Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Intense, more frequent droughtsedit
Consider agriculture. River basins and deltaic regions in South India boast of agricultural traditions that span millennia. But of late, there has been a major shift in their crop and irrigation patterns. The Cauvery delta, for instance, has traditionally been known for paddy cultivation. “But in the past 50 years or so, there has been an increase in the number of cropping cycles a year. People have also shifted from traditional varieties that require less water to high-yielding ones.
Genetically modified mustard no solution for India’s Rs 64,000 crore edible oil import bill, low farm incomeedit
Monsanto, the agro giant behind Bt cotton, earns royalty from Bt cotton seed sales. Proponents for DMH-11 say it has been indigenously developed so pricing should not be an issue. But that still doesn’t justify a switch. “Officials say that GM mustard will increase the yield, but where are the results of the field trials proving this,” questioned Chaudhary.
GM mustard’s a major step forwardedit
After many years of deliberation and debates on agricultural technologies, India finally has good news as the apex regulator, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), has recommended the commercial approval of our first food biotech crop: GM mustard. Developed by a public sector institute, the approval by GEAC of GM mustard is certainly a positive step towards the future which India needs to accept.
Big data analytics makes its way into the Indian agriculture sector through SatSureedit
By working closely with the government and financial institutions, SatSure aims to ensure that the country’s agricultural growth corresponds to our food security, along with the financial security of farmers.
Dry orchards add to A.P. farmers’ woesedit
“Although we have the required material for protective wetting in the district, we haven’t been able to reach the farmers — certainly not all of them — because of ineffective mechanisms. Even though we have ground level staff who continuously monitor the crops, the administrative process is not yet in place,” said a senior officer of the Horticulture Department at Anantapur.
BARC helps develop new preservation technique for litchi fruitsedit
Scientists at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the National Research Centre on Litchi at Muzafarnagar have succeeded in developing a new process for treating litchi and preserving it for 60 days at low temperature. Inaugurating the new litchi processing facility at Muzaffarnar, Bihar, union agriculture and farmers welfare minister Radha Mohan Singh said that this technique will be useful for the litchi producers and businessmen.
Schemes are not planned in AC offices: CM Devendra Fadnavisedit
There are number of issues we are taking up for the betterment of farmers, including starting solar feeders for water pumps and providing continuous power supply. When other states are barely able to provide 60% FRP for sugarcane, Maharashtra is the only state to provide 99% FRP to farmers.”
Save rainwater for a better tomorrowedit
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has launched a major water campaign to cover around 1,00,000 villages in water stressed areas where the ground water is over exploited. They would also be creating awareness among the rural community about the methods of water conservation, preservation and its efficient utilization at various levels using the modern technologies like micro irrigation to generate more crop per drop.
Maha threat: Farmers union warns of cutting supply of veggies, milk unless loans waived offedit
Earlier, Shetti led a foot march from Parel to Byculla after which he called on Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao to hand over the memorandum of demands. Shetti also handed over to Governor 6.5 lakh forms seeking loan waiver filled up by farmers in the state.
Farmers’ stir reaches Mumbai, BJP ally slams governmentedit
Swabhiman Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetti, whose outfit is a member of the BJP-led coalition in Maharashtra, slammed chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday, saying they had misled farmers regarding the prospects of a loan waiver.
Cooperative bank told to provide fresh crop loans to farmersedit
District collector Radhakrishnan B has warned the financial institution of criminal action if the orders were not followed. “We have observed that the bank is not providing loans to many farmers who have cleared their dues. This stand is also forcing many farmers who are willing to clear their dues not to do so. We have ordered the bank management to issue fresh loans to all farmers who have cleared their dues within two days of settlement,” the collector said.
BJP ally SSS sets one month deadline to announce farm loan waiveredit
A farmers’ march launched by Shetty in Pune on 25 May reached Mumbai on Monday. Around 5,000 farmers joined the SSS MP on foot in this march, which Shetty said was launched to “atone for the blunder of believing in Narendra Modi and allying with the BJP”. Shetty later met Maharashtra governor C. Vidyasagar Rao and demanded a farm loan waiver.
As farmers protest, govt. announces schemes for themedit
The food processing scheme includes setting up, modernising and upgrading of farm and food processing industries, cold storage scheme and human resource development. Providing solar power will reduce this burden, and the power saved can be used elsewhere,” State Power Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said. Referring to the farmers’ strike planned on June 1, Mr. Shetty said he doesn’t intend to trouble the urban population. Preference will be given to horticultural produce and vegetables in the food processing units. Mumbai: Amidst growing protests by farmers demanding loan waivers, the State Cabinet on Tuesday swung into action, announcing schemes for food processing and providing solar energy to agriculture feeders.
Maharashtra govt clears new energy policy: Farmers set to get solar feedersedit
The state government on Tuesday unveiled its new energy conservation policy which promises to save Rs 6,000 crore and 1,000 mega watts of electricity. To achieve this target over the period of five years, the total cost required to switch to new technology is estimated to be Rs 807 lakh.
This year to see highest-ever yield of fruit, spices, flowersedit
India is likely to have the highest ever production of horticulture crops, including fruit and vegetables, in the 2016-17 crop year, ending June. The total production is estimated at 295 million tonnes, 3.2% higher than in 2015-16. The estimate shows that 201617 will be the fifth straight year when India’s horticulture production will outstrip that of foodgrains. The foodgrain production for 2016-17 is estimated at 273.38 million tonnes.
Farmers in coastal Tamil Nadu are battling drought by varying crops and techniquesedit
At his farmland, there is maize-cotton inter-cropping. For watering the crop, Ramu pours diesel in an oil engine. A hole is dug for 10 feet in the ground. The oil engine pumps groundwater and that is used for grow cotton. “Only cotton is our savior crop,” he told VillageSquare.in. It sells for Rs 50-Rs 55 per kg. We can get 50 kg per acre in a day.”
Early Rains Matter Beyond Fields, Agri-Commodity Prices to Falledit
Early arrival of monsoon and a slowdown in trade due to lack of clarity over the goods and services tax (GST) are expected to put further pressure on commodities like soyabean, tur, moong and masoor, which are already trading below the minimum support price levels. Delayed rains could have led to a panic increase in cotton prices, but that risk has also now disappeared.
1.7 billion Indians by 2050: Much food for thoughtedit
What we all agree on is that if the country has to “take off” in economic terms, then we cannot have an agricultural sector that employs approximately 60 per cent of our workforce and continues to grow at two per cent per annum. There is an urgent need and scope of Indian agriculture to become efficient and aid the country’s development, rather than burden it. Even so, food production is not the only issue to mitigate India’s food problem. Even if India could produce enough food to feed its people, the problem still is to put enough money in their hands to buy more food.
Jammu to be hub for export of quality basmati rice: SKUAST-Jedit
Experts on Tuesday said that Jammu will become a hub for export of quality basmati rice in India.