Times Of India – Online

After completing the portfolio distribution following the cabinet expansion on Tuesday, the Hemant Soren government now faces an uphill task of fulfilling its promises made to the agriculture sector and also maintenance of law and order in the state. Badal, the Congress MLA from Jarmundi in Deoghar, a first-time cabinet minister has been given agriculture, animal husbandry and cooperative departments. This means that Badal now has the daunting task of fulfilling the poll promises made for the farmers’ community by JMM, especially since the coalition parties have already blamed the former BJP government of leaving the state coffers empty.

Indian Express– Online

A central government team that visited Fazilka’s villages close to the Rajasthan border on Wednesday has said that the population of locusts in the border villages of Punjab is “nil”.

Ferozepur MLA Parminder Singh Pinki also visited border villages of Ferozepur on the call of farmers.

Dr Jagdish Godara, assistant plant protecting officer from the department of agriculture, government of India, visited Fazilka’s Gumjal, Panniwala and Kallerkhera villages to take feedback from farmers. Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “I did not find any population of locusts. They were spotted in these border villages of Fazilka on Friday, but not we did not find any…Pest management has been done and I believe things are now under ...

Devdis Course – Online

Senegal aims to transition toward eco-farming on a national scale to protect its food supply from the effects of climate change, the agriculture minister said on Thursday.

Increasing droughts and rising temperatures have taken a toll on crop production across West Africa’s Sahel region, adding to the stresses of a growing population and land overuse. Experts see Senegal as a regional leader on agroecology – the use of natural methods to address land degradation – through public subsidies- has led to overuse of chemical fertilizers.

Deccan Herald – Online

Efforts arebeing made to develop tier-II and tier-III cities in Karnataka, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has said. Speaking at ‘Invest Karnataka Road Show’ here on Wednesday night, he said it was time to seek investment for tier-II cities in states

While agriculture continues to get top priority from the government, Joshi said it (agriculture) alone cannot cater to the requirements of a family for employment and that other sectors should also grow. The intention is to support agriculture and supporting industries also, Joshi said

Indian Express

Arguing that the BJP government has been deceiving farmers ever since it came to power in 2014, the Congress on Wednesday asked the government to give relief in the Budget by slashing GST rates on farm produce and products and announcing national farm loan waiver and minimum income schemes to put more money in the hands of farmers and the poor to increase consumption.

The Congress also asked the government to spell out measures to ensure that farmers’ income doubles by 2022 and increase the allocation for MGNREGA.

The Hindu

The detection of yellow rust disease in the wheat crop in the sub-mountainous parts of Punjab and Haryana has raised anxiety among farmers about drop in the yield, even as respective farm departments are leaving nothing to chance to ensure the spread of disease doesn’t go beyond control.

Times Of India

The district agriculture department will distribute subsidy worth Rs 3.74 crore to 1,351 farmers under the supplementary water management activity (SWMA) to buy infrastructure to set up water management systems on farms. Under the scheme, the department will cater to farmers who get subsidy for micro-irrigation schemes. The farmers will be given 50% subsidy for buying motors, PVC pipes and constructing ground-level water storage structures.

The Federal

India’s large agriculture economy is one that definitely needs a critical boost. The sector contributes to 17 per cent (approx.) of the total GDP. But the largest provider of livelihood in the country is plagued by systemic issues like adherence to age-old farm practices, over-dependence on monsoon, wavering prices for farmers, a non-competitive marketing and returns structure, and overwhelming transport and storage issues.

The government has multiple methods at its disposal to address the issues but the Budget remains the singular lever of policy and financial change in terms of reach and impact.

The Hans India

The election for the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) will be held soon in Telangana. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Wednesday instructed the officials concerned to issue notification for the conduct of the elections in three or four days. The CM wanted the completion of the entire election process in 15 days. Currently, Person In-Charges are overseeing the functioning of the societies which provide all-round assistance to the farmers in villages.

News Meter

Andhra Pradesh will witness an increase in the production of Sanagapppu (Bengal gram) production as the cultivation acreage has risen by one percent over the previous year’s land.

According to a study, ‘Rabi Estimate Report 2020’ that was prepared by private weather station Skymet, rains between October and December benefited Andhra Pradesh and helped spread the cultivable acreage.

Indian Express

The Narendra Modi government’s first term (June 2014 to May 2019) was marked by benign consumer food price inflation. At a mere 3.3% year-on-year, it averaged below even the 4.3% for overall retail inflation. Politically, the ruling party benefited, given that there are far more consumers of milk in India than dairy farmers. The same goes for the number of consumers of sugar, pulses, potatoes and onion vis-à-vis those growing sugarcane, chana, moong and vegetables. It pays to keep food prices low, at least in the short run.

But low farm produce inflation — the average annual increase in the wholesale price index (WPI) for food articles was 2.9% during 2014-15 to 2018-19, while 0.8% for non-food agricultural ...

Times Of India

Congress on Wednesday demanded a nationwide farm loan waiver even as it accused the Modi government of “hatching a conspiracy” to end the minimum support price system, a move it alleged would leave farmers at the mercy of the open market. In continuation of its pre-budget press conference series to “expose” the Modi government on the downward slide of the economy, Congress quoted a Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) report, to allege that the government was considering stopping the purchase of crops from farmers.

Indian Express

As concerns mount over a possible locust attack in southern part of Punjab, the agrarian state is blaming Pakistan for not checking the breeding of the pests in that country’s desert area bordering Rajasthan in India. The Indian Express explains:

What is the issue?

Punjab is fearing a locust attack in southern parts of the state as locust hoppers have been sighted in a couple of villages in three districts bordering Rajasthan. Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press upon Islamabad to control the breeding of locusts in Pakistan.

Hindustan Times

Concerned over the spate of attacks on crops by swarms of locusts in neighbouring areas of southern Punjab bordering Rajasthan, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the ministry of external affairs and the Indian high commission in Islamabad to immediately take up the issue with the government of Pakistan, from where the pests are emanating.

Times Of India

In what could help raise rural demand amid an economic slowdown, conditions are favourable for a bumper rabi (winter) crop this year, with wheat output likely to touch a record high at 10% more than last year, an estimate released by private weather forecaster Skymet said on Tuesday. Skymet said good postmonsoon and winter rainfall, sustained cold conditions in the north and a higher support price for wheat were major positive factors for higher production this year. The agency predicts wheat production to touch 113 million tonnes (MT) in the rabi season of 2019-20, 10.6% higher than the 102.2 MT produced last year.

The Wire

Less than three in 10 farmers received the Rs 6,000 that was due to them in the first full year of the implementation of the Centre’s flagship PM Kisan scheme, according to government data obtained by The Wire through the Right to Information Act.

In the first full year of implementation of the PM Kisan scheme – between December 1, 2018 and November 30, 2019 – the Narendra Modi government has only been able to spend 41% of the amount that it ought to have spent, as only slightly more than 25% of farmers have received all three instalments under the scheme.

Financial Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his home state Gujarat has become a hub for production and export of potatoes in the last two decades. Addressing the third Global Potato Conclave via video conferencing, Modi said India became a leader in production of food grains and food products due to farmers’ hard work and government policies. India’s potato production increased by 20 per in the last decade while in Gujarat, it increased by 170 per cent, Modi said. Policy decisions and modern facilities for irrigation helped in this growth, Modi said.

Financial Express

India’s potato production increased 51 per cent to 52.5 million tonnes (MT) in over a decade, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday.

Its production had stood at 34.7 MT in 2008, the minister added.

Financial Express

In a bit to fulfil the promises made to the Indian farmers under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme, the government has paid Rs 12,000 crore to 6 crore farmers across the country. The money was directly transferred to the bank accounts of these farmers earlier in January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing the third Global Potato Conclave in Gujarat. He also claimed that this a new record by the government for transferring such a huge amount. The government had introduced the PM-Kisan scheme last year to give financial assistance to poor farmers and support them in their agricultural activities.

Wheat output in India is likely to hit a record high this year, pushed by a favourable climate and increase in government support prices, which encouraged more sowing.

Data compiled by National Collateral Management Services (NCML, a non-government body) shows a 6.3 per cent rise to 109 million tonnes (mt). The Union ministry of agriculture’s first advance estimate was 100.5 mt, as compared to 102 mt in last year’s fourth advance estimate.

New Delhi Times

The state government of Punjab has rolled out the system under which the farmers will be made direct payments for the produce that is procured by the state agencies.

