Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Agri commodity prices take a knock on forward marketedit
Coincidentally, urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu met agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh at the latter’s residence and sought government procurement of red chillies in Andhra Pradesh and Telengana as farmers are agitated over the fall in market prices. Singh said: “Under the market intervention scheme (MIS), we are providing Rs 5,000/qtl support to chilli growers in the states, and additional Rs 1,250/qtl for packaging.” The farmers’ distress over dip in prices of agricultural produces is not confined to one or two states, but is spread across the country
A digital evangelist to help Mahindra ride the tech waveedit
The white unicorn painting in Mahindra Group’s strategy office, run by former GE veteran Anish Shah, marks the transformational changes taking place at the 72-year-old auto-to-IT conglomerate that hopes to ride the disruption wave sweeping the industry.
Soon, speak to devices in your mother tongue to get things doneedit
Soon enough you’ll be able to talk to your computer or phone to perform any task — right from creating a document to checking how much balance you have in your account and it could be online retailer Amazon driving that transformation. And you could do this in Bhojpuri or even Tulu. “Voice is going to be one of the main interfaces in the way consumers will consume digital services in the future,” Werner Vogels, Amazon’s Chief Technology Officer, told BusinessLine in an interview, while acknowledging that learning local languages such as Tulu, spoken by a relatively small population in coastal Karnataka, is still a challenge.
Sharp meltdown in commodities: interplay of global and local factors at workedit
The universal decline of commodities, mineral as well as agricultural, is a long-term global phenomenon that began in 2013-14. In most of the commodities, the world’s production growth is more than its consumption increase. Slow and jobless economic recovery worldwide, fall in crude oil prices and glut in foodgrains and oilseeds production in successive years are key contributing factors to this trend. China, which once had a seemingly insatiable appetite for commodities, be it crude oil or soybean, is now slowing down. Its raw material consumption is highly dependent on export demand for its finished and intermediate goods.
Iris Scanners Are The New PINedit
For most of us, there isn’t a day in our life that passes without the use of passwords or PINs. And perhaps there also isn’t a day in our life that passes without us mistyping or forgetting and resetting a password or PIN. Mobile phones with small touchless keyboard have made the problem even worse. Thankfully nature has a solution. It is the use of biometrics. Each one of us have unique body features – face, fingerprints, eyes (iris) – that can be used as password or PINs that we will don’t have to remember and we will never forget.
Abundant Robotics raises $10 million to commercialize its apple-picking robotedit
Picking apples may seem like a fun weekend activity, but it’s actually backbreaking manual labor. Abundant Robotics wants to help agricultural growers shoulder this task and today announced funding of $10 million, led by GV, to commercialize its apple-picking robot. Apple growers generate about $50 billion in revenue globally, yet the apple picking process hasn’t undergone any significant change in the last 100 years, says Abundant Robotic’s cofounder and CEO, Dan Steere.
ICT4D Data Jam to hack solutions for agricultureedit
As many as 75 best hackers will come together at ICT4D Data Jam to come out with technology solutions for some of the challenges faced by farmers, a statement said on Wednesday. The two-day hackathon on May 12-13 will be held at ICRISAT at Patancheru near Hyderabad.
Farm income tax can curb black moneyedit
Secondly, it hardly makes sense to keep big farmers and agricultural companies out of purview of the tax department. Companies like Kaveri Seeds and multinational Monsanto India claimed exemption of Rs 186 crore and Rs 94 crore as agricultural income in the year 201415. Surely such companies and farmers owning land above a certain threshold can be brought under the tax net.
On the brink of a crisisedit
By visiting the same flowers of a particular species in one outing, much higher quality pollination occurs — rather than spreading many different pollens to different plants, all plants of one species get an even distribution of vital pollen from others of its same species. The bees are disappearing for one major reason — the use of neonicotinoid pesticides. I have repeatedly asked the government to ban these, but they refuse because they need these terrible pesticides for the GM Cotton crops which Monsanto forced on India by promising that these cotton crops would not need any pesticides at all.
