacon of hope and freedom we are to the rest of the world.”

    “Food for Peace is a critical program for American farmers and has a proven track-record of successfully feeding people all over the world,” said Rep. Crawford. “I am encouraged by the Trump Administration taking a fresh look at how we provide foreign assistance, including Food for Peace. I believe a move from USAID to USDA would make program administration more efficient and more in-line with America’s priorities. USDA already runs two international food assistance programs that deal with in-kind food donations, Food for Progress and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program. This makes USDA a natural home for Food for Peace.”

    “The Food for Peace program plays a critical role in helping prevent starvation in places around the world that need it most, while also providing American farmers additional market opportunities,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Moving this program from USAID to USDA allows a commodity-focused agency to manage and execute the program’s mission while ensuring accountability that funds will be spent responsibly. America must continue to be a global leader in the fight against hunger.”

    Last week, Sen. Moran urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to quickly ship and distribute the American-grown food that was stalled in ports and warehouses in the U.S. and around the world as a result of the State Department’s pause on international assistance. Nearly $560 million worth of American-grown food was at risk of spoiling. On February 8, the State Department provided notices to participating aid organizations to resume shipping and distribution of the stalled American-grown food aid.

    Statements of Support:

    “Kansas farmers take great pride in Food for Peace and the impact the program and American commodities have had on feeding the world,” said Chris Tanner, president of Kansas Association of Wheat Growers. “Moving Food for Peace to USDA would continue to provide the needed relief for people in need. Thank you to Senator Moran and Congressman Mann for leading the way on this issue.”

    “Kansas-grown sorghum is a critical crop for food security in America and abroad,” said Adam York, CEO of Kansas Sorghum Producers Association. “Throughout changes in administrations, sorghum farmers have worked to have a seat at the table in international food programs housed across many agencies to ensure America’s farmers can contribute to our national security. We recommend policy makers continue prioritizing American agriculture as a solution to challenges in domestic and foreign policy.”

    “National Sorghum Producers supports this legislation that would move U.S. food aid programs under the U.S. Department of Agriculture—a move that makes sense and would ensure the long-term viability and success of these programs by continuing to provide a critical market for American sorghum farmers and the ability to move grain from our fields to the hands of those in need around the world,” said Amy France, chairwoman of National Sorghum Producers.

    “U.S. soybeans play an important role in addressing global hunger,” said Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association. “Soybeans are the only plant-based protein that provides all nine amino acids essential for human health, and our farmers have been proud to support international food assistance programs. ASA strongly supports efforts to protect these programs and to ensure U.S. grown commodities continue to feed vulnerable populations around the globe. We thank Representative Mann and Senator Moran for their leadership on this important issue.”

    “Our nation’s millers take great pride in feeding those facing famine emergencies around the world,” said Kim Z Cooper, Vice President of Government Affairs for the North American Millers’ Association. “Our flagship emergency food aid program Food for Peace not only helps those abroad, but is a critical component of Buy American and America First policies. We applaud Representatives Mann (R-KS), Thompson (R-PA), Crawford (R-AR), Newhouse (R-WA), Rouzer (R-NC), and Senators Moran and Hoeven for introducing legislation that would allow Food for Peace to operate under USDA, and reinstate this critical, life-saving program.”

    This legislation is also supported by the U.S. Dry Bean Council, National Sorghum Producers, U.S. Wheat Associates, National Association of Wheat Growers, The Midwest Dry Bean Coalition, North Central Bean Dealers Association, Northarvest Bean Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, USA Rice, U.S. Peanut Federation, American Farm Bureau Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why ‘low carbon’ roses are flown around the world

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Will de Freitas, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

    Grown in Ecuador (Équateur en français), sold in Paris. Robert Crum / shutterstock

    As you read this, planes full of roses are heading from east Africa and South America to almost every corner of the world. If you buy someone a rose this Valentine’s Day, it may be in the air right now or perhaps in a refrigerated warehouse in the Netherlands.

    A huge logistical operation ensures those flowers are timed to be perfectly in bloom on the 14th. From flower farm to bouquet can take just a few days. In all, hundreds of millions of roses will be shipped internationally this week, and many will die before they can be sold.

    Can all this flying be justified?

    You’re reading the Imagine newsletter – a weekly synthesis of academic insight on solutions to climate change, brought to you by The Conversation. I’m Will de Freitas, energy and environment editor, covering for my colleague Jack Marley who is lovesick. This week, we’re looking at flowers.

    Many people don’t realise just how far a Valentine’s rose has probably travelled. Though roses can be grown in the UK (and some species are native), most of them won’t flower for at least another few months.

    Jill Timms and David Bek, academics at the University of Coventry who have researched the global flower trade point out: “This sort of localised growing does not satisfy the demand for volume, variety and year-round supply, or indeed guarantee sustainability in terms of energy, pesticide use and so on.”

    This means most roses are imported from countries with more land, more sunshine, and a cheaper workforce. Major growers include Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya and Ethiopia. The Netherlands is actually the biggest exporter of roses, partly due to its own production in greenhouses but mostly thanks to its position as a crucial hub for the global trade. Flowers sent to the UK from the Netherlands were probably grown elsewhere.

    To ensure they stay fresh, those flowers are kept cool as they’re transported in a series of refrigerated lorries, planes or boats, while some are sprayed with chemicals to freeze them.

    “Geography matters,” say Timms and Bek. “Some flowers travel by sea, some cargo plane and others in the hold of passenger jets, all with very different carbon footprints.”



    Read more:
    Valentine’s Day: five ways to ensure your flowers are ethical

    Low-carbon flowers, a long way away

    Figuring out a flower’s carbon footprint is not straightforward. Jennifer Lavers and Fiona Kerslake from the University of Tasmania compared cut flowers grown in heated or refrigerated greenhouses in the Netherlands with those grown in Kenya.

    “Maintaining the controlled environmental conditions inside these [Dutch] buildings requires artificial light, heat and cooling, so each rose grown in The Netherlands contributes an average of around 2.91kg of CO₂ to the atmosphere.”

    “In contrast”, they write, “a single rose grown on a farm in Kenya contributes only 0.5kg. This is largely because Kenyan hot houses do not use artificial heating or lighting, and most farm workers walk or cycle to work. As a result, flowers grown in tropical regions are sometimes considered low-carbon (of course, this doesn’t always factor in international transport).”



    Read more:
    Sustainable shopping: your guilt-free guide to flowers this Valentine’s Day

    Paul D. Larson of the University of Manitoba points out that, while local production would ground some of the international flower flights, “growing flowers in greenhouses can use as much energy as shipping them [to North America] from Colombia by air freight”.

    Larson, a professor of supply chain management, does highlight one major issue with “low carbon” flowers in the global south, however:

    “Since flowers are not classified as edible, they are often exempt from pesticide regulations. Thus, many flower production workers in Ecuador and Colombia have suffered from respiratory problems, rashes and eye infections caused by exposure to toxic chemicals in fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides.”



    Read more:
    Valentine’s Day: COVID-19 wilted the flower industry, but sustainability still a thorny issue

    The flower trade in Ecuador and Colombia was actually engineered a few decades ago to try and stem the flow of cocaine into the US, says Jay L. Zagorsky, an associate professor at Boston University’s business school.

    “One part of the strategy was to convince farmers in Colombia to stop growing coca leaves – a traditional Andean plant that provides the raw ingredient for making cocaine – by giving them preferential access to US markets if they grew something else.”

    Whether this policy helped stop drug production is unclear, says Zagorsky, but American domestic rose growing has collapsed and “many businesses in Colombia and Ecuador started growing and shipping flowers north”.



    Read more:
    Americans spend millions of dollars on Valentine’s Day roses. I calculated exactly how much

    No one expects you to know exactly how a flower was grown, what conditions were like for workers, or to conduct a full “life cycle assessment” of their carbon footprint. But what can you do to help this Valentine’s Day?

    Timms and Bek, the flower trade experts at Coventry University, wrote about five ways to ensure your flowers are ethical. They contrast flowers grown in the Netherlands and Kenya and say that “your priorities need to guide your purchase: environmental issues include carbon footprint, chemical use, ecological degradation and water use; social issues include health and safety standards, gender discrimination, precarious employment and land rights.”

    – ref. Why ‘low carbon’ roses are flown around the world – https://theconversation.com/why-low-carbon-roses-are-flown-around-the-world-249769

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CONSUMER PRICE INDEX NUMBERS ON BASE 2012=100 FOR RURAL, URBAN AND COMBINED FOR THE MONTH OF January 2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

    I. Key highlights:

    1. Headline Inflation: Year-on-year inflation rate based on All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of January 2025 over January 2024 is 4.31% (Provisional). There is decline of 91 basis points in headline inflation of January, 2025 in comparison to December 2024. It is the lowest year-on-year inflation after August, 2024.

    1. Food Inflation: Year-on-year inflation rate based on All India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) for the month of January 2025 over January, 2024 is 6.02% (Provisional). Corresponding inflation rate for rural and urban are 6.31% and 5.53%, respectively. All India inflation rates for CPI(General) and CFPI over the last 13 months are shown below. A sharp decline of 237 basis point is observed in food inflation in January, 2025 in comparison to December, 2024. The food inflation in January, 2025 is the lowest after August, 2024.

    1. Rural Inflation: Significant decline in headline and food inflation in rural sector observed in January 2025. It is 4.64% (provisional) in January, 2025 while the same was 5.76% in December, 2024. The CFPI based food inflation in rural sector is observed as 6.31% in January, 2025 in comparison to 8.65% in December, 2024.

    2. Urban Inflation: Sharp decline from 4.58% in December, 2024 to 3.87% (Provisional) in January, 2025 is observed in headline inflation of urban sector. Similar decline is observed in food inflation which is decreased from 7.9% in December, 2024 to 5.53% in January, 2025.

    3. Housing Inflation: Year-on-year Housing inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 2.76%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 2.71%. The housing index is compiled for urban sector only.

    4. Education Inflation: Year-on-year Education inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 3.83%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 3.95%. It is combined education inflation for both rural and urban sector.

    5. Health Inflation: Year-on-year Health inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 3.97%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 4.05%. It is combined health inflation for both rural and urban sector.

    6. Transport & Communication: Year-on-year Transport & communication inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 2.76%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 2.64%. It is combined inflation rate for both rural and urban sector.

    7. Fuel & light: Year-on-year Fuel & light inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is -1.38 %. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was -1.33%. It is combined inflation rate for both rural and urban sector.

    8. The significant decline in headline inflation and food inflation during the month of January, 2025 is mainly attributed to decline in inflation of Vegetables, Egg, Pulses & Products, Cereals and Products, Education, Clothing and Health.

    9. Top five items with highest inflation: The top five items showing highest year on year Inflation at All India level in January 2025 are Coconut oil (54.20%), potato (49.61%), coconut (38.71%), garlic (30.65%), peas [vegetables] (30.17%).

    10. Top five items with lowest inflation: The key items having lowest year on year inflation in January, 2025 are jeera (-32.25%), ginger (-30.92%), dry chilies (-11.27%), brinjal (-9.94%), LPG (excl. conveyance) (-9.29%). For other data related to All India Item Index and Inflation, please visit the website www.cpi.mospi.gov.in.

    11. Top five major states with high Year on Year inflation for the month of January 2025 are shown in the graph below.

     

    1. All India Inflation rates (on point to point basis i.e. current month over same month of last year, i.e.

    January 2025 over January 2024), based on General Indices and CFPIs are given as follows:

     

    All India year-on-year inflation rates (%) based on CPI (General) and CFPI: January 2025 over January 2024

     

    January 2025 (Prov.)

    December 2024 (Final)

    January 2024

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Inflation

    CPI (General)

    4.64

    3.87

    4.31

    5.76

    4.58

    5.22

    5.34

    4.92

    5.10

    CFPI

    6.31

    5.53

    6.02

    8.65

    7.9

    8.39

    7.91

    9.02

    8.30

    Index

    CPI (General)

    196.0

    190.6

    193.5

    198.4

    192.0

    195.4

    187.3

    183.5

    185.5

    CFPI

    198.8

    204.1

    200.7

    204.7

    210.3

    206.7

    187.0

    193.4

    189.3

                          Notes: Prov.  – Provisional, Combd. – Combined

     

    1. Monthly changes in the General Indices and CFPIs are given below:

         Monthly changes (%) in All India CPI (General) and CFPI: January 2025 over December 2024

    Indices

    January 2025 (Prov.)

    December 2024 (Final)

    Monthly change (%)

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    Rural

    Urban

    Combd.

    CPI (General)

    196.0

    190.6

    193.5

    198.4

    192.0

    195.4

    -1.21

    -0.73

    -0.97

    CFPI

    198.8

    204.1

    200.7

    204.7

    210.3

    206.7

    -2.88

    -2.95

    -2.90

           

    Note: Figures of January 2025 are provisional.

