WORLD NEWS
Tea production in India expected to grow at 5% in 2013
Tea production in India in 2013 is expected to grow b y around 5% this year and likely to end
above 1,180 million kgs due to adequate rains. Last year, tea production was 1,126 million kgs as
per data available from Tea Board of India. During the period from January to August this year,
tea production has risen by 6.2% to 705 million kgs as compared to 664 million kgs during
corresponding period of last year. Total supply of tea including imports is likely to b e around
1,200 million kgs this year. Total supply has grown b y compounded annual growth rate (CAGR)
of 4.5% in last three years till 2012; while total demand including exports has grown b y CAGR
of around 1.5%. In 2012, total supply of tea including imports was 1,147 million kgs; while total
demand including exports was 1,096 million kgs according Tea Board of India data.
"Till August, growth in tea production has been above the CAGR of last three years. For the full
year, we expect growth of around 5%, which will translate into production of around 1,180
million kgs. Together with imports of about 20 million kgs, the total tea supply would be about
1,200 million kgs this year," said Mr.Paras Desai, Executive Director, Wagh Bakri Tea Group.
He further added that Assam Valley, Dooars and Terai regions have shown good growth, which
together contribute to 60% of total production. "Production in these regions will be higher in Sep
and October also and so we expect overall growth of 5%. Though production in south India has
gone down during this period, we expect production figures to improve in the next two months
due to good rains there," Mr. Paras Desai added. For the first quarter of Jan-Mar 2013, exports
rose by about 34% to 59.8 million kgs. "Even if the exports were to rise by 15% compared to last
year, we would have more than 900 million kgs of tea left for domestic consumption," Mr. Paras
Desai said. Even if only production figures are taken into account, then it has exceeded domestic
consumption and exports by around 45 million kgs. This indicates that since last two years,
Indian tea production has exceeded total demand, according to data from Tea Board of India. In
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spite of excess of production over demand prices of quality teas have moved up over last year.
Today tea is the cheapest beverage with health b benefits. Hence, to address excess of supply
over demand of tea, Tea Board Chairman has taken up the task of making tea more popular pan
India be it in urban or rural areas of India giving it a slogan 'Chai Piyo Mast Jiyo'.
(Source-The Economic Times)
Restricted fenthion permit issued
An interim permit issued allows very restricted use of the suspended insecticide fenthion on
peaches and apricots in the 2013-14 growing season. Following the suspension of fenthion for
use on these crops on 16 October an industry organisation asked the Australian Pesticides and
Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to consider whether a single spray of fenthion would
be acceptable. Industry advised that a single spray of fenthion for this season would still be
useful for growers when combined with other control options closer to harvest. Based on the
available data, the APVMA assessed that, with a single spray, peaches and apricots would have
residues at safe levels after 21 days. “After consideration of the data provided, we have issued an
interim permit which allows growers to apply fenthion once this season to peach and apricot
crops, and there must be 21 days between spraying and harvest,” said Dr Raj Bhula, Executive
Director, Pesticides. The permit applies for the period 29 October 2013 to 30 April 2014.
“To produce fruit which is safe for consumers to eat, growers must comply with the conditions of
this permit for the use of fenthion on peaches and apricots,” Dr Bhula said. Residue levels will
be monitored independently over the season. “If residue levels are found to be above what is
considered safe, the APVMA will take immediate action which may include cancellation of the
permit. “Issuing this restricted permit does not change the current suspension instructions or
permits already in place for other uses of fenthion.” Dr Bhula said. The APVMA is conducting
an ongoing review of fenthion which includes consideration of human safety (toxicology); resi-
dues in food; worker safety; and the environment. This decision only relates to the human safety
and residues in food components of the review. Assessment of all components of the review is
expected to be completed in mid-2014 with the final decision on the uses of fenthion in Australia
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expected soon after. Fenthion is not registered for use on food producing plants in the European
Union, USA, Canada or New Zealand. At toxic levels fenthion interferes with the human
nervous systems and safety standards are set well below toxic levels to protect both the
community and the industry.
(Source: Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority)
Why Europe needs more productive agriculture, New academic study shows that
productive agriculture brings significant benefits for food security, resource efficiency.
Productive agriculture delivers important benefits to Europe and the world – from increased food
security and more efficient land use to climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection and
economic and social stability – according to a landmark academic study.
The new report, “The social, economic and environmental value of agricultural productivity
in the European Union”, has been published by the Humboldt Forum for Food and Agriculture,
an international non-profit think tank based in Berlin. The study assesses data on the economic,
social and environmental effects of productive agriculture (which uses modern technologies such
as agricultural machinery, new seed varieties, organic and/or mineral fertilizers, and plant
protection products and solutions) in the EU.
According to the findings, each percentage point increase in agricultural productivity in the EU:
• feeds more than 10 million humans per year • increases the annual social welfare generated in European agriculture by approximately
500 million • contributes EUR 500 to the annual income of an average EU farmer • reduces our net virtual land imports by about 1.2 million hectares • acts to save 220 million tons in CO2 emissions
Switching to low input agricultural methods, with average 31 per cent lower yields than
productive agriculture in the EU, would come at the cost of these benefits, according to the
report’s authors.“This study – the first scientific analysis of its kind – quantifies the various
benefits of productive agriculture in the EU”, said one of the study’s authors, Dr. Steffen
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Noleppa of agripol GbR, an agricultural policy research firm based in Berlin. Harald von Witzke
from Humboldt University Berlin, president of the Humboldt Forum for Food and Agriculture
and also an author of the study, adds: “Clearly, when it comes to agriculture, productivity
matters.” Dr. Friedhelm Schmider, Director General of ECPA, the European Crop Protection
Association, said: “This study reminds us all that productive agriculture, which incorporates
pesticide use and other modern agricultural technologies, has contributed to improve our way of
life in many ways. The benefits pesticides bring to the table are often taken for granted, and the
reasons for their use in agriculture are rarely discussed. Nevertheless, we are hopeful that this
new research will serve as base for increasing the understanding of the accomplishments which
have already been achieved in agriculture. Innovation in crop protection has delivered a lot and
for this to continue we need policy and regulatory frameworks that foster innovation and help
Europe’s farmers to stay competitive, in order to meet the challenges of tomorrow and to
continue to deliver affordable and healthy food available for all, whist protecting enviroment and
consumer health. (Source: European Crop Protection Association)
China grants first registration approval for herbicide chlorthal-dimethyl
Chinese company Jiangsu Weunite Fine Chemical has been granted the registration approval for
its herbicide 96% chlorthal-dimethyl technical from Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals,
Ministry of Agriculture (ICAMA). As per Chinese Pesticide Registration Watch, Weunite Fine
Chemical is the first company approved for chlorthal-dimethyl technical in China. Chlorthal-
dimethyl is a selective non-systemic herbicide, which could be absorbed by the coleoptiles
(grasses) and hypocotyls, kills germinating seeds. It is used for pre-emergence control of annual
grasses and some annual broad-leaved weeds in onions, garlic, leeks, tomatoes, lettuce,
cucurbits, soya beans, cotton, ornamentals, and other crops. Chlorthal-dimethyl product was first
introduced in 1960. Amvac acquired Dacthal (Chlorthal-dimethyl) from GB BioScience and
obtained the label in US in the same year.
(Source: Overseas Agrochemical Consulting Paraguay)
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