Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Crop survey to determine extent of cultivationedit
Deccan Chronicle – Online
In a bid to determine the exact area of land under cultivation in the state, the government has taken up field-wise crop booking. Agriculture department officials are working towards completing the survey by September 5. Earlier, officials would take on register the claim of the farmer regarding cultivation. This time, they are conducting the survey based on the land survey number. Agricultural extension officers (AEOs) are registering the extent of cultivation of crops in a given survey number under their cluster.
Hit by COVID-19, women in Telangana’s Self Help Groups reel under debt crisisedit
The News Minute – Online
Telangana has over four lakh SHGs supervised by the Department of Rural Development and Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP). According to some estimates, there are over several lakh women in these SHGs, cutting across sections which include Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Backward Classes (BC) and others. Several rural women who are members of SHGs from different districts say that their financial condition was affected by the pandemic, even pushing them further into debt. Most of them either work as daily wage earners or as agriculture workers. In several districts, they are also employed as beedi workers.
Farmers broaden agenda, it’s no longer just about farm lawsedit
Hindustan Times – Online
Farm unions protesting three agricultural laws passed last year are broadening their agenda to oppose the Modi government’s major economic policies, including the new asset monetization programme, which, they claim, will impact the farm sector directly. A key farm union leader, Gurnam Singh Charuni, accused the Union government of harbouring a secret agenda to “kill farmers and their leaders” by unleashing brutal police force — an allegation that follows a bloody put-down of a farm protest in Haryana’s Karnal on Saturday. Rakesh Tikait, a leader representing the Bharatiya Kisan Union, said “sarkari Taliban and their commanders” had been identified, referring to the government and bureaucrats as “Taliban”.
Nudge Spending, Helping Farmers: MNREGS Can Be Rural Economy Booster in Pandemicedit
News18 – Online
The pandemic-induced demand disruption and the resulting loss of jobs in both manufacturing and services have led to a migration of workers from cities to villages. State governments are just becoming aware of this pressure on rural households. Agricultural households have thus far survived because one or more members usually is a salaried worker in the city; with this support missing, agriculture household incomes are further depressed. It is thus important to revamp and revive the functioning of the rural employment schemes. Synergies and efficiencies need to be created and improved to boost rural incomes so that demand can be back at pre-pandemic levels.
Competition
Mahindra launches new heavy-duty Rotavator – the Mahindra Mahavator, after its highly successful light soils special, Mahindra Gyrovator in Tamil Naduedit
Orissa Diary – Online
Mahindra & Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector, part of the USD 19.4 billion Mahindra Group and the world’s largest tractor manufacturer by volumes, has introduced a new heavy-duty rotavator, the Mahindra Mahavator in Tamil Nadu.While the new Mahindra Mahavator can be used in all kinds of soil conditions, it is specially designed for hard soils and to deal with hard crop residue like that of sugarcane and cotton. It can efficiently crush soil clods and finely pulverize soil for healthy plant growth. Designed and developed with best-in-class technology from Mahindra’s R&D centres in India & Europe, Mahindra’s rotavators are tested across the country in different field conditions, to ensure suitability and reliability.
Stubble Burning
Haryana: Up to 80% subsidy on stubble disposal equipment, apply online by 07 Septemberedit
Aaj Tak – Online
The harvesting of Kharif crops is very near. Its process will also start from the second week of September. But in the midst of all this, the biggest problem before the government is about the stubble. Burning of stubble in the fields creates a serious problem of pollution in front of different states every year. To deal with this situation, the Haryana government has decided to give 50 to 80 percent subsidy to the farmers on stubble disposal machines.
Hectic meet between Ministry and Air Quality commission to reduce burning of farm stubbleedit
The Economic Times – Online
The environment ministry and the air quality commission have raised concerns over stubble fire counts in a meeting held last week. The news comes after the Uttar Pradesh government dropped cases against farmers for burning stubble. Punjab too may go soft on stubble burning, with polls ahead. The ministry pointed to an 82% rise in fire counts in NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh in 2020, asked Punjab to focus on stubble hotspot districts and villages and sought details of setting up residue management machinery in Fatehabad, Jind and Karnal districts.