Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Thursday, Jan 10, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Thursday, Jan 10, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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Agri-Biz & Commodities
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Events Industry & Economy - WTO ‘Address tariff escalation on value-added products’
At potato expo: (From right) Mr Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Commerce; Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal; and Mr Subodh Kant Sahai, Minister for Food Processing Industries, at the inaugural session of the four-day India International Potato Expo in Kolkata on Wednesday. Our Bureau Kolkata, Jan. 9 The Union Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, today urged the developed world to address the problem of tariff escalation on export of value- added products by developing countries, a phenomenon that is implicit in the case of potato exports from countries like India. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the India International Potato Expo 2008 here today, Mr Ramesh said that, while the duty on the export of primary material was low, that on value-added products – such as potato flakes – went up proportionate to the move up the value chain. “As we move up the value chain, the duty escalates,” he said, and requested developed countries like the US and Japan to address genuine concerns of the developing nations in this regard at the Doha round trade talks. He said this would be imperative if developing countries were to have a greater share of international trade. Mr Ramesh’s request was made in the presence of the US Consul-General in Kolkata, who was an invitee at the meeting. Mr Ramesh said India and China together accounted for 30 per cent of the potato production globally. This was expected to go up to 50 per cent in the years ahead. However, despite being the third-largest potato producer in the world, India’s share of the international potato trade was barely 0.5 per cent. “The first challenge is to increase our share of international trade from 0.5 per cent. Next, it is also important to diversify our export destinations,” he said. According to Mr Ramesh, in the last five years, India had emerged as the second-largest supplier of table grapes to Europe and the second-largest supplier of cut flowers to Japan. Look at new markets“If we can do it in grapes and cut flowers, we can also do it in the case of potatoes,” he said. “However, we cannot export what we produce but have to export what others want to buy,” he said, and added that exporters of potato need to look at new markets in West Asia and the Far East. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, said deployment of post-harvest management techniques was the only way to ensure that farmers get a remunerative price for their produce. He presented a strong case for allowing “third-party investment” on farmers’ agricultural land “without in any way taking away the rights of the farmers”. Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, spoke of the need for private investment in “market mechanisms and cold storage chains” with a view to ensuring remunerative prices for the farmers and reducing the amount of agri-products that is wasted owing to lack of adequate storage and processing facilities. More Stories on : Events | WTO | Horticulture/Fruits & Vegetables
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