Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
India, US discuss possibility of free trade agreementedit
India and the US have discussed the possibility of negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) and have expressed desire to conclude the talks for an initial trade package, the commerce ministry said on Thursday. The issue was discussed during an informal tele-conversation between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on Thursday.
India and the US are negotiating a limited trade deal with a view to iron out differences on trade issues to boost economic ties.
The Green Revolution and a dark Punjabedit
Punjab — known as the ‘Granary of India’ — produces 20 per cent and nine per cent of India’s wheat and rice respectively. At the international level, this represents three per cent of the global production of these crops. The state is responsible for two per cent of the world’s cotton and wheat production and one per cent of the world’s rice production.
This is possibly because of the Green Revolution, a period when Indian agriculture was converted into an industrial system. Modern methods and technology — including high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds, tractors, irrigation facilities, pesticides and fertilisers — were adopted.
MSP hikes have been well thought-outedit
Last month, the Union government announced a revised minimum support price (MSP) for kharif crops for FY 2020-21. The MSP for the basket of oilseeds, comprising groundnut, sesamum, sunflower, soybean and niger, got an average boost of 8.98 per cent, followed by millets like jowar, bajra, ragi and maize getting an average boost of 4.36 per cent compared to their respective MSP in FY 2019-20. Pulses such as tur, moong and urad got an average boost of 3.48 per cent and paddy got the boost of 3.02 per cent; MSP of wheat remained the same.
Agriculture emerges as bright spot in COVID-19 gloomedit
During these COVID-19 times, the only silver lining for the economy is agriculture. Its contribution to GDP has increased partly because agriculture has done well for itself, as well as the fact that other sectors of the economy have not done very well.
With above-normal rainfall supported by major policy disruptions at mandi level and varied pilot initiatives, agriculture has witnessed a new wave this year. This sector is estimated to dominate the growth of India’s economy at least for FY 2020-2021. In fact, what 1991 was for industry and the Indian economy, 2020 could do the same for agriculture.
70.56 Lakh MT Record Paddy Procurement By Odishaedit
Odisha has made record procurement of 70.56 lakh MT of paddy in the current Kharif and Rabi seasons.
In order to ensure food security of the people in COVID pandemic situation emphasis has been laid on Kharif and Rabi paddy procurement, the I&PR department of the State Government stated in a tweet.
The tweet further said that Rs 12,805.57 lakh has been paid to the bank account of farmers towards minimum support price (MSP).
Dairy Farming
Will give contract to Milkfed if it lowers rates, says SGPCedit
The SGPC has declared that Milkfed would be considered for supply of desi ghee and dry milk to gurdwaras only if it offered products at rates lower than what the Maharashtra-based firm had agreed to.
Reprimanding those who were raking up the issue of ignoring state’s only cooperative milk producers’ federation, SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal’s personal secretary Mohinder Singh Ayali said the order for three-month supply of desi ghee and dry milk was placed with Pune-based Sonai Dairy as per tender norms and gauging the ‘credibility’ of the firm.
Giriraj Singh launches guidelines for animal husbandry infra fundedit
Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday launched the implementation guidelines for the Rs 15,000 crore Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) that seeks to boost processing capacities in dairy and meat segments.
The fund was approved by the Union Cabinet on June 24 under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan stimulus package.
It aims to incentivise investment by individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSMEs, Farmers Producers Organisation (FPOs) and Section 8 companies to establish dairy and meat processing and value addition infrastructure as well as animal feed plants, an official statement said.
As per the guidelines, the project under AHIDF would be eligible for loan up to 90 per cent of estimated cost from scheduled banks. The Centre will provide ...
Milk producers one of worst sufferers nowedit
During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, about 11 lakh milk producers families of Odisha are one of the worst sufferers.
Even in normal time also, dairy sector in the State has been struggling with distress sale in spite of growing demand for animal protein by vegetarian population in urban areas.
About 75% of these producers are traditional milk farmers having small size dairy farm. They are mostly having marginal land holding while solely dependent on production and marketing of milk and milk products as main sources of livelihood. Though these families are identified as one of the socially and educationally backward classes of the State to get benefits of reservation but they have not much representation in higher ...