Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Winter Is Coming And So Is Deadly Smog From Stubble Burningedit
With the approaching winter comes memories of pollution choked Delhi—a thick pallor of smoke that almost shuts out the sun, with wheezing, sneezing, suffocating residents cowering under the miasma. And, as in past years, farmers of Punjab and Haryana have started burning paddy stubble—the main culprit—to get rid of farm waste.
Farm outfit: Give machinery for free or we’ll burn paddy stubbleedit
Demanding adequate machinery to manage paddy stubble along with compensation for farmers, members of peasant outfit BKU (Sidhupur) protested at the district administrative complex here on Saturday. They also demanded action against cops who allegedly misbehaved with farmers at ‘Kisan Mela’ in Rampura Phul on Friday
Curbing stubble firesedit
In a dent to the efforts to prevent paddy stubble burning, this year, ironically, Haryana — especially its northern districts — has recorded even more cases this season. As many as 77 ‘active fire locations’ have been identified across the state. The problem is acute in Punjab, too, which generates over 20 million tonne of paddy straw, a bulk of which is burnt, emitting large amounts of toxic pollutants. Last year, public health emergency was declared in and around Delhi owing to stubble burning.
Banks provide Rs 1,685cr crop loans in distedit
The banks in the district have provided crop loans to the tune of Rs 1,685 crore to farmers during the kharif season of 2018-19, compared to Rs 980 crore last year, said additional district collector Nilesh Sagar. “The banks have done better than last year though the target is way far,” Sagar said at a review meeting of the district-level consultative committee headed by the district collector, said.
Farmers likely to earn 20% higher MSP on organic cropedit
The Centre is mulling bringing organic produce under the minimum support price (MSP) regime to promote pesticide-free farming in the country. At present, there is no support price for organic produce, except in Sikkim which approved it in May for horticultural items.
Natural farming vital for soil fertility: Guvedit
Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat on Sunday said Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is the only way to maintain fertility of soil.Addressing a farmer’s workshop at Gurukul in Kurukshetra in Haryana, Acharya Devvrat said as per the data of agricultural scientists, the land of major agricultural producing states was deteriorating which could only be restored through ZBNF.
Agriculture insurance sector needs advance technology; here’s whyedit
So long as the crop losses were reimbursed by the government to the insurance companies beyond the premium amount, there was no incentive to build an unbiased system for production and loss assessment.
AP Govt schemes transform lives of farmersedit
Hopelessness and stark poverty was ruling the roost, a couple of years ago in the village of Jonnalakothapalle, a small habitation in Mudigubba mandal in the district and agriculture land owners turned into agriculture labourers and were on a migration-spree in search of livelihood.
Poor monsoon led to nearly 70% crop loss in Jodhpur: Surveyedit
The Pioneer Approximately 70 per cent crops sown in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district failed due to poor monsoon, according to a preliminary survey conducted by the agriculture department.
Threat of drought looms large in western Rajasthan with the region reporting below average rain fall dampening the hopes of farmers.
Technology in Agriculture
Punjab’s readiness to tackle stubble burning will be put to test from October 10edit
The result, the state’s preparedness to tackle the problem of stubble burning would be put to test. Such ‘synchronised’ harvesting will mean that 10 lakh tonne of stubble would need to be managed, or illegally burnt, as the case may be, within a short span of time. “Not even 2% of the harvesting has taken place, as harvesting in Bathinda and Mansa will begin on October 10, when 30% of the crop will start arriving in the mandis within two-three days,” said Bathinda district chief agriculture officer (CAO) Gurditta Singh.
16 farmers challaned for burning straw in Amritsaredit
The district administration challaned 16 farmers for stubble-burning in administrative blocks of the city on Sunday. In Jandiala, a team of revenue officials led by SDM-1 Rajesh Sharma found a farmer burning paddy stubble in his field. He was challaned and a penalty of Rs 2,500 was imposed on him. The farmer paid the fine on the spot.
Stubble burning on rise, 197 spots detectededit
Stubble burning incidents continue to rise with 197 active fire locations (AFLs) being detected in the state on Sunday, a majority of were in Karnal and Kurukshetra.
Delhi braces for toxic air as stubble burning begins in Punjabedit
Defiant farmers in Punjab province said they would continue to burn paddy stubble, challenging a state government ban on burning farm residue aimed at checking air pollution. Farmers burn paddy stubble to clear their fields ahead of the wheat sowing season. They said that they are aware of the consequences but have no other option but to follow the annual ritual of burning the dry straw. Crop stubble burning has caused one-quarter of the air pollution that blanketed Delhi last November, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change told parliament in February. The particles from the stubble burning combine with industrial pollution, vehicle exhaust and dust to cover the region every year as winter approaches and ...