Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
No solution in sight to tackle stubble burningedit
As days get shorter during late September, they bring along a slight nip in the Delhi air. But the knock of winter on the capital’s doors also brings dread.
As winds change direction, the Capital and its fast-growing suburbs with their tall towers become blurred by pollution, a major contribution being the smoke and soot from the burning fields of Punjab and Haryana. It is ‘parali’ time again, when farmers in India’s food bowl states, having harvested the paddy crop, set out to prepare the field for sowing wheat, which is grown during the winter months.
Telangana to set up 6,000 paddy purchasing centres to procure foodgrainedit
Telangana Cabinet which met here on Saturday decided to set up 6,000 paddy purchasing centres in villages, in a bid to ensure that farmers do not face problems in the view of the ongoing Covid-pandemic.
According to Telangana Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the State Cabinet meeting was held at Pragathi Bhavan under the chairmanship of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
“The State Cabinet had dwelled at length on the Agriculture Sector. The state government, which is working for the Farmers welfare has taken an important decision. It was decided that, as was done earlier during the Corna Pandemic, to purchase paddy in the Villages. It was decided to purchase Paddy in the villages to ensure that farmers’ families are not ...Agri-commodities export jumps 43% to Rs 53,626 cr during April-September 2020 from year-ago periodedit
Export of essential agri commodities for April-September, 2020 period has increased 43.4 per cent to Rs 53,626.6 crore vis-à-vis Rs 37,397.3 crore for the year-ago period, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said in a statement on Saturday. Groundnut with 35 per cent growth, refined sugar seeing 104 per cent growth, wheat with 206 per cent growth, basmati rice’s 13 per cent rise, non-basmati rice witnessing 105 per cent growth etc. were major commodity groups with positive export growth during the said period from last year. Moreover, the balance of trade during the April-September 2020 period has been “significantly positive at Rs 9,002 crore as against trade deficit of Rs 2,133 during the same period in 2019,” ...
Farm Sector Reforms: The States-Led Fixes Nobody Is Talking Aboutedit
On 15 May, amidst the growing chorus of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, the Finance Minister announced structural reforms intended to empower farmers and revolutionise trade in agriculture. While the ruling party at the Centre deemed the reforms historic, the Opposition termed them ‘black laws’.
Given the dramatics that followed the passage of the three farm bills, it would be interesting to chronicle as to how some state governments had already begun pushing some of the much needed reforms in the sector.
Govt buys 32.12 lakh tonne kharif paddy at MSP in last 14 daysedit
About 32.12 lakh tonne of kharif paddy worth Rs 6,065.09 crore has been purchased at the minimum support price (MSP) from 2.83 lakh farmers in the last 14 days, the food ministry said on Saturday. Paddy procurement in Punjab and Haryana began from September 26 due to early arrival of the crop, while in other states it commenced from October 1. More than 80 per cent of the country’s paddy crop is grown in the kharif season. The government through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies undertakes procurement of paddy at MSP.
India’s agricultural exports jump in Covid timesedit
India agricultural exports have been booming the past six months, while many sectors of the economy suffered because of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Export of essential agricultural commodities in the first six months of the current fiscal rose 43.4% to Rs 53,626.6 crore from Rs 37,397.3 crore in the same period last year.
Telangana to dissuade farmers from growing maizeedit
The State government will discourage farmers from growing maize this Rabi season, as conditions for its cultivation are far from conducive across the country. During a meeting called by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragathi Bhavan on Saturday, officials said that the chances of maize farmers getting minimum support price (MSP) for their produce were slim, given the lopsided policies of the Central government.
Stubble Burning
Stubble burning: Farmers alone can’t be blamed for Delhi’s air pollutionedit
Burning the residue of crops in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh has often affected Delhi, especially in winters, leading to smog. Apart from wheat and paddy stubble, sugarcane leaves are commonly burnt. Although the Delhi High Court has banned the burning of stubble which makes both the soil and air poisonous, it continues every season.
Stubble burning started with mechanised harvesting which used combine harvesters. According to an official report, more than 500 million tonnes of parali (crop residue) are produced annually in the country. Cereal crops (rice, wheat, maize and millets) account for 70 percent of the total crop residue. Instead of burning the stubble, it can be used in different ways such as ...