Financial Crisis+Swedish Immigration Policy+PESTICIDES+Souith Asia+India-Africa

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NEWS Bulletin from Indian Society For Sustainable Agriculture And Rural Development

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1. Financial crisis: Belgium seeks India's help

 

2. Indian migrants may benefit from new Swedish policy

 

3. Mitigating the impact of global financial crisis - Address the 'real sectors' of economy says Ficci

 

4. Row over hazardous pesticides at Rome Conference

 

5. SAARC extraordinary meet postpones decision on milk grid

 

6. Iffco to help ink new India-Africa farm cooperation

 

7. India joins global club to combat stem rust on wheat

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Financial crisis: Belgium seeks India's help

 

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/financial-crisis-belgium-seeks-indias-help/381458/0 ASHOK B SHARMAPosted: Nov 05, 2008 at 2350 hrs ISTUpdated: Nov 05, 2008 at 2350 hrs IST

 

New Delhi, Nov 4 : Belgium alongwith the European Union have sought India's help assistance in resolving the current financial crisis by helping to build 'a new global financial architecture'.

 

The visiting Belgian minister for foreign affairs and foreign trade, Karel De Gucht speaking at a luncheon session hosted by three apex industry bodies – FICCI, CII and Assocham – in Capital on Tuesday said ; "It is the duty of the policymakers, our duty, to create a better functioning and a more equitable financial governance structure. Belgium and the European Union are ready to cooperate with India in this essential and urgent task."

 

He informed that the European Council in Brussels agreed to the proposal that "the reforms necessary to create a global financial system for the future must be developed and agreed internationally through a process involving all of the key actors" and he qualified that India was a key actor.

 

The King of Belgians, Albert II is leading a high level delegation to India to work out areas for bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and economic delegation. Three contracts and MoUs were signed between Belgian and Indian companies. One contract was signed by Universite libre de Bruxelles and India Institute of Management, Ahmedabad for cooperation in microfinance.

 

The Indian commerce minister, Kamal Nath in response said "International Monetary Fund needs to re-invent its role in the global financial order."

 

Gucht said that the world has changed much aftermath Second World War with market economy now prevailing and state-run economies not just endangered species, but actually on the verge of extinction. "As we witness wave after wave of globalization, we see in the rise of Asia a tremendous shift in the balance of economic power in the world," he said and added that Belgium would support India's bid for a permanent seat in the enlarged United Nations Security Council which was long overdue.

 

"Our new governance structures must reflect the present day political, economic and social realities. At the same time they must be efficient to tackle the challenges ahead," he said.

 

He vowed to join hands with India in fighting poverty, combating climate change and fight against terrorism. Belgium, he said had committed to spend 0.7% of its GDP as public development assistance. "India's National Action Plan on Climate Change and the EU's emissions reduction target of at least 20% by 2020 are ambitious but reachable goals we have set for ourselves," he said

 

Gucht emphasized the need for reviving the stalled Doha Development Agenda negotiations in the WTO with a view to boost trade as well as the general confidence of the public at the moment when the markets seemed to be in a negative loop.

 

Indian commerce minister Kamal Nath said that India was not the cause of the global slowdown but can be part of the solution. Globalised economy may not be inter-dependant, but definitely inter-connected, he said and added India can negotiate commerce and not livelihood security. The developed countries should ensure healthy economy in developing world.

 

India is the largest trading partner of Belgium outside EU and in this context, Nath urged Belgium to expand the bilateral trade. "Belgium will need Indian professionals and a facilitated visa regime would help. Belgium should take the initiative for India-EU trade and investment," he said.

 

The bilateral trade between the two countries during 2007-08 was $8.6 billion representing a growth of 13% over the 2006-07 trade which stood at $7.6 billion. As regards FDI inflows from Belgium into India, Belgium ranks 23rd and inflows during 1991 to December 2007 were $200 million. The investments have been mainly in the areas of energy, infrastructure, software, biotechnology, telecommunications, auto parts, drugs & pharmaceuticals, shipping and logistics.

