Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
These agritech startups managed to raise funding despite coronavirus-led lockdownedit
The agricultural sector is one of the primary contributors to the Indian economy. Around 58 percent of the population’s livelihood is dependent on this sector. Over the last two months, the farm sector was badly hit by the nationwide lockdown which halted logistics and transportation. As a result, the production couldn’t reach the fruit and vegetable mandis, thus, impacting the supply chain.
Telangana ready with mechanism to kill locust swarms at bordedit
Taking locust swarms as seriously as coronavirus pandemic, the Telangana government is gearing up to shut the borders for their entry into the state. As much as 15,000 litres of pesticides like Malathion, Chlorpyrifos, Lambda Cyhalothrin liquid, 12 fire tenders, 12 jetting machines were positioned in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh borders to quickly act to kill, if the insects come this way. Officials will also engage helicopters to monitor the movement of the insects.
Moment in the sun: Agritech startups are helping farmers thrive during Covid-19 lockdownedit
The months from March to June every year experience the onset of the spring season with multicolor flowers blooming in the trees, freshly-grown fruits turning ripe and rabi crops ready to be harvested. However, the spring season this year has not been very colorful.
The nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus has resulted in acres of farmers’ produce left to rot or sold at dirt cheap prices- Rs 3 per kg for onions in Maharashtra’s Lasalgaon mandi. Transport constraints, labour shortage and limited market access, with almost no buyers, is deeply hurting the farmers in India. Even though the government has lifted certain restrictions in order to ease the operations in the agriculture industry, the farming community is still ...
Locust Attack: Himachal Pradesh On High Alert As Swarms Destroy Crops In Adjoining Statesedit
Taking note of massive locust attack, Himachal Pradesh on Thursday issued a high alert in districts of Kangra, Una, Bilaspur and Solan, after the swarms of locusts destroyed crops in adjoining states.
As per an official release, farmers have been asked to report any sightings of the locusts to nearest agriculture officers. The field functionaries have been alerted to keep constant vigilance on locust activity and get ready to control any emergency situation.
“Desert locusts usually fly with the wind at a speed of about 16-19 km per hour depending on the wind. When swarm settles down in a particular area it should be quickly treated chemically, mechanically beaten and buried by digging trenches,” Himachal Pradesh’s Director of Agriculture, RK ...
States step up efforts to tackle locust attack: All you need to knowedit
India is battling the worst desert locust outbreak in recent times. The crop-destroying swarms first attacked Rajasthan and have now spread to Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. According to experts, broadly four species of locusts are found in India – desert locust, migratory locust, Bombay locust and tree locust. The desert locust is considered the most destructive.