Kerala to house country’s first UN Tech Innovation Labedit
Kerala will house the country’s first UN Technology Innovation Lab that will help the state government design programmes to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN. The state government will soon join hands with the Office of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) of the UN for the purpose. The Kerala Startup Mission will pilot the initiative.
NITI Aayog for more research, less teachingedit
To ensure that investments in research better translate to more products and bolster “innovation and development” The National Institution for the Transformation of India (NITI) Aayog has recommended that faculty at “world class” institutions prioritise research and be allowed to “reduce their teaching responsibility,” if required.
Overhaul of agriculture education system soughtedit
D.P. Biradar, Vice-Chancellor, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, stressed upon the need to overhaul the agriculture education system in India by providing more emphasis on research. He was speaking after inaugurating a national conference titled ‘Postgraduation education in agriculture universities: New paradigms’ at the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences in Shivamogga on Wednesday.
When the pulse rate falls for farmersedit
Farmers in this major arhar-producing district of Maharashtra have reasons to be unhappy with the turn of events in the last one year. After realising prices ranging from Rs 8,000 to as high as Rs 9,500 per quintal last January-February, they have had to sell their crop in the current harvesting season at Rs 4,000-4,500. Worse, the rates haven’t improved even after the peak arrival period is over.
If rich farmers not taxed, spare us alsoedit
One newspaper has articulated the official position when it says that, thanks to fragmentation of land, farming has become unremunerative—it says that while income tax is charged only at incomes of Rs 2.5 lakh a year, a farmer needs to have at least 10 hectares to earn as much. So, quoting an NSS study, it concludes, only a minuscule minority of those with an agriculture income will come into the tax net.
Jute industry opposes dilution of package normedit
The Union food ministry has recommended 7 5% for foodgrain and freeing sugar from jute packaging order, the sources said. In simple terms, the Jute Packaging Materials Act 1987 mandates governments to use jute sackings for mandatory foodgrain and sugar packaging.
Using Israel’s best for India’s agriculture futureedit
Our approach is think global act local. With a humble beginning in India in 1997, Netafim has grown with a CAGR of 20 per cent plus since then and proud to serve today more than 6 lakh farmers. Our objective remained to help Indian farmers ‘Grow More, With Less’. Today, we have a PAN India presence, with 1,500 dealers, 1,000 staff and 3 manufacturing facilities. India has had tremendous potential in agricultural sector and this is what kept us moving and motivating to do better and better.
‘Emphasis on sustainable farming and empowerment of farmers’edit
Keeping farming and farmer central, a substantial provision has been made for development of agriculture sector in this year’s budget. Government is taking special efforts for sustainable farming and empowerment of farmers, stated state Medical Education, Water Resources and District Guardian Minister Girish Mahajan.
Palekar creating a new class of farmersedit
A huge section of farmers are moving away from agriculture due to farming distress and agriculture crisis. However, another class of new age farmers is emerging that either had nothing to do with agriculture till now but taking to agriculture or those who were agriculturist but are switching from chemical-based (fertilizer and pesticides) to natural farming.
RSS think tank SJM accuses Niti Aayog of pursuing anti-poor agendaedit
The Modi government had constituted the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog as a successor to the Planning Commission on January 1, 2015, to foster cooperative federalism. However, barely two-and-a-half years since its creation, the SJM and other Sangh Parivar outfits such as the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party farmers’ cell have in recent weeks protested the support of the Aayog to Genetically Modified (GM) crops and its suggestions that farm incomes be taxed.
Foodgrain prices to be deregulated soon in Maharashtraedit
Maharashtra government is believed to be planning to deregulate foodgrain to facilitate a direct market between farmers and consumers. The new plan is believed to be enthused by farmer’s response to the delisting of vegetables and fruits from the purview of the Agriculture Produce (Marketing & Regulation) Act.
Government will formulate law against MSP: Maharashtra CMedit
Minimum support price (MSP) is a central government announced price for each crop and is the same for all the states. According to the norms, it is binding on the traders to not purchase anything from the farmers for less than the MSP. However, these norms are not followed leading to massive exploitation and losses of the farmers.
