A training program on the International Model for Policy Analysis of Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT)

The CCAFS project team at IFPRI in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) team organized a 5-day capacity building workshop at the ICAR - National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NIAP). The workshop was conducted on IFPRI’s IMPACT model and was attended by scientists and senior scientists working in various ICAR institutes, particularly in NIAP. The training course introduced the IMPACT methodology, theory and scenario design to the participants. The course helped them gain an understanding on scenarios and scenario analysis. Participants learned how to use the network of models that make up IMPACT, how each module work and how they interact. They further learned to use IMPACT simulations, to design and run scenarios in IMPACT, and access and use IMPACT results correctly

Data issues in analyzing agri-food trade in BIMSTEC: Challenges and recommendations

The focus of research on international trade has recently shifted from industries and countries to firms. Firm heterogeneity is shown to be a determinant of trade at both the intensive margin (increase exports per firm/product) and extensive margins (the number of firms exporting – new products, new partners, new varieties, and new prices). It is now widely accepted that exporting firms are larger, comparatively productive, more skilled, and capital-intensive, and pay higher wages than non-exporting firms. The innovations in international trade literature that explains both the emergence as well as levels and the nature of trade flows through value chain integration necessitates examining trade-based exchanges at the highest possible levels of product disaggregation. Developments in trade theory emphasize that it is individual firms not countries that trade and analysis needs to incorporate firm characteristics in decisions and ability for exporting and importing. Firms are the appropriate unit of analysis for trade flows. It helps several paradoxes once the import of firm heterogeneity is understood. Despite the substantive importance of granular level data and the significant level of disaggregated product-level bilateral trade flow data and enhanced computing power that are becoming available, most studies have tended to rely on analysis with high level of aggregation. Recent research on firm heterogeneity in international trade highlights the importance of extensive margins i.e., new products, new partners, new varieties, and cumulative of these i.e., new prices in trade patterns and firms' responses to trade liberalization and other policy changes. However, the high dimensionality of the data and the large number of responses to changes can easily overwhelm researchers. Additionally, bigger data sets may contain more noise, which can mask important systematic patterns. In analysis of trade flows, notwithstanding the rising incidence of differentiated products (varieties) and value chains that transcend national boundaries, methods in agri-food trade analysis in particular have not kept pace in terms of empirical methods and suitable data

ROLE OF CARBON SOURCE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF L-GLUTAMINASE FROM ASPERGILLUS ORYZAE

Microbial glutaminases are more stable than plant and animal counterparts. In addition to it, they have also been detected in mammalian tissues where they are the major enzymes responsible for catabolic breakdown of glutamine. This study were taken up to the enhance the biosynthesis of L-glutaminase by supplementation of carbon sources were employed in range of 0.25% to 1.0%. The carbon source were supplemented are glucose, fructose and lactose. In case of monosaccharides (fructose) the maximum L-glutaminase production of 494.1 IU was observed at 1% and where as disaccharides like lactose yielded maximum L-glutaminase of 343.5 IU.Key words: L-glutaminase, submerged fermentation, fructose, Aspergillus oryzaeÂ

Situation report on Nepal’s agrifood systems : February 2023

Our assessment of the status of the agri-food system in Nepal during February of 2023 is ‘green’, with data suggesting that prices have remained relatively stable or have followed expected seasonal trends that are unlikely to have caused unusual challenges for smallholder farmers and poor consumers. In December and January of 2022, food prices were generally stable (rice, pulses, and edible oils) or declining (potatoes and tomatoes). The exception was wheat flour, whose price continued its upward trend since mid-2022. This will adversely affect consumers of wheat products, but the availability and stable price of rice as a cereal substitute could to some extent reduce the negative economic impact consumers. The price of lentils and black gram have remained stable, while the prices of potatoes and tomatoes have declined, following an expected seasonal pattern. Edible oil prices have also been stable. As a result of high transport costs, prices for foods generally remain higher in remote areas of the mid-hills, negatively affecting poor consumers that lack significant opportunity for production and marketing

