Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Farm sector set for first time growth despite GDP contraction; robust rabi crop season aidsedit
April-June may be the first time that India’s economy would contract year-on-year since the government started coming out with quarterly estimates of GDP from 1996-97. But the data for the quarter, to be released by the National Statistical Office on August 31, could also show GDP falling for the first time in spite of agricultural production going up.
Agri-ecotourism- Sustainable Agri-business Opportunityedit
Agri-ecotourism is a novel concept in Indian tourism sector, which provides vast opportunities for tourists to experience the authentic ethnic culture of rural societies and actively engage in agricultural activities without disturbing eco-system. As per World Tourism Organization (WTO, 2002), it is fastest growing tourism model in the world and is a part of rural tourism which relates to tourism on farms. It directly benefits the local farmers and provides them opportunities to expand their activities and also to increase their income.
Agriculture Harvester Products Are Available During the Harvest Seasonedit
There are probably a few situations that are as frustrating to a farmer than to have machinery go down in the middle of the year’s busiest time. Every farmer has probably experienced that moment when they are getting into the thick of harvesting, and, all of a sudden, something breaks or malfunctions. It’s the perfect case of Murphy’s law in action.
‘Agriculture and Atmanirbharta’ Is a Noble Vision, but Needs Hard Decisions and Political Consensusedit
In his address to the nation on May 12, 2020, the Prime Minister gave a call for Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. He said that the state of the world today teaches us that an Atmanirbhar Bharat is the only path and our scriptures mention eshah panthah, self-sufficient India.
For agriculture, self-sufficiency has been an objective from the first five-year plan itself, which allocated about one third of plan funds to agriculture. Large irrigation projects were started and several fertiliser manufacturing units were set up in the public sector. Agriculture grew by 3.22 % in the first plan (1951-52 to 1955-56) and 3.59 % in the second plan (1956-57 to 1960-61).
The Destructive ‘Greening’ of the Thar Desertedit
Ravindranath lives in the heart of the Thar desert in India. He and his family are agropastoralists – people who grow crops and rear livestock – in the village of Kalu in Bikaner district, Rajasthan. But the dry grasslands that people like Ravindranath have depended on for centuries for pasture are slowly being depleted.
“Sometimes we have to pay money and buy cattle feed [instead of grazing our animals],” he said.
Rural Economy will grow at 5% due to Covid; FMCG demand to outgrow urban market: Rural Marketing Expertedit
The rural economy will recover at 5% from the pandemic impact, faster than other sectors, which are likely to shrink around 5%. India’s rural market has entered a decade of ‘digitalization and discovery of consumers,’ and rural demand for FMCG will be more than the urban market. This was stated by Pradeep Kashyap, deemed the ‘Father of Rural Marketing’, in a virtual talk organized by IIHMR University on ‘Rural is Now,’ The talk was facilitated by Dr. Sheenu Jain, Associate Professor, Marketing and Chair, Marketing & Communications at IIHMR University.
Explained: With better monsoon, what is the outlook for India’s farm sectoredit
While it is clear that India’s broader economy will contract this year, it is also true that well-distributed rainfall has meant that the agriculture sector per se may be quite productive this year.
A new report by Crisil throws light on the prospects of the farm sector. Here’s a closer look at the farm sectors and its prospects.
What is the status of Southwest monsoon?
As of August 21, monsoon is 7 per cent above normal, according to the Crisil report. “Rains in India, normal and most well spread in three years – across time and regions so far,” it states.
Dairy Farming
Milk oversupply amid low demand: What dairy manufacturers did with extra milkedit
With India being under a nationwide lockdown during March to June, dairy producers found themselves with high milk supplies even while the overall consumption fell and demand dropped. However, dairy manufacturers used the surplus supply to manufacture skimmed milk powder and butter instead, a report said on Monday. “Additional procurement of milk by dairy cooperatives during the period of Q1FY21 led to conversion of excessive milk into surplus stocks of SMP and butter,” a CARE Ratings report said. Skimmed milk powder is used as a substitute of milk and has a longer shelf life than regular milk.
‘India must guard dairy, farm sector in trade pact with US’edit
India must not give concessions in the agriculture and dairy sectors to the US in the mini-trade deal being negotiated and the subsequent proposed free trade agreement (FTA) as farmers’ livelihoods could be severely hit when faced with competition from cheap and subsidised imports, some trade experts and farmer organisations have cautioned.
“Agriculture and dairy are not trade issues for India but are livelihood issues. The US dairy sector gets a $28 billion subsidy annually. If these subsidised imports come to India, how will the Indian farmer face competition?” argued RS Sodhi, Managing Director, Amul, speaking at a webinar on India-US trade deal organised by Third World Network (TWN) and IT for Change on Monday.