The Indian Express – Online

The political fallout of the movement against the Centre’s farm laws is showing. The Narendra Modi government has raised the minimum support price (MSP) of the 2021-22 paddy crop by Rs 72 per quintal, to Rs 1,940 for common and Rs 1,960 for ‘Grade A’ varieties. This increase, of slightly over 4.8 per cent, might seem modest. It is also true that cultivation costs — particularly on account of diesel used for powering tractors, irrigation pumps and harvester combines — have gone up. But that does not justify an MSP increase now, when rice and wheat stocks in public godowns have, for the first time, crossed the 100 million tonnes (mt) mark. Government agencies ...

The Millennium Post – Online

The National Statistical Office’s latest GDP data for the 2020-21 fiscal reiterates what was expected. But, the current financial year indicates the country’s economy already slipping into a deep paralytic state. Lack of demand and consumption in rural areas that sustain two-thirds of the country’s population is the reason behind this. This is also despite agriculture being the only sector that registered a positive growth with a gross value added of Rs 20.40 lakh crore in 2020-21. This year the monsoon is going to be above normal as well. Between 2019-20 and 2020-21, India’s GDP has reported a loss of Rs 10.56 lakh crore, or a -7.3 growth. But the data on consumption reiterates ...

Krishi Jagran – Online

FPO stands for Farmer Producer Organizations. FPO is an organization, where the members are farmers itself. Farmers Producers Organization provides end-to-end support and services to the small farmers, and cover technical services, marketing, processing, and others aspects of cultivation inputs. The idea behind the Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO) was that “Farmers, who are the producers of their agricultural products, can form the groups and can register themselves under the Indian Companies Act”. 

Telengana Today – Online

Following the massive increase in agriculture output, the State government has decided to set up a food processing zone in 250 acre of land in Andole Assembly constituency in the district. Since State formation in 2014, agricultural output, particularly paddy, has been increasing year-on-year in the State. Sangareddy district too has witnessed the same trend with paddy production doubling in the district compared to previous year. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar has also instructed officials to ground the works of Sanagameshwara and Basaveshwara Lift Irrigation Projects which will provide irrigation water to 3.84 lakh acre that will further enhance agriculture production in the district.

The Weekend Leader – Online

India’s agriculture exports (including marine and plantation products) have beaten the pandemic registering a growth of 17.34 percent to $ 41.25 billion in 2020-21, a top commerce ministry official said on Thursday. Speaking to the media, commerce secretary Anup Wadhawan said that excellent growth of Agri exports in FY21 has come after it remained stagnant for the past three years (USD 38.43 billion in 2017-18, USD 38.74 billion in 2018-19 and USD 35.16 billion 2019-20). In rupee terms, the increase is 22.62 percent with exports during 2020-21 amounting to Rs 3.05 lakh crore as compared to Rs 2.49 lakh crore during 2019-20.

Hindustan Times – Online

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy much higher than the amount approved by the Centre on Wednesday — a demand that experts said could exacerbate the problems surrounding India’s cropping patterns. The Centre on Wednesday announced new MSPs for the summer-sown or kharif crops. In line with a policy to promote more planting of scarce commodities such as oilseeds and pulses, the new MSP rates are relatively higher for non-cereals, such as lentils, soya, groundnut and mustard.