    1. Response rate: The price data are collected from selected 1114 urban Markets and 1181 villages covering all States/UTs through personal visits by field staff of Field Operations Division of NSO, MoSPI on a weekly roster. During the month of January 2025, NSO collected prices from 99.7% villages and 98.5% urban markets while the market-wise prices reported therein were 88.7% for rural and 93.1% for urban.

    2. Next date of release for February 2025 CPI is 12th March 2025 (Wednesday). For more details, please visit the website www.cpi.mospi.gov.in or esankhyiki.mospi.gov.in

    List of Annex

    Annex

    Title

    I

    All-India General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for December 2024(Final) and January2025(Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Annexure I)

    II

    All-India inflation rates (%) for General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for January 2025 (Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Annexure II)

    III

    General CPI for States for Rural, Urban and Combined for December 2024 (Final) and January 2025 (Provisional) (Annexure III)

    IV

    Year-on-year inflation rates (%) of major States for Rural, Urban and Combined for January 2025(Provisional) (Annexure IV)

    V

     Time Series Data for All India General CPI (Base 2012 =100) Since January 2013 (Annexure V)

    VI

     Time Series Data for All India Year-on-year inflation rates (%) based on General CPI (Base 2012=100) Since January 2014 (Annexure VI)

                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Annex I

    All-India General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for December 2024 (Final) and January 2025 (Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Base: 2012=100)

     

    Group Code

    Sub-group Code

    Description

    Rural

    Urban

    Combined

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    Weights

    Dec.24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    (1)

    (2)

    (3)

    (4)

    (5)

    (6)

    (7)

    (8)

    (9)

    (10)

    (11)

    (12)

     

    1.1.01

    Cereals and products

    12.35

    198.9

    199.8

    6.59

    196.5

    197.5

    9.67

    198.1

    199.1

     

    1.1.02

    Meat and fish

    4.38

    219.1

    220.9

    2.73

    228.7

    230.8

    3.61

    222.5

    224.4

     

    1.1.03

    Egg

    0.49

    209.8

    206.1

    0.36

    215.8

    210.8

    0.43

    212.1

    207.9

     

    1.1.04

    Milk and products

    7.72

    187.3

    187.7

    5.33

    187.9

    188.2

    6.61

    187.5

    187.9

     

    1.1.05

    Oils and fats

    4.21

    189.0

    189.0

    2.81

    174.6

    175.6

    3.56

    183.7

    184.1

     

    1.1.06

    Fruits

    2.88

    189.0

    192.1

    2.90

    192.4

    193.8

    2.89

    190.6

    192.9

     

    1.1.07

    Vegetables

    7.46

    242.4

    203.6

    4.41

    289.2

    245.6

    6.04

    258.3

    217.8

     

    1.1.08

    Pulses and products

    2.95

    212.4

    207.8

    1.73

    217.4

    213.0

    2.38

    214.1

    209.6

     

    1.1.09

    Sugar and Confectionery

    1.70

    130.0

    129.6

    0.97

    132.7

    132.4

    1.36

    130.9

    130.5

     

    1.1.10

    Spices

    3.11

    229.0

    227.3

    1.79

    224.1

    222.9

    2.50

    227.4

    225.8

     

    1.2.11

    Non-alcoholic beverages

    1.37

    186.7

    187.7

    1.13

    175.5

    176.6

    1.26

    182.0

    183.1

     

    1.1.12

    Prepared meals, snacks, sweets etc.

    5.56

    201.2

    201.7

    5.54

    211.7

    212.9

    5.55

    206.1

    206.9

    1

     

    Food and beverages

    54.18

    203.9

    198.8

    36.29

    209.4

    204.6

    45.86

    205.9

    200.9

    2

     

    Pan, tobacco and intoxicants

    3.26

    208.7

    208.2

    1.36

    212.2

    212.6

    2.38

    209.6

    209.4

     

    3.1.01

    Clothing

    6.32

    200.4

    200.6

    4.72

    190.0

    190.3

    5.58

    196.3

    196.5

     

    3.1.02

    Footwear

    1.04

    193.7

    193.9

    0.85

    175.6

    176.0

    0.95

    186.2

    186.5

    3

     

    Clothing and footwear

    7.36

    199.4

    199.7

    5.57

    187.8

    188.1

    6.53

    194.8

    195.1

    4

     

    Housing

    –

    –

    –

    21.67

    181.7

    182.5

    10.07

    181.7

    182.5

    5

     

    Fuel and light

    7.94

    182.3

    183.1

    5.58

    170.5

    170.6

    6.84

    177.8

    178.4

     

    6.1.01

    Household goods and services

    3.75

    187.0

    187.3

    3.87

    178.3

    178.8

    3.80

    182.9

    183.3

     

    6.1.02

    Health

    6.83

    200.2

    200.8

    4.81

    194.5

    195.4

    5.89

    198.0

    198.8

     

    6.1.03

    Transport and communication

    7.60

    176.7

    177.2

    9.73

    165.8

    166.1

    8.59

    171.0

    171.4

     

    6.1.04

    Recreation and amusement

    1.37

    181.5

    181.6

    2.04

    176.7

    177.0

    1.68

    178.8

    179.0

     

    6.1.05

    Education

    3.46

    192.2

    192.5

    5.62

    187.9

    188.0

    4.46

    189.7

    189.9

     

    6.1.06

    Personal care and effects

    4.25

    206.3

    208.4

    3.47

    208.0

    210.2

    3.89

    207.0

    209.1

    6

     

    Miscellaneous

    27.26

    190.8

    191.5

    29.53

    182.0

    182.6

    28.32

    186.5

    187.2

    General Index (All Groups)

    100.00

    198.4

    196.0

    100.00

    192.0

    190.6

    100.00

    195.4

    193.5

    Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI)

    47.25

    204.7

    198.8

    29.62

    210.3

    204.1

    39.06

    206.7

    200.7

    Notes:

    1. Prov.       : Provisional.

    2. CFPI        : Out of 12 sub-groups contained in ‘Food and Beverages’ group, CFPI is based on ten sub-groups, excluding ‘Non-alcoholic beverages’ and ‘Prepared meals, snacks, sweets etc.’.

    1. –   : CPI (Rural) for housing is not compiled.

    Annex II

    All-India year-on-year inflation rates (%) for General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for January 2025 (Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Base: 2012=100)

     

    Group Code

    Sub-group Code

    Description

    Rural

    Urban

    Combined

     

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

     

    (1)

    (2)

    (3)

    (4)

    (5)

    (6)

    (7)

    (8)

    (9)

    (10)

    (11)

    (12)

     

    1.1.01

    Cereals and products

    187.5

    199.8

    6.56

    187.1

    197.5

    5.56

    187.4

    199.1

    6.24

     

    1.1.02

    Meat and fish

    209.9

    220.9

    5.24

    219.4

    230.8

    5.20

    213.2

    224.4

    5.25

     

    1.1.03

    Egg

    204.8

    206.1

    0.63

    206.1

    210.8

    2.28

    205.3

    207.9

    1.27

     

    1.1.04

    Milk and products

    182.6

    187.7

    2.79

    182.8

    188.2

    2.95

    182.7

    187.9

    2.85

     

    1.1.05

    Oils and fats

    161.2

    189.0

    17.25

    155.8

    175.6

    12.71

    159.2

    184.1

    15.64

     

    1.1.06

    Fruits

    169.7

    192.1

    13.20

    174.5

    193.8

    11.06

    171.9

    192.9

    12.22

     

    1.1.07

    Vegetables

    179.9

    203.6

    13.17

    226.2

    245.6

    8.58

    195.6

    217.8

    11.35

     

    1.1.08

    Pulses and products

    202.5

    207.8

    2.62

    207.7

    213.0

    2.55

    204.3

    209.6

    2.59

     

    1.1.09

    Sugar and Confectionery

    129.7

    129.6

    -0.08

    131.0

    132.4

    1.07

    130.1

    130.5

    0.31

     

    1.1.10

    Spices

    245.9

    227.3

    -7.56

    235.5

    222.9

    -5.35

    242.4

    225.8

    -6.85

     

    1.2.11

    Non-alcoholic beverages

    182.3

    187.7

    2.96

    169.8

    176.6

    4.00

    177.1

    183.1

    3.39

     

    1.1.12

    Prepared meals, snacks, sweets etc.

    195.0

    201.7

    3.44

    203.1

    212.9

    4.83

    198.8

    206.9

    4.07

     

    1

    Food and beverages

    187.7

    198.8

    5.91

    194.2

    204.6

    5.36

    190.1

    200.9

    5.68

     

    2

    Pan, tobacco and intoxicants

    203.2

    208.2

    2.46

    208.9

    212.6

    1.77

    204.7

    209.4

    2.30

     

    3.1.01

    Clothing

    195.3

    200.6

    2.71

    185.1

    190.3

    2.81

    191.3

    196.5

    2.72

     

    3.1.02

    Footwear

    190.4

    193.9

    1.84

    171.8

    176.0

    2.44

    182.7

    186.5

    2.08

     

    3

    Clothing and footwear

    194.6

    199.7

    2.62

    183.1

    188.1

    2.73

    190.0

    195.1

    2.68

     

    4

    Housing

    –

    –

    –

    177.6

    182.5

    2.76

    177.6

    182.5

    2.76

     

    5

    Fuel and light

    184.1

    183.1

    -0.54

    175.7

    170.6

    -2.90

    180.9

    178.4

    -1.38

     

    6.1.01

    Household goods and services

    182.9

    187.3

    2.41

    173.0

    178.8

    3.35

    178.2

    183.3

    2.86

     

    6.1.02

    Health

    193.2

    200.8

    3.93

    187.8

    195.4

    4.05

    191.2

    198.8

    3.97

     

    6.1.03

    Transport and communication

    172.0

    177.2

    3.02

    162.1

    166.1

    2.47

    166.8

    171.4

    2.76

     

    6.1.04

    Recreation and amusement

    177.2

    181.6

    2.48

    172.2

    177.0

    2.79

    174.4

    179.0

    2.64

     

    6.1.05

    Education

    185.8

    192.5

    3.61

    180.8

    188.0

    3.98

    182.9

    189.9

    3.83

     

    6.1.06

    Personal care and effects

    188.6

    208.4

    10.50

    189.9

    210.2

    10.69

    189.1

    209.1

    10.58

     

    6

    Miscellaneous

    183.4

    191.5

    4.42

    175.2

    182.6

    4.22

    179.4

    187.2

    4.35

     

    General Index (All Groups)

    187.3

    196.0

    4.64

    183.5

    190.6

    3.87

    185.5

    193.5

    4.31

     

    Notes:

    1. Prov.       : Provisional.

    2. –               : CPI (Rural) for housing is not compiled.

     

    Annex III

    General CPI for States for Rural, Urban and Combined for December 2024 (Final) and January 2025 (Provisional) (Base: 2012=100)

     

    Sl. No.

    Name of the State/UT

    Rural

    Urban

    Combined

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    Weights

    Dec. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25 Index
    (Prov.)

