Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
How to increase farm incomes & growth post-repealedit
The Times of India – Online
With both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha repealing the farm laws yesterday, the question now is where we go from here. To be sure, procurement of rice and wheat at the minimum support price (MSP), itself supported by the entire country’s taxpayer, promises continued decent income to farmers in Punjab and Haryana. But what about the farmers in such poor states as Bihar and Odisha where no significant procurement at MSP exists? Limits to Agri Growth The only remaining instrument of boosting farmers’ incomes within agriculture now is acceleration in agricultural growth. But the fastest Indian agriculture has grown to-date in any ten-year period is 4.4%. And that was during the decade of ...
A new deal for agricultureedit
Hindustan Times – Online
The contentious farm laws were repealed by both Houses of Parliament on Monday. Their repeal may be a victory for farmers and Opposition parties — but only to the extent that the three laws pushed through by the government, and on which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party expended a great deal of political capital, have been withdrawn. This is undoubtedly a setback for the government, but it is important to understand that the scrapping of the laws does not leave farmers any better off. The agrarian crisis in the country continues. The unremunerative nature of farming has seen once-dominant landholding agrarian communities take to the streets demanding quotas in admission to educational institutions and in ...
Is legalising MSP a panacea for India’s agri-troubles?edit
Business Standard – Online
With the repeal of the three farm laws, farmer unions believe that they have won a battle of sorts. But, according to them, another one is waiting. And this one will drag a tad longer. They want a law to legalise the minimum support price for crops. In a bind, the government has formed a committee to look into the matter. Let us understand if legalising MSP will help farming in the long run.MSP is the minimum floor price at which the government procures from farmers. It is calculated on the average cost of production. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, farmer union coalition ‘Samyukta Kisan Morcha’ has said that MSP based on ...
Paddy in India
Five paddy-straw based compressed biogas projects to be set up in Punjabedit
The Week – Online
State-owned Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) on Monday signed agreements with a Mumbai based private company to set up five paddy straw-based compressed biogas projects in the state. The agreements were signed with EverEnviro Resource Management Private Limited in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, according to a government release. These projects will be set up in Jagraon, Moga, Dhuri, Pattran and Phillaur, the release said. The company will set up these projects with an investment of about Rs 500 crore on a build, operate and own (BOO) basis. These projects will start commercial production of bio CNG by December 2023 and provide direct and indirect employment to around 7,000 persons. Once ...
Farmers harp on price stabilisation, seed supply ahead of paddy switchedit
The Times of India – Online
As the state government battles with the Centre on the paddy procurement issue and warns farmers not to grow paddy in the rabi season, farmers in Vikarabad district said seed availability and price realisation hold the key before they make the shift from paddy to other crops. Interacting with TOI, several farmers came up with a demand for price stabilisation mechanism which required that price ranges were not unreasonably high or low. This, they said, will ensure convincing price both for themselves and consumers. “In the case of paddy, the returns are high and secure. An acre yields an income of Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000. If we opt for cereals or pulses, ...
Paddy procurement: RBI hikes Punjab’s cash credit limit by 3%edit
Hindustan Times – Online
The Reserve Bank of India on Monday allowed an enhanced cash credit limit of ₹43,297.88 crore to Punjab for purchase of paddy. Earlier, the state was allowed a cash credit limit (CCL) of ₹35,000 crore, which was later enhanced to ₹42,000 crore. In the current season, 188.26 lakh tonne paddy has arrived in the mandis for procurement so far, out of which 187.21 lakh tonne has been purchased by the four state agencies — Pungrain, Punsup, Markfed and state warehousing corporation — and the Food Corporation of India. The remaining, around one lakh tonne paddy, was purchased by private traders. “Against ₹35,600 crores worth of paddy purchased, we have so far made ₹35,211-crore payments to ...
KCR rules out paddy purchase in rabiedit
Deccan Chronicle – Online
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Monday made it clear that the state government would not procure paddy from farmers in rabi season henceforth citing Centre’s refusal to procure parboiled rice from Telangana from this rabi season. Rao made it clear that the state government would not set up paddy purchase centres in rabi season as was being done all these years and the decision to this effect was taken in the Cabinet meeting held on Monday. He asked farmers to sow paddy only if they had purchase agreements with seed companies or rice millers or for their own consumption. “We have taken a decision in the Cabinet meeting held today (Monday) not to set ...
Stubble Burning
More than 200 cases of stubble burning in four monthsedit
Hindustan – Online
So far this year, around 200 cases of stubble burning have been reported in the district. Most of these cases have been identified through satellite. This time the peasant movement was intensified during the harvesting of paddy. Due to this, the administration kept on explaining to the farmers but kept avoiding action. However, action has been taken at two places including Mohammadi. At the same time, now the Agriculture Department is making the farmers aware not to burn sugarcane leaves in the fields. Deputy Agriculture Director says that all the officers and employees of the department have been instructed to keep making farmers aware. On the one hand, there is pollution due to stubble burning, on ...