Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Indian Railways transports more than 4.2 million tonnes of foodgrains during lockdown periodedit
In order to ensure uninterrupted supply of daily essentials, Railways carried food grains in its over 3,600 wagons across the country yesterday. During the lockdown period from 25th of last month till yesterday, more than 4.2 million tonnes of foodgrains have been transported by the national carrier.
Railways is working in close coordination with Ministry of Agriculture for supply of foodgrains across the country. Container Corporation of India is also working in association with NAFED to ensure transportation of pulses.
Farmers face problems in harvesting rabi cropsedit
Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stress on efforts to complete rabi crop harvesting, the shortage of labour and machinery due to the lockdown clamped to prevent the spread of coronavirus has caused great difficulties in ensuring the same and the situation has created fear among farmers of losing their farm produce. A bumper wheat crop in farms across the nation is standing for harvest, but in the absence of labour and transportation due to the lockdown in place, lakhs of farmers are forced to watch their crops rot in the farms like mute spectators. Although PM Modi has suggested the use of machinery for smoothly completing the harvesting process and also sought help from entrepreneurs in ...
67 per cent of wheat area harvested amid fight against COVID-19edit
India, the world’s second-largest wheat producer, has so far harvested crop in 67 per cent of the sown area of 310 lakh hectare in the country, taking safety precautions against COVID-19.
“Amidst the uncertainty prevailing today, the one activity giving hope is agricultural activity, which is also providing the reassurance of food security. All throughout India, numerous farmers and agriculture labour are sweating and toiling against all adversities,” the agriculture ministry said in a statement.
Farmers’ silent efforts, coupled with timely intervention by the central and state governments, have ensured that there is minimal or no disruption to harvesting activities and the continued sowing of summer crops, it added.
Kisan Rath Mobile App: Centre launches new app to help farmers during coronavirus lockdownedit
The Centre has launched Kisan Rath Mobile App that will facilitate farmers and traders to identify suitable transport facilities for the movement of farm produce during coronavirus lockdown. The App will allow transportation of farm produce from farm gate to mandi and from one to another mandi. It will ensure seamless supply linkages between farmers, FPOs, APMC mandis and intra-state and inter-state buyers.
Covid-19 lockdown hits tea, pineapple growers in Bihar; farmers dump produceedit
The Covid-19 lockdown has not only hit the conventional crop farmers in Bihar, but tea and pineapple growers too. These businesses have been impacted equally hard with farmers in Kishanganj district being forced to dump their produce due to lack of processing and prospective buyers leading to heavy monetary losses in the last few weeks.
The tea growers’ association in Kishanganj has estimated losses worth Rs 20 crore due to non-plucking of green leaves in time (from March end to April first week) as the gardens and factories remained shut for work after lockdown.
As per reports, growers dumped a large quantity of green leaves in the first flush from March 22 to April 7 as there ...
Kerala’s attempt to revive traditional farm practices puts tribal women at the forefrontedit
Kaliamma Nanjan, 70, sings as she cuts through her farm in Kerala’s Western Ghats. She deftly navigates the slopes of Attappady in Palakkad district with the gravity-defying dexterity of a mountain goat. Her silver-grey hair and bright saree vanish as she enters her mosaic-like 3.5-acre farm – her own agrobiodiversity haven.
There is one acre each of paddy, little millet and finger millet, and the remaining area is divided between vegetables for daily use, hyacinth beans, corn, and pulses.
Kaliamma is part of a unique project as a “Master Farmer” with the Kudumbashree Mission to promote and mainstream agrobiodiversity by reviving traditional and sustainable farming practices called panchakrishi.
Lockdown brings out the best in Farmers Producers’ Organisations in Tamil Naduedit
The COVID-19 lockdown seems to have brought the best in Farmers Producers’ Organisations (FPOs), numbering 550 in Tamil Nadu.
From having maintained a low-key in the last five-odd years, broadly taking care of “back-office” operations of the State farm sector, the FPOs or Farmers Producers’ Companies (FPCs) have voluntarily involved themselves in the supply of fruits, vegetables and other essential commodities to consumers in the light of the lockdown, according to Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Principal Secretary (Agriculture) and Agricultural Production Commissioner.
Agriculture ministry issues 17-point guidelines to boost safe farm operations during lockdownedit
Syncing its advisories with exemptions given to farmers during lockdown period, the agriculture ministry has issued 17-point guidelines for prevention of Covid-19 spread during crop harvesting/, threshing and sowing operations, and extended validity of various tests reports on approval of tractors and farm machineries till December 31. Even validity of license of seed dealers, which are expired or going to be expired, has been extended till September 30. “These moves will help uninterrupted farm operations across the country,” said an official while sharing data which shows how exemptions have, in fact, helped farmers completed harvesting of wheat in 67% of the total sown area as on Friday.
“One Activity Giving Hope Is Agricultural”: Centre On Winter Crop Harvestedit
The government today said 67% of wheat crop sown in winter (rabi crop) has been harvested despite the lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It said there is “minimal or no disruption” in harvesting rabi crop and sowing of summer crop during the lockdown.
“Summer crop sowing is 14% higher over corresponding period last year as on April 17,” the government said in a statement.
“Amidst the uncertainty prevailing today, the one activity giving hope is agricultural activity, which is also providing the reassurance of food security. All throughout India numerous farmers and agriculture labour are sweating and toiling against all adversities. Their silent efforts, coupled with timely intervention by the central and state Governments, have ensured that there ...
Govt procures Pulses, Oilseeds directly from farmers at MSP for better returnsedit
The procurement under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) in Rabi 2020-21 season is currently in progress in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
As on 16th of this month, over 1.33 lakh Metric Tonnes of Pulses and over 29 thousand 264 Metric Tonnes of Oilseeds were procured by NAFED and Food Corporation of India valued at around 785 crore rupee. It has benefited over 1.14 lakh farmers.
During the lockdown period over 97 thousand Metric Tonnes of Rabi Pulses and Oilseeds have been procured under PSS scheme.