    (1)

    (2)

    (3)

    (4)

    (5)

    (6)

    (7)

    (8)

    (9)

    (10)

    (11)

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    5.40

    199.5

    199.1

    3.64

    199.4

    199.2

    4.58

    199.5

    199.1

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    0.14

    199.1

    197.6

    0.06

    —

    —

    0.10

    199.1

    197.6

    3

    Assam

    2.63

    200.1

    198.4

    0.79

    196.7

    194.8

    1.77

    199.4

    197.7

    4

    Bihar

    8.21

    195.7

    189.7

    1.62

    203.1

    199.1

    5.14

    196.8

    191.1

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    1.68

    193.1

    188.9

    1.22

    185.9

    182.6

    1.46

    190.3

    186.5

    6

    Delhi

    0.28

    176.5

    175.2

    5.64

    171.2

    171.7

    2.77

    171.5

    171.9

    7

    Goa

    0.14

    183.6

    183.1

    0.25

    181.9

    182.7

    0.19

    182.6

    182.9

    8

    Gujarat

    4.54

    193.4

    191.0

    6.82

    182.8

    179.9

    5.60

    187.4

    184.7

    9

    Haryana

    3.30

    200.3

    197.5

    3.35

    186.3

    184.7

    3.32

    193.7

    191.5

    10

    Himachal Pradesh

    1.03

    182.9

    180.9

    0.26

    187.4

    185.3

    0.67

    183.7

    181.7

    11

    Jharkhand

    1.96

    191.5

    186.7

    1.39

    193.6

    191.0

    1.69

    192.3

    188.3

    12

    Karnataka

    5.09

    200.2

    199.9

    6.81

    200.9

    201.2

    5.89

    200.6

    200.6

    13

    Kerala

    5.50

    204.2

    205.4

    3.46

    199.1

    200.3

    4.55

    202.4

    203.6

    14

    Madhya Pradesh

    4.93

    196.6

    193.4

    3.97

    196.0

    193.8

    4.48

    196.4

    193.6

    15

    Maharashtra

    8.25

    196.3

    193.8

    18.86

    188.2

    186.8

    13.18

    190.9

    189.1

    16

    Manipur

    0.23

    239.4

    233.9

    0.12

    193.0

    191.0

    0.18

    224.7

    220.3

    17

    Meghalaya

    0.28

    179.5

    177.8

    0.15

    187.3

    187.4

    0.22

    181.9

    180.8

    18

    Mizoram

    0.07

    207.7

    207.4

    0.13

    183.1

    181.9

    0.10

    192.7

    191.8

    19

    Nagaland

    0.14

    202.5

    201.1

    0.12

    187.7

    186.9

    0.13

    196.2

    195.1

    20

    Odisha

    2.93

    204.9

    201.3

    1.31

    191.8

    189.4

    2.18

    201.2

    198.0

    21

    Punjab

    3.31

    191.3

    189.4

    3.09

    181.8

    179.9

    3.21

    187.0

    185.1

    22

    Rajasthan

    6.63

    193.6

    192.0

    4.23

    191.3

    189.2

    5.51

    192.8

    191.0

    23

    Sikkim

    0.06

    205.9

    203.7

    0.03

    189.9

    189.0

    0.05

    200.7

    198.9

    24

    Tamil Nadu

    5.55

    204.2

    203.8

    9.20

    200.8

    200.2

    7.25

    202.2

    201.7

    25

    Telangana

    3.16

    207.3

    205.9

    4.41

    200.2

    199.4

    3.74

    203.4

    202.3

    26

    Tripura

    0.35

    216.5

    209.9

    0.14

    207.7

    203.4

    0.25

    214.2

    208.2

    27

    Uttar Pradesh

    14.83

    198.5

    194.9

    9.54

    193.8

    191.2

    12.37

    196.8

    193.6

    28

    Uttarakhand

    1.06

    190.8

    188.5

    0.73

    195.8

    193.7

    0.91

    192.7

    190.4

    29

    West Bengal

    6.99

    201.9

    198.2

    7.20

    195.1

    193.4

    7.09

    198.7

    195.9

    30

    Andaman & Nicobar Islands

    0.05

    206.1

    203.2

    0.07

    192.0

    191.8

    0.06

    198.9

    197.4

    31

    Chandigarh

    0.02

    195.8

    192.0

    0.34

    181.2

    179.3

    0.17

    182.0

    180.0

    32

    Dadra & Nagar Haveli

    0.02

    183.8

    182.2

    0.04

    190.5

    188.5

    0.03

    188.3

    186.4

    33

    Daman & Diu

    0.02

    200.6

    199.5

    0.02

    190.3

    189.0

    0.02

    196.3

    195.1

    34

    Jammu & Kashmir*

    1.14

    205.8

    204.7

    0.72

    199.6

    197.5

    0.94

    203.6

    202.2

    35

    Lakshadweep

    0.01

    199.9

    197.5

    0.01

    190.8

    185.5

    0.01

    195.2

    191.4

    36

    Puducherry

    0.08

    210.8

    208.1

    0.27

    199.4

    198.8

    0.17

    202.3

    201.2

    All India

    100.00

    198.4

    196.0

    100.00

    192.0

    190.6

    100.00

    195.4

    193.5

    Notes:

    1. Prov.:  Provisional

    2. –:  indicates the receipt of price schedules is less than 80% of allocated schedules and therefore indices are not compiled.

    3. *: Figures of this row pertain to the prices and weights of the combined Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir

    and Ladakh (erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir).

    Annex IV

     

    Year-on-year inflation rates (%) of major@ States for Rural, Urban and Combined for January 2025 (Provisional) (Base: 2012=100)

     

    Sl. No.

    Name of the State/UT

    Rural

    Urban

    Combined

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    Jan. 24 Index
    (Final)

    Jan. 25

    Index
    (Prov.)

    Inflation Rate
    (%)

    (1)

    (2)

    (3)

    (4)

    (5)

    (6)

    (7)

    (8)

    (9)

    (10)

    (11)

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    191.4

    199.1

    4.02

    191.5

    199.2

    4.02

    191.4

    199.1

    4.02

    2

    Assam

    189.3

    198.4

    4.81

    186.4

    194.8

    4.51

    188.7

    197.7

    4.77

    3

    Bihar

    180.9

    189.7

    4.86

    188.0

    199.1

    5.90

    181.9

    191.1

    5.06

    4

    Chhattisgarh

    176.8

    188.9

    6.84

    175.2

    182.6

    4.22

    176.2

    186.5

    5.85

    5

    Delhi

    169.9

    175.2

    3.12

    168.4

    171.7

    1.96

    168.5

    171.9

    2.02

    6

    Gujarat

    183.9

    191.0

    3.86

    173.2

    179.9

    3.87

    177.8

    184.7

    3.88

    7

    Haryana

    187.1

    197.5

    5.56

    176.6

    184.7

    4.59

    182.2

    191.5

    5.10

    8

    Himachal Pradesh

    173.6

    180.9

    4.21

    178.2

    185.3

    3.98

    174.4

    181.7

    4.19

    9

    Jharkhand

    183.3

    186.7

    1.85

    184.1

    191.0

    3.75

    183.6

    188.3

    2.56

    10

    Karnataka

    190.0

    199.9

    5.21

    191.8

    201.2

    4.90

    191.0

    200.6

    5.03

    11

    Kerala

    191.4

    205.4

    7.31

    189.3

    200.3

    5.81

    190.7

    203.6

    6.76

    12

    Madhya Pradesh

    183.9

    193.4

    5.17

    187.5

    193.8

    3.36

    185.4

    193.6

    4.42

    13

    Maharashtra

    188.9

    193.8

    2.59

    179.9

    186.8

    3.84

    182.9

    189.1

    3.39

    14

    Odisha

    188.5

    201.3

    6.79

    182.0

    189.4

    4.07

    186.7

    198.0

    6.05

    15

    Punjab

    180.6

    189.4

    4.87

    173.7

    179.9

    3.57

    177.5

    185.1

    4.28

    16

    Rajasthan

    184.3

    192.0

    4.18

    183.3

    189.2

    3.22

    183.9

    191.0

    3.86

    17

    Tamil Nadu

    193.4

    203.8

    5.38

    191.3

    200.2

    4.65

    192.2

    201.7

    4.94

    18

    Telangana

    201.2

    205.9

    2.34

    195.2

    199.4

    2.15

    197.9

    202.3

    2.22

    19

    Uttar Pradesh

    185.5

    194.9

    5.07

    184.3

    191.2

    3.74

    185.1

    193.6

    4.59

    20

    Uttarakhand

    180.6

    188.5

    4.37

    183.4

    193.7

    5.62

    181.6

    190.4

    4.85

    21

    West Bengal

    191.0

    198.2

    3.77

    187.9

    193.4

    2.93

    189.5

    195.9

    3.38

    22

    Jammu & Kashmir*

    194.3

    204.7

    5.35

    190.2

    197.5

    3.84

    192.9

    202.2

    4.82

    All India

    187.3

    196.0

    4.64

    183.5

    190.6

    3.87

    185.5

    193.5

    4.31

    Notes:

    1. Prov.     :  Provisional.

    2. *               : Figures of this row pertain to the prices and weights of the combined Union Territories of Jammu &                            Kashmir and Ladakh (erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir).

    3. @               : States having population more than 50 lakhs as per Population Census 2011.

     

    Annexure V

    Time Series Data for All India General CPI (Base 2012 =100) Since January 2013

     

    Year

    Jan

    Feb

    Mar

    Apr

    May

    Jun

    Jul

    Aug

    Sep

    Oct

    Nov

    Dec

    2013

    104.6

    105.3

    105.5

    106.1

    106.9

    109.3

    111.0

    112.4

    113.7

    114.8

    116.3

    114.5

    2014

    113.6

    113.6

    114.2

    115.1

    115.8

    116.7

    119.2

    120.3

    120.1

    120.1

    120.1

    119.4

    2015

    119.5

    119.7

    120.2

    120.7

    121.6

    123.0

    123.6

    124.8

    125.4

    126.1

    126.6

    126.1

    2016

    126.3

    126.0

    126.0

    127.3

    128.6

    130.1

    131.1

    131.1

    130.9

    131.4

    131.2

    130.4

    2017

    130.3

    130.6

    130.9

    131.1

    131.4

    132.0

    134.2

    135.4

    135.2

    136.1

    137.6

    137.2

    2018

    136.9

    136.4

    136.5

    137.1

    137.8

    138.5

    139.8

    140.4

    140.2

    140.7

    140.8

    140.1

    2019

    139.6

    139.9

    140.4

    141.2

    142.0

    142.9

    144.2

    145.0

    145.8

    147.2

    148.6

    150.4

    2020

    150.2

    149.1

    148.6

    151.4

    150.9

    151.8

    153.9

    154.7

    156.4

    158.4

    158.9

    157.3

    2021

    156.3

    156.6

    156.8

    157.8

    160.4

    161.3

    162.5

    162.9

    163.2

    165.5

    166.7

    166.2

    2022

    165.7

    166.1

    167.7

    170.1

    171.7

    172.6

    173.4

    174.3

    175.3

    176.7

    176.5

    175.7

    2023

    176.5

    176.8

    177.2

    178.1

    179.1

    181.0

    186.3

    186.2

    184.1

    185.3

    186.3

    185.7

    2024

    185.5

    185.8

    185.8

    186.7

    187.7

    190.2

    193.0

    193.0

    194.2

    196.8

    196.5

    195.4

    2025

    193.5*

    Notes:

    1. * :Index Value for January 2025  is  Provisional.

    Annexure VI

     

    Time Series Data for All India Year-on-year inflation rates (%) based on General CPI (Base 2012=100) Since January 2014

     

    Year

    Jan

    Feb

    Mar

    Apr

    May

    Jun

    Jul

    Aug

    Sep

    Oct

    Nov

    Dec

    2014

    8.60

    7.88

    8.25

    8.48

    8.33

    6.77

    7.39

    7.03

    5.63

    4.62

    3.27

    4.28

    2015

    5.19

    5.37

    5.25

    4.87

    5.01

    5.40

    3.69

    3.74

    4.41

    5.00

    5.41

    5.61

    2016

    5.69

    5.26

    4.83

    5.47

    5.76

    5.77

    6.07

    5.05

    4.39

    4.20

    3.63

    3.41

    2017

    3.17

    3.65

    3.89

    2.99

    2.18

    1.46

    2.36

    3.28

    3.28

    3.58

    4.88

    5.21

    2018

    5.07

    4.44

    4.28

    4.58

    4.87

    4.92

    4.17

    3.69

    3.70

    3.38

    2.33

    2.11

    2019

    1.97

    2.57

    2.86

    2.99

    3.05

    3.18

    3.15

    3.28

    3.99

    4.62

    5.54

    7.35

    2020

    7.59

    6.58

    5.84

    –

    –

    6.23

    6.73

    6.69

    7.27

    7.61

    6.93

    4.59

    2021

    4.06

    5.03

    5.52

    4.23

    6.30

    6.26

    5.59

    5.30

    4.35

    4.48

    4.91

    5.66

    2022

    6.01

    6.07

    6.95

    7.79

    7.04

    7.01

    6.71

    7.00

    7.41

    6.77

    5.88

    5.72

    2023

    6.52

    6.44

    5.66

    4.70

    4.31

    4.87

    7.44

    6.83

    5.02

    4.87

    5.55

    5.69

    2024

    5.10

    5.09

    4.85

    4.83

    4.80

    5.08

    3.60

    3.65

    5.49

    6.21

    5.48

    5.22

    2025

    4.31*

    Notes:

    1. * :Inflation Value for January  2025  is Provisional.

    2. – :Inflation was not compiled and released due to Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. 

    Click here to Download PDF:

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New report highlights agriculture’s $41.3 billion impact on North Dakota’s economy

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Gov. Kelly Armstrong and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring in collaboration with North Dakota State University (NDSU) along with the North Dakota Department of Commerce, released a comprehensive economic report today underscoring agriculture’s critical role in the state’s economy and rural prosperity.

    The study, conducted by NDSU’s Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics and the Center for Social Research, finds that North Dakota’s agriculture industry generates $41.3 billion annually in gross business volume, supports 123,360 jobs and contributes $10 billion in labor income. 

    “Agriculture isn’t just an industry. It’s the backbone of our economy and a cornerstone of rural prosperity,” said Dr. Greg Lardy, NDSU vice president for agricultural affairs. “This report reinforces the need for policies that drive investment and innovation in the sector.”

