Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Punjab bats for direct seeding of rice. But will it help farmers?edit
The Punjab government has decided to deploy direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique instead of the traditional transplantation of paddy this year due to the shortfall of agricultural labourers triggered by reverse migration in the wake of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The state government wants to bring about a quarter of the paddy sowing area under the technology, claiming that doing so will help slash cultivation cost in terms of labour and water.
The cultivation technique involves fertilising and planting directly into the soil in one or two steps. The soil is mildly disturbed by the seeding machine.
Tribals raise production, ramp up income activity after govt raises MSP for minor forest produceedit
Tribal areas have ramped up income generation activity after the government announced a hike in MSP for minor forest produce to help tribals tide over the coronavirus pandemic. “There has been an encouragingly positive response from the states as the government continues its efforts to help the poor and marginalized people find their feet in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the Ministry of Tribal Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday. Earlier, the government had asked states to increase MSP for procurement of minor forest produce. Since then, 17 states have initiated procurement with Rs 50 crore worth of minor forest produce already being collected.
Efforts to enhance cultivation of Heeng and Saffronedit
To meet the demand of Saffron and Heeng in the country, which are imported from other countries, the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) and the Department of Agriculture, Government of Himachal Pradesh, have forged strategic and implementation partnership based on their mutual strengths to increase the production of the two.
Saffron and Heeng (asafoetida) are the most valuable spices of the world and widely used in Indian cuisine since time immemorial.
In India, the annual demand for Saffron spice is 100 tons per year but its average production is about 6-7 tons per year.
Agriculture can be a saviour in the pandemic-hit economyedit
India has always been an agricultural state, characterised by small holdings, where bulk of its farmers are small and marginal, depending on subsistence farming, yet they feed 1.3 billion people. Agriculture employs about 55 per cent of the population and contributes roughly 17 per cent to the GDP. India is second in agricultural production, next only to China. We produce 12 per cent of the entire world’s agricultural out.
Surpassed Punjab in procurement of wheat, says Madhya Pradeshedit
Madhya Pradesh claimed to have surpassed Punjab in wheat procurement this rabi harvest season, to become the top state to procure the grain. The government said in an official communiqué that it had procured over 12 million metric tonnes of wheat by June 8.
“Madhya Pradesh has reached the first position in the country in procurement of wheat on support price. Punjab ranks second in the country. Thus, 33% of the total wheat procured by all the states of the country has been procured in Madhya Pradesh,” the statement said. “As much as 38,654,000 metric tonnes of wheat have been procured throughout the country. Wheat procurement in Madhya Pradesh has increased by 74% as compared to that ...
To set up own Dairy Unit, Rs. Mudra to earn income!edit
The impact of the Kovid-19 crisis may cause many people to be uncertain about employment. The lockdown, implemented to prevent coronavirus, may result in the loss of employment and returning home. The central government has arranged a loan scheme under the Mudra scheme to set up a Dairy unit for them to earn better income.
5 lakhs for you. You can start your own Dairy Business with the help of investment and stamp credit. 70,000 per month Until then earnings. Under the Mudra Tarun Scheme, Rs. Loans can be earned. This is a great way to earn more than a month’s salary in the city with the pride of setting up its own dairy unit. A variety of flavored milk products including yogurt, buttermilk, butter and ...
Area under cotton crop crosses 7-year high in Punjabedit
The area under cotton in Punjab, which is the state’s second biggest kharif (summer sown) crop, has touched a seven-year high this season. According to the Punjab agriculture and farmers welfare department, cotton acreage stood at about 4.80 lakh hectares till Monday, surpassing the seven-year high of 4.45 lakh hectares in 2013-14.