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FAS New Delhi (Post) lowers the market year (MY) 2022/2023 rice production forecast to 122 MMT on reduced plantings and yields in the major rice growing states in the Gangetic Plains as result of drought-like conditions.

India’s centrifugal sugar (sugar) production forecast in marketing year (MY) 2022/23 (October-September) is unchanged from the previous estimate of 35.8 million metric tons (MMT), equivalent to 33.4 MMT of crystal white sugar. Yields from favorable rainfall in Maharashtra and Karnataka are offset by slightly reduced production in Uttar Pradesh due to an erratic 2022 monsoon.

On September 14, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued directive F.No. STD/SP-18/T (Vegan Foods). The directive provides logo specifications for vegan foods.

FAS New Delhi (Post) forecasts marketing year (MY) 2022/23 (August-July) Indian almond imports (shelled-basis) at 148,000 metric tons (MT) a slight decrease from MY 2021/22, as food inflation volatility, rupee depreciation, and global shipping challenges are likely to persist in the near term, impacting price.

This GAIN-INDIA report corrects the India Cotton Production, Supply and Distribution (PSD) table in GAIN-INDIA | IN2022-0076 | Cotton and Products Update – First Update 2022/2023. While the text of the report correctly states the forecasts, the PSD table erroneously lists the years as 2019/2020, 2020/2021, and 2021/2022.

FAS Mumbai (Post) forecasts marketing year (MY) 2022/23 cotton production at 27.7 million 480 lb. bales on an area of 12.8 million hectares. The current sowing progress indicates that farmers are preferring to plant higher cotton area due to prevailing high market prices. Indian yields are expected to improve by three percent due to above normal rains in major cotton growing regions.

India’s national cattle herd inventory in marketing year (MY) 2023 (January-December) is forecast marginally higher at 307.4 million head. India’s MY 2023 production of carabeef (meat derived from the Asian domestic water buffalo) and beef is forecast at 4.42 million metric tons (MMT), an increase of two percent from the current year’s estimate on continued restrictive policies on slaughter of bovine animals.

India’s soybean production estimate for marketing year (MY) 2022/23 (October-September) is slightly lowered to 11.4 million metric tons (MMT) because of the impacts of the delayed and erratic 2022 monsoon. Cumulative edible oil imports in the October 2021 to June 2022 period have increased one percent to 10.l MMT, and crude palm oil remains the primary consumed oil.

On August 18, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued clarification (No. TIC-20012/2/2021-IMPORTS-FSSAI) that its requirement for AGMARK (an Indian certification mark), prior to import of blended edible vegetable oils (BEVO), is kept in abeyance (suspended) until further notice.

On August 16, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued Clarification No. 1831/Misc./FSSAI/Imports/2022 pertaining to microbial testing requirements for imported food products.

On August 3, 2022, the Plant Quarantine Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, published the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) (Third Amendment) Order, 2022.

Managing the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, Prime Minister Modi’s National Democratic Alliance led government’s focus is shifting to steering the Indian economy back to pre-pandemic growth levels, and contain inflation within a reasonable range. India...