Paving way for direct payment to the farmers in their bank accounts through electric transfer, a notification has been issued by the state government. Also, it has made some amendments in the Agriculture Produce Markets Rules 2020.

Till now, the amount due to farmers was transferred by the government within two days of purchase in the accounts of arhtiyas, following which the arhtiyas would release the payment to farmers within three days. But as is the case now, the arhtiyas will continue to get their commission of ...

Times Of India

After a few dead locusts were spotted in some Punjab areas bordering Rajasthan, the panicked farmers and horticulturists in Fazilka district are banking on ear-shattering sound power to rock the locust threat. While some are buying crackers, others have already deployed farmhands to beat utensils in the fields and to drum up the dhols to scare away some locusts that have entered Punjab. No swarm of locusts has been seen so far in Punjab, but reports from adjoining Rajasthan are giving them sleepless nights. The farmers are accusing the agriculture department of failing to foresee the danger and suggesting carrying out of aerial spraying as a pre-emptive move to handle locusts that enter Punjab.

India Cooperative

The Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar held a bilateral meeting with the Brazilian Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Ms. Tereza Cristina Correa da Costa Dias at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi.

The two leaders discussed various bilateral trade opportunities, interests and issues. Both Ministers affirmed that agriculture is a priority for both Brazil and India and resolved to strengthen cooperation in the agriculture and allied sectors.

The Hans India

Despite the women of the district lagging behind in literacy rate comparatively to other districts, but their participation in various Central and state governments sponsored schemes like Podupulakshmi, moment, Social Auditing related to NREGS, organizing paddy procurement, Running Dairy Farms and Fair Price Shops, and cottage industries as their participation is larger.

Business Today

The United States wants India to buy at least another $5-6 billion worth of American farm goods if New Delhi wants to win reinstatement of a key US trade concession and seal a wider pact, four sources familiar with the talks told Reuters. U.S. President Donald Trump cited trade barriers last year when removing India from its Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme that allowed zero tariffs on $5.6 billion of exports to the United States. In retaliation, India slapped higher tariffs on more than two dozens US products.

Times of India

Rahibai Soma Popere, a proponent of tradition farming with indigenous seeds who was awarded the Padma Shri by the centre on Saturday, wants her movement to reach the doorstep of every farmer in the country

Hindustan Times

A ~2,000-crore fund to set up a chain of modern markets for farmers, announced in the Union Budget 2018-19, has largely gone unspent in what experts see as a sign of how overregulated agricultural markets have kept farmers chained to outdated policies.

These markets, essentially village-level bazaars, were meant to act as aggregation points for farm produce, where farmers and traders could transact freely with minimal rules. The aim was to provide an alternative to existing supply chains that are rigged by middlemen and, as a result, drive down farmers’ share of profits.

Data accessed by the HT shows that nearly two years since its announcement, only a negligible amount — ~10.45 crore, or just 0.5% of ...

The Hindu BusinessLine

Do not cut expenditure, but focus on other means of resource generation to keep the economy on track, various stakeholders have advised Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, as she sets out to present her second Budget on February 1.

The suggestions, which have been submitted to both Prime Minister Minister Narendra Modi and the FM, came from various stakeholders who were tapped by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to identify the immediate issues to be addressed in the Budget and the larger policy initiatives that need to be rolled out.

Indian Express

Surinder Sihag, a progressive farmer from village Dhingawali in Fazilka district’s Abohar was seen Saturday beating an empty steel utensil with a wooden stick as he moved in his kinnow farm and wheat fields. A group of farm workers, also beating empty tin cans and boxes, accompanied him.

The commotion was loud enough to scare away any wild animal. The trick is often used by villagers and foresters to scare away wandering elephants.

Manorama Online

Drones have arrived in the paddy fields of Alathur too. Fertilizers as well as pesticides were spray with the drones here, under an initiative of the agriculture development project ‘Nira’ and the Haritha Mitra Society.

Republic World

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday said that since agriculture is the foundation of the state’s economy, the government is trying to make farmers “stress-free and debt-free”. Giving his Republic Day speech in Marathi at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, he said that Maharashtra is an industrially advanced state and the government will give priority to solving the problems faced by the industry.

Koshyari also said that the state has made remarkable progress in agriculture, education and employment in the past 60 years, and the government intends to bring about a radical change in all these fields through the contribution of entrepreneurs. He lauded the Marathi theatre movement for completing 175 years and announced that a museum ...

Odisha Bytes

The Odisha government was on course to lift all paddy stocks from mandis in the state by March 31, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said on Sunday.

The minister further said that despite harassment, the millers cannot stop paddy procurement.

“Already 12.50 lakh farmers have registered this year against the registration of around 10 lakh farmers last year. Moreover, 3% additional paddy has been procured than the actual procurement of previous year,” Swain told the media on the sidelines of Republic Day celebrations in Sambalpur.

He said that Rs 5,000 crore has been disbursed among farmers against paddy procurement.

The Hans India

District Collector CH. Harikiran said that government is given to priority to the cultivation in the district. Addressing the gathering after hoisting National Flag on the occassion of 71st Republic day here on Sunday he said as part of governments prestigious Nava Ratnalu programme Rs 231crores were distributed 2.91lakh farmers under Rythu Barosa Scheme in the district.

Odisha Tv

Amidst the alleged irregularities in mandis, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain on Sunday assured that all the paddy will be lifted from all mandis by March 31.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of Republic Day celebrations in Sambalpur, Swain informed that  paddy procurement will not stop despite harassment of farmers by millers.

“Already 12.50 lakh farmers have registered this year against the registration of around 10 lakh farmers last year. Moreover, 3 % additional paddy has been procured than the actual procurement of previous year,” said Swain.

Indian Express

Condemning the Centre’s recent order stating environmental clearance and public consultation is not mandatory for hydrocarbon projects, the DMK has called for protest rallies by farmers in five districts of the Cauvery Delta on January 28, demanding that the Centre declare the region a “protected zone”.

Known as the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu, the Cauvery region witnessed massive projects two years ago over the Centre’s decision to launch a hydrocarbon project in the region by drilling about 341 wells to hunt for hydrocarbon reserves.

Times Of India

Gujarat government should train at least 25,000 farmers in natural farming. This is what Acharya Devvrat, state governor, suggested on Friday.

Devvrat, who presided over the 16th annual convocation ceremony of Anand Agricultural University (AAU), has been advocating a shift towards natural farming

NewsTrack

Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for about 58 per cent of India’s population. Gross Value Added by agriculture, forestry and fishing is estimated at Rs 18.53 trillion (US$ 271.00 billion) in FY18.

The Indian food industry is poised for huge growth, increasing its contribution to world food trade every year due to its immense potential for value addition, particularly within the food processing industry. The Indian food and grocery market is the world’s sixth largest, with retail contributing 70 per cent of the sales. The Indian food processing industry accounts for 32 per cent of the country’s total food market, one of the largest industries in India and is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, ...

Indian Express

An insect species that was first detected in Punjab last year during the kharif season is now posing a major threat ahead of the beginning of the sowing of spring season maize. The ‘fall armyworm’, a gregarious insect, prefers to feed on maize, though it can attack several other crops too.

The sowing of the spring season maize will begin from the first week of February in nearly 30,000 hectares (74,100 acres) in 10 districts of Punjab – mainly in the Doaba region. It is one of the major spring season crops of the state.

India Today

The United States wants India to buy at least another $5-6 billion worth of American farm goods if New Delhi wants to win reinstatement of a key US trade concession and seal a wider pact, four sources familiar with the talks told Reuters.

US President Donald Trump cited trade barriers last year when removing India from its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme that allowed zero tariffs on $5.6 billion of exports to the United States. In retaliation, India slapped higher tariffs on more than two dozens US products.

Economic Times

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Jai Prakash Dalal said that the state government will open 200 integrated small and big packhouses in the state in the next three years and a budget of Rs 500 crores has also been allotted for this scheme.

India TV News

Locusts were spotted in some villages of Punjab’s Fazilka, Muktsar and Bathinda districts triggering fear among farmers as the destructive swarms are known to devour the vegetation wherever they settle. The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD), however, said necessary arrangements were in place to tackle a possible locust attack while ruling out any damage to crops at this stage.

