Krishi Jagran

AGRI & ORGANIC MELA wishes to introduce contemporary agriculture, horticulture, dairy farming and food processing technologies along with their best practices. Agriculture is now a sector with great potential of triggering growth. The AGRI & ORGANIC MELA is witnessing a number of startups in India. The sustainable intensification of agriculture systems offers synergistic opportunities for combined growth of agriculture and capital investment.

VC Circle

Agricultural technology startup Gramophone, which provides actionable insights to farmers through its platform, has raised $3.5 million (Rs 24.78 crore at current exchange rates) in its Series A round of funding from a clutch of investors. Gramophone provides farmers doorstep consultancy services in agronomy during the entire crop cycle through its app. The app provides information on crop diseases and nutrition, prices and weather information. The company has also launched a prototype image recognition technology, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify diseases in a crop based on images shared by the farmer.

Live Mint

Much of farming in this Himalayan state, in common with the rest of India, is rainfed. This is particularly important as 66% of the population of the state is dependent on agriculture. “It is slow, but the transition has begun, especially in areas where the rainfall has seen a gradual decline,” said R.S. Rana, principal scientist of the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur. “About 3,400 litres of water is required for sowing 1kg of rice here, while maize requires only 1,200 litres. There is a need to shift from water-intensive crops and maize offers the way, especially in Himachal, which is most suited for such cultivating through terrace-farming,” said Rana.

The Hans India

The newly introduced YSR free crop insurance scheme will benefit 70 lakh farmers covering 56 lakh hectares in the state, said Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannabau. He held a review meeting with the officials of Agriculture department here on Tuesday and said that the new crop insurance scheme would apply for 22 types of crops in the state from this kharif season. The famers’ contribution for this insurance coverage will be borne by the state government, the minister said.

DNA India

A fortnight ago Kharif sowing in the state came to a grinding halt due to deficit rains across the state. As dry spell continued, farmers feared possible crop damage. However, incessant rains for the past 11 days have washed down the fears of farmers who are hoping for a good yield.