 

Nath mentioned about the EC proposal on increasing the CVD on cotton type bed linen by expanding the scope of the exercise by including other schemes also. He informed the Belgian minister that India was concerned about this move and Belgian intervention in the matter with the EC would be required to resolve the same.

 

India's major items of exports to Belgium are natural pearls, iron and steel, organic chemicals, apparels, marine products, tobacco and plastics. India's major items of imports from Belgium are iron and steel, nuclear reactors, plastic article, electronic machinery, optical and surgical instruments.

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Indian migrants may benefit from new Swedish policy

 

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/indian-migrants-may-benefit-from-new-swedish-policy/381395/0 ASHOK B SHARMAPosted: Nov 04, 2008 at 2038 hrs ISTUpdated: Nov 04, 2008 at 2038 hrs IST

 

New Delhi, Nov 4 : Sweden has decided to put in place an open, flexible and effective system for labour immigration based on the employers' need for competence. This policy would enter into force by the end of the current year.

India is the number one country of origin of labour migrants in Sweden and in 2007 nearly 1,500 Indian citizens were granted work permit in that country.

 

The rules for visiting students who wish to stay on and work in Sweden at the completion of their studies will be simplified. Visiting students who have completed one semester or one term of research education at any institute of higher education would be eligible to apply for work and residence permit. Since last 10 years about 500 Indian students migrate every year to Sweden for education.

 

Announcing the details of the proposed new immigration policy, the minister for migration and asylum policy of Sweden, Tobias Billstrom on Tuesday at an interactive session hosted by the apex industry body, FICCI said Swedish companies were facing problems of recruiting employees with right skills.

 

"The reality is that some skills cannot be found in Sweden even though there is still unemployment. Doctors, nurses, engineers, electricians, IT-technicians and welders are examples of professionals where there are currently shortages in Sweden. The recruitment difficulties prevents employers from expanding and ultimately from creating more jobs," he said.

 

Once the proposed policy is put in place Swedish companies which were not able to meet labour needs through recruitment in Sweden or in the European Union would be able to recruit labour from any other country. Despite the turmoil in global financial market and potentially rising unemployment, Sweden faces labour shortage with a sizeable population getting older and leaving working life.

 

Sweden was a labour immigration country till the beginning of 1970s and thereafter the immigration policy marked a change as the flow was dominated by asylum seekers.

 

Outlining the new proposed immigration policy, Billstrom said that the processing of cases would be based on employers' assessment of needs.

"In stark contrast to immigration regulations in many other countries, Swedish policy is not based on quotas or aimed exclusively at highly qualified labour. On the contrary, one of the main features of the reform is that it focuses on the employers' demand for labour, high as well as low skilled workers. In doing so, Sweden is setting an example which hopefully others will follow," he said.

 

With a view to ensure sound competition for jobs and to avoid social dumping the Swedish Migration Board will examine whether the terms offered – salary, insurance protection and other terms of employment – are in accordance with the conditions applying to employees already resident in that country.

 

A foreigner having work and residence permit will have the right to family reunification, salary structure and insurance as enjoyed by Swedish nationals. The spouse or partner of the migrant labour will be granted full access to the labour market. The work permit will be granted for a duration of the employment or for a maximum of two years.

 

The work permit for the migrant in employment can be extended for several times. After a stay for four years permanent residence permit can be granted.

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Mitigating the impact of global financial crisis Address the 'real sectors' of economy says Ficci

 

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/address-the-real-sectors-of-economy-says-ficci/380551/ ASHOK B SHARMAPosted: Nov 03, 2008 at 0007 hrs ISTUpdated: Nov 03, 2008 at 0007 hrs IST

 

New Delhi, Nov 2 : With a view to combat the adverse impact of the current global financial crisis, the industry has called for addressing the challenges in the "real sectors" of the economy like the manufacturing sector, SME sector, exports, infrastructure and housing, apart from the country's financial sector.

