Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Farmers stare at uncertain futureedit
Kuttanad farmers are likely to put on hold Puncha farming (3rd paddy crop) on account of the cash crunch caused by the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes by the Union government. The government’s move had come even as about 3,200 farmers were gearing up for cultivation at around 27,000 hectares in the region. Some had completed sowing in around 5,000 hectares. But all the preparations will come to a grinding halt as none of the farmers have enough money with them to begin farming. According to estimates each farmer needs at least about Rs 23,000 per acre to meet the expenses.
How Demonetisation Has Affected India’s Agricultural And Food Marketsedit
India’s ₹17 lakh-crore agricultural and food markets, from the mandi to the neighbourhood grocer, are at a standstill. Demonetisation has vacuumed liquidity from this virtually cash-only economy that provides livelihood to half the population. Prices have crashed and fresh produce lies rotting. The situation indeed appears dire. Business is forecast to revive only after people in 7,500-plus mandis and 600,000 villages are re-stocked with new currency. Yet, those with the courage to look beyond this doomsday scenario can spot the proverbial rainbow.
Farmers say time running out for rabi, warn of shortageedit
On a day the government increased the cash withdrawal limit for farmers to Rs 25,000 per week, crop growers in Gautam Budh Nagar warned the measure might not be adequate because the sowing season is already under way and farmers have not been able to procure enough seeds because of the cash crunch. The effect, they feared, would be felt six months later in the form of a shortage of wheat in the market since farmers across the country are facing the same plight.
Farmers fear lost crops and income after “black money” moveedit
For farmer Buddha Singh, who works a small plot of land in the village of Bajna south of New Delhi, the government’s decision to abolish 500 and 1,000 rupee bank notes to crush the shadow economy could hardly have come at a worse time.
Wheat crop in danger due to demonetizationedit
Demonetization is affecting sowing of wheat crop which started from November 10 onwards. Due to cash crunch, farmers are facing problems in purchasing seeds and fertilizers, leading to a delay in sowing of the crop. Wheat production in Agra region takes place over than five lakh hectare land. Farmers are reaching government and private stores to purchase seeds and fertilizers. But they are disappointed as even seed and fertilizer centers are not accepting old currency notes.
Punjab: Farmers manage to sow around 70% of wheat; arthiyas to the rescueedit
Sowing has been going on smoothly and the area covered is higher than last season despite a double jeopardy situation for farmers in the peak wheat sowing season. Although farmers were still awaiting payment for their crop when the government pulled out the Rs 500/1,000 notes, it does not appear to have affected sowing despite concerns expressed by some farmers last week.
Make In Odisha Caravan Reaches Delhi for Its Final Leg of Countrywide Roadshowedit
After completing successful roadshows at Hyderabad & Kolkata, today the final leg of Make in Odisha Conclave roadshows culminated in the capital city, New Delhi. The primary focus sectors of the State Government include agro and sea food processing, electronics manufacturing, chemicals and petrochemicals, textiles, ancillary and downstream industries and tourism. The state govt is focusing at developing Odisha as the Manufacturing Hub of Eastern India.
Not business as usual at APMCs across Gujaratedit
The 91 major agriculture produce marketing committees (AMPCs) or market yards in Gujarat are seen an unrelenting inertia and are now reluctantly conducting business. APMCs are reporting turnover barely 10% or 15% of regular days. As many restart normal operations in the days to come, traders expect pricing pressure on foodgrain.
Odisha doubles farmers income, lags behind in irrigation: Naveen Patnaikedit
Expressing satisfaction over the NSSO report that said Odisha is the only state in the country to have doubled the income of farmers, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday admitted that irrigation facilities in the state could not be improved to the desired level. “I am extremely happy that as per the Government of India’s NSSO report, Odisha is the only state to have doubled the income of farmers in real terms in the country between 2003 to 2013,” Patnaik said while addressing the third meeting of the Agriculture cabinet here.
Project to attract and retain youth in agricultureedit
An interaction meeting on “Attracting and retaining youth in Agriculture (ARYA)”, a project sanctioned by the Indian Council of Agriculture (ICAR) is being implemented at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Thirupathisagaram in Kanniyakumari district. A release issued by KVK here on Wednesday, said that the main objective of the project was to provide complete knowledge and skill on processing, value addition and marketing of coconut and banana products through capacity building programmes involving research and development organizations.
Let farmers buy seeds with old notes, says Agriculture Minister; Finance says noedit
While allowing farmers to draw up to Rs 25,000 per week against crop loans, the Finance Ministry has turned down the request of the Agriculture Ministry to permit farmers to purchase seeds using demonetised currencies of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. At a meeting on Tuesday, the Department of Economic Affairs cited the surge of deposits in Jan Dhan accounts to counter Agriculture’s request for allowing demonetised currencies for seed purchase. It argued that this may become a conduit to offload black money.
Winter crop may be affected by cash ban: Farmersedit
Rabi crops which are usually planted post Gurupurab may be affected because of the ongoing currency crunch. Farmers of Greater Noida reported on Thursday that post the cash ban on November 8, farmers have not been able to transact to procure seeds or other essentials as most of them have notes of high denomination. “These two weeks of November are crucial for farmers who plant wheat in the winter. So many are not being able to plant the winter crops. The effect of this will be felt in six months’ time. Also with there being no cash in the market the buy and sell of agro-products and milk, have suffered as people have stopped picking ...
Agriculture: More from lessedit
India lives in villages and agriculture is the soul of Indian economy Mahatma Gandhi Most of the world’s poor people earn their living from agriculture, so if we knew the economics of agriculture, we would know much of the economics of being poor Theodore Schultz, Nobel laureate. Agriculture is the mainstay for Indian economy, as 60 per cent of rural population still depends upon agriculture and its allied activities. As per NSS data average annual income of the median farmer net of production costs from cultivation is less than Rs 20,000 (average per capita income at current prices is about 98000 per annum in India)Post independence agricultural success Chronic food shortages of 1960s, have given way to ...
‘Which farmer will use Paytm to transfer money?’edit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation scheme has hit the farmer doubly hard in this fertile Doab region, coinciding as it does with the harvest and impending sowing season. The Centre has increased the limit for cash withdrawal by farmers up to ₹25,000 per week. This calculation is meaningless for the farmers, who mostly deal with cash borrowed from moneylenders.