    The report, unveiled during a press conference today at the state Capitol, also highlights the continued growth of commodity processing and value-added agriculture, which are driving new economic opportunities across the state.

    “Continuing to add value to our commodities benefits every farmer and rancher across North Dakota and makes our state’s economy more resilient,” Armstrong said, citing examples such as the recently added soybean processing plants in Spiritwood and Casselton and a proposed potato processing plant in Grand Forks. “We’re committed to expanding processing and diversifying our agriculture sector to create jobs and ensure that North Dakota remains a leader in ag innovation as we feed and fuel the world.” 

    The North Dakota Agriculture Industry Economic Contribution Analysis was funded by industry, including the following: North Dakota Agricultural Association; North Dakota Corn Growers Association; North Dakota Dry Bean Council; North Dakota Farm Bureau; North Dakota Farmers Union; North Dakota Soybean Council; North Dakota Soybean Growers Association; North Dakota Stockmen’s Association; Northern Canola Growers Association; Northern Pulse Growers Association; Northland Potato Growers Association; and Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association.

    “Agriculture continues to play an integral part in our state’s economy, thanks to our hardworking and innovative farmers, ranchers, rural communities and ag industries,” Goehring said. “We look forward to the future of agriculture as opportunities to add value, new cutting-edge developments and continued research shape how we produce a wide array of products used here and around the world.”

    Commerce Commissioner Chris Schilken tied the report’s findings to the need for strategic rural planning.

    “Planning is essential to ensure agriculture’s long-term success,” Schilken said. “From infrastructure to workforce development, rural communities need forward-thinking strategies to keep pace with industry growth. That’s why events like the North Dakota Rural Planning Symposium are so critical. They bring together experts and community leaders to map out a sustainable future for North Dakota’s rural economy.”

    The North Dakota Rural Planning Symposium kicks off this evening followed by a full day Wednesday of presentations focusing on strategies for building resilient rural communities, enhancing infrastructure and fostering economic development. The event will bring together community developers, policymakers and industry leaders to explore actionable solutions for strengthening North Dakota’s rural landscape.

    Learn more about the North Dakota Rural Planning Symposium at https://ndgov.link/RuralPlanning.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Structural Challenges in Indian Agriculture

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:26PM by PIB Delhi

    Government of India is implementing various measures to improve the Indian Agriculture which encompasses multitude of developmental programmes, schemes, reforms and policies aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, raising resource use efficiency, promoting sustainable agriculture and strengthening infrastructure, ensuring remunerative price to farmers, etc. These include:

    1. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
    2. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
    3. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
    4. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
    5. National Mission on Natural Faming (NMNF)
    6. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
    7. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)
    8. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
    9. Agroforestry
    10. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
    11. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
    12. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
    13. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
    14. National Bamboo Mission
    15. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
    16. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
    17. Per Drop More crop (PDMC)
    18. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)
    19. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
    20. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
    21. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)/ Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)
    22. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
    23. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)
    24. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
    25. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)
    26. Namo Drone Didi
    27. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises (AgriSURE)
    28. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
    29. Digital Agriculture Mission

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    *****

     

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Farmers’ Welfare Measures

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:25PM by PIB Delhi

    Agriculture is a State subject and Government of India supports the efforts of States through appropriate policy measures, budgetary allocation and various schemes/ programmes. The various schemes/ programmes of the Government of India are meant for the welfare of farmers by increasing production, remunerative returns and income support to farmers. The Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW) from Rs. 21933.50 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs. 1,22,528.77 crore BE during 2024-25. Schemes/programmes initiated by DA&FW are conceptualised and implemented taken in consideration of improving the economic condition of farmers owning small handholdings, access to credit and to enhance overall income of farmers and remunerative returns in the agriculture sector.

    PM KISAN Samman Nidhi Scheme has been launched in 2019 with the sole objective to enhance the income of farmers owning small landholdings. This scheme provides Rs. 6000 per year in 3 equal instalments. So far, more than Rs.3.46 lakh Cr. has been disbursed to eligible farmers through 18 instalments.

    The other major schemes run by Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare for enhance of overall income of farmers are as under:

    1. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
    2. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)/ Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)
    3. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)
    4. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
    5. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)
    6. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
    7. Namo Drone Didi
    8. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
    9. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
    10. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises’ (AgriSURE)
    11. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
    12. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
    13. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
    14. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)
    15. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
    16. Agroforestry
    17. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
    18. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
    19. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
    20. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
    21. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)
    22. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
    23. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
    24. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
    25. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
    26. Digital Agriculture Mission
    27. National Bamboo Mission

    PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan) scheme ensures remunerative prices for farmers’ produce and prevent distress sales. It aims to strengthen the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism and provide better price support for farmers.

    “Formation & Promotion of new 10,000 FPOs with budget outlay of Rs 6,865 Crore. Farmers Producer Organization (FPOs) are being set up to give farmers collective bargaining power in markets as well as enabling small farmers to pool resources, access technology, and get better prices for their crops.

    Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) with financial provision of one Lakh Crore scheme has been launched with an objective to mobilize a medium – long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through incentives and financial support in order to improve agriculture infrastructure in the country. Following supports are being provided under Agri Infra Fund. 

    Interest Subvention: All loans under this financing facility have interest subvention of 3% per annum up to a limit of ₹ 2 crore. This subvention is available for a maximum period of 7 years. In case of loans beyond ₹ 2 crore, interest subvention is limited up to ₹ 2 crore.

    Credit Guarantee: Credit guarantee coverage is available for eligible borrowers from this financing facility under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme for a loan up to ₹ 2 crore. The fee for this coverage will be paid by the Government. In case of FPOs the credit guarantee may be availed from the facility created under FPO promotion scheme of DA&FW.

    Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) provides Interest Subvention (IS) of 1.5% to various Financial Institutions (Banks, RRBs, PACS, etc.) for delivering Short-Term Agriculture Operation (STAO) loans at a fixed rate of 7% to farmers through KCC. If the farmer repays the loan within time, he gets a Prompt Repayment Incentive (PRI) of 3%, bringing his loan liability to 4% overall (7% minus 3%). It is exclusively operated through Kisan Credit Card (KCC).

    National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) has been launched on 3rd Oct, 2024 for enhancing the production of key primary oilseed crops such as Rapeseed-Mustard, Groundnut, Soybean, Sunflower, and Sesamum, as well as increasing collection and extraction efficiency from secondary sources like Cottonseed, Rice Bran, and Tree Borne Oils. The mission aims to increase primary oilseed production from 39 million tonnes (2022-23) to 69.7 million tonnes by 2030-31. Together with NMEO-OP (Oil Palm), the Mission targets to increase domestic edible oil production to 25.45 million tonnes by 2030-31 meeting around 72% of our projected domestic requirement. To ensure the timely availability of quality seeds, the Mission will introduce an online 5-year rolling seed plan through the ‘Seed Authentication, Traceability & Holistic Inventory (SATHI)’ Portal, enabling states to establish advance tie-ups with seed-producing agencies, including cooperatives, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and government or private seed corporations. 65 new seed hubs and 50 seed storage units will be set up in public sector to improve the seed production infrastructure.

    The following have been proposed in the upcoming budget for income support, improve access to credit and overall growth of agriculture sector:

    Enhanced Credit through KCC: – Loan increased from 3 lakh to ₹5 lakh to facilitate short term loans for 7.7 crore farmers, fishermen, and dairy farmers.

    Aatmanirbharta in Pulses: – To launch a 6-year Mission with special focus on Tur, Urad and Masoor, emphasizing development and commercial availability of climate resilient seeds, enhancing protein content, increasing productivity and improving post-harvest storage and management, assuring remunerative prices to the farmers.

    National Mission on High Yielding Seeds: – Targeted development and propagation of seeds with high yield, pest resistance and climate resilience.

    Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana – It has been proposed Agri Districts Programme to cover 100 districts which is likely to help 1.7 crore farmers.

    Mission for Cotton Productivity: – To be launched a 5-year mission to facilitate improvements in productivity and sustainability of cotton farming.

    Makhana Board in Bihar: – It is proposed to set up Makhana Board to Improve production, processing, value addition, and marketing and organisation of FPOs.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    *****

     

    MG/KSR/1173

    (Release ID: 2101841) Visitor Counter : 24

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How smarter greenhouses could improve the UK’s food security

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sven Batke, Associate Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange – Reader in Plant Science, Edge Hill University

    A tomato greenhouse in north-west England. Sven Batke, CC BY-NC-ND

    When was the last time you walked into a supermarket and marvelled at the abundance of exotic fruits and vegetables, even in the dead of winter? This luxury, now an expectation, only became common in the mid-20th century, reaching the UK some decades later.

    Not long ago, winter produce in UK supermarkets was limited; root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and parsnips, alongside hardy greens such as kale and cabbage. Fruits were even scarcer, mostly apples and pears. Today’s variety owes much to advances in global trade and smarter greenhouses, which help extend growing seasons and bring once seasonal produce to shelves all year round.

    Fast forward just one generation, and now supermarket shelves are stocked with dragon fruit, bananas, coconuts, avocados, and a variety of exotic nuts and vegetables. These items not only hail from the farthest reaches of the globe, but have also been bred to offer consumers unique sensory experiences or health benefits, such as higher concentrations of antioxidants. It’s no surprise that most of these exotic foods are often not grown locally or even within Europe.

    According to the latest government figures from 2023, 53% of the vegetables consumed in the UK are imported, and only 17% of fruits are grown locally. The contrast is stark when you look at exports, which remain relatively small (about 100,000 tonnes in 2023).

    UK food security could be improved by growing more produce inside smart greenhouses.
    Sven Batke, CC BY-NC-ND

    How often do you eat a UK-grown strawberry or tomato outside summer? Many such vegetables come from the Netherlands, Morocco and Spain, while most fruit comes from Colombia, Costa Rica and Brazil. No surprise, given their warmer climates. The UK averages 9-12°C annually, compared to Morocco’s 18-20°C.

    Increasing demand for exotic foods available year-round has made the UK’s food system vulnerable to external market fluctuations. Disruptions, such as trade barriers following Brexit or global hikes in energy prices due to the Ukraine war have placed supply chains under strain.

    Empty supermarket shelves could become more common if we see disruptions in supply chains, putting further pressure on the undervalued domestic growing sector. But could the UK grow more of its own food and reduce reliance on volatile global markets?

    Hi-tech solutions

    Protected horticulture (specifically in the food sector, as opposed to ornamental plants) involves growing fruits and vegetables year-round in controlled environments, such as polytunnels, greenhouses and indoor vertical farms.

    These facilities regulate temperature, humidity and light, and in some cases, even atmospheric gases like CO₂. Water and nutrient inputs are also tightly controlled, reducing waste by up to 95% compared to traditional field-grown methods. This allows year-around protection from the elements. They are often overlooked despite holding the key to solving some of the current food security challenges.



    Read more:
    Four myths about vertical farming debunked by an expert

    As part of the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium, my team of biologists, geographers and I recently mapped over 12,000 greenhouses in Britain. Estimates suggest that around 70% of these structures are more than 40 years old.

    So why haven’t we seen more UK-grown fruits and vegetables on supermarket shelves if we have the technology to produce them? One major reason is the high energy demand of indoor growing, especially in cold and cloudy weather – something we are all too familiar with in the UK. For example, 2024 has seen one of the worse years in total recorded sun hours.

    The UK’s horticulture sector has also received very little government support over the years. There are few incentives for growers to adopt new technology or upgrade infrastructure. Many UK growers still have not adopted technologies like automatic harvest robots or AI-controlled systems, and even simple upgrades like LED growing lights could boost yield by over 50%. However, resource management in this sector requires experience and making these changes is a fine balancing act.

    Most British greenhouses are more than 40 years old so investment is needed to upgrade them.
    Sven Batke, CC BY-NC-ND

    But the future can be bright – if we choose to make it so. To grow more produce all year round without compromising on flavour, the sector needs more investment in local expertise and cutting-edge facilities.

    From precision horticulture to advanced AI-controlled greenhouses, with the right drive and investment, the UK could move towards a more sustainable food production system. Sweden for example is currently investing over £700 million into horticulture.

    While achieving 100% self-sufficiency may not be feasible due to other demands on land, such as housing, conservation, and industry, creating a more resilient and less dependent food sector would benefit everyone (not to mention reducing food miles).

    The UK’s food future doesn’t have to rely on global markets. With investment and innovation, the country can build a resilient, sustainable food system. Year-round demand for exotic produce has exposed supply chain fragility, but fostering domestic growth and technology can change the narrative.

