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As of March 2023, Pakistani authorities still ban genetically engineered (GE) oilseed imports. While they have made some progress in developing a system to allow for GE oilseed imports, uncertainty regarding when that system will be operative clouds the outlook for oilseed imports.

For marketing year (MY) 2023/24, Post forecasts cotton imports at 8.5 million bales. Post reduced its MY 2022/23 cotton import and consumption estimates on high global prices, slowdown of the Bangladeshi economy, and production disruptions due to power shortages.

The potential to introduce U.S. origin food processing ingredients into the Indian market remains strong, due to rising demand for snacking and consumer-oriented food products.

FAS Mumbai estimates marketing year (MY) 2023/24 India cotton production at 25.5 million 480 lb. bales on 12.4 million hectares area planted, a decrease from the previous year due to the expectation that farmers will shift cotton acreage to higher return crops such as oilseeds and pulses.

FAS New Delhi (Post) forecasts India’s market (MY) 2023/2024 (April-March) wheat production at 108 million metric tons (MMT) resulting from 31.9 million hectares.

Despite a slight reduction in planted area, 2023/2024 wheat production is forecast to reach 27.0 million tons, two percent higher than last year. With consumption growth expected to outstrip the increase in production, 2023/24 wheat imports are forecast to reach 2.6 million tons.

Cotton production is forecast to rebound 36 percent to 5.3 million bales in 2023/24. After the flood damaged 2022/23 crop, yields should return to trend, while better returns from competing crops will limit area expansion.

For marketing year (MY) 2023/24, Post forecasts rice harvested area and production at 11.9 million hectares and 37.1 million metric tons (MT), respectively. Post forecasts MY 2023/24 wheat imports at 6.0 million MT, with corn imports at 2.4 million MT.

For marketing year (MY) 2023/24, Post’s soybean import forecast is 2.4 million MT, on Bangladesh rebounding from its current economic slowdown, while local soybean production remains flat.

On March 3, 2023, India’s Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying/Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) published on its website, a revised integrated veterinary health certificate (VHC), that incorporates the DAHD’s sanitary requirements along with those of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) (national food safety authority) food safety requirements.

India’s rapeseed and mustard (rapeseed-mustard) production estimate for marketing year (MY) 2022/2023 (October-September) is forecast to drop slightly to 11.4 million metric tons, harvested from a record 9.2 million hectares following a favorable monsoon performance in the state of Rajasthan.

On February 27, 2022, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified on its website Direction 1-94/FSSAI/SP (Claims and Advertisement)/2017.