Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Farmers’ awareness camp organised in Batoteedit
District Agriculture Department, Ramban in collaboration with the J&K Bank Ltd.(JKBL) Wednesday organized farmers’ awareness camp, here at Batote. The camp was attended by Sarpanchs Panchs and farmers and they were educated about the soil health maintenance and various flagship schemes of the central government to enable them to double their income by 2022. The farmers were also told to get the soil of their fields tested for its nutrient value at Soil Testing Laboratory or through Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory and keep its record in the Soil Health Cards issued free by the Agriculture Department. they were also educated about Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna (PMKSNY), Kisan Credit Card scheme etc.
How to bail out farming in fast-paced worldedit
A farmer these days can engage in a dialogue with a group of agriculture scientists for a solution to the problem like pests infesting his crop, in real time, and online. Likewise, an importer of mangoes in Paris can conduct a visual inspection of the fruit while it is stocked in a container at airport in India and electronically complete the transaction with the producer. A group of farmers can hire a drone whose observations of the crops in their fields can be analysed, by an agriculture scientist hired by them, to decide upon nutrition, disease-control etc.
“Everything else can wait,” said Jawaharlal Nehru in the early 1950s, “but not agriculture”. Such was the overriding priority ...
Throwing cold water on the farm partyedit
The global spread of the coronavirus outbreak couldn’t have come at a worse time for Indian farmers — just when they are set to harvest a bumper rabi crop on the back of higher plantings enabled by the wettest monsoon in 25 years and extended heavy rains till early-November.
Rising COVID-19 infection cases, including in India, has acted as a sentiment dampener ahead of the marketing season for major rabi crops, whose mandi arrivals will pick up after Holi on March 10.
Karnataka state making changes to Land Reforms Actedit
The Karnataka government is making important changes to its Land Reforms Act, 1961, in a bid to accelerate industrial projects already signed up, as well as prospective ones.
Chief minister BS Yediyurappa is pushing for changes after several senior executives of multinational companies he had met at Davos in January complained about the difficulties they were facing in getting possession of their preferred agriculture plots in the state to set up industrial units. Soon after his return from the World Economic Forum tour, the chief minister got the industries and revenue departments to work together and suggest changes in the processes as well as amendments to the law.
Over 1.20 lakh new Kisan Credit Cards distributed in Bihar during current financial yearedit
Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said on Wednesday that over 1.20 lakh new Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) were distributed in the state and more than 14.36 lakh cards renewed during the current financial year. In the last six years, 49.65 lakh new KCC have been given and 1.07 crore cards renewed in Bihar, he told the assembly. Banks have informed the state government that a sizeable number of farmers have been given KCC while few of those left out have to be given the facility, Sushil Kumar Modi said.
Farmers got Rs 2,800 cr under PM crop insurance plan: Ministeredit
The Gujarat government on Wednesday informed the Assembly that as against a collection of over Rs 5,800 crore towards the premium in two years, insurance companies have settled claims worth Rs 2,800 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme.
While the Congress alleged the BJP government is helpless against insurance firms, Agriculture Minister R C Faldu claimed the government is ‘fighting’ with these companies to get compensation for farmers in case of crop damage.
Budget
Despite crunch, budget to focus on farming, investment, infraedit
“It is tough if we do it and tough if we don’t,” Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said here on Wednesday, referring to the possible increase in taxation. The chief minister will present the budget for the fiscal year 2020-2021 on Thursday.
The focus of the budget will remain agriculture, infrastructure and investments. While a separate agri-budget is not on the cards, the CM intends to make big allocations for irrigation projects under the Water Resources Ministry. Specific allocation is also expected for Yediyurappa’s ambitious announcement of increasing Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana by Rs 4,000 taking the state’s contribution to Rs 6,000 per beneficiary.
Technology in Agriculture
Agri-tech startup Arya raises $6 millionedit
Delhi-based agriculture technology startup Arya has raised $6 million in pre-Series B funding from Omnivore and existing investor LGT Lightstone Aspada.
Arya plans to use the funds to speed up growth of its agri-storage network, build its book in warehouse receipt financing, and lay the foundation for a pan-India agri warehousing marketplace.
The startup provides post-harvest services across the agricultural value chain, including warehousing, warehouse receipt financing, rural storage discovery, collateral management and market linkages. In addition, it offers warehouse receipt financing via Aryadhan which provides credit to farmers, Farmer Produce Organisations and small and medium enterprise aggregators.
Govt. Policies
Indian Railways aims to help double farmers’ income with the launch of Kisan Rail; detailsedit
Indian Railways plans ‘Kisan Rail’ for farmers! Piyush Goyal-chaired Railway Ministry aims to contribute to the Modi government’s aim of doubling the income of farmers by 2022. According to the Railway Minister, the Kisan Rail will help in bringing perishable agricultural products like vegetables, fruits to the market in a short period of time. While addressing the 91st Annual General Meeting of the ICAR Society, the Railway Minister had asked agricultural scientists to develop solutions that can reduce the cost of farming as well as give farmers good prices for crops. The Kisan Rail was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget for the financial year 2020-21.