 

A study prepared by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry entitled—Restoring the Growth Momentum and Bringing Back Investor Confidence—urged the government to make an additional Rs 100,000 crore investment per year on building infrastructure in the country.

 

As public-private partnership had yielded considerable results in roads, highways and ports sectors, the government should follow similar approach in all other infrastructure areas.

 

Viability Gap Funding Scheme should be utilised for implementing infrastructure projects under public-private partnership.

 

According to the study Indian real estate sector needs much attention as it is slated to grow to around $15 billion and is the second largest employer after agriculture with about 25 million construction workers and having forward and backward linkages to about 280 industries.

 

The captains of the industry are slated to meet the prime minister, Manmohan Singh on Monday to discuss the plan to save the economy from the onslaught of the current global financial crisis.

 

As global financial crisis and looming recession are likely to slow down country's exports and the exports from employment-intensive sectors handicrafts, cotton yarn, carpets, manmade yarn, oil meal, marine products and tea have already declined, Ficci called for urgent policy measures to boost export performance.

 

It expressed concern over the gem and jewllery exports as the import-dependant sector suffered from the rising value of US dollar. Exports of engineering goods are likely to fall by 25%.

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Row over hazardous pesticides at Rome Conference

 

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/row-over-hazardous-pesticides-at-rome-conference/380604/0 ASHOK B SHARMAPosted: Nov 03, 2008 at 0054 hrs ISTUpdated: Nov 03, 2008 at 0054 hrs IST

 

The Fourth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Rotterdam Convention at the FAO headquarters in Rome last week brought to the fore the row over placing two pesticides and the industrial chemical chrysotile asbestos on the trade watch list that already contains 39 hazardous substances.

 

The trade watch list, according to the convention, is not a recommendation for a ban on the product. The substances included in the list are subject to the prior informed consent (PIC), designed to make the exporting country responsible for ensuring that no exports leave its territory when an importing country has made the decision not to accept the chemicals.

 

The technical committee of experts had recommended endosulfan and tributyl tin compounds and industrial chemical chrysotile on the trade watch list. The Fourth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Rotterdam Convention, which began in Rome on October 27, took up the discussion on this issue. About five countries, including Canada, India and Ukraine, opposed the move to place these hazardous substances on the trade watch list at the convention of over 120 nations.

 

Tributyl tin (TBT) compounds are pesticides used in anti-fouling paints for ship hulls and are toxic to fish, molluscs and other aquatic organisms.

 

The International Maritime Organization has moved to ban the use of anti-fouling paints containing TBT compounds. Endosulfan is a pesticide widely used around the world, particularly in cotton production. It is hazardous to the environment and detrimental to human health, particularly in those developing countries where adequate safeguards do not exist.

 

Chrysotile asbestos is the most commonly used form of asbestos, accounting for around 94% of global asbestos production. It is widely used in building materials, such as asbestos cement, pipe and sheet, and in the manufacture of friction products, gaskets and paper.

 

"It is the highest form of hypocrisy for Canada to work behind the scenes with a handful of countries to prevent citizens of the majority of Rotterdam Convention members to be informed about the hazards of chrysotile asbestos, when we virtually no longer use it in Canada because it is so extremely hazardous", said Kathleen Ruff coordinator of the Rotterdam Convention Alliance (ROCA).

 

According to Ruff, Canada spends millions of dollars promoting the sale of chrysotile asbestos in poor countries. However, if it were the other way around, Canada would not accept it. Even now the Canadian government wishes to strictly control the import of hazardous chemicals into Canada.

 

Despite the years of credible work by the international scientific community and the rigorous work of all UN agencies, few countries opposing the move to place the three hazardous substances on the trade watch list distributed brochures at the Rotterdam Convention, entitled - "Chrysotile Asbestos Saves Lives".

 

According to Professor Soskolne of the University of Alberta, "The data presented would never make it into a serious scientific journal, the methodologies are not transparent, and a lot of the information is false."

Some 70,000 chemicals are available in the global market and around 1,500 new ones are introduced every year. This can pose a major challenge to regulators charged with monitoring and managing these potentially dangerous substances.

