Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Haryana paddy farmers to get Rs 6,000 per acre annual benefit, claims state agriculture ministeredit
Haryana Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar claimed Monday that farmers of state will get an annual benefit of about Rs 6,000 to Rs 18,000 per acre “after central government approved a steep rise in the minimum support price of crops, giving farmers the promised 50 per cent return on input costs”.
Direct diesel subsidy for rain-hit farmersedit
Amid deficient rainfall this monsoon, the agriculture department in Bihar has launched a special scheme to ensure quick payment of subsidy money to farmers who have been forced to use diesel pumpsets to irrigate their field to safeguard kharif crops.
Loan waiver temporary solution to agrarian crisis in K’taka: Nadagoudaedit
The ₹42,000-crore farm loan waiver announced by the H D Kumaraswamy-led government is a temporary solution to agrarian crisis in the state, said Venkatrao Nadagouda, minister for animal husbandry and fisheries, here on Tuesday.
Punjab to help farmers cut down urea usageedit
“Goaded by the lust to get more yield or in a bid to keep up in race of quantum of fertilisers used by fellow farmers or simply due to ignorance, farmers tend to use nearly twice the required quantity of urea in the fields. Instead of two bags per acre of neem coated urea recommended by PAU (Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana), farmers are using three to five bags,” Pannu said.
Centre taking steps to boost milk producers income, says Gadkariedit
The Centre will give a 10 per cent incentive to boost export of dairy products and is also considering distributing milk through midday meal scheme and anganwadis as part of steps to ensure better returns to producers, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said today while urging agitating farmers to maintain calm.
New ways needed to raise farm income, says Subramanianedit
Outgoing chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian on Tuesday said that farm income is under stress and improving returns for farmers is a big challenge, which calls for joint efforts by the Centre and states. He also listed generating more jobs as another challenge before the government which faces a “stigmatised capitalism.” Echoing the prevailing sentiment in public sector, particularly state-owned banks, he said the decision making is cautious now and almost paralysed due to fear of taking decisions that may benefit any one in the private sector which later could be questioned and challenged.
Jharkhand cabinet approves Rs 32 76 crore to set up cold storage in stateedit
The Jharkhand Government today approved a sum of Rs 32. 76 crore to set up cold storages under the agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperative department in different districts of the state having a capacity of 5,000 metric tonnes.
Focus on farmers’ welfare at rally: Jitin Prasada to PMedit
Senior Congress leader Jitin Prasada on Tuesday suggested Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting here for a ‘Kisan Kalyan’ rally on July 21, to focus on providing relief to farmers rather than doing “publicity stunts since you are coming here on government’s expenditure”. Recalling former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s 1989 visit here, Prasada said, “Gandhi had announced a fertiliser factory worth Rs 700 crore that provided employments to thousands of people. Similarly, Modi should make some real announcements for the benefit of farmers rather than handing over them ‘jhunjhuna’ (a baby toy)
Reboot Indian Agricultureedit
The ambitious reform agenda under implementation since 2014 in India, if carried forward without modification, may push the country into great trouble. The country is going to be the world’s most populous country within ten years and, by 2050, even China’s population will be only around 65 per cent of India’s. Demand for food will rise sharply putting great pressure on agriculture and food supply in the country. This stark reality cannot be allowed to terrorise the people of the country; neither should it be allowed to veil under the deceptive data of ‘fastest growing economy’, ‘doubling farmers’ income’, et al.
Technology in Agriculture
Punjab receives 32000 applications for subsidy on stubble management equipmentedit
To control the massive problem of crop residue burning, the Punjab government has organized a ‘Price Negotiation Meeting’ with the manufacturers of residue management machinery of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states. Around 32000 applications have been received so far for availing subsidy to purchase farm machinery for managing stubble in the state.