Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Link Indian agriculture with global chains, liberalise agro-commodity markets: Expertsedit
Multiple agriculture experts urged the Narendra Modi government to undertake comprehensive reforms in the sector, from the production side right up to the supply-end.
Speaking on the sidelines of Centre for Policy Research Dialogues 2020 in New Delhi Monday, the experts also stressed the importance of linking Indian agriculture with global value chains (GVC).
Saurabh Garg, principal secretary, department of agriculture & farmers empowerment, Odisha, highlighted the importance of linking Indian farmlands with various agri-linkages including GVC.
Farm loan waiver in Telangana likely from Apriledit
Farmers will get a big relief from debt burden soon as the Telangana Government has initiated official process for the implementation of the long-pending farm loan waiver scheme as promised by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in 2018 elections.
In all likelihood, the waiver scheme will be implemented from April in the new financial year of 2020-21.
Addressing a meeting conducted with the newly elected DCCB and DCMS chairmen and vice-chairmen at TRS head office Telangana Bhavan here, party working president KT Rama Rao said the government is committed to waive the loans taken by farmers up to Rs 1 lakh.
State govt to focus on ‘Ease of Doing Agriculture’: Aaditya Thackerayedit
After ease of doing business, Maharashtra will now also focus on ‘ease of doing agriculture’, Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray said on Monday.
Thackeray was speaking at the inauguration of the Pune International Business Summit organised by the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) in Pune.
He said the state government had extended loan waivers to farmers and will now focus on sustainable agriculture in Maharashtra. “Like all sectors that have seen increase in use of technology, agriculture, too, needs to adopt science and technology and upgrade,” he said.
Farmers likely to receive paddy procurement dues tomorrowedit
Civil supplies commissioner Kona Sasidhar said that the government will clear paddy procurement dues to farmers by Wednesday. He refuted the charges that the state government was not procuring paddy from farmers. He said that they have already purchased about 44 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from farmers during the Kharif season and gearing up to launch the Rabi procurement from April 1.
Rajasthan farmers can now produce solar power on their non-arable landedit
Farmers of Rajasthan, who own uncultivable land or such land that are not used for farming, shall now be able to use his holding for setting up solar power plants and solar farms without the requirement of land conversion. Such farmers would now be permitted to sub-let his holdings for setting up of solar power projects where the provisions of the state’s Tenancy Act and Land Revenue Act will not come as hindrances. Solar power producers shall also be allowed to purchase private land from Khatedar (legal land owner) for setting up of solar power plants in excess of the ceiling limit in accordance with the provisions of Ceiling Act, 1973 with the prior approval of ...
Farmers seek fair price for cabbageedit
Farmers of Kadoli and villages surrounding Belagavi taluk protested under the Karnataka State Farmers Association (KSFA) banner demanding help for those who suffered a loss due to the price drop of cabbage and other vegetables in the wholesale market.
Farmers in Belagavi, Jafarwadi, Devagiri, Kednur and surrounding villages have grown cabbage and other vegetables in large quantity. But close to the harvesting season, there are no buyers of cabbage in the wholesale market.
Wheat worth Rs 607 crore damaged in Punjab: CAGedit
Inadequate and improper wheat storage and stocking fresh one with the infested in Punjab resulted in loss of wheat of Rs 607.57 crore in four years, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said. This fact came to light in a CAG report that was tabled in the Congress-ruled state assembly last week. Between 2014-15 and 2017-18, a total of 2.83 lakh tonnes of wheat pertaining to previous crop years was declared as damaged, said the CAG.
The Committee on Public Undertakings of the state legislature had recommended in March 2016 that proper wheat storage spaces and its fumigation be undertaken to prevent its damage. The audit observed that these lapses are still persisting ...
Sustainable farming body seeks support of MPs for stronger pesticides billedit
To reach out to various political parties to seek their support for a stronger Pesticides Management Bill in the parliament, which is likely to be introduced in the ongoing budget session, the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (Asha), a national network of farmers and agricultural scientists, wrote to various MPs and used Twitter on Monday to highlight the points to be incorporated in the bill. The Asha activists posted tweets with hashtag #PesticidesBill by tagging MPs cutting across party lines to make them aware about various aspects related to pesticides used in the country before the bill is passed by both Houses of the parliament. The Union cabinet had cleared the bill on February 12. Asha asserts ...
Explained: All The Ways In Which Centre’s Move To Set Up 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations Will Help Growersedit
On Saturday (29 February), Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an ambitious programme to form 10,000 Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs) across the country aimed primarily to help small and marginal farmers.
The 10,000 FPOs will be set up over a five-year period (till 2024) and the Centre has made a budgetary allocation of Rs 4,496 crore for the five years. The FPOs scheme is aimed at benefiting some 86 per cent of the farmers in the country, who have a landholding of less than one hectare.
Untimely rains damaged crops on 2.8k hectares in Maharashtra, says ministeredit
Untimely rains on Sunday damaged crops over an area of 2,820 hectares and those affected will get financial assistance after assessment reports are finalised, Maharashtra Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar told the Legislative Council on Monday.
He said the Revenue and Agriculture departments have been asked to carry out a damage assessment exercise jointly.
“The Centre offers financial assistance to farmers affected by hailstorm but not those who lose crops due to untimely rains. We will try to address this issue,” he said.
Technology in Agriculture
Hyderabad: Farm mechanisation, horticulture likely to get budget booster doseedit
The farm mechanisation and horticulture sectors which are lagging behind in the agriculture domain in the State are likely to get a budget boost in the ensuing budget.
According to the State Agriculture Department (SAD) sources, the Telangana State stands second in the entire country in the formation of the Customer Hiring Centres (CHCs), after Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking to The Hans India, a senior SAD official said that there are about 6,572 CHCs in the State. The CHCs are formed to encourage farm mechanisation under the Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanisation (SMAM), a centrally sponsored scheme.
Stubble Burning
Stubble burning is aggravating melting of Gangotri Glacier: scientistsedit
Stubble burning is not just reducing your life by years, it could also be aggravating the melting of the Gangotri Glacier, scientists fear.
According to scientists, black carbon concentration in the region of the glacier increases 400 times during summer, most likely due to agricultural burning and forest fires. This increased concentration can trigger glacial melt because of the light absorbing nature of black carbon.
These are the findings of a study by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, (WIHG), an autonomous institution under department of science and technology. The study was conducted at Chirbasa station near Gangotri Glacier, for the year 2016.