Udaipur Kiran

Inaugurating the National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi Campaign 2019 Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shri Parshottam Rupala highlighted the record production achieved for food grains (285 million tonnes) and also complimented state governments for effective implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes

The Indian Express  United News of India

While staying the recovery of fine from farmers guilty of stubble burning, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has entrusted a responsibility upon all the members of Bharatiya Kissan Union to store the stubble by whatever possible means on personal, common lands, forest land and shamlat land, with due permission, instead of attempting to burn it in the coming harvesting season.

The Indian Express

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) Thursday said financial assistance to Punjab under various schemes would cross Rs 11,000 crore in the current fiscal.“Punjab Regional office plans to cross the threshold of Rs 11,000 crore of financial assistance to various stakeholders including the state government in Punjab,” Nabard chief general manager (Punjab region) JPS Bindra said. Bindra said Nabard Punjab office had disbursed funds to the tune of Rs 9,289 crore in 2018-19. Nabard, the apex development financial institution catering to agriculture and rural development, he said had provided assistance of Rs 458.24 crore to the state government under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for creation of critical rural infrastructure facilities.

Daily Excelsior  State Times

While addressing the gathering, Advisor impressed upon the University scientists and scholars to strive hard for excellence in education, research and its outreach programmes. He said that we require “skilled agriculture science graduates and post graduates” who must learn by hands on experiences at the University. Khan said, “We cannot make agriculture a profitable enterprise because more than 95% farmers have less than 1 hectare landholding in J&K, unless we propagate and implement cluster/cooperative farming for enhancing the productivity and economics of farming”.

The Times of India

The study conducted by Sagnik Dey, associate professor, Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, IIT-Delhi, and coordinator, Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air (CERCA), classified stubble burning in north Indian states as intense, rampant, limited and large smoldering. Using satellite data, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) fire count (from a height of 1km) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite fire count (from a height of 375m), the researchers observed a few intense fires in Hoshiarpur (Punjab), Panipat and Sirsa (Haryana).

Business World

The complexities of the food and agriculture sector in India however, are vast, since the agrarian economy straddles a diversity in geography, climate, crops, practices and traditions. In the years ahead, agri-tech startups keen to develop and popularise their business models, will have to address critical issues like small landholdings, longer gestation periods, lower return on investments, the lower affordability of target groups, and the lack of skills and knowledge among farmers.

The Print

The BJP government in Haryana is going all out to woo the farming community ahead of the assembly elections due in a few weeks. The state has enrolled over 80 per cent of farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY) within a week of it being launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ranchi. Under PM-KMY, small and marginal farmers are to be handed a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after they attain the age of 60.

Live Mint

Better monsoon conditions in the second half of the season would ensure higher crop production in the ongoing Kharif season, said Minister of State for Agriculture, Parshottam Rupala, here on Friday. Rupala was speaking on the sidelines of the National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi Campaign, here on Friday. The production last year was 141.71 million tonnes.

Business Standard

Bills to check spurious seeds and pesticides management are expected to be tabled in the coming session of Parliament, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Parshottam Rupla said at an ASSOCHAM Conference in New Delhi yesterday. He said the government is seriously pursuing these issues in all earnest as in the absence of proper policies and regulations; the country has to face menace of spurious seeds and pesticides.

Turned News

The global market for agricultural biotechnology reached $29.2 billion in 2016. This market should reach $32.1 billion in 2017 and $53.7 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8%. The study scope includes key agricultural biotechnology tools (i.e., next generation DNA sequencing, biochips, RNA interference, synthetic biology tools and genome editing tools); synthetic biology-enabled chemicals and biofuels; biotech seeds; and biologicals.

Krishi Jagran  Money Control  Bloomberg Quint  

India’s crop production in the Kharif season (summer-sown) will be higher than last year’s 141.71 million tonnes on better monsoon rains, Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala said on Friday. The minister said kharif crops were affected in some states because of floods but it would not have much impact on the overall production.

The Indian Express

The Punjab and Haryana High Court Thursday restrained the governments in Punjab and Haryana from recovering any fine from the farmers accused of stubble burning and ordered registration of public interest litigation (PIL) in the matter. During the resumed hearing of a case filed by Bharti Kissan Union against imposition of fine and registration of FIRs against farmers for stubble burning, a single bench ordered the two state governments to not recover any such penalty till further orders.