Situation report on Nepal’s agrifood systems : January 2023

The macroeconomic situation of Nepal remains largely stable. In the absence of new shocks, price fluctuations are likely to remain relatively small. Moderate increases in rice prices have a slight negative effect on consumer welfare but may benefit farmers: Although rice farmers who produce a surplus for sale gain from higher prices, urban households and net buyers in rural areas are more numerous and lose from higher prices. Wheat prices are increasing: In November 2022, food prices were generally stable (rice, pulses, and edible oils) or declining (potatoes and tomatoes). The exception was wheat flour, whose price continued its upward trend since mid-2022 into January. This will adversely affect consumers of wheat products, but the availability and stable price of rice will mute the impact on consumers. The urban poor feel the consequences of price changes most acutely: The most adverse effect of higher rice prices is on the urban poor, who spend a relatively large share of their budget on rice and other staples

Situation report on Nepal’s agrifood systems : March 2023

As in the previous month, available data suggest Nepal’s agrifood system remained economically stable during March of 2023. Prices largely followed anticipated trends. Despite minor challenges that are likely to have been caused by other factors such as credit access problems for small businesses, no major threats to food or economic security were observed during the last month. Inflation in food and beverage prices is marginally higher than the previous year: The cost of food and beverages increased by 6.2 percent in February 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. This was marginally higher than the 5.6 percent annual inflation in January 2023 and 5.9 percent in December 2022. Cereal prices remain high even after a decent paddy harvest: Annual inflation in the price of cereals and their products increased from 9.6 percent in January 2023 to 12.4 percent in February 2023. This is despite a 7 percent increase domestic paddy production compared to the last year. The continuing embargo on the export of broken rice and quotas on wheat exports by India may contribute to high prices for cereals in Nepal. Rice growers, especially those with larger landholdings who are net sellers of the crop, are likely to gain from high prices. High cereal prices will affect poor households. The average household in Nepal spends one fourth of its food budget on cereal-based products. Poor households spend a larger share of their food budget on cereals. Persistently high prices of cereals will hurt them more. Ongoing liquidity challenges and access to finance: A range of challenges related to lending, purchase of agricultural inputs, purchase of agricultural products, repayment of loans, and were reported during the last month, although they do not appear to be usually intense compared to previous months. Although farmers seem to be on track for maize and vegetable plating in the spring, these issues loom and are could affect farmers’ ability to reliably profit from the upcoming wheat crop and potentially the spring maize and vegetable crops. This could in turn negatively affect loan repayment rates

Situation report on Nepal’s agrifood systems : April 2023

Nepal’s agrifood system remained economically stable during March of 2023. The year-on-year inflation in food and beverage prices has cooled down to 5.6% compared to 7.5% in Feb/March 2022. Field reports however suggest that this downward movement in prices have not yet translated to substantial changes in the cost of consumer and agricultural market goods. Inflation in food and beverage prices is marginally lower than the previous year: The cost of food and beverages increased by 5.6 percent from March 2022 to March 2023. A sharp 8.8 percent decline in the price of vegetables compared to last year helped lower the inflation in food prices. Food inflation was the highest in the mid-hills and mountains (8.8 percent) and the lowest in the Kathmandu Valley (4.5 percent). Cereal prices remain high even after decent harvests of paddy, maize, and wheat: Annual inflation in the price of cereals and cereal-based processed foods increased from 9.6 percent in January 2023 and 12.4 percent in February 2023 to 14.4 percent in March despite a small increase in the domestic production of paddy and negligible changes in the projected outputs of wheat and maize compared to the last year. The continuing embargo on the export of broken rice and quotas and on wheat exports by India is partly responsible for the persistently high prices of cereals in Nepal. Agricultural laborers experienced a decline in their real wages: Wage rates of agricultural laborers increased by 4.7 percent over the 12 months leading up to March 2023, less than the 7.4 percent increase in the overall consumer price index (CPI) and the 5.6 percent increase in food prices. In effect, real wages of agricultural laborers in rural areas have declined. In many areas, the poorest Nepali families may depend on agricultural labor and spend a larger share of their household budget on cereals and cereal products whose prices have increased by 9-14 percent over the past 12 months. The recent rise in consumer prices—the highest since 2016-17— will have the largest negative effect on these households. Stable production despite fertilizer shortages: Favorable weather conditions and the availability of quality seeds allowed farmers to increase production of paddy and maintain wheat and maize production despite inconsistent chemical fertilizers. Reductions in fertilizer subsidies: In March of 2023, the Government of Nepal announced a reduction in nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium fertilizer subsidies alongside a large increase in import of fertilizers from abroad. While farmers already tend to pay higher than subsidized prices for farmers, the dramatic reduction in subsidies could increase prices and potentially introduce further instability in fertilizer markets in the short term. This is anticipated to hurt cash-strapped smallholder farmers the most, with potential negative implications for agrovets who may have insufficiently stocked fertilizers for sale prior to the decreases in subsidy

