Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Hyderabad: An awareness programme for farmers to sell their produce through online using e-NAM held in Bowenpallyedit
An awareness programme for farmers to sell their produce through online using e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) was held on the premises of Bowenpally Agriculture market yard on Wednesday.
The programme was organised by agricultural marketing department of Telangana government. Representatives of farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and farmers associations attended the programme. Coordinator of Agriculture Marketing department of Telangana G Lakshmibai, special advisor of e-NAM Vishal Dinesh, e-NAM official Rajesh Sharma, SFAC officials Paramender Singh, R Lakshman and others explained farmers on integration of FPOs on e-NAM.
Paddy fields in Krishna delta get green coveredit
The paddy fields in the 150-year-old Krishna delta have received a green cover for the first time in a decade with farmers cultivating the second crop. Farmers in the Krishna delta, spread over Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts, are busy with Rabi crop thanks to incessant rains in the upstream and subsequent floods this monsoon. Out of the 13.08 lakh acres of cultivable land in Krishna delta, farmers have grown Rabi crop in 5,07,685 acres. “The Kharif crop was good due to availability of water and its judicious maintenance,” said M V S Nagi Reddy, vice-chairman, AP Agriculture Mission.
Goa: Education sector livid over new agriculture university plansedit
Agriculture minister Chandrakant Kavalekar recently announced that his ministry would establish an agriculture university in Goa within the next one year, to focus on the study of organic farming. This decision to set up a university under a ministry other than education has not gone down well with officials and academicians in the state. They say this move will spell chaos for the education sector if individual ministries are allowed to start their own institutes.
How to fast-track effort to double farmer income in 3 years?edit
From ensuring remunerative prices for farmers through eNAM, risk-proofing agriculture through PMFBY, and reducing the cost of cultivation through micro-irrigation and soil health cards, the Centre has taken various measures to increase farmers’ income in the last four years.
The time has come to review these measures and come up with innovative ideas to fast-track efforts to achieve the goal of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022-23.
The two-day BusinessLine Agriculture Summit that opens in Delhi on Thursday will bring together experts in the sector to brainstorm on ideas to re-vitalise agriculture and help increase farmers’ income.
KSUM Turns Focus To Rural Innovation With ‘Rural India Business Conclave’edit
KSUM will host Rural India Business Conclave in ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod from February 27 to March 3
The conclave will host prominent names such as angel investor, Nagaraja Prakasam, Malabar Angel Network’s PK Gopalakrishnan, Saji Gopinath, CEO, Kerala Startup Mission and others
The last date for applying to the SITI exhibition in the conclave is February 29
Netherlands keen to collaborate with TN in agriculture, water managementedit
The Netherlands is keen to strengthen ties with Tamil Nadu in sectors such as agriculture, water management, health care, education, waste management and start-ups, said Marten van den Berg, Ambassador of the Netherlands.
Berg met newspersons in Chennai to introduce Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director of TVS Capital Funds, as Honorary Consul of Netherlands for Tamil Nadu.
“We are delighted to have Srinivasan on board to enhance our long cherished 400 years of relations between Tamil Nadu and Netherlands,” Berg said.
Unseasonal rain and hailstorm damage crops across 3 statesedit
Unseasonal rains with hailstorm over the past two days have caused massive damage to crops at several places in Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
According to Bihar government officials, rain and hailstorm in parts of south and north Bihar adjacent to Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday damaged flowering and fruiting oilseed, pulses, vegetables, tobacco crop, and blossoming mango orchards.
In some parts of Kaimur, Rohtas and Aurangabad, hail of up to 20mm was recorded within a few hours on Monday and Tuesday, officials said. Strong winds with speeds of up to 40 km per hour resulted in damage to mango trees in several areas.
“We are finished,” said Amit Singh, a farmer of Badhauna village in ...
Revamped insurance plan marks major farm reformedit
A revamped flagship crop insurance scheme unveiled last week by the Cabinet is the Modi government’s first real reform in the farm sector, with the Centre virtually exiting the scheme and handing the insurance market and states a deciding role, analysts say.
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which became operational in 2016-17, has been hobbled by long delays in paying off claims, upsetting farmers.
To be sure, the scheme is crucial in a country where crops are vulnerable to drought, unseasonal rains and pest attacks. Nearly 54% of the net-sown area lacks irrigation and 12 million hectares, on average, suffer annual weather shocks.
Budget
Gujarat Budget: focus on farm, education, healthedit
The Gujarat government announced several schemes for farmers to help boost harvest and tide over bad weather conditions in the Rs 2,17,287-crore Budget tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who also holds the Finance portfolio, in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Among the key announcements were one urban health centre for every 10,000 people, relief in electricity duty for around 30 lakh consumers, developing 500 schools in the state as Schools of Excellence, and a scheme for NRIs to give back to the community. These are seen as targeted for the local body elections to be held at end of this year.
Dairy Farming
Milk prices jump twice in 10 days, officials point at fall in supplyedit
Milk consumers are hit yet again. In the last 10 days, milk prices of private dairies have gone up by Rs 2 to Rs 6 per litre. The rate of toned milk is sold at Rs 50 now and that of whole milk Rs 68 per litre. The state-run Vijaya Dairy toned milk costs Rs 48 per litre, while private dairies like Tirumala, Arokya, Dodla, Tirumala and Heritage are selling at Rs 48 to Rs 50. The price of Amul milk, which is sold at Rs 46 a litre, is also likely to go up in the next few days, said sources.
Technology in Agriculture
Pune: To revive ITIs in Ma harashtra, STP proposes fresh courses in AI, agricultureedit
TO REVIVE Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in the state, the Pune-based Science and Technology Park (STP) has proposed to partner industries and play a key role by working closely with the state government. The STP had forwarded its recommendations to the state government, expected to be taken under consideration during the Budget Session. Over the decades, ITIs have centred their syllabus and skill development around mechanical and electrical maintenance, but could soon consider the roll-out of courses in agricultural and medical technology, among a host of other new fields.