Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Centre Procures Kharif Crops At MSP From Farmers Amid Row Over Agricultural Actedit
Acting on its promise which the Centre had committed to during the row over the farm reform bills, the government has continued to procure Kharif crops from the farmers at the minimum support price (MSP) at the onset of the Kharif Marketing Season.
Paddy Procurement for Kharif 2020-21 is gaining momentum and as on Saturday, the Food Corporation of India along with other Government agencies have procured near about 38 Lakh Metric Tonnes Kharif Paddy worth over Rs 7,159 crore at MSP from more than 3.22 Lakh farmers.
MSP vs Markets: A question of efficiencyedit
The Indian democracy was at full play over the passage of the new farm laws. While the government hailed it as historic decision, and I tend to agree with that, opposition parties branded it as a ‘dark day for farmers’, a ‘sellout to corporate sharks’, etc. What amused me most was how come everyone’s heart was suddenly bleeding with their love for farmers!
Discerning the real arguments behind this cacophony of political voices, I could see that both sides of the political spectrum want farmers’ incomes to improve. The opposition wanted to make it through higher and more effective MSP (minimum support prices), while the government was offering greater choice through markets, without demolishing the existing system ...
Punjab has 22% of required urea for rabi crops, rail roko plays spoilsportedit
Ahead of wheat sowing and with the beginning of other crops of the rabi season (October to March), Punjab has just 22% of the required urea, one of the major fertilisers for both rabi and kharif crops. The state requires around 13.50 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) urea for rabi season when nearly 35 lakh hectare area, which is 85% of the total rabi crops area in the state, is to be brought under wheat and over 6 lakh hectares under other crops, including oil seeds, potato, winter maize, grams and vegetables.
Punjab was to receive 2.5 LMT urea in October but because of ‘rail roko’, it could not be transported.
According to sources in the Punjab Agriculture ...
Govt buys 37.92 lakh ton kharif paddy at MSP in last 15 daysedit
The Centre on Sunday said about 37.92 lakh tonne of kharif paddy worth Rs 7,159.39 crore has been purchased at the minimum support price (MSP) from 3.22 lakh farmers in the last 15 days.
Paddy procurement commenced in Punjab and Haryana from September 26 due to early arrival of the crop, while in other states from October 1.
More than 80 per cent of the country’s paddy crop is grown in the kharif season. The government through Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies undertakes procurement of paddy at MSP.
“FCI along with other government agencies has, up to October 10, procured over 37.92 lakh tonnes of paddy with a total MSP outflow of Rs 7,159.39 ...
Technology in Agriculture
Ambala farmers familiarised with straw collecting machinesedit
In a move to curb stubble burning which causes high levels of pollution in the region, the agricultural and farmer welfare department has launched a pilot project in two Ambala villages to familiarise farmers with chaff cutters and balers – machines that compress crop residue into compact bales which are easy to store or transport. These are now being taken to a sugar mill in Naraingarh for power generation.
Stubble Burning
How Can We Solve the Problem of Stubble Burning?edit
In Punjab and Haryana, the paddy crop is usually harvested between the first and last weeks of October. Farmers then sow the wheat crop from the first week of November until the middle of December.
These farmers regularly complain about the menace of rice straw – a product of mechanised agriculture – exacerbated by shortage of labour and lack of time. When paddy is harvested by a combined harvester and thresher, the machine leaves behind a significant length of straw and stubble on the field. This prevents other machines from sowing wheat seeds. With only 10-15 days between the rice-harvesting season and the wheat-sowing time, farmers often burn the stubble to quickly eliminate the paddy stubble. According to some estimates, ...