Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Opinion | Farmers may not be infected but are certainly affectededit
The Covid-19 pandemic is probably the biggest threat to health that people across the globe are facing. More than the threat to health is the challenge it poses to the global economy. The chief of International Monetary Fund said, “The global economy has now entered a recession that could be as bad or worse than the 2009 downturn”. Several countries are working tirelessly to save their citizens through announcing the economic packages to keep their economies afloat. The panic from the outbreak is so intense that the supply chains of even the agriculture sector that provides food – the most fundamental need of every human being – have been curbed. The lockdown imposed in several countries is ...
With rabi crop ready for harvest, farmers in a fixedit
Farmers in Canacona taluka are staring at an uncertain future as the 21-day lockdown is coinciding with the rabi crop harvesting season. They are afraid of their efforts for a better produce going in vain. Most of them called upon the zonal agriculture office seeking help in harvesting the crop yield. Most paddy crops are ready for harvesting, but the farmers are facing labour scarcity in view of corona outbreak.
Railway scrambles coaches, moves wheat and rice across Punjab regionedit
Almost double number of goods coaches are plying from Ambala division every day to meet the demand of commodities, including wheat and rice, in areas like Bathinda, Jagadhri, Patiala, Rajpura, Saharnpur, Sirhind and Jakhal in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak. Similarly, Ferozepur railway division is instrumental in supplying wheat to the Food Corporation of India’s godowns all over the country. Ferozepur division has loaded racks of rice from Nawanshahr, Goniana, Patti, Kartarpur, Bhai Jagta, Malsian, Shahkot, Ajitwal, Gnagsar Jaiton , Jagraon and Mullanpur railways stations on Saturday, while special goods trains have been loaded from Nakodar even on Sunday, said Ferozepur divisional railway manager (DRM) Rajesh Agarwal.
Covid-19 impact: Making seeds available for monsoon sowing is essentialedit
Rasi Seeds began despatching cottonseed to Bhatinda, Hissar and Sri Ganganagar on March 20 for distribution to hundreds of its dealers in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Timely availability of seed is essential for cotton planting, which happens around April 15. If planted beyond the first week of May, yield begins to decline. As of March 25, only four trucks had reached their destinations. Sixteen were on the way, but nine of them were stuck in Tamil Nadu. M Ramasami, the founder and chairman of the company based in Salem district of Tamil Nadu, is worried that the lockdown of cities and restrictions on transportation to minimise Covid-19 infection will cripple the seed industry, affect kharif output and ...
Coronavirus lockdown | Dairy, vegetable farmers count losses in Assamedit
The inability to transport their produce because of the coronavirus lockdown has forced small dairy farmers in Assam throw away hundreds of litres of milk while vegetable growers are letting their crop rot or dumping nearby for animals.
Relief for farmers as Centre extends short-term loan payment date to May 31edit
The Centre has decided that farmers who availed of short-term crop loans at a concessional interest of 4% per annum and whose payment was due on March 1 or later will get time till May 31 to repay their loans.
Only farmers with a record of timely repayments get short-term crop loans at a concessional rate. Therefore, farmers who missed payments due after March 1 won’t have to pay any penalty if they repay by May 31.
Farmers get crop loans at a cheaper 7% as compared to consumer loans, which range from anything between 12% and 14%. For those making timely repayments, the effective rate of interest is even lower at 4%. The latest measure will ...
Coronavirus | Rabi harvest to be affected for want of farm workersedit
The lakhs of migrant workers streaming to their home villages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have left many farmers across the country bereft of agricultural labour just before the crucial harvesting season of the rabi or winter crop. Farmers also worry about government procurement and their ability to sell their crops, given that many mandis or agricultural markets are still closed, despite fresh Home Ministry orders to exempt all such farming activities from the shutdown.
India might soon implement a plan to ensure that businesses consider their human rights impactedit
To ensure that businesses in India are responsible, sustainable and respect basic human rights, the central government is in the process of finalising its National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. The zero draft of the plan, which has been public for over one year, is now in the final stage of extensive consultations with stakeholders led by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs.