Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Create awareness among farmers on crop diversification says Agriculture Minister Niranjan Reddyedit
The Hans India – Online
Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy said that farmers in Telangana can create wonders and the officials should create awareness among them about the importance of crop diversification. Addressing a meeting of district agriculture officers here on Saturday, he said that farmers’ focus should be shifted from cultivating paddy to alternate crops lime black gram, mung beans instead of paddy during rainy season in Kharif to reduce fertilisers usage and encourage them to cultivate sun flower and castor seeds, which have international demand. And it is not an impossible task if the officials give their best to provide awareness among farmers, he added. The Minister asked the officials of agriculture and horticulture departments to work ...
Govt. Policies
Govt forms panels to implement Centre’s agro schemeedit
The Times of India – Online
The state has constituted several committees for the implementation of the centrally-sponsored scheme of ‘Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms’ under the sub mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE) of national mission on agricultural extension and technology for agriculture technology management agency. The government constituted a state-level inter departmental working group (IDWG) headed by the agriculture secretary to initiate and oversee the activities under the scheme and recommend a state extension work plan, and provide a mechanism for interactions with the department of agriculture and various departments. It also constituted a policy-making body (governing body) headed by the district magistrate and collector to provide guidance and review the progress and functioning of ...
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
Andhra Pradesh: Assess crop damage in rain-hit districts, officials toldedit
The Hans India – Online
Minister for Agriculture K Kannababu directed the agriculture officials to assess crop damage due to excess rainfall in several districts. The Minister conducted a review meeting on crop damage as per the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The officials informed that paddy crop was damaged in East and West Godavari and Kadapa districts. They said groundnut was also damaged in Kadapa and Nellore districts. The Minister directed the agriculture officials and scientists to visit the rain-hit areas and assess the crop loss. He said Horticulture Commissioner Sridhar was appointed as in-charge of East Godavari and Joint director Sridhar as in-charge of West Godavari district to assess the crop damage in both ...
Paddy in India
Report validates Telangana’s estimate of paddy areaedit
The New Indian Express – Online
It’s official now. In Kharif, the State government indeed raised paddy in 59 lakh acres, as it had claimed. The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, in its latest report, confirmed that Telangana raised paddy in 2.374 million hectares (around 59 lakh acres). As per the report, the department has estimated that the production of paddy in Telangana will be 7.543 million tonnes. The department’s Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre, jointly with State Remote Sensing Centres and State Agriculture Department, carried out a national/state/district-level Kharif rice crop acreage estimation and production forecasting for the year 2021-22 using remote sensing data. The data was collected from June 1 to September ...
Stubble Burning
Stubble Burning and Delhi’s Air pollution: Why the problem persists even when options exist?edit
The Indian Wire – Online
Winter is coming, and every single soul in Delhi is worried about the air we continue to breathe. Coupled with the toxic water River Yamuna holds within, life is sustaining with greater difficulty in the capital’s territory and nearby. This happens because of multiple factors working like spiraling-in western disturbances, air pollution through bursting crackers, burning crop residue (parali) etc. in tandem, composing a bigger threat in reality. Consequently, the city’s air quality index (AQI) touches beyond 400 which entails a severe category threat to anyone who takes in the toxic air. The Environment Minister of Delhi has therefore, asked for an “emergency” meeting consisting of states in its vicinity: Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Stubble burning more widespread than we think, it’s not restricted to the North, says Vidyut Mohanedit
The Times of India – Online
Last month, Delhi-based social enterprise Takachar won the new Earthshot Prize for inventing a cheap and portable machine that can convert crop residue into fuel and fertiliser, thereby reducing smoke emissions by up to 98%. Its 30-year-old founderVidyut Mohan spoke to Sunday Times about how technology can help save the planet You studied mechanical engineering and then sustainable technology. What made you focus on the problem of air pollution? While growing up in Delhi, I saw first-hand how pollution affected my friends, family and me. I remember how in 2015-16, the post-Diwali smog was really bad, which made the government start measuring air quality. We learnt that the burning of agricultural waste could ...