Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Paddy sowing begins early in southern Punjabedit
Hindustan Times – Online
Notwithstanding the farm experts’ advisory and Punjab government’s directions, paddy growers have already started the transplantation of water-guzzling Pusa-44 variety in Punjab’s southern districts of Bathinda and Mansa. While the direct seeding of rice had started on June 1, the state government had directed farmers to wait for transplantation till June 10. However, backed by farm unions, the transplantation of Pusa-44 variety, which is considered environmentally hazardous, and other parmal rice (PR) varieties is going on in full swing in scores of villages in this belt.
Diesel price hike will jack up input costs for paddy: Farmersedit
The Times Of India – Online
Ahead of paddy transplantation, farmers are worried about high input costs caused by regular increase in diesel prices. According to agriculture experts, the diesel component has nearly 13% to 14% share in determining the input cost of the crop. Even with direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique, diesel has almost a similar share in determining input cost. Any fluctuation in the price of diesel has a direct bearing on input cost. In the last one month, diesel price increased by over Rs 5 per litre while over the past year, from June 2020, it increased by Rs 22 to Rs 23 per litre. In June 2020, diesel price was between Rs 63 and ...
Lockdown snatched their jobs, turned them ‘agri’preneursedit
The Times Of India – Online
Having realised the importance of sustainable living during Lockdown 1.0, two young entrepreneurs from Salcete have taken to agriculture, and scripted success stories within a short time. Significantly, both these agripreneurs were remotely connected with agriculture before the lockdown. Nitin Naik from Seraulim, who was working in Kuwait for the preceding 10 years, returned to Goa in February 2020 on his annual vacation. The extended nation-wide lockdown that followed cost him his job. Loss of livelihood forced him to explore other options and ultimately, he decided to make his living from the agricultural land he had inherited that was lying barren for the last 30 years. Naik is thankful to the agriculture department ...
Technology in Agriculture
SBI Looking for Collaborations with Agritechs to Push Farm Creditedit
Krishi Jagran – Online
Through a digital approach, the State Bank of India (SBI) is looking to collaborate with few Agritechs to properly handle large volume and low-ticket loans in the agribusiness. Agritech (agricultural technology) is seen as a channel for bringing in a new sector of clients by India’s largest bank. A route for bettering decision-making, increasing top-line revenue, and increasing efficiency. According to the bank’s annual report, “The cooperation will also serve as an opportunity to minimize operational costs, credit costs, increase profitability, and user experience as digital transformation will no longer be an option but a must for structural change in the digital ecosystem.”
#FundingAlert: Bengaluru-based agri-tech startup Fyllo raises Rs 3 cr from IANedit
Free Press Journal – Online
Fyllo, an agri-tech startup announced on Monday that it has raised Rs 3 crores from Indian Angel Network. Titan Capital, Lead Angels, and others joined the round. The company has been previously funded by 100X.VC. The startup will use the capital raised for its expansion to new markets and towards research and development to support more crops. Co-founders Sudhanshu Rai and Sumit Sheoran have been involved in agriculture since their childhood. They realized a data-driven decision support system to farmers would prove to be crucial in eliminating crop loss and reduce production costs. This led the computer science graduates to establish Fyllo in 2019.
Govt. Policies
Agricultural Commodities: Significance of Stocking Limits, MSP, Import-Export & Credit Control Policiesedit
Krishi Jagran – Online
Minimum Support Price or MSP is the minimum price government fixes for items like rice, wheat etc. One should note that whenever a government organization purchases items from the farmers it has to be more than this price. It can also be said that it is a way of government to keep price of a product, for example rice, wheat etc, higher than current market price. After fixing a support price the Government of India appoints some agency like NABARD to purchase crop from farmers directly. Fixing of MSP is done with the sole objective of enabling the farmer in getting a better price for his produce. In this way, the Government maintains specified price ...
Marginal farmers to get tractor and sowing machine services for kharif seasonedit
The Times Of India – Online
Considering the difficult Covid situation, the state agriculture department under the free rental scheme is providing agriculture equipment such as tractors and sowing machines to farmers with small land holdings during the upcoming kharif season. Agriculture commissioner Dr Om Prakash said the scheme would be available to small and marginal farmers with land holdings of up to 2.5 acres from June 1 to July 31 (60 days). Under the scheme, agriculture equipment sucha s plough, rotavator, cultivator, seed-cum-fertilizer drill machine will be made available to farmers. However, one farmer can place one order.
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
Cyclone Yaas may have actually helped Indian rice growersedit
Lokmat – Online
The damaging cyclone Yaas, which brought life to a standstill in the eastern states like West Bengal and Odisha, may also have brought cheers for many just ahead of the rice-sowing season. While the rains damaged many crops, rice growers are not complaining. With expectations of a good monsoon, India that emerged as the largest supplier of rice in the world in 2020-21 is once again looking at an expanded production of paddy. With farmers moving away from perishable produce, rice contributes more than 35% of food grain production.
Climate change to worsen Indian monsoon, global warming sets stage for dangerous rains: Studyedit
India Today – Online
The Indian monsoon is likely to get much more dangerous and wetter as global warming alters the system, new research says. India has witnessed a change in monsoon pattern over the years as climate disruptions take a toll on the system in the subcontinent. The research published in the journal Science Advances stated that scientists analysed changes in the past million years to conclude that monsoon is set for the worse. “We find that the projected monsoon response to ongoing ice melt and rising carbon dioxide levels is fully consistent with dynamics of the past 0.9 million years,” the research paper said. The Indian monsoon, which is one of the prime cause of floods in ...