Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Punjab tops in transporting food grains during lock downedit
Punjab tops the tally for transporting maximum food grains, accounting 46% of the total 16.94 lakh tonnes of food grains moved across the country to feed the poor during lock down. Haryana (18%), Telangana (12%) and Chhattisgarh (7%) are the other major states from where food grains were moved to different parts of the country.
Food Corporation of India, the central agency which procures food grains for government and transports it to states, set a new record in single day movement by moving 70 rakes carrying 1.93 lakh tonnes continuously for two days on Friday and Saturday.
Harvesting from April 14 in Haryana, farmers to delay wheat reapingedit
The farmers are waiting for clear directions from the government on wheat harvesting and managing once it is harvested. They are planning to delay the process, as the workers who operate agriculture machinery are also not available due to coronavirus threat. The government, meanwhile, has allowed the shops that sell agriculture machinery and spare parts (including its supply chain) to open, indicating that harvesting will go ahead as usual. A progressive farmer, Sukhminder of Saphera village in Ambala district, who runs a custom hiring centre (CHC), said, “At this moment, the workers who operate the harvesting machines are not ready to come for work, as they fear coronavirus. Their family members are also not allowing them to go for work.”
Govt to initiate procurement of pulses during lockdown period, 13 states on board to help farmersedit
Ensuring procurement of gram and lentil during lockdown period, the Centre on Sunday approved a decision to procure these pulses from farmers on minimum support price (MSP) under its flagship ‘price support scheme’ in 13 states. The move to procure these pulses by public sector food procurement agencies will help farmers in getting money in hands and maintaining the crucial supply chain of these farm produce during the lockdown period. Under this approval, 25% of total produce of gram and lentil, amounting to Rs 1,250 crore, can be procured from 13 states including Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. The Centre had in October last year fixed the MSP of gram and lentil at Rs ...
Odisha farmers stranded without fertilizersedit
The lockdown has hit agriculture activities in Jeypore in the rabi crop season with farmers unable to procure fertilizers due to the restrictions.Around 20,000 farmers of Jeypore, Kotpad, Borrigumma and Kundra had cultivated paddy by using water from Upper Kolab project in January. The crops are to be harvested in the first week of May.
As per schedule, the farmers had to apply second dose of fertilizers comprising urea and MOP on their crop in the last week of March for growth of paddy plants. However, they are unable to transport the fertilizers from selling points to their village due to the lockdown. The farmers usually procure fertilizers from Jeypore, Kundra, Boipariguda, Kotpad and Borrigumma and transport ...
Not Just Migrant Workers, Indian Farmers Are Also Struggling During Coronavirus Lockdownedit
In an attempt to contain the spread of coronavirus, the country is observing a twenty-one-day nationwide lockdown, that started on March 25. While these restrictions will hopefully curb the spread of COVID-19, it is also impacting on the country’s agriculture sector. Due to the three-week-lockdown, farmers across the country are having a tough time transporting and selling their produce in the city.
Agri, tea plantations, truck repair shops on highways exemptededit
Eleven days into the Covid-19 lockdown, the Centre has issued four circulars, exempting agriculture, tea plantations, truck spare parts and repair shops on highways, indicating that it is willing to ease restrictions as the situation improves.
Besides supply and manufacturing of essential goods and services, the Union home secretary has clarified, through multiple letters to states and Union Territories (UTs), what other categories are exempted, with the latest being allowing interstate movement of workers at pharmaceutical units in Himachal Pradesh and functioning of private laboratories, along with their collection centres and staff in other parts of the country.
For want of buyers, sections of farmers dump produceedit
Raju, a farmer from Belagonadapalli near Hosur, recently dumped three tonnes of capsicum that he had harvested from his field. Since the lockdown came into force, he has been unable to sell the produce.
The vegetable, which has a significant market in Bengaluru, was dumped for want of takers and due to the hurdles in transportation. “Other vegetables still have takers every day. But capsicum is largely procured by restaurants and exporters,” said Mr. Raju, who grows capsicum on two acres. The 70-day crop, cultivated annually, generally sees good production during summer, with farmers spending close to ₹3 lakh per acre.
TAFE offers free tractor rental for small farmers of Rajasthan during COVID-19edit
In an attempt to mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus threat on small and marginal farmers of Rajasthan and to support the farming community during a crucial cropping season, TAFE, under its CSR initiative, announced a free tractor rental scheme through its JFarm Services platform, for a duration of 90 days starting April 1, 2020. This scheme will be available across 20 districts of Rajasthan.
Every grain of paddy will be procured: KCRedit
Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao asked farmers in Telangana not to panic since the government was ready to procure every grain of paddy produced in the State. The Chief Minister, speaking at a high level review meeting on harvesting and paddy procurement at Pragathi Bhavan here on Sunday, instructed the officials concerned to ensure that harvesting of crops and paddy procurement goes on smoothly despite the lockdown.
India can ensure a green revivaledit
What an extraordinary set of events brought us to this pass. How can we gain anything from this economic carnage? What would a revival require? Could it be green and sustainable? With the fiscal restraints on spending less relevant and the prospects of meaningful economic growth diminished, this could be a moment to reimagine what a smarter, post-Covid Indian economy could look like. This is the moment to establish a universal basic income, as a support to the poorest Indians. All roads lead to high government spending on welfare, but rather than pour fresh money in leaking channels, the time has come to give every Indian minimum income support to cross the threshold of poverty. Those ...