Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
How India’s rice production can adapt to climate change challengesedit
Science Daily – Online
“Rice is the primary crop in India, China, and other countries in Southeast Asia. Rice consumption is also growing in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world,” says Prasanta Kalita, professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at U of I and lead author on the study.
“If you look at where they traditionally grow rice, it is countries that have plenty of water, or at least they used to. They have tropical weather with heavy rainfall they depend on for rice production. Overall, about 4,000 liters of water go into production and processing per kilogram of rice,” he states.
Climate change is likely to affect future water availability, and rice farmers must implement ...
NAVAAS Will Transform Agri Scenario Of Madhya Pradeshedit
Outlook – Online
Madhya Pradesh is one of the progressive States for agriculture in India. The Government of Madhya Pradesh has launched the NAVAAS initiative for developing self-help technologies that benefit the small and marginal farmers. It focuses on development of tools and techniques suitable for small and marginal farmers, ensuring livelihood security, improving productive value of yield, generating value from crop residue, reducing weather change vulnerability, and conservation of natural capital. The Outlook team spoke with Shri. Arvind Singh Bhadoria, Honourable Minister, Cooperatives, Public Service Management, Government of Madhya Pradesh, regarding this initiative. Following are the excerpt from the interview.
Government Constitutes Task Force For Farmer Database Under AgriStackedit
MediaNama – Online
The government has constituted a task force for its ‘AgriStack’ project which will deliberate the contours of a Unified Farmers Service Platform (USFP), it said in replies to Parliamentary questions.
The question raised by Indian National Congress Member of Parliament Pradyut Bordoloi, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that the Task Force is only working a framework document and Digital Blue Print for the UFSP. The database will be built only once the Ministry approves the Task Force’s recommendations, after involving the relevant organisations.
India and Russia to strengthen cooperation in agricultureedit
Diary Reporter – Online
On March 10, the National Dairy Producers Union of Russia (SOYUZMOLOKO) and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare of India held a video conference meeting of the IRSED Coordination Committee on the agriculture and agro-processing sectors. Participants discussed the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) in agriculture, restoration and preservation of soil fertility, as well as trade in agricultural products. Smart Farming hardware and software platform for bovine cattle monitoring was introduced by the Russian side.
Stubble Burning
Praj wins order from HPCL to set up compressed biogas plantedit
Biomass Magazine – Online
Praj Industries bags the prestigious breakthrough order from Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (HPCL) for setting up compressed biogas (CBG) project at Badaun in Uttar Pradesh. Praj is offering its state of the art, worlds’ first of its kind RenGas technology developed using proprietary microbe to produce CBG from rice straw.
The project has capacity to process 35,000 MT of rice straw as feedstock to generate 5,250 MT of CBG annually. In addition, the project will also generate 23,000 MT high quality solid biomanure and 350,000 MT of liquid bio-manure for ferti-irrigation. This project has a potential to save up to 15,000 MT of CO2 emissions per year. The project will be completed and commissioned within 12 ...
Debt-hit Telangana cotton farmer jumps into burning stubbleedit
The Times of India – Online
A dalit farmer in Vikarabad who jumped into a fire of cotton stubble two days ago after failing to clear Rs 6 lakh debt, died early on Thursday in a Hyderabad hospital. Police said Kotapu Srinivas, 40, of Bantwaram village was facing pressure from money lenders, but he had no means to pay back the money after a failed crop. “During the preliminary probe, we found out that Srinivas who owns over two acres of land borrowed money from money lenders known to him, for farming activity and for personal needs,” sub Inspector Praveen Reddy said.
Family members said about a week ago he started acting in a strange manner and showed suicidal tendencies.
...Green Bench prod on New Town crop burnedit
Telegraph Online – Online
The principal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed chief secretary of West Bengal, Alapan Bandopadhyay, to look into the issue of burning of crop residue in various parts of West Bengal, including New Town Action Area II, in coordination with the departments concerned.
The order was passed in the first week of March by the bench comprising Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, chairperson of NGT; Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and Nagin Nanda, expert member; in response to a petition filed by environment activist Subhas Datta alleging acute air pollution in the area due to stubble burning.
“…There can be no dispute that sources of air pollution need to be controlled. What is required is ...