Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Explained: What makes pest-prone kinnow crop ‘pesticide-free’ in Punjabedit
The Punjab Agri Export Corporation recently launched the ‘Punjab Kinnow’ brand at the kinnow festival in Abohar. This brand of kinnow, which is considered the ‘king fruit’ of Punjab, is also said to be “pesticide-free”. However, the kinnow is a year-long crop, often attacked by pests including mites at various stages, requiring several sprays of insecticide. So how can such a fruit be declared “pesticide-free”?
Install meters to measure power supply to agriculture sector: AP govt to discomsedit
All power distribution companies in Andhra Pradesh have been asked by the state government to arrange a metering system to measure power supply from distribution transformers dedicated to the agriculture sector in the state. The press statement from the State Energy Conservation Mission (SECM) on Sunday talks about setting up the meters only at the transformer level.
A Chandrashekhar Reddy, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the SECM said that the request to set up meters came from the farmer associations. Speaking to TNM, he said that this is a central government initiative and fully funded by the Centre. “There will no billing as the meter will be only at the transformer level. There are a ...
Salinity affecting 10% of agricultural land in north Gujarat: DAIICT studyedit
Districts in northern Gujarat, falling into arid and semi-arid climatic region –are facing the risk of soil salinity, highlighted a study carried out at Gandhinagar-based Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information & Communication Technology (DAIICT). The study pointed at about 10% of the total agriculture area under the study having risk of soil salinity as predicted using data of 2017-18.
Expert group to suggest ways to push agri exportsedit
The fifteenth Finance Commission has set up a high-level expert group to recommend measurable performance incentives for states to encourage agriculture exports and promote crops to enable high import substitution.
The seven-member expert group on agriculture exports, headed by ITC chairman Sanjiv Puri, has three months to submit its report to the commission.
Vedike wants farm production promotededit
A forum fighting for strengthening democracy – Prajaprabhutva Ulisi Andolana Vedike – has appealed to the Chief Minister to encourage agriculture production, by stopping non-agriculture activities in agricultural lands.
TN can become clean energy leaderedit
Year 2019 has been another important one for the renewable energy (RE) sector in India. In Tamil Nadu, one of India’s earliest adopters of RE, the State government and its agencies took four significant steps towards a more ambitious RE future last year.
February 2019 saw the release of a new solar policy with an ambitious 9000 MW solar PV capacity to be installed in the State by 2023.
Second, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) began discussions on the procedure to be adopted for re-powering of old wind turbines and organised public hearings in December 2019.
Budget
Focus on farm, industry in budget: Cong to Khattaredit
Congress MLAs on Monday asked Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to keep the conditions of agriculture sector and industries in mind while preparing the state’s budget for the next fiscal year. Giving their suggestions on the opening day of a pre-budget meeting organised by the Haryana government, some MLAs of the Congress sought special provisions for health and education in rural sector. The meeting will last three days and is being attended by MLAs, MPs and other stakeholders.
Uncategorized
Chances of India-US trade deal during Trump’s visit thin: Sourcesedit
Negotiations are going on between India and the US to iron out differences for a proposed trade package but chances of signing a deal during US President Donald Trump’s visit here next week are thin, sources said on Monday.
Officials of both the countries are yet to resolve issues pertaining to sectors, including politically sensitive agriculture and dairy, even as less than a week is left for the visit of the US President, according to sources.