    It’s not about turning back the clock, but about making the most of what the UK has while driving forward the solutions that make sense for the country’s future. The answer is not just more local food. It’s smarter, more resilient food systems that can weather whatever challenges lie ahead.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Sven Batke works together with industry growers and manufactures in the horticulture industry. The work we are doing is part of the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium, which aims to support local growers in the UK.

    – ref. How smarter greenhouses could improve the UK’s food security – https://theconversation.com/how-smarter-greenhouses-could-improve-the-uks-food-security-248719

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Vegetable oil fuel rolls out to more bin lorries

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    Following a successful trial of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) in several of its bin lorries, Perth and Kinross Council is now extending the use of the fuel to more of its large fleet vehicles.

    HVO is used, filtered vegetable oil and it provides an environmentally-friendly alternative to diesel that helps reduce carbon emissions from previously fossil-fuelled vehicles. As a result of the six-month trial in 2024, a significant reduction in carbon emissions from the six lorries has been achieved, namely a saving of` 87 tonnes of CO2. 

    Starting from 3 February 2025, the process of running down the diesel supply in a further 18 bin lorries based at Friarton in Perth and swapping to HVO is moving forward. It is estimated that a reduction of around 500 tonnes of CO2 a year could be achieved with the changeover. 

    Convener of Climate Change and Sustainability, Councillor Richard Watters said: “The trial introduction of HVO to our bin lorries has proved to be a real success by providing a simple, readily available and much greener fuel source. It reflects the commitment we have made to reducing our carbon footprint and I look forward to seeing more of our vehicles out on the road powered by HVO.” 

    Vice-Convener, Councillor Liz Barrett said: “I warmly welcome this very significant reduction in our CO2 emissions from refuse collection.  It shows great progress towards our targets to reduce emissions from Council vehicles.  I’d like to thank our Waste Management and Fleet teams for their commitment to making a difference.” 

    Last modified on 11 February 2025

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s Spring Festival spending spree fuels global business growth

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    On a balmy afternoon on the first day of the Chinese Spring Festival, a queue of nearly 40 people, over half of them being Chinese tourists, snaked around the plain ice cream stall of “Uncle Chieng” on Orchard Road, Singapore.

    “Recently, more than half of the customers are Chinese tourists. Around the Spring Festival, I sell about 20 percent more ice cream each day compared to usual,” said Chieng Puay Chui, owner of the stall, which has become one of the must-visit spots for Chinese tourists.

    This scene is just a microcosm of the vibrant Spring Festival celebrations that have swept China and beyond, the first Lunar New Year festivities after the Spring Festival was added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

    The festival, which falls on Jan. 29 this year, with week-long nationwide celebrations around the date, has not only ignited a surge in domestic consumption but also created vast opportunities for international businesses, as Chinese consumers embrace global goods and cultures.

    A girl participates in activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year in London, Britain, on Feb. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Global goods, local celebrations

    The Spring Festival, a time for family reunion and feasting, has seen a growing appetite for “foreign New Year goods” among Chinese consumers. From French wine to Chilean cherries, global delicacies have become essential elements of the Chinese New Year shopping list.

    France’s Occitanie region, renowned for its wine, has been actively promoting its produce in China through platforms like the China International Import Expo and the “From French Farms to Chinese Tables” initiative. For French wine producers, the Spring Festival is one of the best opportunities to promote their products.

    “Ahead of the Chinese New Year, we organized various events to support wine producers from the Occitanie region and importers in distributing their products so that they would be available during the Spring Festival,” said Catherine Machabert, food and wine international director of the economic development agency of the Occitanie Region.

    “For the Year of the Snake, distributors have prepared a variety of gift boxes featuring snake-themed designs to promote the wines,” said Machabert, adding that Occitanie has always maintained strong ties with China and recognizes the importance of the Chinese market.

    Meanwhile, French confectionery giant Andros has capitalized on the festive season by launching special gift packs and organizing in-store tastings. “Our sales during this Spring Festival are expected to double compared to previous years, setting a new record,” said Maxence Zeng, general manager of Andros China.

    Chilean cherries, with their vibrant red hue and symbolic association with prosperity in the Chinese culture, have also become a favorite among Chinese consumers.

    China is a very important market for fresh Chilean cherries, not only because it receives more than 90 percent of total exports, “but also because of the friendly relationship that has been built between our cherries and the people of China,” said Claudia Soler, executive director of the Chilean Cherry Committee.

    A poster of the animated feature “Ne Zha 2” is pictured at a cinema in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Two-way cultural exchanges

    The Spring Festival is not just about shopping and feasting; it’s also a time for travel and cultural exploration. With extended holidays and visa-free policies, Chinese tourists have been flocking to international destinations, while foreign visitors have been arriving in China to experience the festivities firsthand.

    On the pristine beaches of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Chinese tourists Li Chenguang and his wife, Zhao Xue, marveled at the natural beauty surrounding them. “We can witness the Great Migration in the Serengeti, the azure waters of the Indian Ocean and even the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro,” Zhao exclaimed with excitement.

    Meanwhile, in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur International Airport has been bustling as Chinese tourists head to Malaysia for tropical experiences and Malaysian travelers embark on winter adventures in China. “We’re planning to visit Harbin, hike up Changbai Mountain and savor traditional northeastern dishes like Guo Bao Rou (crispy sweet and sour pork),” said Zhou Jinglang, a tour guide of a Malaysian travel agency.

    According to the National Immigration Administration, China recorded 14.37 million cross-border trips during the Spring Festival holiday season, a 6.3 percent increase from a year earlier. About 1 million of these trips were made by foreign nationals, marking a 22.9 percent year-on-year rise.

    Meanwhile, the 2025 Spring Festival holiday has marked a new milestone for China’s thriving film industry, with box office revenue soaring to an unprecedented 9.51 billion yuan (approximately 1.33 billion U.S. dollars) between Jan. 28 and Feb. 4, according to the China Film Administration.

    A staggering 187 million moviegoers flocked to cinemas throughout the holiday week, setting new all-time highs in both box office earnings and audience turnout.

    Released on Jan. 29, the first day of Chinese New Year, Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” has shattered multiple box office records, becoming the first film to cross 1 billion dollars in a single market and the first non-Hollywood title to join the coveted billion-dollar club.

    Customers select newly arrived Chilean cherries at a supermarket in Tianjin, north China, Dec. 26, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Vast business opportunities

    The Spring Festival consumption boom has not only showcased the resilience and vitality of China’s economy but also highlighted the potential for international collaboration. From French dairy products to Chilean cherries, foreign businesses are eager to tap into the vast Chinese market and capitalize on emerging consumer trends.

    “Occitanie has always maintained strong ties with China and recognizes the importance of the Chinese market. With its Shanghai office, the regional agency will continue to support wine, agri-food, and cosmetics companies in entering or expanding in the Chinese market,” said Machabert, the trade official of the Occitanie Region.

    Meanwhile, Herve Lanoe, chief executive officer of French dairy company Fit Group, noted that Chinese consumers are increasingly prioritizing quality and health. “Butter with a protected designation of origin is highly appreciated by our Chinese client,” he said, adding that the company will try to take advantage of this opportunity.

    Over the years, Garces Fruit, Chile’s largest cherry exporter, has been actively expanding its presence in China. “The Chinese market is fundamental for the trade of Chilean cherries,” said Hernan Garces Gazmuri, the export manager of Garces Fruit.

    “It is a clear example of win-win,” said Garces Gazmuri, who settled in China in 2017 and opened an office in 2018. “It produces a lot of employment, from the harvests, the packaging, all this positive dynamic is generated thanks to the Chinese market. This industry does not exist without China.”

    “We want to continue to explore the market, developing e-commerce and boosting our Garces Fruit brand. I think there is a lot to do,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Domestic Tourism Growth

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 5:17PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Tourism has formulated a National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and the following strategic pillars have been identified for development of sustainable tourism:

    i.    Promoting Environmental Sustainability

    ii.   Protecting Biodiversity

    iii.  Promoting Economic Sustainability

    iv.  Promoting Socio-Cultural Sustainability

    v.   Scheme for Certification of Sustainable Tourism

    vi.  IEC and Capacity Building Governance 

    The Ministry also launched the Travel for LiFE Initiative to promote sustainable tourism in the country and to encourage the tourists and tourism businesses to adopt sustainable tourism practices. Travel for LiFE aims to promote sustainable tourism in the country, through mindful and deliberate actions mobilized toward tourists and tourism businesses in the consumption of tourism resources.  The Ministry of Tourism has also revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) with the objective of developing sustainable and responsible destinations following a tourist & destination centric approach. Through these initiatives, the Government seeks to ensure that tourism contributes positively to the economy while safeguarding the environment and benefiting local communities. The list of projects sanctioned under the schemes of the Ministry in various States/Union Territories including in South India are placed at Annexure.

    This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    ANNEXURE

    State wise list of projects sanctioned under PRASHAD Scheme.

    (Rs. in Crore)

    S. No

    Name of State/UT

    No. of Projects

    Sanctioned Amount

    Amount released

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    4

    150.22

    84.55

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    1

    37.88

    21.95

    3

    Assam

    1

    29.8

    29.8

    4

    Bihar

    2

    33.25

    33.25

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    1

    48.44

    32.13

    6

    Gujarat

    4

    152.94

    113.48

    7

    Goa

    1

    16.46

    0

    8

    Haryana

    1

    48.53

    34.68

    9

    Jammu & Kashmir

    1

    40.46

    34.3

    10

    Jharkhand

    1

    36.79

    34.95

    11

    Karnataka

    1

    45.71

    0

    12

    Kerala

    1

    45.19

    45.19

    13

    Madhya Pradesh

    2

    93.92

    78.67

    14

    Maharashtra

    1

    42.18

    29.93

    15

    Meghalaya

    1

    29.29

    24.92

    16

    Mizoram

    1

    44.89

    13.18

    17

    Nagaland

    2

    43.38

    32.24

    18

    Odisha

    1

    50

    10

    19

    Punjab

    2

    37.97

    23.89

    20

    Rajasthan

    1

    32.64

    26.11

    21

    Sikkim

    1

    33.32

    28.31

    22

    Tamil Nadu

    2

    18.85

    18.85

    23

    Telangana

    3

    142.28

    54.32

    24

    Tripura

    1

    34.43

    25.62

    25

    Uttar Pradesh

    6

    130.27

    110.82

    26

    Uttarakhand

    3

    145.28

    83.37

    27

    West Bengal

    1

    30.03

    23.39
     

    Grand Total

    47

    1594.4

    1047.92

     

    State wise list of projects under Swadesh Darshan Scheme till 31.12.2024

     (₹ in crore)

    S. No

    State / UTs

    Swadesh Darshan

    No. of Projects

    Amount Sanctioned

    in ₹ Crore

    Amount Released

    /

    Authorised*

    in ₹ Crore

    Amount Utilised

    in ₹ Crore

    (as per UC submitted by the Implementing agency)

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    3

    152.62

    147.40

    148.81

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh 

    2

    146.49

    139.16

    139.16

    3

    Assam

    2

    185.66

    185.65

    176.36

    4

    Bihar

    5

    262.72

    250.37

    247.03

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    1

    96.10

    94.23

    94.23

    6

    Goa

    2

    197.00

    197.00

    195.24

    7

    Gujarat

    3

    176.97

    165.74

    161.11

    8

    Haryana

    1

    77.39

    76.74

    76.74

    9

    Himachal Pradesh

    1

    68.34

    64.54

    62.56

    10

    Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh

    6

    519.58

    453.46

    423.43

    11

    Jharkhand

    1

    30.44

    28.04

    28.04

    12

    Kerala

    5

    312.47

    259.13

    222.05

    13

    Madhya Pradesh

    4

    349.70

    342.14

    342.14

    14

    Maharashtra

    2

    64.53

    61.29

    55.85

    15

    Manipur

    2

    117.57

    106.65

    104.29

    16

    Meghalaya

    2

    184.10

    184.07

    176.08

    17

    Mizoram

    2

    158.63

    145.35

    145.35

    18

    Nagaland

    2

    195.50

    195.50

    190.63

    19

    Odisha

    1

    70.82

    67.28

    59.47

    20

    Punjab

    1

    85.32

    81.05

    81.05

    21

    Rajasthan

    4

    283.47

    265.88

    275.45

    22

    Sikkim

    2

    193.37

    192.73

    187.96

    23

    Tamil Nadu

    1

    73.13

    71.03

    71.03

    24

    Telangana

    3

    268.39

    241.73

    262.10

    25

    Tripura

    2

    127.68

    113.01

    100.13

    26

    Uttar Pradesh

    8

    490.95

    452.08

    437.39

    27

    Uttarakhand

    2

    145.49

    138.08

    138.11

    28

    West Bengal

    1

    67.99

    65.07

    65.07

    29

    Andaman & Nicobar Islands

    1

    27.57

    22.13

    22.08

    30

    Puducherry

    3

    142.84

    135.54

    135.34

    31

    Wayside Amenities in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

    1

    15.07

    14.32

    15.83

    Total

    76

    5287.90

    4956.39

    4840.11

    * Includes amount of authorization to CNA through TSA Model I for Central Sector Scheme.