Farmers from the three districts have urged the agriculture department officials to take urgent steps to tackle the pests. “We have found locusts in our fields… they are not in large numbers though,” said a farmer from Fazilka.

According to officials, locusts, popularly known as ‘Tiddi Dal’, have come from neighbouring Rajasthan which was attacked by one ...

Valliyammal M., who was repatriated to India from Sri Lanka more than four decades ago, has been living in the same house in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu that the government built for her and her husband then. She has now partitioned the small single-room house into two, so that her son, Selvaraj, and his family can live in one half. As she boils water on a wood stove, the 75-year-old recalls how difficult she found life in India for the first two years after her return. “We were first put up in a camp in Mandapam in Rameswaram, set up to house repatriates brought back from Sri Lanka. Then we were brought here to Gudalur [a municipality ...

Times Of India

While 2020 seems set to see a good cashew crop, it may not be a good year for mangoes. The blossoming of the cashew fruuit, which takes place between November and January, has been on track this year, farmers said. With cashew beans having already started to sprout in some orchards, stakeholders anticipate a bountiful season this year

Telangana Today

Telangana is spending 30 per cent of its annual budget on agriculture and allied sectors making it as one of the most farmer-friendly States in the country. State Finance Minister T Harish Rao said this at the State Credit Seminar organized by NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) here on Thursday.

Harish Rao said that Telangana was concentrating on farming as the Chief Minister himself is a farmer. He pointed out that farming had lost its sheen down the years with consecutive governments in the combined State of Andhra Pradesh neglected the sector. “Farmer was made to depend on seeds, fertilizer, minimum support price and above all rains as there was no irrigation,” Harish said.

New Indian Express

As the banking sector failed to meet priority sector lending target, specifically in agriculture and allied sectors, the State Government on Wednesday asked commercial banks to achieve their annual credit plan for doubling income of the farmers. Addressing a special session of bankers on the second day of ‘Krushi Odisha – 2020’ with the theme ‘leading farmers to profitability’, Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Arun Sahoo expressed displeasure over the apathy of banks to the farm sector which provides employment to nearly 70 per cent of the population.

Indian Express

A credit crisis seems to be brewing in the farm sector as disbursement of crop loans dips below 50 per cent for the second year in a row, experts say. Like the earlier kharif season, banks in Maharashtra have reported just 42 per cent disbursal of Rs 59,765.74 crore for the present rabi season.

In the past two-and-a-half years, Maharashtra had seen two successive farm loan waivers to help farmers get out of indebtedness. The first waiver was announced by the then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in June 2017, in which pending loans totalling more than Rs 18,600 crore of at least 44 lakh accounts were waived. The second waiver was announced by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray during ...

Swarjyamag

Those looking for the green shoots in the economy should find the latest sowing data of the rabi (winter) crops encouraging.

A heartening feature for the Narendra Modi government, which is under pressure from the critics for slower growth in recent months, is that sowing of wheat, rice, pulses and oilseeds have already exceeded the normal area (average area under a crop in the last 10 years) under rabi.

This is the trend as on 16 January and if this continues, we could witness record rabi sowing of wheat, rice, gram (chana), rapeseed/mustard, lentils, kulthi, barley and other pulses. Sowing in some crops could continue until this month-end.

Money Control

Brazil on January 23 expressed willingness to import items such as wheat, rice, millets, and sorghum, from India, said an official release after a meeting of ministers of the two countries. Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar held a meeting with Brazilian Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Tereza Cristina Correa da Costa Dias to discuss various bilateral trade opportunities, interests and issues.

Indian Express

Those in power may not yet be accepting blame for the barrage of negative news on the state of the economy, but cracks are appearing in the facade. In such tumultuous times, the finance minister began the pre-budget ritual of consultations. Having inherited a mess, she faces the challenge of very limited latitude for budgetary allocations. Her task is compounded by a bureaucratic decision-making process that is incapable of factoring the imponderabilia of actual livelihoods — one that does not even properly enumerate those committing suicide.

The Wire

With estimations saying crops were affected in more than 3.5 lakh hectares in various districts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, the damage caused by locust attacks in 2019-20 is believed to be one of the worst in India.

Crops of mustard, cumin and wheat have been devastated in the two states, affecting lakhs of farmers. In Rajasthan, the worst hit districts are Jaislamer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Hanumangarh, Ganganagar, Bikaner and Sirohi.

Locusts, which are part of the grasshopper family, are highly mobile insects that can migrate across different countries and cause extreme damage to crops.

New Indian Express

There’s bad news for Punjab. With 82% of the state’s land area witnessing a huge decline in underground water levels and 109 administrative blocks out of 138 placed in ‘over-exploited’ category, a severe water crisis looms in the ‘grain bowl of India.’

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has convened an all-party emergency meeting on Thursday to get to grips with the challenge.

Experts from the Central Ground Water Board have pointed to the massive rate of fall in subsoil water by a whopping 51 cm per year.

Data compiled by the CGWB between 2006 and 2017 point to groundwater decline up to two meters in 55% of wells, between two to four meters in 21% wells ...

The Hindu BusinessLine

On Republic Day, a new radio station dedicated to raising awareness about climate change and agriculture will be soft-launched in Latur, Maharashtra. The community radio station will be based in Lodga village, on the outskirts of Latur city.

The radio station is the brainchild of Pasha Patel, Chairman of the Maharashtra State Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. Climate-related content will be provided by Skymet Weather Services, a pioneer in weather forecast and information.

The News Minutes

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday lashed out at the BJP government for rolling back its earlier instructions given to the Karnataka State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development (KASCARD) Bank to not recover loans from farmers in 110 drought-hit taluks.

“Our government had notified the banks not to forcibly recover the loans from farmers in drought-hit areas. This has been revoked by BS Yediyurappa’s government by allowing banks to recover bad loans. By doing this, Yediyurappa and the government have betrayed our farmers,” Siddaramaiah said.

Indian Express

The budget season is upon us, with a flurry of submissions being made to the finance minister from all quarters. The budget itself could result in a fine-tuning of tax rates and allocation adjustments against various expenditure heads/ministries. There are implications from these for all sectors. And no less for one sector — agriculture — that supports the livelihoods of 495.13 million citizens and 100.70 million households directly dependent on farming, as per the NABARD’s All-India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey of 2016-17.

India CSR

Unplanned urbanization has been a challenge, increasing the vulnerability of cities to natural as well as man-made hazards. Natural disasters displaced 36 million people in India between 2008 and 2018. India is ranked 30 in the INFORM Global Risk Index (GRI) and the International Disaster Database estimates that India’s economic loss from hazards (between 1990 and 2014) to be around 4.3 Billion USD. To make Indian cities disaster-resilient right at the inception stage, the efficiency in urban planning can have a major impact on communities’ preparedness and capacities to recover.

Free Press Journal

Maharashtra government on Wednesday issued guidelines for increase in the agriculture production and farmers income. The government will implement slew of schemes through convergence and will set up tahasil level coordination committee led by tahasildar to seek proper coordination among couple of agencies. The decision will be implemented from January 23 across the state.

Indian Express

It is an institution whose blockbuster varieties account for more than 95% of the country’s Rs 32,800-crore annual basmati rice export revenues, nearly half of its total wheat area, and a quarter of that sown under mustard. Yet, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI, better known as Pusa Institute) has an annual research budget of just over Rs 111 crore and, moreover, was without a regular director for almost four years until late last week.

Orissa Post

The state government has once again urged the Centre for release of long-pending subsidy bills towards paddy procurement in the state. The Centre is required to provide subsidies worth Rs 4272.27 crore to Odisha by the end of March 2020.

Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain has written a letter to his counterpart at the Centre, Ram Vilas Paswan, in this regard.

Times Of India

The paddy procurement target for the current samba season has been fixed at 25 lakh tonnes, food minister R Kamaraj said at the tripartite meeting held on Tuesday. The previous year it was 19.1 lakh tonnes, the minister added.

“Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) had set up 1,766 direct procurement centres (DPCs) last year, through which 19.1 lakh tonne paddy was procured from 5.06 lakh farmers. Through 513 DPCs established in the state including 63 in non-delta districts this season, we have procured 87,000 tonnes of paddy so far. Based on the requirements, the number of DPCs will be increased,” Minister further said.

Telangana Today

The Telangana government will enter into an agreement with Nasik-based National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) in February for enhanced production of onion seed. As per the MoU, the NHRDF will provide starter seed of red (4), dark red and white varieties of onions for Telangana State.

