Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Govt misses date on procurement of paddy, disappoints delta farmersedit
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) used to procure paddy through Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) during the kharif marketing season that falls between October 1 and September 30 with revised MSP in each season. As kuruvai harvest started well in advance during the current season, as many as 166 DPCs were opened in Thanjavur. Besides, the procurement had started earlier and the farmers had stocked their paddy in front of the DPCs. However, procurement was stopped from September 25 owing to the closing of annual accounts and farmers were asked to wait till October 1 for the commencement of procurement for the annual kharif season.
Uneven monsoon in NE : 4 states receive excess, 4 deficit rainfalledit
Even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) termed 19 per cent excess or shortage in rainfall as “normal” monsoon, Himalayan state Sikkim and mountainous Meghalaya recoded 60 and 39 per cent excess rainfall respectively while Manipur and Mizoram witnessed 47 and 34 per cent deficient rainfall.
The 4-month long monsoon season in India officially starts on June 1 and continues till September 30. According to the IMD officials, the withdrawal of monsoon from west Rajasthan and parts of Punjab started on September 28 while its withdrawal in the northeastern region normally takes place second week of October. According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists, the erratic monsoon is likely to affect both the kharif ...
Agricultural GVA growth of 3% likely in Q2 FY21: ICRAedit
The harvest of most crops is expected to be bountiful with above-average monsoon rainfall on a pan-India basis with growth of gross value added (GVA) at basic prices in agriculture, forestry and fishing to print at 3 per cent in the second quarter of current financial year, investment information firm ICRA has said.
The rainfall contributed to a healthy 4.8 per cent rise in kharif acreage. “Despite episodes of heavy rainfall, and deficient precipitation in some areas, the harvest of most crops is expected to be bountiful,” said ICRA.
72 custom hiring centres to be set up in Meghalaya to facilitate farm mechanisation: CMedit
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday said that 72 custom hiring centres will be set up across the state to boost farm mechanisation and help farmers to improve their efficiency in agricultural practices.
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, he inaugurated first such facility at Kyiem village in East Khasi Hills District.
“Various interventions under the Megha- Livelihoods and Access to Markets project of the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority will help increase productivity and efficiency of our farmers,” the chief minister said.
Access to affordable farm machinery and equipment will improve the efficiency of farmers and increase their production, and they can earn more, Sangma said.
New farm legislations will empower farmers: Telangana Guvedit
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Friday claimed that the new farm legislations brought by the Centre are farmer-friendly and will empower them.
She said the new agrarian reforms ushered in through the legislations will definitely empower the farmers by giving them greater freedom to sell their produce for better prices wherever they get, while reducing the role of exploitative middlemen.
She was interacting with journalists after launching the e-office file management system in Raj Bhavan on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi.
Farm bills will favour corporates, not farmers, says Uttamedit
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President, N Uttam Kumar Reddy has said that the new farm bills enacted by Bharatiya Janata Party led Union government will benefit Corporates such as Ambanis, Adanis and Amazon, but not the farmers.
To protest against the farm bills, the Congress Party led by the TPCC President , Party Telangana affairs in-charge Manicka Tagore, Sangareddy MLA, T Jayaprakash Reddy, Former Minister, Damodara Rajanarasimha and others have participated in a rally organised from Ganesh Gadda to Sangareddy Ganji Maidan.
Sowing a bitter harvest? Indian farmers need more market access, not more marketsedit
The consolidated objective of the three farm laws recently passed by Parliament are widening farmers’ marketing options and freeing them from commission agents and traders, the monopolists of the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMC) mandis. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act allows farmers to sell their produce to anyone, anywhere in the country. At first glance, the Act looks fine, but a closer reading reveals the undesired consequences it might bring to the agrarian sector. What Indian farmers need is access to markets and not more markets. Unless the markets are regulated, farmers’ access will shrink further.
Andhra government to set up procurement centre in every villageedit
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday released the poster of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for various crops announced by the government for the 2020-21 fiscal, which includes current Kharif and coming Rabi crops.
The poster was released in the presence of Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kanna Babu, special chief secretary (Agriculture) Poonam Malakondaiah, commissioner (marketing) PS Pradyumna, agriculture commissioner H Arun Kumar and others. Posters will be displayed at all Rythu Bharosa Kendras from October 5. Keeping his promise, the Chief Minister announced the support price well before the start of the Rabi sowing season.
Farm bills will favour corporates, not farmers, says Uttamedit
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President, N Uttam Kumar Reddy has said that the new farm bills enacted by Bharatiya Janata Party led Union government will benefit Corporates such as Ambanis, Adanis and Amazon, but not the farmers.
To protest against the farm bills, the Congress Party led by the TPCC President , Party Telangana affairs in-charge Manicka Tagore, Sangareddy MLA, T Jayaprakash Reddy, Former Minister, Damodara Rajanarasimha and others have participated in a rally organised from Ganesh Gadda to Sangareddy Ganji Maidan.
Haryana says changes made in procurement process for ease of farmers, millersedit
AMID ongoing protest by farmers, Haryana government Thursday said it has taken several important decisions to ensure that the ongoing procurement of kharif crops in the mandis across the state is done in a systematic and smooth manner.
“Arrangements have been made to ensure that the procurement is done as per the convenience of farmers, arhtiyas and rice millers. State government has decided that as per the demand of rice millers, on the day paddy is procured, billing will be done by the arhtiyas. Similarly, the lifting of paddy will be ensured within 24 hours. In this regard, the department has issued guidelines to the transporters,” said PK Das, ACS (Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department)
Govt. Policies
Govt launches national organic agriculture policy and implementation planedit
The government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries has launched the National Organic Agriculture Policy (NOAP) and implementation plan aimed to harness Uganda’s agricultural potential by ensuring a well-regulated and coordinated sub-sector that contributes to national development.
While launching the policy at the Ministry head office in Entebbe this week, the Agriculture Minister, Mr Vicent Ssempijja, said that Uganda’s agriculture is generally described as organic by default.
Stubble Burning
Stubble burns, farmers from Haryana say they have no optionedit
Sukhi Ram, 36, a farmer in Chanarthal Village in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district, hired three workers to harvest his paddy crop and separate the chaff. It took him two days to finish harvesting, and another five days for the crop residue to dry up completely so that it could be set ablaze.