Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Rice output in 2022-23 seen down 8% on yearedit
The Financial Express – Online
With severe deficiency of monsoon rainfall in the eastern regions hitting paddy sowing activities, the country’s rice production for 2022-23 crop year (July-June) may turn out to be at least 10 million tonne (MT) less than last year’s record level of 129 MT, according to trade sources. Paddy sowing has been adversely impacted in parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. West Bengal, the biggest rice producer amongst states, has received deficient rainfall in 15 of its 23 districts, raising the likelihood of crop loss, an official said. In East Bardhaman district, considered as rice bowl of West Bengal, the rainfall deficiency has been 34% of benchmark so far while other key ...
Willing to ‘feed the world’ by summer, India may have to import wheat come winteredit
The Print – Online
Rising wholesale and consumer prices of wheat may push India to allow imports of the staple food item in a few months’ time. If India turns importer, it will be a drastic reversal — from desiring to ‘feed the world’ in the summer to battling a shortfall by winter. Compared to last year (2021-22) when India exported about 7.2 million tonnes of wheat, exports are estimated to be 6 million tonnes by the end of the ongoing financial year (2022-23). India announced an export ban in May this year to ensure domestic availability of the cereal and tame food inflation. But data from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution shows that wheat ...
Agricultural and processed food products exports raised by 31%edit
Mint – Online
Exports of agricultural and processed food products rose by 31% in the first three months of the current fiscal on a year-on-year basis. The overall export of agri products have increased to $7.408 billion in April-June 2022 from $5.663 billion over the same period of the last fiscal, according to the commerce department data. It also exceeded the export target for April-June 2022-23 at $5.890 billion. “The initiatives taken by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) that works under the ministry of commerce and industry have helped the country in achieving 31% of the total export target in the first quarter of the current fiscal,” the department of commerce said in a ...
Paddy in India
Centre approves 2,000ha paddy cluster in North Goaedit
Times of India – Online
Over 1,000 farmers and around 2,000ha of agricultural land across North Goa is set to form a paddy cluster under a project funded by the Centre. The paddy produced by this collective will be processed into standardised products, which is expected to fetch farmers more than double the price per kilo from the present Rs 10 to Rs 12 to Rs 20 to Rs 25 in around a year. The state agriculture department hopes that this pilot project will help bring more land under cultivation in Goa and motivate farmers to expand their operations. Under the central government’s Scheme for Funds for Regeneration of Traditional Industries, four clusters have been approved for Goa, including ...