Media Monitor
Paddy in India
Farmers demand Kerala government to hike paddy support priceedit
The Times of India – Online
Farmers have demanded the state government to fix support Rs 35 per kilogram as procurement price for paddy as against the Rs 28.20 per kg announced in the budget. National coordinator of Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh K V Biju inaugurated a dharna staged by farmers demanding hike in support price in front of Palakkad collectorate on Friday. Biju said that both the central and state governments were taking anti-farmer policies and not addressing the basic problems of the agriculture sector.
New variety of paddy gives promising yieldedit
The New Indian Express – Online
A new variety of paddy seed, NLR-3238, developed by scientists at Agriculture Research Station, Nellore, has been yielding good results on par with popular variety BPT 5204. NLR-3238 comes with a comparatively higher zinc composition (22.5 per cent) in the grain and is sustainable and viable to cultivate in all seasons. The Research Station, which comes under Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University, is one of the leading research centres in the State, conducting studies on varieties of rice. The scientists have developed the seed by crossing MTU-1010 and BPT-5204 varieties, to get higher yield in a shorter time period. “NLR 3238 has been tested in soils at various places including Nellore and ...
Stubble Burning
Over 20k metric tonnes of biomass used in seven NCR thermal plantsedit
The Indian Express – Online
Around 20,830 metric tonnes of biomass, of which paddy straw is a component, has been used in seven thermal power plants in the NCR so far, and the tender process for use of another 43 lakh metric tonnes is underway. This is as per data presented at a session on agricultural stubble management during a discussion on measures to mitigate air pollution in Delhi-NCR organised by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) last week. Using paddy straw in power plants is one way of minimising burning of stubble. Arvind Nautiyal, member secretary, CAQM, said the commission had issued statutory directions to 11 thermal power plants situated in a 300-km radius around Delhi to ...