Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
The hazards of pesticidesedit
AMIDST a hurricane of lawsuits that agrochemical multinational Bayer-Monsanto faces in the US and elsewhere over its herbicides Roundup and Dicamba’s alleged link to cancer, a joint investigation by Unearthed, a journalists’ research group founded by Swiss NGO Public Eye and Greenpeace UK, found that India tops the global chart with nearly 59 per cent of the sales being of ‘highly hazardous pesticides’.
Largest paddy procurement since state’s formation: Chhattisgarh govtedit
The Congress government in Chhattisgarh claimed on Friday the state has set a record of highest paddy procurement this year since its formation in 2000.
The government said in a press release that in the Kharif marketing year 2019-20, about 83 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been procured till Thursday evening on the last day of procurement at support price and paddy procurement.
Yogendra Yadav: Doubtful if even an import ban in view of bumper crop will soothe farmersedit
Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav has said India is in the midst of a “policy-driven crisis in which the farmers are bound to suffer despite a bumper crop.” Alleging that the “agri-trade policy in this country is dictated by the traders’ lobby”, Yadav said it is exected that “the government will suspend the imports for pulses in the face of a bumper harvest”.
Centre pays Rs 50,850 crore to farmers under PM-KISAN schemeedit
The Centre on Saturday said it has disbursed Rs 50,850 crore to farmers so far under its landmark scheme PM-KISAN, enabling them to meet farm input cost and household expenses.
The agriculture ministry shared the progress made under the scheme, ahead of its first anniversary on February 24.
Farmers likely to gain from PMFBY revampedit
A revamp of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) by making it voluntary and bringing in some changes is being touted as a farmer-friendly move though experts fear that this can also lead to hike in premium.
By revamping the PMFBY, the Centre has not only made it voluntary for farmers, but also allowed single-peril insurance. Until now, farmers were required to pay premium for multi-peril insurance.
Punjab’s problem of plenty goes against the grainedit
Punjab stares at a problem of plenty with a bumper wheat procurement season less than two months away.
Piles of wheat and paddy stored in the state’s godowns have become a cause of worry not only for the state and central governments but also for farmers who now know that their produce is not in demand.
Paddy Procurement Woes Abound as Chhattisgarh Govt Scrambles to Deliver on Promisesedit
Even after the three-month-long drama surrounding paddy procurement came to an end on February 20 in Chhattisgarh, farmers were still out on streets in at least five districts. Several members of the procurement staff in Koriya, Kawardha, Bemetara and Kondgaon had been taken prisoners by agitating farmers.
While millions of tonnes of paddy still lay unprocured due to various reasons, the government closed the Mandi gates after claiming that it had already reached its target of 83 lakh tonne and deposited more than Rs 14,500 crore in payments to farmers’ bank accounts.
The Fight Against US-Styled IP Is Not Only in Pharma, but Also on the Farm Frontedit
As the countdown for President Donald Trump’s India visit begins, there has been much speculation about the nature and extent of the trade deal that could or could not be agreed upon between the two countries.
Irrespective of all other details, an issue that is certainly on the table is intellectual property (IP). India will need to tread with caution in the light of demands on that front not only in pharma, but also in the area of agriculture.