    List of sanctioned projects under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 as on 31.12.2024

    S. No

    State

    Destination

    Name of the Experience

    Sanctioned Cost

    (₹ Crore)

    Date of Sanction

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    Araku-Lambasingi

    Borra Cave Experience at Araku

    29.87

    05-03-2024

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    Nacho

    Unlock Nacho Expedition

    14.02

    05-03-2024

    3

    Arunachal Pradesh

    Mechuka

    Mechuka Cultural Haat

    18.48

    05-03-2024

    4

    Arunachal Pradesh

    Mechuka

    Mechuka Adventure Park

    12.75

    05-03-2024

    5

    Assam

    Kokrajhar

    Kokrajhar Wetland Experience

    26.67

    05-03-2024

    6

    Assam

    Jorhat

    Reimagining Cinnamara Tea Estate

    23.91

    05-03-2024

    7

    Goa

    Porvorim

    Porvorim Creek Experience

    23.56

    20-08-2024

    8

    Goa

    Colva

    Colva Beach Experience

    15.65

    20-08-2024

    9

    Karnataka

    Hampi

    Setting up of ‘Traveller nooks’

    25.64

    29-02-2024

    10

    Karnataka

    Mysuru

    Tonga ride Heritage experience zone

    2.72

    29-02-2024

    11

    Karnataka

    Mysuru

    Ecological Experience Zone

    18.47

    05-03-2024

    12

    Kerala

    Kumarakom

    Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary Experience

    13.92

    05-03-2024

    13

    Ladakh

    Leh

    Julley Leh Biodiversity Park

    24.89

    05-03-2024

    14

    Ladakh

    Kargil

    Exploring LOC and Hundarman village Experience

    12.01

    05-03-2024

    15

    Madhya Pradesh

    Gwalior

    Phoolbagh Experience Zone

    16.73

    29-02-2024

    16

    Madhya Pradesh

    Chitrakoot

    Spiritual experience at Chitrakoot

    27.21

    05-03-2024

    17

    Maharashtra

    Pune

    Shivsrushti Historical Theme Park- Phase 3

    76.22

    21-09-2024

    18

    Meghalaya

    Sohra

    Waterfall Trails Experience

    27.84

    05-03-2024

    19

    Meghalaya

    Sohra

    Meghalayan Age Cave Experience

    32.45

    04-03-2024

    20

    Nagaland

    Chumoukedima

    Eco-Tourism Exp at Chumoukedima viewpoint

    7.87

    20-08-2024

    21

    Nagaland

    Chumuoukedima

    Tribal Cultural Experience at Midway Retreat

    21.56

    05-03-2024

    22

    Puducherry

    Karaikal

    Karaikal beach and waterfront experience

    20.29

    05-03-2024

    23

    Punjab

    Kapurthala

    Eco Tourism experience at Kanjli wetland

    20.06

    05-03-2024

    24

    Punjab

    Amritsar

    Border Tourism Experience at Attari

    25.90

    20-08-2024

    25

    Rajasthan

    Bundi

    Spiritual Experience, Keshavraipatan

    17.37

    29-02-2024

    26

    Sikkim

    Gyalshing

    Eco-Wellness Experience at Yuksom Cluster

    15.40

    05-03-2024

    27

    Sikkim

    Gangtok

    Gangtok Cultural Village

    22.59

    29-02-2024

    28

    Tamil Nadu

    Mamallapuram

    Immersive experience at Shore Temple

    30.02

    29-02-2024

    29

    Telangana

    Bhongir

    Bhongir Fort Experiential Zone

    56.81

    29-02-2024

    30

    Telangana

    Ananathagiri

    Eco tourism zone at Ananathgiri forest

    38.00

    05-03-2024

    31

    Uttar Pradesh

    Prayagraj

    Azad Park and Dekho Prayagraj Trail Exp

    13.02

    05-03-2024

    32

    Uttar Pradesh

    Naimisaranya

    Vedic- wellness Experience

    15.94

    05-03-2024

    33

    Uttarakhand

    Pithoragarh

    Rural Tourism Cluster Experience at Gunji

    32.20

    05-03-2024

    34

    Uttarakhand

    Champawat

    Tea Garden Experience

    11.21

    05-03-2024

    TOTAL AMOUNT 

    791.25

     

    List of Destination Identified under Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD), a sub-scheme of Swadesh Darshan scheme

    S. No.

    State

    Destination

    Category

    Funding Amount (₹ Crore)

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    Nagarjuna Sagar

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    2

    Andhra Pradesh

    Ahobilam Temple

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    3

    Arunachal Pradesh

    Kibitho

    Vibrant Village Programme

    5.00

    4

    Arunachal Pradesh

    Bichom Dam Site

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    5

    Assam

    Sivasagar

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    6

    Bihar

    Bhagalpur

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    7

    Bihar

    Saran Dist. (Sonepur Fair)

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    8

    Chhattisgarh

    Mayali Bagicha

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    9

    Goa

    Mayem Village

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    10

    Gujarat

    Porbandar

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    11

    Gujarat

    Thol Village

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    12

    Gujarat

    Vadnagar

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    13

    Himachal Pradesh

    Kaza

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    14

    Himachal Pradesh

    Rakchham, Chhitkul

    Vibrant Village Programme

    5.00

    15

    Jharkhand

    Ramrekha Dham

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    16

    Kerala

    Varkala

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    17

    Kerala

    Thalassery

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    18

    Karnataka

    Bidar

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    19

    Karnataka

    Udupi

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    20

    Ladakh

    Mushkoh Village

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    21

    Lakshadweep

    Lakshadweep

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    22

    Madhya Pradesh

    Mandu

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    23

    Madhya Pradesh

    Orchha

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    24

    Maharashtra

    Ahmednagar

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    25

    Manipur

    Langthabal Konug

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    26

    Meghalaya

    Nartiang Village

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    27

    Meghalaya

    Mawphlang Village

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    28

    Nagaland

    Doyang Reservoir

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    29

    Nagaland

    Impur Village

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    30

    Puducherry

    White Town

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    31

    Punjab

    Ferozpur (Hussainiwala Border)

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    32

    Punjab

    Rupnagar (Anandpur Sahib)

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    33

    Sikkim

    Gnathang Village

    Vibrant Village Programme

    5.00

    34

    Sikkim

    Kabi

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    35

    Tamil Nadu

    Rameswaram Island

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    36

    Tamil Nadu

    Thanjavur

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    37

    Telangana

    Nalgonda

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    38

    Telangana

    Kamareddy

    Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar Sites

    10.00

    39

    Uttar Pradesh

    Mahoba

    Culture & Heritage

    25.00

    40

    Uttarakhand

    Mana Village

    Vibrant Village Programme

    5.00

    41

    Uttarakhand

    Jadung

    Vibrant Village Programme

    5.00

    42

    Uttarakhand

    Kainchidham

    Spiritual Tourism

    25.00

    TOTAL

    800.00

     

    List of Project shortlisted by Ministry of Tourism in consultation with the State Governments on the given parameters and funded by Department of Expenditure for development

     

    S. No.

    State/UT

    Name of the Project

    Sanctioned Cost

    (₹ Crore)

    Date of Sanction

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    Enriching the fort and Gorge Experience in Gandikota

    77.91

    26-11-2024

    2

    Andhra Pradesh

    Akhanda Godavari- (Havelok Bridge & Pushkar Ghat) in Raja Mahendravaram,

    94.44

    26-11-2024

    3

    Arunachal Pradesh

    Siang Adventure & Eco-Retreat in Pasighat

    46.48

    26-11-2024

    4

    Assam

    Assam State Zoo Cum Botanical Garden in Guwahati

    97.12

    26-11-2024

    5

    Assam

    Beautification of Rang Ghar in Sivasagar

    94.76

    26-11-2024

    6

    Bihar

    Development of Matsyagandha Lake in Saharsa

    97.61

    26-11-2024

    7

    Bihar

    Karamchat Eco-Tourism and Adventure Hub in Karamchat

    49.51

    26-11-2024

    8

    Chhattisgarh

    Development of Chitrotpala Film City in Raipur

    95.79

    26-11-2024

    9

    Chhattisgarh

    Development of Tribal & Cultural Convention Centre in Raipur

    51.87

    26-11-2024

    10

    Goa

    Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum in Ponda

    97.46

    26-11-2024

    11

    Goa

    Townsquare in Porvorim

    90.74

    26-11-2024

    12

    Gujarat

    Ecotourism Destination at Kerly (Mokarsagar) in Porbandar

    99.50

    26-11-2024

    13

    Gujarat

    Tented City and Convention Centre in Dhordo

    51.56

    26-11-2024

    14

    Jharkhand

    Eco-Tourism Development of Tilaiyya” in Koderma

    34.87

    26-11-2024

    15

    Karnataka

    Ecotourism & Cultural Hub at Roerich and Devika Rani Estate Tataguni in Bengaluru

    99.17

    26-11-2024

    16

    Karnataka

    Development of Savadatti Yallammagudda in Belgavi

    100.00

    26-11-2024

    17

    Kerala

    Ashtamudi Biodiversity and Eco-recreational Hub in Kollam

    59.71

    26-11-2024

    18

    Kerala

    Global Gateway to Malabar’s Cultural Crucible in Sargaalayaa

    95.34

    26-11-2024

    19

    Madhya Pradesh

    Orchha A Medieval Splendour in Orchha

    99.92

    26-11-2024

    20

    Madhya Pradesh

    International Convention Centre for MICE in Bhopal

    99.38

    26-11-2024

    21

    Maharashtra

    INS-Guldar Underwater Museum, Artificial Reef, and submarine Tourism in Sindhudurg

    46.91

    26-11-2024

    22

    Maharashtra

    Development of RAM-KAL PATH in Nashik

    99.14

    26-11-2024

    23

    Manipur

    Loktak Lake Experience in Loktak

    89.48

    26-11-2024

    24

    Meghalaya

    MICE Infrastructure in Mawkhanu

    99.27

    26-11-2024

    25

    Meghalaya

    Redevelopment of Umiam Lake in Shillong

    99.27

    26-11-2024

    26

    Odisha

    Development of Hirakund

    99.90

    26-11-2024

    27

    Odisha

    Development of Satkosia

    99.99

    26-11-2024

    28

    Punjab

    Development of Heritage Street as a tribute to Shaheed-e-Azam, Sardar Bhaghat Singh at Khatkar Kalan in SBS Nagar

    53.45

    26-11-2024

    29

    Rajasthan

    Development at Amber-Nahargarh and Surrounding Area in Jaipur

    49.31

    26-11-2024

    30

    Rajasthan

    Development at Jalmahal in Jaipur

    96.61

    26-11-2024

    31

    Sikkim

    Skywalk, Bhaleydhunga, Yangang in Namchi

    97.37

    27-11-2024

    32

    Sikkim

    Border Experience in Nathula

    68.19

    27-11-2024

    33

    Tamil Nadu

    Development of Nandavanam Heritage Park in Mammallapuram

    99.67

    26-11-2024

    34

    Tamil Nadu

    Garden of Flowers in Devala

    70.23

    26-11-2024

    35

    Telangana

    Ramappa Region Sustainable Tourism Circuit in Ramappa

    73.74

    13-12-2024

    36

    Telangana

    Somasilla Wellness & Spiritual Retreat in Nallamala

    68.10

    13-12-2024

    37

    Tripura

    Shakti Peethas Park at Banduar in Gomati

    97.70

    26-11-2024

    38

    Uttar Pradesh

    Development of Bateshwar in District-Agra

    74.05

    26-11-2024

    39

    Uttar Pradesh

    Integrated Buddhist Tourism Development in Shrawasti

    80.24

    26-11-2024

    40

    Uttarakhand

    Iconic City Rishikesh: Rafting Base Station in Rishikesh

    100.00

    26-11-2024

    TOTAL

    3295.76

     

     

    List of Projects Sanctioned under the Scheme Assistance to Central Agencies

    S. No

    Name of Project

    State

    Agency

    Sanction Date

    Amount sanctioned

    Amount Released

    1

    Sound and Light Show at Dal Lake (Nigeen Lake)

    J&K

    ITDC

    25-06-2012

    500

    400

    2

    Cruise Passenger Facilities Centre in the existing Passenger Terminal at Chennai Port.

    Tamil Nadu

    Chennai Port Trust

    24-09-2012

    1724.66

    1724.66

    3

    Implementation of Multimedia /Laser show at Tilyar Lake 

    Haryana

    ITDC

    30-04-2013

    500

    224.05

    4

    Construction of Interpretation Centre at the World Heritage Site of Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi.

