Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Late-season rainfall damages harvest-ready Kharifedit
Late-season rainfall, likely caused by the retreating monsoon, has damaged the harvest-ready Kharif crop in Maharashtra and the adjoining regions of Andhra Pradesh-Telangana, putting further pressure on the already high prices of onions, pulses, soyabean and staple greens.
Paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 gains momentum with increase in the quantum of procurement in procuring Statesedit
With the commencement of Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at its MSP from farmers as per its existing MSP Schemes as was done in previous seasons.
Paddy Procurement for Kharif 2020-21 has gained momentum with an increase in the quantum of procurement in procuring States and start of purchase in some new States. Food Corporation of India along with other Government agencies has, up to Oct 10, 2020, procured over 37.92 LMT Paddy with a total MSP outflow of Rs7159.39 Crores to more than 3.22 Lac farmers.
Balance of agri trade also significantly positive at Rs9,002cr during April-September 2020edit
The consistent and concerted efforts of the Government to boost agricultural exports are bearing fruit as despite the on-going Covid-19 crisis, the export of essential Agri commodities for the cumulative period of April-September, 2020 has increased by 43.4% to Rs 53626.6 crore as compared to Rs 37397.3 crore in the same period last year. Major commodity groups which have recorded positive export growth during April-Sept, 2020-21 vis-à-vis April-Sept, 2019-20 are Groundnut (35%), Refined Sugar (104%), wheat (206%), Basmati Rice (13%) and Non-Basmati Rice (105%) etc.
Govt procured nearly 43 lakh tonne kharif paddy at MSP in last 16 days: Food ministryedit
About 43 lakh tonne of kharif paddy worth Rs 8,033 crore was purchased at the minimum support price (MSP) from 3.57 lakh farmers in the last 16 days, the food ministry said on Monday.
Paddy procurement commenced in Punjab and Haryana from September 26 due to early arrival of the crop, while in other states it began from October 1.
How to make most of big opportunities in food processing sectoredit
The levels of food processing in India are much lower than most countries in the world. Even when we look at the Asian countries, food processing in India is about 10% of all the produce that gets grown. So to that extent, there is a big opportunity to look at more processing in the food processing sector itself and a large part of this is going to be driven by growth in demand from retail as well as the need for greater convenience.
Gov buys nearly 4.3 million tonne kharif paddy at MSP in last 16 daysedit
About 43 lakh tonne of kharif paddy worth Rs 8,033 crore was purchased at the minimum support price (MSP) from 3.57 lakh farmers in the last 16 days, the food ministry said on Monday.
Paddy procurement commenced in Punjab and Haryana from September 26 due to early arrival of the crop, while in other states it began 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.
To End Key Agrochemicals’ Import From China, India To Produce Them Domesticallyedit
As part of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and Atmanirbhar Krishi (self-reliant farming), India has begun producing its own version of key agrochemicals calcium nitrate and boronated calcium nitrate.
Govt. Policies
Agricultural reforms reek of parochial thinking, promote lazy farming: SBI economistsedit
State Bank of India’s house economists on Monday said the recent farm sector reforms reek of parochial thinking and promote lazy farming as they only cater to cereal-producing states. In the recently concluded monsoon session, the government rushed through three legislation to change the way agricultural produce is marketed, sold and stored by dismantling the decades-old APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) mandis.