A team of officers led by Telangana State Seeds Development Corporation Ltd (TSSDC) Managing Director K Kesavulu visited the NHRDF in Nasik to witnesses the work being done by the premier institution established by the National Agricultural Cooperative marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed) on Tuesday.

Times Of India

The farmers of Kerala’s rice bowl are gearing up to start agitation programmes against the state government as they have not received the money for the paddy procured by the state government last year.

The farmers have already submitted a memorandum to agriculture minister V S Sunilkumar seeking his immediate intervention for distributing the price of the paddy as soon as possible

Orissa Diary 

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will chair the 32nd interaction through PRAGATI- the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, on 22nd January 2020.

In the previous thirty one interactions of PRAGATI, projects worth over twelve lakh crores have been reviewed by the Prime Minister. In the last PRAGATI meeting of the year 2019, 9 projects worth over Rs. 61,000 crore related to 16 states and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir were taken up for discussion. There were also discussions on various topics like grievances of Indian citizens working abroad, National Agriculture Market, Aspirational District Programme and infrastructure development programmes and initiatives.

News Click

The West Bengal government’s Agriculture Department has managed to procure only 22% of the rice they had promised to procure from the cultivators across the state till now. The farmers in the state are refusing to sell their produce to the government because of various flaws in the process of procurement.

Earlier in November 2018, the West Bengal government had announced that during the current season, it would buy 52 lakh metric tons of paddy from the farmers in the state. Out of these 52 lakh metric tons, 24 lakh metric tons were to be procured by the government directly from the farmers, through Central Purchase Centres (CPCs), while the remaining 28 lakh metric tons were to ...

Financial Express

Agriculture produce worth Rs 91,000 crore has been traded through the e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform so far and the figure will soon reach Rs 1 lakh crore, the government said on Tuesday.

The agriculture ministry on Tuesday organised the first national consultative workshop on strengthening agri-logistics in e-Nam here.

The Hindu BusinessLine

Crores of rupees are spent every year on food subsidy and on subsiding farm inputs, but there is no accurate record of these farmers or their total count. While announcing the PM-Kisan scheme, the Centre made a provision for ₹87,000 crore for a year for paying ₹6,000 each to 14.5 crore families. However, over the last one year, only 9 crore farmer families have been identified.

It could be that not all farmers have enrolled for the scheme. But, even if one assumes the number of left-out farmers to be 1.5-2 crore, the numbers still do not add up to 14.5 crore.

In a way, this is good news for the Centre that is trying hard to mop ...

Lucknowsentinel

It sounds a little counter-intuitive admits the Green Party’s agriculture critic, but it’s true. The party devoted to saving the environment is calling for a break on the carbon tax for some of Canada’s long-suffering farmers.

After a rainy year in the Prairies, wheat farmers have been left with the soggiest harvest in almost a decade and adding insult to injury is an extra charge for the federal carbon tax on fuel used to dry the grain.

Kate Storey, an organic wheat farmer in Manitoba who also serves as the Green Party’s agriculture critic, says this tax break would more closely resemble “disaster relief” than anything else and it’s not going to make the Green Party any less ...

Economic Times

Food, as development studies writer John Madeley reminds us, is more than a commodity and agriculture more than an economic activity. Agriculture employs about 44% of India’s workforce, but contributes about 14% of its GDP. Farmers have no control on agricultural input costs and output prices, hence the distress.

Financial Express

Faced with poor offtake of grains from the official reserves, the government has cut the reserve prices of wheat and rice to clear the space for new crop, as the current food grain stocks with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is 2.5 times the buffer norm. But, the delayed decision may not help FCI to substantially liquidate its stocks as procurement of the new crop will start from April. For this the agency needs 35 million tonne (MT) of storage space.

Economic Times

As Budget Day draws near, the business press tends to focus on likely Budget announcements, chiefly changes to assorted tax rates, apart from the size of the fiscal deficit relative to the value of the economy’s overall output, or Gross Domestic Product. This misses out on some crucial aspects of what needs to be done.

The world is fragile. Global warming has made extreme climate events more frequent and ever more erratic. The world economy flounders, as output growth slows in most major economies but stock markets boom, thanks to the liquidity sloshing around in the world’s financial plumbing, after quantitative easing (QE) by the US Fed, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan and Bank of England ...

Tribune India

The Command Area Development Authority (CADA) has proposed using surplus water from overflowing ponds in villages for irrigation to reduce usage of groundwater for the purpose.

The CADA has studied 11 ponds in villages in Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Ambala and Yamunanagar districts. After testing water and calculating daily available runoff, the area which can be irrigated from surplus water was calculated on the basis of crop water requirement in 11 villages, CADA officials said. Sedimentation chambers were constructed to separate coarse sediments and obtain clear water.

Tribune India

INDIA faced major foodgrain shortage up to the late 1960s. The development of high-yielding wheat seeds and the availability of other inputs like fertilisers, irrigation water and credit led to the Green Revolution in the second half of the 1960s. It was followed by the development of high-yielding varieties of paddy. To promote the cultivation of paddy, a non-traditional crop in Punjab, the government gave financial support to the farmers for purposes such as drawing groundwater.

Bhaskar

 In future, tractors will run on water instead of diesel. Scientists from Gujarat and Mihir Jai Singh of Gimpex Biotechnology have prepared a kit for this. It will be performed in February. Using this will not only reduce the cost of farming of the farmer in the country, but will also drastically reduce air pollution.

Indian Express

The winter chill is likely to give a skip to Pune and adjoining areas during this week as the Met department has forecast light rainfall.

Officials at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune, said that cloudy and overcast conditions will dominate the city during the next three to four days, resulting in the rise in mercury levels.

The Hindu BusinessLine

The prospects of a bumper wheat crop this rabi season may overwhelm procurement agencies. Saddled with huge stocks they may lower prices, hitting farmers adversely. As on Friday, the total wheat acreage was 330.2 lakh hectares (lh), up 33.22 lh compared to the previous rabi season’s 297 lh. A back-of-the-envelope calculation, which takes into account the increase in sowing in various States and their yield levels in the past, shows the output could go up by nearly 9 million tonnes (mt) when compared to last year if weather conditions continue to be favourable. According to the 2018-19 fourth advance estimates, wheat production last year was projected at around 102 mt.

The Print

India’s agriculture policy makers have the herculean task of not only delivering time-sensitive responses to farmers’ needs but also accounting for personnel, topographical, weather, and logistical variations within each state. But the growing calls for modernising agriculture, however, has been merely focused on spurring mechanisation and increasing research to improve farmer productivity.

India Today

In western Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, large groups of pink swarming locusts loom large over lush green fields laden with Rabi crops. And they have been the bad omen for farmers in at least ten districts of the desert state could have easily done without.

Hundreds of millions of them, in what has been a fresh arrival on Sunday, flew over large swathes of land and destroyed crops spread over vast hectares of land, within a matter of minutes.

Indian Express

Although the Union budget is basically an accounting exercise of revenues and expenditures for the coming year, economy-watchers anxiously wait for the finance minister to announce major economic reforms. In that sense, the budget of 1991 remains a historic one that changed the course of Indian economy from being largely a socialist, state-controlled to a somewhat more liberal and market oriented economy. The results of exchange rate correction, trade policy changes, and delicensing of industry are there for everyone to see.

Economic Times

The Centre could include a host of off-budget spending and other government liabilities on its books to give a clearer picture of finances though this could raise the fiscal deficit sharply.

Top government officials have held discussions on the move amid budget preparations and there is a growing view that a full picture is needed. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget on February 1.

New Indian Express

Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Mareddy Srinivas Reddy stated on Saturday that Telangana was a role model to other states with regard to paddy procurement. Addressing the staff on the occasion of completing one year in office here on Saturday, he said that officials from rice-rich states like Punjab and Chhattisgarh had visited Telangana to study the technology being used.

Times Of India

The Telangana Civil Supplies Corporation has procured a record 44 lakh metric tonnes of paddy this kharif, the highest in the history of the state. Arrangements have been made to procure another 2 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from farmers, which would take the total to 46 lakh metric tonnes paddy production in kharif season.

Orissa Post

Paddy procurement centres were opened in Raisuan area of Keonjhar, but many farmers alleged that they fail to sell paddy in mandis. They sell their produce to middlemen at underrates. This happens due to faults in the procurement system, a report said.

