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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