    Delhi

    Aga Khan Foundation

    04-03-2014

    4944.84

    4944.84

    5

    Cruise Terminal Building at Mormugao Port Trust

    Goa

    Mormugao Port Trust

    24-06-2014

    879.04

    767.18

    6

    Sound & Light Show at Diu Fort, Diu

    Daman & Diu

    ITDC

    28-02-2015

    775.54

    620.43

    7

    Illumination of monuments in Varanasi/Sarnath (Dhamekh Stupa in SarnathChaukhandi Stupa in Sarnath, Tomb of Lalkan in Sarnath and Man Mahal in Banaras).

    Uttar Pradesh

    ITDC

    28-02-2015

    512.43

    381.47

    8

    Development of Kanoji Angre Lighthouse as a tourist Destination

    Maharashtra

    Mumbai Port Trust

    09-08-2016

    1500

    1500

    9

    Development of a Walkway/Promenade on Willingdon Island, Cochin, Kerala

    Kerala

    Cochin Port Trust

    28-10-2016

    901

    826.29

    10

    Central Financial Assistance for upgrading of Births & Backup area of Ernakulam Wharf

    Kerala

    Cochin Port Trust

    31-03-2017

    2141

    1912.8

    11

    Project for Up-gradation of Golf Course at SAI Trivandrum Golf Club by the Sports Authority of India

    Kerala

    SAI

    31-03-2017

    2464.99

    1232.49

    12

    Sound and Light Show at Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore, Haryana.

    Haryana

    ITDC

    16-10-2017

    600

    300

    13

    Sound and Light Show at Puttaparthy, Andhra Pradesh

    Andhra Pradesh

    ITDC

    27-11-2017

    708.67

    354.34

    14

    Up-gradation/ modernization to International Cruise terminal at Indira Dock, Mumbai. 

    Maharashtra

    Mumbai Port Trust 

    29-12-2017

    1250

    1250

    15

    Illumination of three monuments in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh-
    1. Dashashwamedh Ghat to Darbhanga Ghat (stretch of 300 m)
    2.  Tulsi Manas Mandir
    3. Sarnath Museum

    Uttar Pradesh

    CPWD

    21-12-2017

    293.55

    293.55

    16

    Infrastructural Development at JCP Attari, Wagha Border

    Punjab

    BSF

    12-06-2018

    1312

    1029.59

    17

    Improvement of immigration facility and deepening of existing cruise berth at Mormugao Port Trust

    Goa

    Mormugao Port Trust

    24-08-2018

    1316.4

    658.2

    18

    Developing infrastructure at Cochin Port Cruise Terminal.

    Kerala

    Cochin Port Trust

    12-12-2018

    120.79

    114.17

    19

    Creation of additional tourism facilities at the Cochin Port Trust Walkway

    Kerala

    Cochin Port Trust

    12-12-2018

    466.47

    466.47

    20

    Construction of Cruise-Cum-Costal Cargo Terminal at Channel berth area in Outer Harbour of Visakhapatnam Port

    Andhra Pradesh

    Visakhapatnam Port Trust

    14-12-2018

    3850

    2991

    21

    Restoration/ Renovation of ‘Jallianwala Bagh Memorial’ & Additional work to be taken at Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial at Amritsar, Punjab.   

    Punjab (GFR)

    ASI

    08-03-2019

    2302

    2250

    22

    Sound and Light Show at (Purana Quila) Delhi

    Delhi

    ITDC

    05-08-2019

    1404

    685

    23

    Development of Additional infrastructure in the new Cochin Port Trust Terminal

    Kerala

    Cochin Port Trust

    13-12-2019

    1029.7

    888.62

    24

    Illumination of Building of National Gallery of Modern Art

    Delhi

    NCSM

    19-12-2019

    380

    304

    25

    Development & renovation of selected facilities of National Museum

    Delhi

    NCSM

    26-12-2019

    4373

    2186

    26

    Development of Jetties at 9 main points of embarkation/disembarkation of River Cruize on National Water ways No. 1 & 2

    Assam

    IWAI

    28-04-2020

    2803.05

    700.76

    27

    Tourism Infrastructure at Beltaal Lake, Damoh, Madhya Pradesh by ITDC.

    Madhya Pradesh

    ITDC

    29-09-2020

    2315.30

    1008.27

    28

    Sound & Light Show at Leh, Ladakh & Water Screen Projection Multimedia Show at Tourist Facilitation Centre, Kargil, Ladakh

    Leh & Ladakh

    ITDC

    26-11-2020

    2321.99

    765.99

    29

    3D visual projection mapping of NGMA Building

    Delhi

    NCSM

    31-03-2021

    616.27

    464.58

    30

    Development of Convention Centre and associated Infrastructure at Aizawl.

    Mizoram

    WAPCOS

    31-03-2021

    3994.75

    3057.03

    31

    Development of International and Domestic Cruse Terminal and allied facilities at Murmugao Port Trust, Goa

    Goa

    Mormugao Port Trust

    10-09-2021

    5000

    4000

    32

    Upgradation/Modernization to International Cruise Terminal at Indira Dock, Mumbai Port Trust

    Maharashtra

    Mumbai Port Trust

    20-12-2021

    3750

    3000

    33

    Development of 22 viewpoints in North Eastern State
    (i) Nagaland (2 view points)- Rs.5.77 Crore
    (ii) Meghalaya (3 view points) – Rs.6.26 Crore
    (iii) Mizoram (9 view points)- Rs.12.78 Crore
    (iv) Arunachal Pradesh (4 view points) – Rs.6.25 Crore
    (v) Manipur (3 view points)- Rs.5.93 Crore
    (vi) Sikkim/West Bengal (1 view point)- Rs.3.70 Crore

    NER

    NHIDCL

    11-10-2022

    4444

    3555.4

    34

    Development of Border Tourism at Shri Tanot Complex, Jaisalmer Sector

    Rajasthan

    BSF

    05-07-2022

    1767.66

    883.83

    35

    Multimedia Laser Show with Water Screen and Musical Fountain at Sanjeevaiah Park, Hyderabad, Telangana

    Telangana

    BECIL

    31-10-2022

    5000.04

    4090

    36

    Design, Supply, Installation, Testing & Commissioning of Digital Multimedia Technology and Lightings at Osmania Arts University, Hyderabad Telangana

    Telangana

    BECIL

    22-12-2022

    1179.93

    943.47

    37

    Project ‘Major Upgradation of National Science Centre

    Delhi

    NCSM

    27-03-2023

    3180

    18

    38

    Installation of Musical Fountain & Water Screen Multimedia based projection show at Nawal Sagar Lake, Bundi

    Rajasthan

    ITDC

    04-10-2023

    925.67

    92.57

    39

    Development of Light & Sound and Multimedia Show at Rashtrapati Bhawan

    Delhi

    ITDC

    28-03-2024

    4712.4

    471

    40

    3D Mapping with Aqua Screen Projection and Sound Show at Buxar, Bihar and Dynamic Lighting & Motif at Ram Rekha Ghat, Bihar

    Bihar

    BECIL

    10-06-2024

    599.96

    59.99

     

    Total (Lakhs)

    78,861.10

    51,416.04

     

    ***

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    tourism4pib[at]gmail[dot]com

    (Release ID: 2101365) Visitor Counter : 70

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Growing Plants in ‘America’s Attic’

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Carl Johnson ’19 ’21 (CAHNR) starts his day by making the rounds in the greenhouses he tends, checking for any “plant emergencies” or problems with the facility.

    This is standard fare for any horticulturalist. But Johnson is doing it somewhere pretty special. He works at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

    Johnson works in an off-site, high-security production complex that supports all the Smithsonian museums.

    “I’ve heard it referred to as ‘America’s attic,’” Johnson says. “The stuff on this campus is pretty wild. There’s whale bones and mummies and artifacts.”

    Johnson manages a living botanical research collection belonging to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany. This collection supports the work of scientists doing research at the Smithsonian on topics like plant genetics, evolutionary biology, morphology, and species conservation.

    “They’ll travel around the world, and they’ll come back with a seed, or a cutting, or a piece of a plant that they want to grow, and it’s my job to take it and grow it here in D.C. in the greenhouse,” Johnson says.

    Johnson also works with staff from Smithsonian Gardens who produce interior exhibits and horticultural displays around the Smithsonian museums.

    Johnson’s interest in plants and caring for living things started early. He grew up with a small vegetable garden at his house and started caring for plants and pets when he was young.

    “I think it’s rewarding to take care of things and see them thrive,” Johnson says. “It’s very fulfilling to take a plant that might be challenging to grow, then figure out what that specific species needs. In the end, I am, hopefully, successfully growing it and seeing it thrive here in the greenhouse.”

    Johnson worked at Logees Greenhouses in Danielson for a few years before coming to UConn, where he pursued both his associate and bachelor’s degrees in plant science from the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.

    “I wasn’t the biggest academic person,” Johnson says. “Having the Ratcliffe Hicks associate’s program allowed me to get into UConn and then transition from that to the bachelor’s plant science degree was perfect for me. It brought it all together.”

    At UConn, Johnson joined the Horticulture Club. The student club took a trip to Washington, D.C. and met with James Gagliardi ’05 (CAHNR), with whom one of the other members had interned. Gagliardi was working as a horticulturalist at the Smithsonian Institute at the time.

    The club members toured the U.S. Botanic Garden with Susan Pell, now the director of the organization, which turned out to be an important moment for Johnson.

    “I just found her and her job really inspiring, and I kept thinking about how cool it would be to work in a place like that,” Johnson says.

    As Johnson was preparing to graduate, a position at the U.S. Botanic Garden opened. With the help of UConn’s Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills, two weeks after graduation, he started working there.

    Johnson worked at the Botanic Garden for a few years before moving over to the Smithsonian in his current role. In that prior role, Johnson was responsible for preparing the gardens each morning for the public, checking on plants and cleaning up anything that may have been left by visitors. He then spent most of his days at the production facility where they grow backups of all the plants on display in case one gets sick or damaged.

    “If you think of the plants in the Garden as actors, all the understudies are at the production facility,” Johnson says. “Anything you see on display, there’s three or four extras waiting to take its place.”

    While working at the U.S. Botanic Garden, Johnson got to cross off a major botanical bucket list item – growing a “corpse flower.” The corpse flower, or Amorphophallus titanum, gets its nickname from the rotting-flesh-like aroma its flower produces.

    “When we have a bloom it’s a big deal,” Johnson says. “It only happens every few years, and the public gets really excited, and people who might not even be interested in plants come to see it.”

    Through his years of gardening experience, Johnson says he’s had the chance to grow just about every plant he’d ever dreamed of.

    “Getting into plants, I had favorites, plants that I thought were cool, and I had these dream plants that I was hoping to encounter and grow, and I’ve gotten to grow all of them,” Johnson says.

    Johnson credits his experience at UConn with preparing him for the work he has done since graduation.

    “There’s a lot of basic gardening stuff that comes with this job that I learned at UConn and in my jobs before that people might not think would remain as relevant,” Johnson says. “I still water, I still weed, I still prune. All of those basic gardening skills are still everyday essential things.”

    At UConn, Johson interned at the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, the Home and Garden Center, and in the Floriculture Greenhouse, taking full advantage of having active greenhouses on campus and the services provided to the community through UConn Extension.

    “I did every possible internship that was available to someone in plant science,” Johnson says.

    Johnson says his internship with Shelley Durocher, laboratory technician in the Floriculture Greenhouse, especially prepared him for the work he does now at the Smithsonian.

    “That’s what [Durocher] does – she works with the researchers, and she grows their plants to whatever their specifications are and for whatever research purpose they have in mind,” Johnson says. “So that was a one-to-one translation. It was a super valuable experience.”

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Boosting Food Processing & Storage Infrastructure in India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 10 FEB 2025 1:02PM by PIB Delhi

    Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) was envisaged as a comprehensive package which will result in creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. It will not only provide a big boost to the growth of food processing sector in the country but also improve the capacity of food processing units which help in providing better returns to farmers and creating employment opportunities especially in the rural areas, reducing wastage of agricultural produce, increasing the processing level and enhancing the export of the processed foods.

    However, standalone cold storages are not supported under PMKSY. The state-wise number of storages approved for captive use under PMKSY since inception in 2017 are at Annexue-1. Further, under the Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain & Value Addition Infrastructure a sub-scheme of PMKSY, 06 projects are approved in the state of Telangana in the last five years. The details district –wise are at Annexure-2.

