Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Rain damages 3% wheat crop in Patiala districtedit
Heavy rain and strong winds in the past few days have damaged more than 3% of the wheat crop in Patiala district, say experts.
The showers resulted in flattening of the standing crop and waterlogging in the agricultural fields across district, dashing hopes of farmers to get a bumper yield this season.
Agriculture experts said that the loss might increase further if the fields are not been drained out or if it rains any more in the district.
“Around 3,570 hectare land of wheat crop has flattened in district. The wheat crop was sown on 2.32 hectare in Patiala,” they said.
Farmer grows paddy from rice grainsedit
Normally, paddy is cultivated through paddy seed, but a progressive farmer is cultivating paddy by using rice grains. Risotto is a north Italian rice variety brought by a rice mill CEO from an international rice expo held in Germany.
Nagula Gangaram, a progressive farmer of Nizamabad district who is popularly known as Chinni Krishnudu, is known for his experiments in agriculture. He cultivates different types of rice varieties belonging to several countries in his agriculture field situated on the outskirts of Nizamabad.
On a mission to empower farmersedit
Soil health is a major contributor to a good quality crop. However, most farmers have little awareness and also means to measure soil health parametres, and thus often face crop failure. Bringing a technological solution to this problem, Ahmedabad-based startup, NeerX, developed a low-cost handheld device, Shool (Smart Sensor for Hydrology and Land Application), which helps measure soil health parametres such as moisture, salinity, dielectric permittivity, among others.
India reports annual post-harvest losses of Rs 61,000 crore in fisheries, finds parliamentary paneledit
India faces annual post-harvest losses of Rs 61,000 crore in production of marine and inland fisheries and it results in huge loss of income for the fishermen community holding back the sector from potentially registering a higher average annual growth rate than the 7% recorded in recent years. Attributing this huge loss to faulty handling practices, inordinate delay in packing & transportation and lack of proper cold storage facilities, a parliamentary panel has asked the government to modernise existing harbours, establish more cold storage facilities and ensure availability of more refrigerated trucks/vans for transportation of fishes.
Above-normal March rainfall likely to impact mustard outputedit
As heavy rain, accompanied by hailstorm in some areas, lashed many parts of the country over the last few days, major wheat-producing states have recorded more than 100 per cent “higher than normal” rainfall during first 11 days of March, according to latest data available with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare.
While assessment of the damage caused by the unseasonal showers to the Rabi crop is not known immediately, experts said the early-March rain may impact the mustard harvest.
Wheat harvesting to be delayed in Punjab, Haryanaedit
Inclement weather takes a toll; farmers, facing financial losses, a worried lot in both the States The recent rain could delay harvesting of the standing wheat crop by at least a week in Punjab and Haryana , an agriculture expert and farmers said on Sunday.
Punjab, Haryana farmers fret over damaged wheatedit
With rain and hail damaging wheat, potato and mustard crops, farmers in Ludhiana district, particularly those in the vicinity of Samrala, are demanding a special girdawari for compensation. “Untimely rains have caused extensive damage. In Samrala areas hit by hailstorm, the standing crop has been ruined,” said HS Lakhowal, general secretary, BKU (Lakhowal).