Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Farmers burn paddy over 20-day delay in procurementedit
The New Indian Express – Online
Upset over officials delaying the procurement of their paddy produce by nearly 20 days, 30 farmers burnt their paddy at Regode mandal headquarters on Saturday. In the light of their protest, officials have promised to clear the stock in three days’ time.
Around 20 days ago, the farmers had brought their produce to a purchasing centre set up by the primary co-operative society at Regode mandal headquarters. The society officials, however, were only purchasing paddy from a few farmers who had brought large quantities of produce, which were easier to transport. As they did not have gunny bags on them, the officials couldn’t purchase paddy in small quantities. Apart from this, there was ...
Labour shortage hits paddy cultivation in Palakkadedit
The Times Of India – Online
The acute shortage of agriculture workers has adversely affected the first paddy crop replanting from nurseries in the district, known as the ‘rice bowl’ of the state. The replanting from the nursery should start from the first week of June but the guest workers, who are mainly engaged for it, have not returned from home states like West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, etc. The guest workers of West Bengal and Assam went to their native states for assembly elections and could not return due to lockdown because of a surge in Covid-19 cases. Another major problem is that for the guest workers to enter Kerala they have to produce an RT-PCR test certificate, ...
Shift from paddy-wheat cycle to oilseeds isn’t as difficult as it appears for Punjabedit
The Indian Express – Online
At a time when India is meeting over 60% of its edible oil demand through imports at high prices and when Punjab’s farmers are targeted for growing only two crops, wheat-paddy, that are supported by an assured MSP, can not the Punjab government, which is blaming the Centre for interfering in agriculture being a state subject and had negated the three farm laws by passing its own three legislations, not frame some policy/law and take initiative to encourage farmers to grow oilseeds, that once used to be its traditional crop but has now been forgotten to a large extent.
Also, a little push from the state will ready buyers for oilseeds crop because of ...
Inflexion Points: Sustainable agriculture for the economy’s sakeedit
Financial Express – Online
During the economic downturn of the past year, agriculture’s performance was a saving grace. But continued growth cannot be taken for granted. Erratic monsoons, groundwater stress, soil degradation, and unmet nutrition demands exert stress. If the pandemic has taught us anything, we must use good times to prepare for the bad. The maxim is equally true for judicious use of resources in agriculture.When the economy shrank by 24.4% by June 2020, agriculture grew 3.4%. By Q3, against barebones economic recovery (0.4%), agriculture grew 3.9%. The trend, however, is of slow agri-growth, at half (or less) than the economy’s average. This year’s foodgrains production target is 307 million tonnes (MT) compared to 301.92 MT last year. ...
Govt. Policies
Doubling farmers’ income by FY23 difficult as states delay reforms: Ramesh Chand, Niti Aayog memberedit
Financial Express – Online
Growth in agriculture gross value added (GVA) in FY22 will likely exceed the expansion seen last year on higher prices of crops and anticipated normal and well-distributed monsoon, according to Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand. In an interview to FE’s Prasanta Sahu and Prabhudatta Mishra, he said: “Except in the case of a few states, little or no progress is seen at state level to bring reforms in agriculture policies and system of marketing. This is a big setback to achieving the goal of doubling farmers’ income by FY23.” Also, Chand for the first time clarified that due to public sensitivity towards genetically modified (GM) food in the country, domestic research should focus on matching ...
CSC SPV launches Agri services e-marketplaceedit
The Economic Times – Online
The CSC E-Governance India Ltd (CSC SPV) on Sunday announced the launch of an e-marketplace or portal for agri services, mainly to help small farmers. The CSC SPV is a special purpose vehicle under the Ministry of Electronics & IT provides host of electronic services to consumers through its common service centres. Through the agri services portal, the farmers will be able to buy seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, cattle feed, and other agri-input products.
“Aimed at empowering small and marginal farmers, who constitute 86 per cent of India’s farming community, the CSC E-Governance India Ltd (CSC SPV) has unveiled a unique Agri Services Portal that will act as a one-stop destination and marketplace for them,” ...
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
Late arrival of monsoon rains in India may delay sowing of cropsedit
Mint – Online
Sowing of major crops such as rice, corn and soybeans may be delayed in India as the southwest monsoon, which waters more than half of the country’s farmland, is expected to reach the mainland two days later than usual. The monsoon will likely arrive the southern state of Kerala on Thursday, according to a statement posted by the India Meteorological Department on its website. The national weather forecaster had earlier predicted an onset date of May 31 for the June-September rainy season, which typically starts on June 1.
Timely arrival of the monsoon is critical for India’s crop output and economic growth at a time when the country is battling the world’s worst outbreak of Covid-19. ...