Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Bengal shows the way in agricultural growthedit
Bengal is a largely agricultural economy with 96 per cent of the 7.23 lakh farm families being marginal and small farmers (average size of land holdings being only 0.77 hectare).
Poll season kicks off, now to see what MSP costs governmentedit
Himachal Pradesh is going to be the first state in India to get its climate-smart agriculture (CSA) profile done. Regional program leader of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) Dr Pramod Aggarwal said that that they had collaborated with the World Bank to prepare CSA profiles of 20 countries and Himachal was chosen because it was a fairly progressive state with rich experience and depth in data through ongoing projects, which needed to be analyzed. “Globally, climatic issues are becoming more serious and Himachal Pradesh is no exception as it is bound to witness almost all aspects of climate change. It is now all the more imperative that what we do today should ...Himachal Pradesh to be first in India to get climate-smart agriculture profileedit
Punjab seeks new technology to cut down on paddy burning, declares award of more than Rs 7 croreedit
The Punjab government on Thursday announced a cash award of more than Rs 7 crore to help develop technology that would provide a solution to effectively manage paddy straw produced and burnt in the state and cut down on air pollution. Ajay Vir Jakhar, chairman of the Punjab State Farmers and Farm Workers Commission, called upon research institutions and individuals to come up with a cheaper and environment-friendly technology, which would be evaluated by the Punjab Agricultural University.
Gadkari assures Sukhbir on Jalandhar-Ajmer Sharif expressway constructionedit
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday accepted SAD president Sukhbir Badal’s request to take up construction of Jalandhar-Ajmer Shareef expressway in the first phase of the national expressway project scheme.
Cabinet allows private companies to take part in foodgrain procurementedit
The Cabinet has allowed gradual entry of private companies in procurement of foodgrains and sanctioned ?31,603 crore for two schemes to ensure farmers are able to sell their produce at the minimum support price (MSP).
National Action Plan on Dairy requires Rs 51,077 crore, says minister Radha Mohan Singhedit
Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh has said implementation of National Action Plan on Dairy Development 2022, which seeks to increase milk production and double the income of dairy farmers, will require an investment of Rs 51,077 crore.
Centre approves additional assistance for UP, Maharashtraedit
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday approved an additional assistance from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) of Rs 157.23 crore for the state of Uttar Pradesh and Rs 60.76 crore for the state of Maharashtra.
Farmers don’t have enough cash to save or investedit
Barely one in 10 rural households in India had any investible surplus in 2015-16, says the Nabard All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey 2016-17 (NAFIS), published recently.Those who invested did so largely in physical assets, while less than 3% invested in financial instruments. (charts 1a and 1b)
Formulation of J&K State Agriculture Policyedit
A carefully crafted Policy is perhaps the best driver for effective delivery of programs for serving the people at large. In Jammu and Kashmir, like elsewhere in India, agriculture remains the mainstay of the economy and contributes 15.89% of the GDP (2015-16 Economic Survey estimates), amidst a vast range of opportunities and challenges presented by the diversity of the agro-climatic zones obtaining in the State. A comprehensive, vibrant and effective Agriculture Policy is however yet to see light of the day in the State. It is not surprising, that concern has recently been raised in a section of the local press regarding continued delay in notifying the J&K State Agriculture Policy despite the fact that around seven ...
Hussain writes to neighbouring states to curb pollution by stubble burningedit
Ahead of winters, Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain Thursday asked ministers in neighbouring states to take preventive and precautionary measures to curb air pollution resulting from stubble burning.
Country diary: wood pigeons gorge in huddles among the stubbleedit
Late in the summers of my childhood, black specks would fall out of the sky, floating in through my open bedroom window, snagging on the net curtains. Though we lived a good half mile from the nearest field, the charred shreds from stubble-burning made no distinction between town and country. Sooty showers rained down on suburban sensibilities year after year. Though people complained, nothing changed, for this was an age when farming sat in the social and political ascendancy.
Technology in Agriculture
Punjab seeks new technology to cut down on paddy burning, declares award of more than Rs 7 croreedit
The Punjab government on Thursday announced a cash award of more than Rs 7 crore to help develop technology that would provide a solution to effectively manage paddy straw produced and burnt in the state and cut down on air pollution. Ajay Vir Jakhar, chairman of the Punjab State Farmers and Farm Workers Commission, called upon research institutions and individuals to come up with a cheaper and environment-friendly technology, which would be evaluated by the Punjab Agricultural University.
Haryana deadline for subsidy distribution to stem stubble-burningedit
The Haryana government has set September 20 as the deadline for all Deputy Commissioners to ensure physical verification and distribution of subsidy to farmers to curb burning of paddy residue that causes environmental pollution.
Machines to manage 40% of paddy stubble in Punjabedit
It’s a race against time to meet the paddy stubble burning challenge. The harvest season is round the corner and the state and central governments are working to promote agricultural mechanisation for in-situ management of crop residue in Punjab. For the first time, 40% of the 74 lakh acres under paddy cultivation in the state will have machines extracting the stubble.