Some farmers accused the administration of doing little to streamline the procurement system. “We have invested a lot in terms of labour and inputs in growing crops. When it comes to selling paddy to middlemen, we have to incur loss as compared to input costs,” they pointed out.

Times Of India

Any form of agriculture interferes with nature. Cultivating land and growing crops involves using the natural resources and converting them into food or fibre. It is essential to cultivate land as there is no other way of feeding the population. However, while cultivating, if we keep the utilization of natural resources at the minimum level and use them in a sustainable way so that they are renewed frequently and are available for future use, we would be doing a great favour to our future generations.

Hindustan Times

Northwest and northeastern states have had an unusually wet January, with Manipur receiving 1603% of the normal rainfall for the month, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data. India has so far received 120% of the rainfall usually recorded till the third week of January.

Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have received over 300% of the normal precipitation in January. In the northeast, Tripura has received 670% of the normal rainfall and Mizoram 295%.

Sme Times

Wheat production in the country is expected to touch new heights as the acreage of wheat sowing has gone beyond 330 lakh hectares this Rabi season, coupled with favourable weather conditions.

The acreage of sowing of pulses, including gram and oilseeds, has also increased this Rabi season as compared to the last year.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare on Friday, the sowing of wheat has been done in 330.20 lakh hectares which is 11.18 per cent more than the previous year, while the total acreage of sowing of Rabi crops is recorded to be 641.39 lakh hectare.

Safir News

Hyderabad,  Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Mareddy Srinivas Reddy said under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao Telangana government is working for welfare of poor people and farmers. Accordingly Civil Supplies Corporation is also going forward in that direction. Srinivas Reddy has completed one year as Chairman for Civil Supplies Corporation. On this occasion Civil Supplies Officers and Employees greeted him at his Office. He said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has taken up number of welfare schemes for farmers like irrigation projects, 24 hours current, Rythu Bandhu, etc have resulted in increase of paddy yield.

India Finance News

India is on course for a bumper harvest in 2019-20, unless weather plays spoilsport during final harvest stage, as the latest data shows that acreage under rabi foodgrains has risen to multi-year highs of 64.13 million hectares (ha), up 5.07 million ha from the corresponding period last year. It is even more than the average acreage of the past five years.

Even as food inflation hit six year high in December last year, the Modi government now faces a challenge to manage the all-time high stock of foodgrains. The stock has reached a record high of 75.51 million metric tonnes as on January 1, 2020. The wheat has been sown this rabi season in 330.20 lakh hectares, 33.23 lakh hectares more than last year and the highest ever since 1950-51, The Indian Express reported. It was during FY15 that the highest area sown under wheat was recorded at 314.70 hectares.

India Times

Parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan are in the midst of a deadly invasion by millions and millions of locusts, leaving the farmers there in distress. The invasion which began in October is said to be the worst in over six decades.

According to reports, crops of some 3.6 lakh hectares in 10 districts as western Rajasthan have been damaged by the locusts so far. The Locust Warning Organization (LWO) said that the current wave of attack was by Pink locusts which are flying in from Pakistan.

CII Blog

The landscape of agriculture is fast evolving with an increased focus on enhancing farmers’ incomes. The flagship schemes of the government are targeted towards improving purchasing power at the bottom of the pyramid to accelerate overall economic growth. At the same time, advanced technology is providing solutions to tackle the traditional challenges faced by agriculture towards improving the overall efficiency from farm to fork.

Business Standard

India is on course for a bumper harvest in 2019-20, unless weather plays spoilsport during final harvest stage, as the latest data shows that acreage under rabi foodgrains has risen to multi-year highs of 64.13 million hectares (ha), up 5.07 million ha from the corresponding period last year. It is even more than the average acreage of the past five years.

Krishi Jagran

A number of banks and private lenders in India offer agriculture loans or farm loans that start at an interest of just 8.70 percent per annum. The processing fees for these loans can be as low as 0 percent and can go up to around 4 percent of the loan amount. Farmers can apply for a short-term or long-term agriculture loan, based on their needs.

Many a times, due to shortage of money, farmers are not able to buy good quality seeds, modern machines and equipments. In order to solve such problems various banks provide different types of agriculture loans to the farmers. This article will tell you about top banks that offer agriculture loans and at what interest ...

The Hindu

Days after announcing the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Farmer Loan Waiver Scheme, the Maharashtra government has formed a seven-member committee to finalise the benefits to farmers with a crop loan of more than ₹2 lakh as well as to those who pay loan installments regularly.

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance minister Ajit Pawar will head the committee while Principal Secretary (Cooperation) will be the member secretary. The members are Eknath Shinde (Urban Development Department Minister), Balasaheb Thorat (Revenue Minister), Ashok Chavan (Public Works Department Minister), Dadaji Bhuse (Agriculture Minister) and Balasaheb Patil (Cooperation Minister).

The Hindu

Having spent a year on converting the patented design into a product and conducting field trials, the Centre for Innovation and Product Development (CIPD) of KLE Technological University (KLETU) has announced the launch of a multi-purpose biomass shredder that is said to be useful for sugarcane farmers in particular.

Addressing presspersons here on Thursday, Vice-Chancellor of KLETU Ashok Shettar said that it was the first commercial product coming out of the KLETU campus and the university had entered into an MoU with a private player for commercial production. The product would be formally launched during the Krishi Mela being organised by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, (UAS-D), he said.

News Dog Today

The council of ministers in Tripura has decided to procure at least 30,000 MT paddy produced in Rabi season from about 10,000 odd farmers of the state at the cost of Rs 1815 per quintal, which will provide Rs 54.55 Cr to the farmers. Besides, Food Corporation of India (FCI), the state government would spend at least Rs 7 Cr as milling charge. The FCI had procured 10,400 MT of paddy from 5,500 farmers at a cost of Rs 1750 per quintal in 2018-19. As many as 8,623 farmers had sold 16,870 MT paddy and FCI had paid Rs 29.50 Cr to them. Spokesperson of the cabinet Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that the state ...

The Hindu

This samba paddy season is all set to provide a bumper harvest not only for farmers but also for owners of harvester machines.

Timely availability of water for irrigation resulted in a good season and the crop will be ready for harvest during January-February in about 10 lakh hectares in seven districts in Tamil Nadu, according to official sources.

Devdis Course

The Congress government in Punjab has made every possible effort to fulfil its commitments, despite constraint of resources and an “empty treasury” inherited by it, Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore said on Thursday. Badnore made the remarks while addressing MLAs on the opening day of the Punjab assembly’s two-day special session, even as opposition SAD and AAP members walked out from the House, alleging that the Amarinder Singh government had not fulfilled its promises. The session has been specially convened to ratify the 126th Constitutional amendment to extend reservation for those belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes for another 10 years, Badnore said.

The Hindu BusinessLine

The Maharashtra government has appointed a sub-committee to study and recommend an appropriate scheme for farmers having overdue of short-term crop loan/restructured crop a loan above ₹2 lakh and for those who have repaid their crop loan on time.

The Government Resolution (GR) issued on Wednesday states that the sub-committee will conduct a study to provide relief to farmers who have regularly paid loans. The committee will also study a way out to provide relief to farmers who have restructured crop loan.

Live Mint

On 7 January, the ministry of statistics released India’s advance estimates of national income for 2019-20, pegging the economy’s growth rate this financial year at 5%. Based on data available for the first two quarters, this seems an overestimate. Most indicators suggest that actual growth may be lower than 5%. This is bad news, especially since there is no hope of an economic revival in the near future. What is likely to create further problems is rising inflation.

Indian Express

Punjab farmers have sown 4.50 lakh hectares (lh) wheat area this time using Happy Seeders. This is nearly 13% of the total 35.08 lh planted under the rabi cereal crop in the state. Not bad, it would seem, for a relatively new technology, which allows wheat to be directly seeded in combine-harvested paddy fields without any need to burn leftover stubble or loose straw that is a source of environmental pollution.

The Wire

In December 2019, India’s retail or CPI inflation reached 7.35%, the highest recorded in the last five years.

Food inflation touched a high of 14.12%. It was primarily caused by the rise in prices of milk (4.2%), eggs (8.79%), meat and fish (9.57%), pulses (15.44%) and vegetables (60.5%). Edible oils prices have risen only by 3.11% but with firming up of global prices, it is possible that they will also rise in due course.

