Latest news with #RamNathThakur
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Exports of agri, allied commodities reach $51.9 bn in 2024-25, efforts on to boost further: Govt
Live Events NEW DELHI: The Centre is making efforts to increase exports of agriculture and allied commodities that stood at USD 51.9 billion last fiscal a written reply to Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Agriculture Ram Nath Thakur mentioned that the APEDA under the Commerce Ministry is running various schemes to boost exports."The Government is working towards increasing the exports of agricultural and allied commodities and increasing its share in the global trade. The overall exports of these products in 2024-25 were USD 51.9 billion," Thakur promote exports of agriculture commodities, he said many initiatives and schemes are being implemented by the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA).The initiatives include the development of modern infrastructure, adoption of innovative and automated machinery, encouragement of new value-added product development, quality development, market development and training programmes to upskill the workforce in producing value-added products."The Department of Commerce through APEDA provides financial assistance to its member exporters from across the country, for export promotion of scheduled products through its Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS)," the minister said.
Indian Express
29-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
India in trade talks with EU, other countries, minister tells Lok Sabha
India is actively pursuing trade negotiations with the European Union (EU), US, Australia, Sri Lanka, Peru, Chile and New Zealand, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday. In a written reply to a question asked by CPI (M) member R Sachithanantham, Thakur said that with these trade discussions, India will focus to expand its global trade footprint and enhance competitiveness of Indian exports. 'At present, negotiations are ongoing on the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement, India–Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, India–Sri Lanka Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement, India–Peru Free Trade Agreement, India-Chile Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, India–USA Bilateral Trade Agreement and a similar approach has been followed while dealing with the United Kingdom to safeguard the interests of farmers and secure market access for our agri-products,' Thakur said. He said, 'In order to protect the interests of the farmers and domestic industry, including MSMEs, FTAs provide for maintaining sensitive, negative or exclusion lists of items on which limited or no tariff concessions are granted.' 'In addition, in case of surge in imports and injury to the domestic industry, a country is allowed to take recourse to trade remedial measures such as anti-dumping and safeguards on imports within the period as mutually agreed to by the parties under the FTAs. Likewise Rules of Origin, including product-specific rules are developed with stakeholder consultations,' he said.
Time of India
27-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Centre procures 1L tonnes of onions so far for buffer stock
Nashik: Central govt has procured around 1.07 lakh tonnes of onions so far through its two central agencies: the National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed) and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF). This was to create a buffer stock under the price stability funds. As many as 1.06 lakh tonnes of summer onions were procured in Maharashtra alone, stated the minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, Ram Nath Thakur, in a written reply to questions raised by the MP from Dindori parliamentary constituency, Bhaskar Bhagare, and other MPs during the ongoing parliamentary session. Thakur said, "The ministry of consumer affairs are procuring onions, which has set the total procurement target of 3 lakh tonnes of summer onions through the Nafed and NCCF. Each agency will procure 1.5 lakh tonnes." As per the Second Advance Estimates for 2024-25, area estimates of onion in the state of Maharashtra are 9.78 lakh hectares, compared to 6.67 lakh hectares in 2023-24, This was an increase of 46%. The All-India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for onion was reported as 279.2 for June 2024 and 185.7 for June 2025, registering a rate of inflation of 33.49%, stated the minister in a written reply. The central govt undertakes onion procurement annually to create a buffer stock. This measure aims to manage the supply of the onions, particularly during potential scarcity periods that typically occur around Aug-Sept each year.
Mint
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Who will be next V-P? Nadda's meeting with Karpoori Thakur's son Ram Nath fuels buzz on Jagdeep Dhankhar's successor
Who will be next V-P? The Election Commission of India said on Wednesday that it has started the process of electing a new Vice President, days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post. Dhankhar, 74, assumed office in August 2022. His five-year term would end in August 2027. Dhankhar's abrupt resignation means a new Vice President has not been elected within the next two months The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and opposition INDIA bloc have started a hunt for their candidates for the election to the office of Vice President of India. With numbers favouring the NDA, more names have emerged from the ruling camp in the past three days. Among the names doing rounds for the NDA's Vice President pick are Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh and Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur. The ruling camp is keen on fielding a candidate from the backwards or extremely backwards communities as Dhankhar's successor, according to reports. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda met Ram Nath Thakur on Wednesday, sparking speculation about his candidature for the V-P post. Janata Dal—United's two-time Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar, Ram Nath Thakur, is the son of socialist icon, Bharat Ratna recipient, and former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur. Currently, the minister of state for agriculture in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, Ram Nath is credited with carrying forward the movement initiated by Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan, and Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur to empower the underprivileged. Thakur belongs to the Nai (barber) community under the Extremely Backwards Class (EBC) category, which constitutes more than 36 per cent of Bihar's population. His candidature, if finalised, assumes significance considering the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar. Thakur is considered close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The previous Modi government's decision to confer the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, upon the late Karpoori Thakur, Ram Nath Thakur's father, just before the notification of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 was seen as a strong political statement and considered as a synthesis of BJP's Mandir-Mandal politics. His candidature, if finalised, assumes significance considering the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar.
