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Plea to decanalise nigerseed exports

Our Bureau

MUMBAI, Aug. 13

EVEN in these times of trade liberalisation and phase out of quantitative restrictions, export of a minor commodity - nigerseed - continues to be governed by the antiquated policy of canalisation. And it is not benefiting anyone.

Currently, export of nigerseed is canalised through the Tribal Marketing Co-operative Federation of India (TRIFED). However, for export to the US, several other co-operatives such as the National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India Lt d (Nafed), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and State co-operative organisations in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh have been allowed to compete.

For long years, the private trade was kept out of nigerseed export. Recently, the Exim policy permitted trade participation, but as associate shippers of Trifed. Ironically, in terms of the policy, private trade is forced to register its export contracts with Trifed (which itself is an exporter) thereby exposing all its international trade contacts. This system enables Trifed to access all buyers worldwide, without any marketing effort.

Traders also complained against the five per cent service charges levied by Trifed. This was too high a fee and would bear no relationship with the services rendered by Trifed, said an exporter. Another area of complaint is the unrealistically high minim um export price which is currently $650 a tonne.

According to Mr. Tushar Tanna, Chairman of Indian Oilseed and Produce Exporters' Association, export of nigerseed should be decanalised forthwith and thrown open to all. He said the birdfeed market in Europe was growing at about 15 per cent per annum and India's restrictive export policy was coming in the way of larger exports.

The association has urged the Commerce Ministry to place nigerseed exports under open general licence and create a level-playing field for all trade participants. ``Higher volumes of export would surely lead to higher domestic prices which in turn would bring remunerative returns to growers'', Mr. Tanna asserted.

A cultivated oilseed, nigerseed is grown in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh etc. Annual output of this oilseed is around two lakh tonnes. There is no big domestic demand for this item, while in the advanced countries of western E urope, the US etc., it is used for feeding wild birds during winter season.