Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
From plate to plough: Against the grain of reformedit
If there is one thing that bewilders the reader in the agri-food space of the Union Budget for FY21, it is a massive reduction in food subsidy. The Revised Estimate (RE) of food subsidy for FY20 has been slashed by a whopping Rs 75,552 crore, from the Budgeted Estimate (BE) of Rs 184,220 crore to only Rs 108,668 crores. And, the BE for FY21 has been kept at Rs 115,570 crore. One wonders if any major reforms have been undertaken in the grain management system or the National Food Security Act such that this massive reduction in allocation is feasible.
Amending agri market law, but half-heartedlyedit
The Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets (General) (Amendment) Rules, 2020, provide for special market yard, private market yard, producer market yard (kisan mandi) and producer consumer market yard (PCMY). The most important reforms are the permission to establish a private wholesale market and the direct payment to farmers, the latter driven by pressure from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and the implementation of the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) by the Union Government.
Locust threat: Bigger invasion expected in June, India-Pakistan to continue cooperation to combat common enemyedit
In the past few months, India and Pakistan have conducted nearly five meetings, keeping aside all differences, to combat the desert locust whose armies raided the standing crops in the fields and caused severe damage. The neighbours will continue the cooperation as a forecast has indicated the likeliness of an invasion with “greater magnitude” from June onwards this year than the one that happened in 2019 in several districts of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Goa: After mining halt, Dharbandora farmer plants cabbage, r .. Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/74166206.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppstedit
After mining came to a grinding halt in Dharbandora, Varad Samant did not lose hope but turned to Mother Earth to get him out of a tight spot. Today his locally-grown cabbage has been accepted by the Goa State Horticulture Corporation Limited (GSHCL) which will market his produce at outlets across the state. Samant has been able to successfully harvest vegetables at his farm. “The farm is surrounded by a mining area. The land was cultivable even then, but we couldn’t access the farm due to movement of mining trucks. After the closure of mining in 2012, my family decided to take up cultivation of the land on a large scale, full-time,” Samant told TOI.
Expectations high on ‘mini’ trade deal during Trump’s visit: India Incedit
India Inc expects tangible outcomes from US President Donald Trump’s maiden visit to the world’s fifth largest economy later this month, including a bilateral “mini” trade deal and higher investment commitments from American companies, industry groups said on Sunday.
The two countries are negotiating a trade package to iron out certain issues and promote two-way commerce.
UP budget to focus on agriculture, farmersedit
The focus of Yogi government’s budget on February 18 is expected to be on agriculture and farmers as it seeks to draw the roadmap for 2022 assembly elections and retaining power, something which has not happened in the state in last 35 years. And in doing so, CM Yogi will be taking a cue from PM Narendra Modi’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, the scheme of giving Rs 6,000 a year to all marginal farmers, widely considered to be a game changer that helped BJP storm back to power with increased numbers in 2019.
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Target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022 achievable: UP ministeredit
Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi is among few ministers who enjoy the trust of CM Yogi Adityanath . Talking to Subhash Mishra, Shahi said his challenge would be to double the income of farmers as envisioned by PM Narendra Modi. Excerpts: What do you expect for your department in the upcoming budget? In 2016-17, annual income of farmers in UP was Rs 79,120 which rose to Rs 1,03,878 in 2018-19. As per NITI Ayog report, it must go up in 2019-20. We want to double it by 2022. The target is achievable.