In a slowing economy, food inflation could not have come at a worse time, especially for the poor, who have been struggling with job losses and stagnant wages.

UNI

Haryana Govt is not paying heed to the plight of farmers in the state as within three months of the formation of this govt, there was a big scam in the first paddy procurement, Haryana Congress President and Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Farmers were protesting on road and the sugarcane farmers badly hit. Neither the farmers are getting right prices for their crops nor are the crops being procured”, she claimed

New Kerela

As farmers on the western border of Rajasthan face the worst attack of locusts coming from neighbouring Pakistan, there is now danger of the swarms of insects laying eggs which can lead to even more damage to crops.

FNB News

The kharif season of 2019-20 had been very challenging as the monsoon had been initially late, erratic and subsequently very heavy and devastating. The monsoon rains had been 110 per cent over its (long-term average) LPA with maximum in Central India, followed by the Southern Peninsula, North-West and North-East, respectively.

The wide spread floods was seen in 13 states between late July and early August 2019, due to incessant rains caused significant dent in the acreage and production of several kharif crops. As per our assessment, sowing rice and pulses cultivation has been most hit in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Tricks News

As expected, the rabi/yasangi cultivation is galloping towards all-time high in Telangana as it has already crossed 9.3 lakh hectares with paddy itself being cultivated in an extent of 4.71 lakh hectares in the second week of January.

Thanks to the favourable conditions such as availability of water in all sources of irrigation — major, medium and minor projects, minor irrigation tanks and groundwater table — and hassle-free availability of other inputs like seed and fertilizer, the sowing/transplantation of rabi crops is progressing swiftly.

“We have expected it to be around 20 lakh hectares this season and it is moving in the direction,” a senior officer said adding that highest rabi cultivation in the State was recorded ...

Daily Pioneer

Balangir farmers are facing a big problem due to sudden stoppage of purchase of their paddy as the target given by the Government to the district has been achieved.

Other factors like lack of adequate infrastructure to purchase paddy at Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society (PACS), irregularities in issue of token to farmers at the State level and deduction of at least 5kg per bag of paddy in the name of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) ,which is popularly known as ” Katni and Chhatni” too have overshadowed the paddy procurement in the district.  Balangir district was given a target of 19 lakh tonnes. This year, the district has a good paddy production. As a result, the target given ...

Tribune India

The recent spell of heavy rain and hailstorm have wreaked havoc to rabi and vegetable crops in Jammu region, leaving farmers worried. Last year, during the harvesting season, untimely rain had hit kharif crop.

In Kathua, Samba district, RS Pura, Bishnah, Suchetgarh, Marh, Akhnoor areas of Jammu district, considered as the “grain bowl” of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, the heavy spell of rain has badly affected already sown wheat crop, mustard and pulses. Vegetable crops too have been destroyed in the fields.

Devdis Course

On a hot morning in December, Haitian farmer Remy Augustin lifted a pickaxe that was taller than him and began digging holes in a small plot of land. In each hole, he dropped a few kernels of maize, which he covered with loose dirt.

“I don’t have money to pay for a tractor, so we’re aerating the land ourselves,” said Augustin, 55, lamenting the days when the land he tilled was his own. “The land I had was better — it gave me so many bananas, peas, beans.”

Swarjyamag

In its second term, the Narendra Modi government has expedited efforts to set up steel silos to store wheat as part of its initiatives to prevent wastage of foodgrains.

More importantly, the government is now all set to launch a pilot project to store rice in silos by the year-end.

The setting up of silos to store foodgrains such as wheat and rice is important as it helps in avoiding post-harvest losses and wastage during storage.

Agrowon

“In this district this year, the banks have disbursed a loan of Rs. 1 crore (3 percent) to the farmers of different regions till Wednesday (July 1)”, sources in the district’s leading bank said. All banks have a slow pace of crop lending. Farmers expresses the need to accelerate the lending rate to achieve the goals.

Daily Pioneer

The cabinet subcommittee, formed by chief minister to monitor paddy procurement and to suggest the way how to disburse Rs 2500 to farmers for per quintal of paddy, held its meeting on Monday.

Head of the subcommittee, Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey, later informed media persons that the subcommittee has decided in the meeting to remove the bindings of 3 tokens and also the limit for sale of paddy. To ensure hassle-free procurement the subcommittee also decided to open a new procurement centres across the state to facilitate the farmers, he added.

Times Of India

The state government continues to evade the demand for a tripartite meeting to discuss paddy procurement policy, allege farmers in the state. While both the ministers for food and agriculture hail from delta districts, they have not shown any interest in convening the same for long, they add.

Before announcing the procurements policy for the Kharif season, the state government would usually convene a tripartite meeting where agriculture and food ministries, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) MD, collectors of delta districts, officials from the agriculture department, TNCSC regional managers and representatives of farmers’ associations would participate.

The Hindu BusinessLine

Agriculture has been a key contributor to India’s growth story, where 650 million people or 58 per cent of Indian households are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture. In recent years, crop failures, indebtedness, non-remunerative prices, and low returns have resulted in agrarian distress in most parts of the country. Despite the government introducing several reforms in the sector, challenges continue to exist.

Economic Times

The government is planning to roll out new guidelines for construction of silos by doing away with the mandatory requirement of having railway connectivity next to the storehouses, government officials said.

This will help the government deal with the storage problem of food grains as silos require 30% less land as compared to conventional warehouses, and can run round the clock, making them more efficient.

Economic Times

The production of coarse grains, pulses, oil seeds and sugarcane is expected to decline in the summer season of 2019-20 due to late monsoon and erratic and heavy rains later, according to a report. In the current assessment, coarse grains, pulses, oil seeds and sugarcane have marginally pushed themselves further in the negative region with an expected decline of 14.14 per cent, 14.09 per cent, 53.31 per cent and 11.07 per cent over the last estimate, respectively, according to a report by the National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC).

North East Today – Online

Central Agricultural University (CAU), the largest agricultural university in the country having 13 colleges in the North East with its headquarters here, has released four paddy varieties with weather-resilient properties in the last five years.

Nai Duniya – Online

लगभग माह भर तक आसमान में छाई बदली तथा बारिश के बाद मौसम के खुलने तथा बढ़ी ठंड का असर अब फसलों में भी देखने को मिल रहा है।. मौसम के बदले मिजाज का फायदा रबी फसलों को मिलने की बात से इंकार नहीं किया जा सकता है। जिले में किसानों द्वारा रबी फसल के रूप में मुख्य रूप से चना गेहूं अरहर मसूर व अन्य फसलें भी ली जाती है।

Ras Free Notes – Online

Mechanization, poor power supply, lack of quality rural roads; marketing & policy challenges and agriculture credit challenges. An overhaul of agriculture is required for the sustainable livelihood of India’s nearly 49% population.

The New Indian Express – Online

Paddy procurement process for the kharif season in Ganjam district has not been up to the mark even as around 375 millers had given their consent to take part in it. Official sources said, 6,24.644.28 quintal paddy has been procured from 12,591 farmers till the first week of January this year. However, the quantity is 11 per cent less than the previous year.

Business Standard – Online

Various states have cumulatively written off a whopping Rs 4.7 trillion of farm loans in the past one decade, which is 82 percent of the industry-level bad loans, according to a report.

The Indian Express – Online

In Odisha, procurement of paddy during the ongoing 2019-20 Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) is, for the first time, being done from registered farmers only after Aadhaar-based biometric authentication.

Dainik Bhaskar – Online

District opens 28 food grain warehouses in the district.

The New Indian Express – Online

Joint collector Dr K Madhavi Latha said that the pending payments to the farmers will also be cleared shortly and that there was no need of apprehensions.

The Times of India – Online

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Sivaganga has demanded that paddy procurement centers should be inaugurated in the district while paddy farmers in the district are getting ready for harvest after nearly five years.

Insights on India – Online

With GDP growth rate plummeting to 4.5 percent and with the agriculture GDP (GDPA) growth at 2.1 percent in the second quarter of this fiscal year, everyone concerned with the economy is anxious.

Business Standard

Amid the setback faced by the Indian basmati exporters over stalled shipments due to the ongoing US-Iran standoff, the prices of non-basmati paddy are holding firm and rising in some local markets after reports of crop damage following last year’s heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in major growing areas have surfaced.