Govt clears RS 6,000-crore scheme for processing of foodedit
In A Bid to boost processing and curb wastage of agricultural and marine products, the Cabinet on Wednesday announced a scheme for Agro-Marine Produce Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters (SAlVIPADA) with an outlay of 26,000 crore during 2016 -2020.
Maharashtra plans policy for cluster farming: MSP violations by traders will be punishable, says Fadnavisedit
The objective of the group farming policy is to make agriculture economically feasible for small and marginal farmers with land holding up to 2 hectares or less. The model entails a group of 20 farmers joining hands with 100 hectares of land and working jointly. The state government would provide all incentives and support in terms of crop pattern, scientific farm practices for better water management and intense cropping.
Hailstorm, rain damage crops on 4,228ha land in districtedit
The sudden rain accompanied by hailstorm in the district on Sunday has hit the standing crop and orchards cultivated across 4,228.9 hectare of farmland. In a survey by the district agriculture department after the natural calamity, it was found that around 12,194 farmers were affected in the district. Based on its findings, the department has compiled a report and sent it to senior authorities to decide the future course of action.
Global GMO crop area up 3 pct in 2016 after prior-year dip -studyedit
Plantings of genetically modified (GMO) crops rebounded in 2016 from a decline the prior year, led by increased sowings in Brazil and the United States, according to an annual report released on Wednesday. Biotech crops were planted on a record 185.1 million hectares (457.4 million acres) last year, up 3 percent from the 179.7 hectares (444.0 million acres) planted a year earlier, said the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), the group that released the data.
296 Haryana farmers challaned for burning wheat stubbleedit
Haryana State Pollution Control Board has challaned 296 farmers for burning wheat stubble in their fields . Haryana environment minister Vipul Goel said the action was part of the special drive carried out in the state over the past three days.
Farm in Trouble, All isn’t Right with Allies tooedit
While the agrochemicals sector reported lack-lustre business in the two states, the fertilizer sector maintained its sales during the drought years, claimed industry associations. The hybrid seeds sector was impacted during bad monsoons, with farmers shifting trust to traditional non-hybrid seeds.
Farmers uncertain about future as yields failed to cover input costsedit
Not farther than 25 km from the Cholaera Grand Anicut that symbolises Tamil Nadu’s agricultural prowess, Pudhukudi wilts in ironic distress. Its farms, indistinguishable from fallow, barely pass as sparse grazing fields for the scrawny cattle braving the midsummer heat as farmers desolately stare into the distance. As the heat peaks post noon, village youth drive the goats and cows into pens attached to houses lest they meander on to the highway .
NASA images show massive upsurge in crop burningedit
Noting that this was the season for slow burning of wheat straws, petitioner Vikrant Tongad said the green tribunal sought an explanation for why this practice continued despite the ban. “We submitted photographs to the NGT which prompted the court to seek a compliance report from Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan on the action taken against erring farmers, fines levied on them and the subsidy that has to be given to farmers to tackle this situation,” he said.
Rain damages crops worth Rs. 50 cr in Tripuraedit
Agriculture minister Aghore Debbarma said pre-monsoon rain and a series of Nor’westers caused untold damage to Sepahijala, Gomati and south Tripura districts while other districts were relatively less affected. Jhum cultivation also suffered damages. “The situation has worsened with insurance companies dragging their feet on paying insurance money for crop loss under the much-hyped ‘Prime Minister’s Fasal Bima Yojana’,” alleged Debbarma.
Technology in Agriculture
Monsanto scraps deal to sell Precision Planting to Deereedit
Monsanto Co (MON.N) has terminated an agreement to sell its Precision Planting LLC farm equipment business to machinery maker Deere & Co (DE.N), the companies said on Monday, ending a legal fight with antitrust authorities over the deal. The U.S. Department of Justice last August filed a lawsuit to block the sale, arguing the deal could make it more expensive for farmers to use fast, precise planting technology. The planned sale was originally announced in late 2015. Financial terms were not disclosed.