Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Interview: Agriculture is not unorganised but unprotected sector, says Medha Patkaredit
Media India Group – Online
There have been allegations as to why only Punjab and Haryana farmers protesting and not the farmers from rest of India? What do you have to say to that?
Any government, whenever they are challenged as the power holders, always try and condemn the movements and try to underestimate the force and the strength. It is very obvious that the Punjab and Haryana are at the forefront and there is a nucleus in these two states of the farmers movement today. But it is very clear that farmers’ organisations all over India came together as an alliance when there was a murderous attack on the farmers of Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh and that alliance now ...
National Agriculture Education Dayedit
The Tribune – Online
National Agriculture Education Day was celebrated at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni. Dr PK Mahajan, Director of Extension Education, gave an overview of various programmes of the university. VC Kaushal dwelt upon the role of agriculture in India and urged students to be part of the agricultural revolution. He also highlighted the role of schools in motivating students to take up agriculture as a profession. Over 75 students from St Lukes, MRA DAV and Gurukul International school attended it online. A declamation contest on “Importance and scope of agricultural education with special emphasis on horticulture and forestry” was held where Nikshubha bagged the first position, while Preetika and Varnika stood second and ...
Agriculture Is India’s Ray of Hope in Time of Crisisedit
Fair Observer – Online
As India completes 73 years of independence, agriculture has emerged as a mainstay of the economy. Despite the COVID-19 crisis, Indian agriculture is poised to grow by an estimated 3% in 2020-21. Shaktikanta Das, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has acknowledged that agriculture remains a “beacon of hope” at a time the economy is shrinking.
The government has announced a new agricultural policy that has drawn both supporters and detractors. Farmer protests have broken out in parts of the country. About 50,000 have marched to New Delhi from the agrarian state of Punjab, objecting to the loosening of price, storage and sales regulations that have traditionally shielded India’s farmers from the free market forces
CLAAS Mentions
Claas pops champagne corks for 25th anniversary of Lexion launchedit
Norths Queenland register – Online
Claas is popping the champagne corks for the 25th anniversary of the launch of its Lexion combine harvesters.
The global success story started with the 480, the world’s first combine harvester to incorporate the patented APS Hybrid system.
Claas Harvest Centre product manager for Lexion Steve Reeves said the APS Hybrid was recognised as a breakthrough in harvesting technology at the time,.
“It combines an accelerated pre-separation system with twin longitudinal rotors for residual grain separation,” he said.
“This allows the Lexion to operate more efficiently and longer in all crop types and harvesting conditions.
“APS accelerates the crop flow to 20 metres a second, meaning 70 per cent ...
Dairy Farming
Amul enters Andhra Pradesh to revive dairy cooperativesedit
The New Indian Express – Online
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday launched AP-Amul Paala Velluva—a major initiative to empower women, revive the cooperative dairy movement in the state, and provide Rs 4-7 additional price for a litre of milk to dairy farmers.
The project’s first phase commenced in 400 villages of three districts—Prakasam, Kadapa and Chittoor; it will be extended to 9,899 villages across the state in a phased manner. Bulk milk cooling units and automated milk collection centres will be set up with a total investment of Rs 3,000 crore.
Stubble Burning
Delhi Dialogue Commission partners with think tank to combat pollutionedit
HindustanTimes – Online
Delhi government’s policy think tank, Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD), has entered into a “strategic partnership” with Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy (Vidhi) to address the issue of air pollution in the national capital.
According to the MoU signed on December 3, both institutions will work closely to suggest and analyse policy and legal reforms to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
Jasmine Shah, vice-chairperson, DDCD, said innovative solutions like odd-even road rationing scheme, the introduction of the EV policy, and the PUSA bio decomposer as an alternative to stubble burning, have been launched by Delhi government to tackle air pollution under chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. She said the CM is hopeful that the present collaboration ...
Court orders fine for stubble burningedit
The International News – Online
The Lahore High Court on Thursday ordered the provincial government to impose Rs50,000 fine on the violators of the ban on crop stubble burning in addition to strict implementation of zigzag technology by the brick kiln industry.
Justice Shahid Karim passed the order while hearing different petitions relating to the environmental issues, including the growing smog. A report submitted on behalf of a court-made environment commission stated that 476 industrial units and brick kilns were inspected to ensure compliance of the smog related measures. It said 170 units had been sealed for greenhouse gas emissions while cases had been registered against 66 units for violation of Provincial Disaster Management Authority’s directions.
Here’s a useful and different way of tackling stubble burningedit
My Nation – Online
The issue of burning stubble in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana has become a menace. It has polluted the air to such an extent that it has become unbreathable.
Though different governments have tried their best to resolve the issue, it continues to haunt all the people. Now, reports are that scientists have developed a capsule that readies the land for the next sowing season.
Called the ‘decomposer capsule’, it is a composition of eight microbes, will help ready the land for the sowing of the next crop without the farmers burning the crop residue. Four capsules, which will cost just Rs 20, can be used to make 25 litre of solution effective for ...
Pusa: Could a Tech Solution Solve the Socioeconomic Issue of Stubble Burning?edit
Science the Wire – Online
Indian scientists have developed an organic composting solution that farmers can use as an alternative to burning crop stubble. Capsules containing various fungi were developed by microbiologists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) at Pusa in New Delhi.
The city bears the brunt of polluting smoke wafting from across the fields of neighbouring Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh states as farmers burn rice stubble to prepare for new planting in October and November each year. This, combined with colder temperatures, humidity and lack of wind leads to pollution getting trapped during the autumn.
Tractor industry
Tractor Industry Shows Upward Trend in November as Sonalika, Escorts Register Double-Digit Sales Growthedit
News18 – Online
The tractor industry in India continues to show upward growth for straight months, beating the lockdown blues. Both Escorts Ltd Agri Machinery Segment (EAM) and Sonalika Tractors, India’s leading tractor makers registered double digit growth, highlighting the continuous demand of agri-machines among rural buyers. The Festival period of Dhanteras and Diwali witnessed good footfalls, and factors like higher crop production and easy availability of finance pushed the demand momentum.
Sonalika Tractors clocked a 71% domestic growth in November’20 by selling 11,478 tractors. Cumulatively, Sonalika has overall (Dom + Exports) recorded 92,913 tractors sales in FY’21 YTD (April- Nov’20).