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SAARC extraordinary meet postpones decision on milk grid

 

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/saarc-extraordinary-meet-postpones-decision-on-milk-grid/381960/ ASHOK B SHARMAPosted: Nov 06, 2008 at 2354 hrs ISTUpdated: Nov 06, 2008 at 2354 hrs IST

 

New Delhi, Nov 5 : The three-day extraordinary meeting of South Asian agriculture ministers deferred a decision on the proposal to set up a milk grid for the region in view of the controversy over melamine contamination in global milk trade.

 

The incidence of melamine in milk products from China led to a few fatalities in the recent past. Subsequently, many countries have imposed a ban on import Chinese dairy products. Contaminated milk products have also created a problem in Thailand.

 

“Though the proposal for setting up of a milk grid was on the agenda, we deferred the decision. We need to streamline the process of milk production and supply chain in the region and see that no cases of hazardous contamination, like in the case of Chinese milk products, ever occur,†said a member of the SAARC technical committee on agriculture and rural development. There are some stray cases of production of synthetic milk in the region, he noted.

 

The idea of a SAARC milk quadrangle, consisting of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, was first mooted by Nepal in 2000. It was later turned into a concept paper in 2006. The fourth meeting of the SAARC technical committee on agriculture and rural development decided to convene a consultative meeting with the private sector in India in 2008. It requested India to circulate a concept paper on the proposed grid thereafter.

 

Meanwhile, the extraordinary meeting of SAARC agriculture ministers, which concluded in Delhi on Wednesday, gave a green signal to the operation of a food bank for the region. The meeting adopted the SAARC agriculture vision 2020, as well as a roadmap for achieving the same. FE had published detailed reports of the SAARC food bank, agriculture vision document and other related issues in its October 27 edition.

 

The agriculture ministers of SAARC countries also agreed to set up a multilateral regional framework to tackle the likely incidence leaf rust, yellow rust and stem rust on wheat. The ministers agreed to jointly contain trans-boundary animal diseases and set up a network on harmonisation of quarantine and capacity building.

 

They agreed to harmonise bio-fertiliser standards through SAARC Regional Standards Organisation as well. --------

 

Iffco to help ink new India-Africa farm cooperation

 

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/iffco-to-help-ink-new-indiaafrica-farm-cooperation/383443/ ASHOK B SHARMAPosted: Nov 10, 2008 at 2248 hrs ISTUpdated: Nov 10, 2008 at 2248 hrs IST

 

New Delhi, Nov 9 : India and African nations are slated to open a new chapter for cooperation in agriculture and rural development. The initiative in this direction is being taken by a fertiliser cooperative - Iffco.

 

Iffco, along with its outfit Ficco Foundation and the Union agriculture ministry, has planned a three-day conclave of African farm ministers beginning November 10. Leaders from about 28 African nations and a sizeable number of corporate houses are slated to participate in the conference

 

Thematic areas for discussions would include policy reforms, investment in agriculture, farm institutions, infrastructure, employment of women and strategies for 'inclusive growth', public-private-farmer market partnership and enabling mechanisms and regulations.

 

The conclave would identify specific activities for cooperation in areas such as soil testing, soil health monitoring and integrated nutrient management through health cards, watershed management, water conservation, post-harvest management and the creation of special agri zones (SAZs). In India there are already 60 agri export zones (AEZs), but the growth of these zones have suffered on account of the apathy of the government and the private sector. However, instead of rejuvenating the AEZs, a new concept of SAZs is being floated.

 

The former Union minister for fertilisers and environment and the chairman of the steering committee of the conference, Suresh Prabhu said, "The World Food Security Conference and the India-Africa Forum Summit Declaration of April 2008 have provided an excellent framework for preparing specific need-based action plans for optimising food production in the congenial breadbasket as well as in non-congenial rain-fed dryland areas, thus unlocking Africa's potential and also promoting inclusive development."