After the advisory by All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) to suspend basmati shipments to Iran for the time being, the prospects of basmati trade had come under the cloud which reflected in the fall in its prices on the Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX)

Sme Street

At a time when the price of the onion is still skyrocketing across the country, the Central government on Tuesday said it has so far imported 12,000 tonnes of onion and it is being offered to states at Rs 49-58 per kg for retail distribution and to check prices.

Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that the government is importing onion through state-owned MMTC and also facilitating private imports to boost domestic supply and contain its price rise.

News Statetime

At a time when agrarian distress is quite pronounced, and while India ranks 102 among 117 countries in the Global Hunger Index-2019, the country’s granaries are overflowing. Against a surplus of 73.1 million tonnes of wheat and rice which was stacked with the government in July 2019, the food stocks are projected to swell by another 10 million tonnes or so to reach a record 84.7 million tonnes in July 2020. Expecting to be saddled with an extra 46.3 million tonnes by July 2020, over and above what is prescribed under buffer norms, the Centre is asking Punjab, Haryana and other surplus states to curtail procurement.

Daily Pioneer

The responsibility of fulfilling the promises made to the people of the State is of the State Government, headed by Chief Minister Kamal Nath from day one. Everyone, including farmers, tribals, employees, youth all were viewing this change, in the State, with hope and expectations. For the new Government, it was indeed challenging to face financial vacuum, economic downturn and non-cooperation of the centre in financial matters and yet coming up to the people’s expectations after assuming power.

Nav Hindi Times

The winter rainfall across the plains in the north India and other parts has brought cheers for the farmers.

Unlike the notion that unseasonal rain causes damage to the crops, this time it is being welcomed by the farming community, who are saying that it is like “gold falling from the sky” as it will boost the Rabi crop production.

Times Of India

Resentment is brewing among farmers in Pilibhit over arrears in payment for paddy crop worth Rs 71.38 crore, which accumulated due to the launch of a new central government system, of transferring payment for procured paddy to bank accounts  of the respective farmers. With farmers going unpaid for over a month after the 72-hour deadline, the district vice-president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), Manjit Singh, has sent a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding he expedite the payment so that farmers can invest in their next crop, which would be wheat, mustard or lentils.

Indian Express

Over the years, export of farm produce has received significant attention from India’s policymakers. Yet, the various government agencies mandated with the task of export promotion — whether the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) or the Spices, Tea and Coffee boards — have showcased little by way of actual achievement.

The New Indian Express

Harvest of early samba paddy has commenced in the district, but farmers are reporting drop in yield due to unseasonal rains. In the district, samba and thaladi paddy were cultivated on 1.33 lakh hectares. So far, 4,000 hectares have been harvested, according to Agriculture department.

P Selvaraj, a farmer in Soorakkottai, said he got only 24 bags of 60 kg each of paddy per acre whereas last year it was 36 bags.”’Rain during the flowering stage of the crop led to pollen shedding, resulting in a fall in yield,” he said. An Agriculture department official admitted, “Rain in late November and early December led to pollen shedding and reduction in the yield.”

Devdis Course

The transportation of paddy from grain markets to the rice mills in Haryana will now be done by the state’s food and civil supplies department and procurement agencies instead of rice millers, said a senior official here. The step was taken to avoid “diversion or “bogus paddy purchase” and strengthen the procurement mechanism, said Additional Chief Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies P K Das in a statement here on Wednesday.

Hindustan Times

After two inspections in more than two months’ time, the Haryana government on Wednesday admitted that a fraud of at least ₹90 crore has been detected in the paddy procurement process.

Farmers had cried foul after rice millers claimed that they had procured more paddy than the 64-lakh-tonnes target allotted to them this season.

Farmers had said that the millers bought cheap paddy from neighbouring states as their produce was still in the mandis (grain markets).

Stating that the formal inspection and physical verification, which was subsequent to informal verification, was now over, food and civil supplies additional chief secretary PK Das said more than 42,500 tonnes of paddy was found to be short as per the ...

Rediff

Growth in agriculture and allied activities is expected to be a subdued 2.8 per cent in 2019-20 but farmers’ woes are likely to lessen a bit, according to advance estimates from the statistics office.

These activities are estimated as likely to rise by 9.8 per cent at current prices, indicating food inflation (used by many as a proxy for farmers’ income) of seven per cent, the highest since 2014-15.

Business Standard

Growth in agriculture and allied activities is expected to be a subdued 2.8 per cent in 2019-20 but farmers’ woes are likely to lessen a bit, according to advance estimates from the statistics office. These activities are estimated as likely to rise by 9.8 per cent at current prices, indicating food inflation (used by many as a proxy for farmers’ income) of seven per cent, the highest since 2014-15.

The Tribune

Rain lashed most parts of Punjab, including the Malwa belt, during the past 48 hours easing out foggy weather conditions. Agriculture experts said rain at this point of time was beneficial for wheat, mustard and other rabi crops.

Moga and Ferozepur districts received an average of 8-10 mm of rainfall in various blocks during the past two days.

Orissa Diary

In view of the rainfall forecast by the IMD Meteorological Centre here for three days from January 8th, the State government has asked the district Collectors to advise farmers and paddy procurement centres to take care of the crops and harvested produce.

The Hindu

Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy has stated that Telangana government has been working towards the financial empowerment of the farming community.

Speaking at a meet on “value addition for income generation in agriculture” at Thrissur in Kerala on Tuesday, he explained how Telangana government had taken up interventions to help the agriculture sector overcome the crisis by completing pending irrigation projects, taking up new ones, giving input support of ₹5,000 per acre, ₹5 lakh life insurance cover, restoration of minor irrigation tanks and 24×7 free power supply, among others.

FInancial Express

After a huge spike in onion prices few months ago, followed the familiar government response of banning exports, placing import orders and tinkering with stock holding limits of traders. Such reactions by successive governments, in the last two decades, have become the norm, especially during September-December period.

In November 2019, when retail prices of onion in several places touched Rs 200 a kg, the central government took several measures such as fixing stock holding limits for the traders, ordering onion imports from Turkey and Egypt and selling subsidised stored onions through few retail channels. The government had stopped onion exports on September 30, 2019.

Times Of India

The release of water for rabi crops from Khadakwasla dam was stopped on Tuesday, about a month before the scheduled end of the rotation.

The water rotation started on December 15 and was expected to continue for 60 days until mid-February. However, water release continued for only over 21 days.

The state irrigation department has said that water will now be released from the dam based on ‘demand and supply’ principle, instead of continuous discharge. The experiment of demand-based release is expected to save more water in reservoirs thereby making the resource available during the summer months, the department has started.

The Print

If the Union Ministry of Agriculture has its way, farmers in traditional rice-producing states where groundwater levels have significantly dropped will find themselves forced to look beyond paddy.

With promotional exercises failing to effect a shift among farmers in states such as Punjab and Haryana, where heavy cultivation of water-intensive paddy has severely depleted groundwater levels, the ministry wants to enforce crop diversification by shrinking the central government’s assured quota of rice purchased from these regions, ThePrint has learnt.

News Indian Express

Paddy procurement for the current kharif season is going on in full swing across the district.While procurement in Sambalpur Sadar sub-division began on November 21, the process started on December 2 in Kuchinda and Rairakhol.

As per records, a total of 49,25,061 bags of paddy weighing 20,68,525.62 quintal have already been procured from as many as 37,900 farmers of the district till January 4.

HT Syndication

Narmada Valley Development Projects have started making active contribution since last year in increasing irrigation potential in different regions of the State. By paying special attention to these projects in such a short time, the State Government has increased agricultural production by irrigating the agriculture sector, improved the economic condition of the farmers with irrigated agriculture and tackled drinking water crisis in cities, towns and villages of the State. Along with this, efforts have also been made to increase hydropower capacity.

Weekly Voice

As the buyer becomes the seller, India, the largest exporter of rice in the world, has a new competitor in the global market. From the key policy makers in Udyog Bhawan to the top millers exporting rice, everyone is cautiously watching China, which offloading tonnes of rice in African markets usually secured by India.

The collector said that at present the purchase of paddy in support price is included in the works of the highest priority of the state government. Paddy of non-registered farmers should not be purchased in any procurement center. In case of any complaint regarding procurement of paddy of coaches, strict action will be taken against the concerned cooperative society in-charge. Check posts have been made to check the arrival of paddy from other states ...

