Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
More than 80% agriculture, farm labourer household in state under debt: Studyedit
A research study has revealed that more than four-fifth of the farming and farm labourer households are under debt in all three regions of Punjab.
Maharashtra plans to give farmers more say in marketing panelsedit
Voting rights for farmers to elect members to local APMC boards may soon be a reality in Maharashtra, with the govt preparing to seek legislative clearance for a new bill this week
Tomatoes and onions are burning a hole in your pocket. Here’s whyedit
It’s not happening for the first time. But tomatoes and onions get expensive price tags in August and continue till the autumn breeze touches the subcontinent. And this year, tomatoes are already selling at Rs 70 a kilo in wholesale markets, which means it will touch Rs 120Rs 140 when it reaches retail market. So is the case with onions. Having touched Rs 30 a kilo at wholesale markets, you can expect to buy those for Rs 70 or more.
Progressive farmer shows the wayedit
The farmer in question is Pulapa Acchibabu of Kolanka village. He brought banana vegetable variety seed, purified using A 40 solution, from Nagaram. He even supplied the same to fellow farmers. The seed is free from pest attacks. He is not experimenting with other seeds as the ones he has are of high quality.
‘Need to increase cold storage capacity for farm produce’edit
FPI has given financial help to 250 cold storage projects, and would provide such economic assistance to 50 to 60 such projects in coming days, Meena said. “It is worrisome that potatoes and tomatoes are thrown on the roads in one state or another annually,” he said apparently referring to the farmers’ stir in June in Madhya Pradesh during which the cultivators to press for satisfactory price for their produce, threw it on the streets.
Making millets the main meal for millionsedit
Farmers can raise five crops in a year. The market prices are highly remunerative. Processing centres would be set up in the mandals concerned involving unemployed youth. Polishing of millets would be done at the cluster vicinity itself as they are in high demand among consumers. Joint Director of Agriculture Srirama Murthy told ‘The Hans India’ that agriculture officers were creating awareness among farmers to take to millets cultivation as they are highly remunerative. The Centre too had announced minimum support price for millets.
Can loan waivers bring down farmer suicides?edit
There were more farmer suicides after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) waived Rs 60,000 crore in farm loans in 2008, minister of state for agriculture Purushottam Rupala claimed in the Rajya Sabha on July 25. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on farmer suicides second Rupala. Farmer suicides increased seven per cent to 17,368 in 2009, from the 2008 count of 16,196.
Below normal rainfall: Decline in crop yield likely in Mysuru regionedit
With the southwest monsoon entering its final phase, experts fear it is unlikely that rains during August can make up for the shortfall in June and July — reckoned to be two of the wettest months. Hence, agricultural activity and crop production for the kharif season is set to take a hit though intermittent rains as being witnessed since the last few days may help salvage the standing crop to a certain extent. Besides, agriculture takes place under rain-fed conditions on 2,82,000 hectares, while only 1,14,100 hectares comes under irrigated land. Hence, inadequate moisture is bound to affect crop yield.
Niti to make tomato cheap soughtedit
Miffed over the soaring prices of tomato and onion, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked NITI Aayog to make a strategy to find a permanent solution to the issue. Despite the bumper crops of tomato and onion, neither the farmers are getting appropriate price for their produce nor are the consumer able to buy them cheap.
India set for record kharif crop harvestedit
Dainik Yashobhumi Millennium Post
Foodgrain output in the ongoing 2017-18 kharif season is likely to surpass last year’s record of 138.04 million tonnes due to higher acreage and a good monsoon for the second straight year, Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak said today.
Why P.M. Bhargava Will Be Remembered as a Forthright Institution-Builderedit
He was one of the best institution-builders in India as he could integrate the Indian culture of togetherness with the western culture of hard work. Several people who went on from CCMB to other institutions have tried to replicate such an ethos. So have several others who have seen it work so effectively at the CCMB. Beyond the flamboyance and everything else, PMB was a great inspiration.
It’s high time the IMD becomes answerable to farmersedit
Both Marathwada and Vidarbha faced a dry spell of over three weeks for which the IMD failed to issue a timely advisory. For instance, till June 20, the Latur district Agro Advisory Bulletin advised “sowing of rainfed Bt cotton” and sowing of black gram and green gram. It was only on June 30 that the advisory recommended spraying potassium nitrate on crops to deal with water stress.
Seeds of successedit
Monsanto launched BT Cotton trait with a nod from GEAC in 2002, but the variety was not successful till 2005 due to non availability of leading hybrids with good agronomic performance. Monsanto formed a JV, Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech (India) Private Limited (MMBL) for GM trait commercialisation for signing licences with Indian seed companies.
Competition
Rural growth improves outlook, but is Mahindra spreading itself too thin?edit
There was pain across both the auto and farm equipment (FE) businesses as the firm had to offer discounts to push sales of old inventory against the backdrop of a cautious customer who was ready to postpone sales until further clarity came on pricing and taxation. The firm provided about Rs144 crore towards support to dealers through GST transition. Meanwhile, the surge in raw material prices added to the pain.
Technology in Agriculture
Escorts to Expand Agri Solutions Businessedit
Farm equipment maker Escorts is gearing up to expand its agri solutions business offering a full range of mechanisation services to farmers on a single platform, says managing director Nikhil Nanda. The company has been running pilot projects under Escorts Crops Solutions in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and is now looking to scale up the business “significantly” in the next five to six years, for which it is open to partnerships.