 

RB Singh, an agriculture scientist, who was formally with the FAO and now the secretary of the conference steering committee, said that the conclave would initiate a dialogue process between Indian and African leaders, identify development partners and prepare a roadmap for implementation with stakeholders in addressing food insecurity and poverty reduction issues.

 

Mobilising financial resources, and identifying the mechanism of fund flow, monitoring and outcome assessment and mid-course corrections in the context of the goal of an India-Africa partnership would also be discussed

 

The conclave will also address the issues of land, water and biodiversity conservation, along with enhancing smallholders' competitiveness and livelihood security, through strengthening of the integrated farming system and the role of livestock. The integrated on-farm and off-farm employment, skill development, link to markets and establishing efficient value chains will also be discussed.--------------------------------

 

India joins global club to combat stem rust on wheat

 

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/india-joins-global-club-to-combat-stem-rust-on-wheat/383442/0 ASHOK B SHARMAPosted: Nov 10, 2008 at 2247 hrs ISTUpdated: Nov 10, 2008 at 2247 hrs IST

 

New Delhi, Nov 9 : India has joined the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) to fight against the invasion of the dangerous stem rust race - Ug99 and its variants - on the major staple crop, wheat. Apart from India, the global research body for wheat and maize - CIMMYT, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the FAO and Kenya are the permanent members of BGRI executive committee.

 

BGRI is named after the Nobel Laureate and the father of the green revolution, Norman E Borlaug.

 

Historically, stem rust of wheat has been the most destructive disease of wheat and barley and has inflicted very heavy losses worldwide, sometimes to the tune of more than 40% in America.

 

The organism is a fungus called Puccinia graminis tritici. Ug99 was initially detected in Uganda in 1989 and the race was confirmed in 1999. Ug99 and the related races have evolved and multiplied and have spread to Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen and Iran. However, Ug99 is not present in India, Pakistan, China and Egypt.

 

An international conference on wheat stem rust Ug 99 organised by ICAR and FAO, which concluded in Delhi on November 8, called upon wheat producing nations to jointly fight the menace of Ug99. Earlier, the SAARC agriculture ministers' conference in Delhi also urged South Asian nations to combat the incidence of Ug99.

 

Scientists and breeders across the world are transferring Sr genes from different varieties of wheat to combat the incidence of Ug99 and its variants. As Ug99 is not prevalent in India, the Directorate of Wheat Research, an affiliate of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) began testing the resistance mechanisms against Ug99 at Njoro in Kenya since 2005 and screened 442 wheat materials. These tests showed that many India wheat varieties were resistant to Ug99, said ICAR director-general, Mangla Rai.

 

Subsequently, recent screening of 318 Indian wheat lines at the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute revealed that 78 genotypes were resistant to Ug99. The prominent among them are DL 788-2, VL 404, NI 5439, Lok 1, COW (W) 1, HI 977, HS 295, HUW 234 among the bread wheat and among durum wheat, the resistant varieties are A9-30-1, AKDW 2997-16, Bijaga Yellow, WH 896, HD 4672, MACS 1967, MACS 2846 and NIDW 295. Varieties like DDK 1029 and NP 200 were found to be resistant ones amongst dicocoums. The Triticale variety TL 2942 was also found to be resistant to Ug99.

 

Some of the varieties found resistant in earlier screenings have now found to be susceptible to some new variant of Ug99, thus highlighting the importance of screening in the hot-spot at Kenya. However, four Indian wheat varieties - HD 2781, DL 153-2, NI 5439 and HI 8498(d) - have reconfirmed their resistance to Ug99.

 

The Directorate of Wheat Research under ICAR has released 450 tonne of breeder seeds of 11 wheat varieties resistant to Ug99 during 2007-08.

Under the BGRI network, CIMMYT has collaborated to put up a stem rust screening facility at Njoro in Kenya. A full time research team on wheat stem rust, assisted by the project on Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat and coordinated by Cornell University, provides the necessary technical support to facilitate and screen advanced wheat materials with potential for their resistance to Ug99 or its variants. -

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