Situation report on Nepal’s agrifood systems : June 2023

Data from May indicates a persistent trend of modest price increases in Nepal. Year-on-year inflation for food and beverage prices was recorded at 5.5 percent, which, though lower compared to 6.9 percent in the previous month and significantly less than in April and May 2022, still denotes an escalation in food prices from an already elevated base. While the high inflation rate impacts all consumers, it is likely to disproportionately strain the finances of the poor, potentially jeopardizing food security. Moreover, the inflation rates for non-food items and services surged to 8.9 percent. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) experienced a somewhat milder increase compared to the Wage Rate Index, registering a 7.4 percent growth as opposed to 7.6 percent. Persistence of high prices for cereals: In April and May of 2023, Nepal did not experience a decrease in staple food prices; instead, there was a slight uptick of 0.5 percent in cereal prices, which were already elevated. In contrast, prices for other food commodities, with the exception of spices, fruits, and milk and eggs, decreased in May 2023. The sustained high prices of staple foods are concerning for the economic well-being of Nepal's poorer households. Agricultural and industrial laborers continued to experience a decline in their real wages: Between April and May, the average wage rates for agricultural and industrial laborers increased marginally by 0.15 percent, whereas the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 1.1 percent during the same period. This indicates a slight decline in real wages. However, wage indices for industrial laborers, such as construction workers, fared better, with increases of 1.0 percent in April and 0.6 percent in May. Consumer price indices depicted spatial variability: In May of 2023, the CPI in the Kathmandu Valley, Terai, Hill, and Mountain rose to 7.7 percent, 7.2 percent, 7.6 percent, and 7.1 percent, respectively. Inflation in these regions was 7.4 percent, 8.2 percent, 7.9 percent, and 8.2 percent during the same period of last year

Risk management and prevention of antibiotics resistance: The PREVENT IT project

Background: Globally, a significant increase in the emergence of antibiotic resistant (ABR) path-ogens has rendered several groups of antibiotics ineffective for the treatment of life-threatening infections. It is an endemic in hospital settings and a major concern while handling pathogens involved in an epidemic or pandemic. ABR is a matter of great concern due to its recusant impact on public health and cost to the healthcare system, especially in developing country like India. An indiscriminate and inappropriate usage of antimicrobials, poor infrastructure and sanitation are the major factors driving the evolution of ABR in such countries. Therefore, in addition to the devel-opment of novel therapeutics and safeguarding the efficacy of existing antibiotics, there is an ur-gent need for a programme focussed on the education in risk management and prevention of ABR. Aim: To promote qualitative teaching activities in academia and society to visualize a future where every individual is aware of ABR and empowered with right education to address the issue. Methods: The project ‘Risk Management and Prevention of Antibiotics Resistance - PREVENT IT’, funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union, converges academicians and non-government organizations (NGOs) to inculcate a sense of awareness towards the increase in the frequency of ABR pathogens, judicial usage of antimicrobials and the economic/health burden of ABR, in students, academicians, clinicians and population at large. Expected outcome: The project commissioned envisages a behavioural change in individuals and attempts to support policymakers by executing stable changes in the curricula of institutes of higher education, developing advanced workshop modules for the training of academicians and disseminating ABR-related information through conferences/seminars, social media campaigns and an online platform dedicated to ABR. In addition, the project aims to develop a European-Indian network for the management of risk and prevention of ABR. &nbsp