Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Centre Procures Record 89 Million Tonnes of Paddy So Faredit
Krishi Jagran – Online
In the current marketing year, which ends in September, the government has purchased over 890 lakh tonnes of paddy at MSP, which is an all-time high. This comes in the midst of farmers’ protest on Delhi’s borders. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, have been demonstrating for over nine months, demanding the repeal of three new agricultural laws as well as a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP). The food ministry stated in a statement that the Centre had acquired 889.62 lakh tonnes of paddy in the ongoing 2020-21 Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) through September 5.
Telangana urges Centre to expand agriculture subsidies scopeedit
The New Indian Express – Online
State Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, requested the Centre to extend the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to cover agriculture and its allied sectors, including poultry, dairy and fisheries. He was speaking at a virtual meeting held by Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister for Industries, Commerce, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal. The meeting was attended by chief ministers and ministers from various states as well as departmental heads. Niranjan Reddy also urged the Centre to approve 100 per cent procurement of pulses at minimum support price (MSP) for Yasangi season and also approve distribution of mini kits to cover one lakh acres of groundnut ...
Agriculture’s own future lies in becoming more productive and adding value outside the farmsedit
The Indian Express – Online
The southwest monsoon hasn’t turned out great this year, unlike in 2019 and 2020. Rainfall in the season (June-September) has so far been 7.9 per cent below the historical average for the country. But more than the aggregate figure, it’s the temporal distribution that has raised question marks. A three-week long dry spell from around June 20 resulted in farmers missing the main kharif sowing window between mid-June and mid-July. The monsoon did revive from July 12-13 and so did plantings. But August recorded 24 per cent rainfall deficiency. Even if the September rains match the India Meteorological Department’s “above-normal” prediction, it would primarily benefit the rabi season crop. And with current water levels ...
Agri exports play important role in doubling farmers’ income: Govtedit
Business Standard – Online
Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said agriculture exports have an important role to play in doubling farmers’ income, and stressed the need for boosting India’s outward shipments to be among top-5 nations in farm exports. Goyal and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday addressed the second day of the Chief Ministers’ Conference on initiatives and schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, according to an official statement
States should take advantage of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: Narendra Tomaredit
India TV – Online
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said that the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund is set up to drive infra investments and will facilitate and drive speedy sanctions through a user-friendly online portal. In his address on the 2nd day of the Chief Ministers’ conference on initiatives and schemes of his Ministry, he urged the states to take advantage of the fund so that the benefits can percolate to the small and marginal farmers, who lack warehousing and cold storage facilities at the farm gate, a Ministry release said.
Technology in Agriculture
Technological Innovations and Trends In Agritech Spaceedit
Tech Story – Online
The Indian agricultural sector holds a crucial spot in the economy. A significant portion of the country’s population is engaged in farming and related activities. Over the past few years, the technological revolution has gained momentum in this industry. A plethora of startups and businesses have shown interest in the modernisation of the entire farm-to-fork process. Agritech companies are aiding farmers with tech-enabled solutions to help them improve both the quality and quantity of their yield. Many methods like drip irrigation and residue-free farming techniques are promoted to make the agricultural landscape more sustainable. Apart from the production side, the supply chain is also evolving with the help of increased automation and the addition of ...
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
For pay-outs under PMFBY: As heavy rain threatens kharif crop, 17 districts issue mid-season adversity notification in Maharashtraedit
The Indian Express – Online
As incessant rain batters parts of the state, farmers fear damage to their almost-ready crops during the latest monsoon revival. District collectors of 17 districts have already issued mid-season adversity notification, which will allow farmers to claim insurance pay-outs under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). As of Tuesday, Maharashtra has received 947.2 mm of rain as against the 866.4 mm of normal rain it is supposed to receive by this date. Divisions of Konkan (2998.3/2580.3 mm) Aurangabad (744.0/552.2 mm) and Amravati (722.6/649.4 mm) have reported extremely heavy and excess rain. The districts of Pune, Nashik and Nagpur have, however, reported near-normal or slight deficit in rainfall.
Stubble Burning
We Need To Think About Environmental Problems Such As Stubble Burningedit
Youth Ki Awaaz – Online
Considering the stubble burning laws in India and after watching the television, what I inferred was that India needs more than laws to stamp out farm fires. With only a couple of weeks between the rice-harvesting season and the start of wheat-sowing, farmers burn the debris to clear their fields quickly for the new crop. For them, every single day matters. One of the major challenge caused by stubble burning is air pollution, that has turned from low to severe over the course of the past few years. Burning of crop stubbles is done in violation of bans by state governments.
AAP slams UP, Haryana, Punjab Rajasthan for ‘failing to control stubble burning’edit
Hindustan Times – Online
“The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has found that the Congress-ruled states Punjab and Rajasthan, and BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have done nothing to prevent stubble burning. The governments in all these states have failed to subside and provide machinery to farmers to prevent stubble burning,” said AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj in a press conference at the party head office in central Delhi.
Tractor industry
VST Tillers Tractors enters Southern Africa; ties up with Export Trading Groupedit
Free Press Journal – Online
VST Tillers Tractors, one of India’s leading farm equipment manufacturers, has launched the VST range of tractors and power tillers in Southern Africa. The company has entered into an agreement with ETG (Export Trading Group) for distribution of its tractors, power tillers, power reapers and diesel engines in the Southern African markets, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Zambia.