India will form a global alliance with Brazil and Vietnam to protect its interests in cashew trade, Union minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh said. He was talking to reporters here on Friday. It would be loose confederation in the likes of Opec to take decisions that would be beneficial for all the major producers, he said. The concept has been agreed to by the other two nations and the alliance could be finalised in six months? time, he said. The alliance headquarters is likely to be located in Kochi, he added.
Jairam Ramesh also made it clear that the Union government could invoke the Section 16(E) of the Tea Act 1953, to take over estates that have been closed for more than three months. ?A committee has been formed to look into the matter and the government is likely to take over such estates, if the owners are unwilling to open them,? he added. The ministry has received 30 applicants from Kerala for the Special Purpose Tea Fund and it would be dispersed soon, he said.
Regarding the demand for import ban of palm oil through south Indian ports, Jairam Ramesh said that it was not practical and the government is not considering it at the moment, as prices of other edible oil would increase tremendously.
In a separate function, while inaugurating the India International Coir Fair-2007, the minister announced that the Union government had finalised a package of Rs 240 crore for the modernisation of the coir industry. The industry should also exploit the domestic market, as it is largest market in the world, he said. The government will also make the usage of coir geo textiles mandatory in the construction of rural roads to enlarge the market, he said.