India in talks with China for market access, says Nirmala

India is in discussion with China on the issue of allowing market access to Indian products including buffalo meat.

“Not just buffalo meat, but there are many other issues on which market access is not available, and we have been talking with them on every such item so that legitimate exports from India will have to find market access in China, and the work is going on,” Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said to a query in Lok Sabha.

An issue was also raised about the closure of slaughter houses in Uttar Pradesh during Question Hour, seeking the government’s concerns on that.

Nirmala said that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was talking of closing down only illegal slaughter houses.

“What has been done in Uttar Pradesh is about the illegal slaughter houses... Be it meat or be it anything else, we do not want anything happening illegally. The chief minister himself has stated it very clearly. He is talking about illegal slaughter houses being shut. On that there cannot be a difference of opinion,” she said.

To another question on why the government was importing pulses on the rate double than it was available in the domestic market, the minister said that it was done to maintain sufficient buffer stock. “We are comprehensively having our approach to ensure that there is sufficient buffer stock which is necessary for keeping enough stocks of pulses so that there is no fluctuation in the market,” she said.

Ministry mulls separate logistics unit
The Commerce Ministry is working on a proposal to set up a separate logistics unit to deal with the issues, including rising costs, that are impacting global competitiveness of exporters.

There is no single department or ministry at present to look at all the aspects related to logistics covering various modes of shipment such as sea, roads and railways.

According to sources, the proposal is under discussion with the ministries concerned.

Exporters too have demanded for a specific department to deal with the issues related to logistics.