Scroll

Tonnes of fish caught through unsustainable fishing methods are being used by the fish meal and fish oil industry – also known as the FMFO industry – that supply feed to global aquaculture chains. These are wreaking havoc on fish stocks.

The FMFO industry was considered a solace for fishermen as it purchased the trash fish, which is not edible, that came in with the catch. But the scenario has changed as the FMFO industries have now turned into a threat to the fisheries sector as the income from supplying to these industries is driving unsustainable fishing.

ANI

Farmers of Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram district on Sunday held a protest on the Vishakhapatnam – Araku Road. The farmers have been demanding setting up of a paddy procurement centre. Due to the traffic on monday, traffic was halted for almost three hours causing trouble to passengers and tourists. The police detained for the farmer leaders for a few hours.

Patrika

Paddy procurement in the support price in the district has been closed for the last three days. Purchases will resume from Monday. The purchase was closed on Friday due to heavy rains. At the same time, Saturday and Sunday were not purchased due to the holiday. Today, procurement is starting again. At the same time, paddy kept in procurement centres from 180 vehicles will be lifted. This is likely to increase the uptake of paddy.

Times Of India

Centre’s difficulty in clearing nearly 5,000 tonnes of imported onion stocks, with state governments shying away from lifting them, is a repudiation of kneejerk farm policies. Onion prices have been abnormally high since September, putting Centre on the defensive. It has contracted onion imports of nearly 45,000 tonnes. But with the late kharif harvest arriving and wholesale prices starting to cool, these imported onions may well end up in the buffer stock. Another worrying prospect is that dumping of these imported onions in the market will depress farm gate prices.

Business Standard

Bolstered by the brisk pace of paddy procurement, Uttar Pradesh is looking to breach the target of 5 million tonnes (MT) for the current 2019-20 kharif marketing season.

Against the target of 5 MT, the government agencies have already purchased paddy totalling more than 4.2 MT or 84 per cent of the seasonal target.

Economic Times

The government on Sunday said eight states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Karnataka, have finalised action plan for agriculture export policy which aims to double such exports. “The Agri Export Policy was announced last year with an objective of doubling the export and ensuring doubling of farmers’ income…Many states have nominated nodal agency and nodal officer. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab and Karnataka have finalised the State Action Plan and other states are at different stages of finalization of the action plan,” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement.

Daily Pioneer

Heightened cold wave with the dipping mercury and erratic rainfall that lashed several parts of the country damaged the ongoing standing rabi crops and vegetable cultivations. The steel and coal belt of Jharkhand was also whipped by the cold wave and downpour for past few weeks. Weather experts attributed the cause of dipping mercury and rainfall at this time of the year to mainly the northern disturbance.

Indian Express

Last week, the new Maharashtra government announced a loan waiver for farmers who had up to Rs 2 lakh in pending loans between April 1, 2015 and March 31, 2019. Maharashtra thus became possibly the only state to have offered two consecutive farm loan waivers within two-and-a-half years of each other. The previous loan waiver was announced by the Devendra Fadnavis government in June 2017. A look at why this loan waiver was considered necessary, and how it is different from the earlier one:

The Hans India

As the buyer becomes the seller, India, the largest exporter of rice in the world, has a new competitor in the global market. From the key policymakers in Udyog Bhawan to the top millers exporting rice, everyone is cautiously watching China, which offloading tonnes of rice in African markets usually secured by India.

The Times Of India

Uttarakhand government on Thursday was awarded the Krishi Karman award which entails a cash prize of Rs 5 crore by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bengaluru for good performance in agriculture sector in category II (hill states). However, experts have expressed surprise at the state being awarded for its performance in agriculture, considering the declining agriculture output and overall performance of hill state in this sector. In the latest Good Governance Index, state agriculture department has been ranked 7th out of 11 states in terms of performance in agriculture and allied sector

Free Press Journal

Amidst criticism by BJP and farmers’ organisations on the crop loan waiver up to Rs 2 lakh, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asked the district central cooperative banks and commercial banks to prepare a time-bound plan for its effective implementation and maintain proper cooperation with the departments of Revenue and Cooperation.

Mangla Times

For achieving remarkable success specifically under Oilseeds promotion and production, Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi awarded the Haryana Agriculture Department today.

Haryana Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister, Mr. Jai Parkash Dalal received the award at the commendation Award Ceremony in Oilseeds Category for 2017-18, held at Bengaluru today. The award consisted of a citation and an amount of Rs.one crore.

Jagran

The process of paddy procurement in the block area was accelerated in packs. As of January 1, a total of 416 farmers of the block have applied online. These include 283 ryots and 133 non-ryot farmers. According to information received from the Block Cooperative Office, so far 193 applicant farmers have been given departmental approval for paddy procurement. While the application of 126 farmers is pending verification. Application of 97 farmers has been rejected due to error in online application and upload of incomplete papers.

Naiduniya

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Agriculture Minister Ravindra Chaubey to ensure payment of paddy purchased at the minimum support price to the farmers of the state at the rate of 2500 per quintal. Tribal Development Minister Dr. Pressasai Singh Tekam, Forest Minister Mohammad Akbar and Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat have been made members of the committee. This committee will submit recommendations in one month after examining the schemes related to the cash assistance to the farmers by the Government of India and other state governments and after consulting with all the concerned parties.

NRI News 

India’s youngest & one of the fastest growing tractor brand, Sonalika Tractors, addresses the growing demand of its popular tractor & re-launches specially designed Chhatrapati tractor in Kisan Pune Mela for farmers of Maharashtra well known as Emperor of the fields.

Times Of India

In less than a month, the government is staring at problem of plenty as states appear reluctant to lift imported onions with the arrival of a fresh crop beginning to cool prices On Thursday, the onion price in Lasalgaon, the country’s largest wholesale onion market, was Rs 3,500 per quintal as against a record-high of Rs 8,600 last month.

Latestly

Three hundred cases of farmer suicides were recorded in the month of November 2019, the first time in four years. According to a Times of India report, the numbers had crossed 300 several times in 2015. The rise in suicide cases is mainly due to unseasonal rains, which destroyed almost 70 per cent of Kharif crops

Tathya

Odisha bags “Commendation Award” in agriculture for total food grain production in the year 2016-17. Arun Kumar Sahoo, Minister, Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment received the “Commendation Award” in Agriculture from  Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tumkur at Bengaluru on 02 January.

Indian Express

It’s almost sardonic that when you type “agrarian” in Google, it invariably suggests “crisis” as the following word. In 2019, the Indian farm sector grew minus 0.1% year-on-year in January-March and 2% and 2.1% in the next two quarters. A host of reasons have affected the sector’s growth, from a slump in rural demand and liquidity crunch (especially post the collapse of IL&FS) to the overall slowdown in the economy, slump in rural demand and liquidity crunch.

Energy ET

State-owned power giant NTPC has decided to procure and use six million tonnes of agro residue-based pellets to co-fire its power plants along with coal in 2020, in its endeavour towards more sustainable power generation. Currently, NTPC is using agro residue-based pellets at its Dadri thermal power plant. In 2020, the company would use these pellets, made out of stubble and husk, in its 21 thermal coal-fired power plants across the country.

Hindustan Times

The Modi government’s cash-for-farmers programme has been able to benefit only half of the 140 million farmers targeted in 2019-20 due to implementation hurdles, according to figures presented in Parliament. The next disbursal, now due, is likely to leave out those who have not been able to link their bank accounts with Aadhaar, the universal 12-digit biometric identity number.

Tribune India

At a time when agrarian distress is quite pronounced, and while India ranks 102 among 117 countries in the Global Hunger Index-2019, the country’s granaries are overflowing. Against a surplus of 73.1 million tonnes of wheat and rice which was stacked with the government in July 2019, the food stocks are projected to swell by another 10 million tonnes or so to reach a record 84.7 million tonnes in July 2020.

Business World

The Government envisioning to up the size of the nations macro-economy to USD 5 trillion by 2024 treats agriculture sector as integral to this strategy, and the fulcrum of such a transformation. Specifically with regards to the country’s agricultural economy, the Government’s aim of improving the welfare of the farmers predicated upon doubling farmers’ income by 2022 is moving in the right direction, in synch with the principle of harmonizing the interests of the different stakeholders. The particular demands of the consumers for wholesome nutrition and of the ecology shall be continued to be optimally blended, as the nation moves towards achieving higher incomes and sustainability from the agricultural enterprise.