    As informed by Food Corporation of India, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in order to upgrade and modernize the storage facilities, Government of India approved Action Plan for construction of steel silos on PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode in the country.  Under this plan, Silos with capacity of 24.25LMT at various locations throughout country are under implementation. Out of which silos with a capacity of 17.75LMT have been completed and remaining 6.5LMT are under various stages of development. In addition to above, silos of 5.5LMT capacity at 7 locations have already been constructed and put to in use in 2007-09 under circuit base model. Further, under phase –I of Hub & Spoke model Silos of 10.125 LMT at 14 locations on FCI owned land awarded and 24.75 LMT at 66 locations on private land have been awarded and are in development stage. As per the data of Food Corporation of India (FCI), the status of Grain Silos construction as on 30.11.2024 is placed at Annexure-3

    MoFPI has been implementing Central Sector Umbrella Scheme – PMKSY since 2016-17 to create post-harvest infrastructure and processing facilities to boost the overall development of the food processing sector including reduction in post-harvest losses. The component schemes under PMKSY provide credit linked financial assistance (capital subsidy) in the form of grants-in-aid to entrepreneurs for setting up of food processing/preservation infrastructure which, inter-alia, includes cold storages and refrigerated vehicles to minimize post-harvest losses.

    As per the Evaluation Study conducted and submitted by NABARD Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd. (NABCONS) in 2020 on “Impact of Units Implemented under Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure assisted by Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI)”, it was highlighted that due to interventions of the Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure Scheme of Ministry of Food Processing Industries, while all sectors had shown some decrease in wastages, but Fruits & Vegetables, Dairy and Fisheries sector had shown significant reduction in wastages.

    Apart from MoFPI, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has also launched the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Scheme in July 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat package in order to improve post-harvest infrastructure and create community farming assets. The AIF Scheme facilitates sanction of medium to long term loans by Banks and other lending institutions for the setting up of cold storage facilities, warehouses and processing units, aimed at reducing crop wastage and enhancing value addition.

    This information was provided by the minister of state for food processing industries Shri Ravneet Singh in a written reply to rajysabha.

    *****

     

    ANNEXURE-1

    ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 578 FOR ANSWER ON 07TH FEBRUARY, 2025 REGARDING “STORAGE FACILITIES UNDER PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN SAMPADA YOJNA”

     

    Ministry is implementing Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojna (PMKSY). Under PMKSY standalone Cold storages/ frozen storage/ CA/ MA are not supported. The number of storages approved for captive use under PMKSY since inception in 2017 are as follows:

     

    S.No

    State

    No of Cold storages/ frozen storage/ CA/ MA

    Capacity

    (LMT/Annum)

    1

    Andaman & Nicobar

    2

    0.29

    2

    Andhra Pradesh

    31

    7.88

    3

    Arunachal Pradesh

    1

    0.14

    4

    Assam

    8

    6.97

    5

    Bihar

    1

    7.44

    6

    Chandigarh

    0

    0.0

    7

    Chhattisgarh

    6

    2.61

    8

    Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu

    0

    0.05

    9

    Delhi

    0

    0.0

    10

    Goa

    0

    0.06

    11

    Gujarat

    35

    20.28

    12

    Haryana

    30

    8.89

    13

    Himachal Pradesh

    28

    4.34

    14

    Jammu & Kashmir

    16

    1.99

    15

    Jharkhand

    0

    0.0

    16

    Karnataka

    35

    12.17

    17

    Kerala

    12

    4

    18

    Ladakh

    0

    0.0

    19

    Lakshadweep

    0

    0.0

    20

    Madhya Pradesh

    17

    8.17

    21

    Maharashtra

    93

    72.71

    22

    Manipur

    5

    0.09

    23

    Meghalaya

    0

    0.12

    24

    Mizoram

    9

    0.58

    25

    Nagaland

    3

    0.35

    26

    Orissa

    8

    2.54

    27

    Puduchery

    0

    0.0

    28

    Punjab

    61

    14.69

    29

    Rajasthan

    29

    7.18

    30

    Sikkim

    0

    0.0

    31

    Tamil Nadu

    59

    10.6

    32

    Telangana

    16

    9.49

    33

    Tripura

    1

    1.11

    34

    Uttar Pradesh

    38

    16.92

    35

    Uttarakhand

    64

    11.61

    36

    West Bengal

    35

    8.06

     

    TOTAL

    643

    241.33

     

    ANNEXURE-2

    ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 578 FOR ANSWER ON 07TH FEBRUARY, 2025 REGARDING “STORAGE FACILITIES UNDER PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN SAMPADA YOJNA”

     

     

    Details of sanctioned projects in the state of Telangana under the scheme of Integrated Cold Chain & Value Addition Infrastructure, a component of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojna (PMKSY) in the last five years  (as on 31.12.2024)

     

    Sr.No.

    Project

    Sector

    District

    State

    Total project cost
     (₹ in crore)

    Approved grant   (₹ in crore)

    Amount of grant released          (₹ in crore)

    Status

    1

    Sri Krupa RGR Agrogatros

    F&V

    Nalgonda

    Telangana

    36.22

    9.36

    2.22

    Under Implementation

    2

    VNR Dairy Products

    Dairy

    Nalagonda

    Telangana

    26.20

    6.84

    4.56

    Under Implementation

    3

    Dadus

    Dairy

    Malkajgiri

    Telangana

    77.31

    7.35

    2.45

    Under Implementation

    4

    Almond House Private Limited

    Dairy

    Hyderabad

    Telangana

    56.81

    7.62

    2.54

    Under Implementation

    5

    Manjeera Dairy Products

    Dairy

    Sangareddy

    Telangana

    22.71

    6.51

    0

    Under Implementation

    6

    AL QAWI Frozen Foods Pvt Ltd

    Meat

    Sangareddy

    Telangana

    32.71

    8.68

    0

    Under Implementation

     

    TOTAL

     

     

     

    251.96

    46.36

    11.77

     

     

    ANNEXURE-3

     

    ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 578 FOR ANSWER ON 07TH FEBRUARY, 2025 REGARDING “STORAGE FACILITIES UNDER PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN SAMPADA YOJNA”

                                                 (Position as on 30.11.2024)

     

    STATEMENT SHOWING AGENCY-WISE STATE-WISE STATUS OF SILO CONSTRUCTION

    (Fig. In LMT)

     

    Agency

     

    State

    Target as per Action Plan

     

    Completed

    Under Construction

     

    Grand Total

     

     

     

     

     

     

    FCI

    Assam

    0.5

    0.5

    0

    0.5

    Bihar

    4.5

    1.5

    2.0

    3.5

    Chattisgarh

    1

    0

    0

    0

    Delhi

    1

    0

    0

    0

    Gujarat

    1

    1.50

    0

    1.5

    Karnataka

    0.25

    0

    0

    0

    Haryana

    3

    2.50

    0

    2.5

    Maharashtra

    1

    0

    0

    0

    Punjab

    4.25

    3.75

    0

    3.75

    Rajasthan

    1.5

    0

    0

    0

    Uttar Pradesh

    7

    1.50

    2.0

    3.5

    West Bengal

    4

    0

    1.0

    1

    Total

     

    29

    11.25

    5.00

    16.25

    CWC

    Punjab

    2.5

    0

    0

    0

     

     

     

     

     

     

    State Govt.

    Andhra Pradesh

    3.5

    0

    0

    0

    Bihar

    5

    0

    0

    0

    Gujrat

    2

    0

    0

    0

    Haryana

    6.5

    0

    0

    0

    Madhya

    Pradesh

    10

    4.5

    0

    4.5

    Maharashtra

    0.5

    0

    0

    0

    Orrisa

    2

    0

    0

    0

    Punjab

    24.25

    2.0

    0

    2.0

    Rajasthan

    4.75

    0

    0

    0

    Telangana

    1.5

    0

    0

    0

    Uttar Pradesh

    5

    0

    1.5

    1.5

    West Bengal

    3.5

    0

    0

    0

    Total

     

    68.5

    6.50

    1.50

    8.00

    Grand Total

    100

    17.75

    6.50

    24.25

    Note: In addition the silos under process, it has been decided to construct further silos under Hub & Spoke model.

     

    STK

    (Release ID: 2101244) Visitor Counter : 48

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CHP reminds public of precautions against cold weather

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CHP reminds public of precautions against cold weather
    CHP reminds public of precautions against cold weather
    ******************************************************

        The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (February 8) reminded the public, particularly the elderly and people with chronic illnesses, to adopt appropriate measures to protect their health in view of the cold weather.    Cold weather can easily trigger or exacerbate diseases, especially among the elderly and persons suffering from heart disease, respiratory illnesses or other chronic illnesses.     Elderly people have less insulating fat beneath their skin to keep them warm, and their body temperature control mechanisms may be weaker. Their bodies may not be able to respond appropriately to cold weather.     Some senior persons may have decreased mobility, which can impair their ability to generate and conserve body heat. Chronic illnesses, such as hypertension, diabetes and endocrine disorders, may undermine the health of elderly people and lower their metabolic rate, subsequently causing their bodies to generate less heat. Persons with chronic illnesses, such as chronic respiratory illnesses or heart disease, are vulnerable to disease aggravation due to cold weather.     The CHP reminded the public, in particular the elderly and persons with chronic illnesses, to adopt the following preventive measures: 

    Take note of the weather forecast. Wear warm clothing, including hats, scarves, gloves and socks, accordingly;
    Consume sufficient food to ensure adequate calorie intake;
    Perform regular exercise to facilitate blood circulation and heat production;
    Stay in a warm environment and avoid prolonged outdoor exposure;
    Use heaters with care and maintain adequate indoor ventilation; and
    Seek medical advice if feeling unwell.

              ​In addition, the public should avoid alcoholic beverages.          Drinking alcohol does not keep you warm. Alcohol accelerates the loss of body heat through dilated blood vessels, resulting in chilling instead.     Parents should ensure that babies are sufficiently warm, but it is also important to keep babies relatively lightly clothed to avoid overheating.     Parents should observe the following safety measures when putting their children to bed:  

    Keep the room well ventilated and at a comfortable temperature;
    Always place babies on their backs to sleep. Leave their heads, faces and arms uncovered during sleep;
    Babies do not need pillows. Place babies on a firm and well-fitted mattress to sleep. Avoid soft objects, pillows and loose bedding;
    Let babies sleep in a cot placed near their parents’ bed; and
    Maintain a smoke-free environment.

          In addition, many respiratory pathogens, including influenza and SARS-CoV-2, may have increasing activity and community transmission during winter. Seasonal influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged 6 months or above, except those with known contraindications. Persons at higher risk of influenza and its complications, including the elderly and children, should receive seasonal influenza vaccinations early. Please see details of the vaccination schemes on the CHP’s website.           A person infected with influenza and COVID-19 at the same time may be more seriously ill and have a higher risk of death. It is important for elderly persons, especially those residing in residential care homes, to receive both seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations. They should also receive an additional booster against COVID-19 according to recommendations as soon as possible. The public should also maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against respiratory illnesses and note the following: 

    Surgical masks can prevent the transmission of respiratory viruses from ill persons. It is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even if having mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
    Wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
    Avoid touching one’s eyes, mouth and nose;
    Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
    When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
    Cover the mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
    Maintain good indoor ventilation;
    When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending classes at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
    Maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

             Food-borne diseases, particularly those linked to hotpot cuisine, are also common in cold weather. The following preventive measures should be taken: 

    Wash hands before handling and consuming food;
    Do not patronise unlicensed vendors or those with poor hygienic standards while selecting food;
    Wash and cook all food thoroughly;
    Vegetables should be washed thoroughly in clean running water before cooking and consumption. When appropriate, scrub hard-surfaced vegetables with a clean brush to remove dirt and substances, including pesticide residues and contaminants, from surfaces and crevices;
    Shrimps should be fully cooked until the shells turn red and the flesh turns white and opaque;
    For shellfish such as scallops and geoduck, scrub the shells thoroughly and remove the internal organs;
    Do not eat any undercooked freshwater aquatic products. To ensure that the food is thoroughly cooked, the centre of the food should reach a temperature of at least 75 degrees Celsius to destroy pathogen;
    Most hotpot ingredients should be stored in a refrigerator at 4 degrees C or below, while frozen food should be stored in a freezer at -18 degrees C or below;
    Never use raw eggs as a dipping sauce for hotpot; and
    Use different sets of chopsticks to handle raw and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination.

             ​In addition, when using fuel-burning appliances, especially in indoor areas, the public should ensure adequate ventilation to avoid harmful exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) and prevent CO poisoning.          For more health information, the public may call the DH’s Health Education Infoline (2833 0111) or visit the CHP’s website and Facebook Fanpage.     The public may also call Dial-a-Weather (1878 200) or visit the website of the Hong Kong Observatory for the latest weather information and forecasts, or its page on Weather Information for Senior Citizens.

     
    Ends/Saturday, February 8, 2025Issued at HKT 6:45

    NNNN

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