Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Assam farmers don’t have money to buy seeds or employ labour after demonetizationedit
Demonetisation of high denomination currency notes has badly hit agricultural activities across Assam, as cash-starved farmers are finding it hard to pay agricultural labourers, demanding wages in advance, that too in Rs 100 denomination. After the announcement of the demonetisation of currency by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chaos has gripped the nation.
Farm turnaroundedit
The long overdue increase in minimum support prices (MSP) announced for the rabi crops, the highest since 2011-12, is a welcome measure to transfer higher incomes to farmers. Better prices, after a good monsoon, should encourage farmers to bring more acreage under cultivation of winter crops such as wheat, certain pulses and oilseeds. The MSP for pulses and oilseeds have been increased between 10 and 16 per cent, while that for wheat has been raised by 6.6 per cent on the recommendation of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.
Officials submit crop loss report to Central teamedit
Severe crop loss has been estimated in 1.98 lakh hectares of land in Ballari district for the kharif season in view of the deficient rainfall. Crops had been sown in 3.69 lakh hectares in the district. In a report submitted to the Central drought assessment team when it visited here recently, the district administration has said that the district recorded deficient rainfall during August, September and October, resulting in loss of standing crop in rainfed areas.
Corn prices fall post-demonetisation, arrivals take a hitedit
Maize prices weakened during the last week after the government’s demonetisation move, which also resulted in slowdown in arrivals as large value notes were not available for cash transactions at the market yards across the country, according to the US Grains Council (USGC). “In India, post November 8 demonetisation move, the maize arrivals seem to have come down, but at the same time, prices have also come down and large denomination currency was not available for cash transactions at the market yards across the country,” USGC Representative for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Amit Sachdev said.
Farmers and wholesalers forced to sell produce at half the rateedit
Farmers trying to sell produce at the city’s Mahatma Phule market, popularly known as Cotton Market, are facing tough times. The cash crunch induced by the demonetization has led to sales nose diving, and farmers are being forced to offload farm produce at half the expected value.
Halt in cash flow turns farm workers joblessedit
The cash-driven agriculture sector in the state has been hit badly by the demonetisation of Rs1000 and Rs500 notes because 5,291 out of the 8,471 panchayats in the state have no banking facility. The cash crisis has hit the agriculture sector when it was expecting bumper crop after receiving the highest rainfall in monsoon season this year as compared to the past five years. This sector employs about 70% of the state’s population and contributes around 18% to the state GDP.
Demonetisation may leave 30% of cultivable wheat land barren in US Nagaredit
The Modi-government’s demonetisation drive is threatening to disrupt sowing of wheat crop in the Terai region. The announcement made on November 8 has left farmers in the region high and dry with adequate but invalid currency notes in the form of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.
Currency crunch hits rabi sowingedit
Sowing rabi crops gram and wheat has taken a hit because of the ongoing cash crunch in several parts of the country, including Maharashtra. A senior official of the state agriculture department told TOI that farmers were unable to buy seeds and fertilizers because of cash crunch, leading to drop in sowing area of rabi crops. “The rabi sown area till November this year is less than that in last year due to a combination of late kharif harvesting and the recent demonetization issue,” the official said.
Bangladesh to cancel wheat import tenderedit
Bangladesh will cancel an international tender to import 50,000 tonnes of wheat, citing higher prices, two officials from the state grains procurement agency said on Wednesday. Singapore-based Agrocorp made the lowest offer of $248.26 a tonne, including CIF liner out, in the tender, which was the first for the current fiscal year that began in July.
Demonetisation may lead to rise in wheat priceedit
The demonetisation, which has also effected the farming practices, may result in a hike in wheat prices in future. Farmers are unable to purchase seeds, necessary fertilizers and other important things in absence of lower denomination currency notes, delaying the sowing of wheat crop. And the delay may bring a rise in wheat rates ultimately increasing the prices of various food items.
46 Kisan Seva Kendras to boost farmers, agriculture in Vidarbhaedit
To boost farmers and agriculture, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has developed 46 Kisan Seva Kendras (KSKs)—petrol/diesel pumps with outlet for agriculture production and awareness in remote location of Vidarbha. The KSKs have been developed as IOCL’s social gesture towards rural public.
Plasticulture to play a major role in doubling farmers’ income by 2022edit
Demonetisation: Prices at retail agricultural markets stableedit
More than a week after demonetisation of R500 and R1,000 banknotes, which led to a drop in arrivals of fruits and vegetables (F&V) and transactions at the Azadpur mandi in Delhi, the prices have not seen a sharp spike in the retail markets so far. Experts say due to the cash crunch, supplies of essential commodities like F&Vs and milk have not disrupted to a large extent as a major chunk of transactions between wholesale dealers and retailers is being done through credit.
ISRO adopts drought-hit Brahmasandra to help farmersedit
Antrix Corporation Limited, marketing arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has adopted the Brahmasandra village in the Sira taluk of Tumakuru district in an effort to improve the quality of life of farmers and prevent suicides caused by acute financial distress. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, Antrix will implement the endeavour with help from the Bharatia Agro-Industries Foundation, for which it has earmarked Rs. 3.81 crore over a period of five years.
Technology in Agriculture
Rajasthan government to open over 2,600 farm equipment renting centres for farmersedit
Rajasthan plans to open over 2,600 hiring centres at the panchayat samiti level in the next three years to enable the state’s farmers to rent farming equipment, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said on Wednesday. She was speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) 2016, which kicked off here on Wednesday. It has been jointly organised by the state government and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.