Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Kharif rice production to drop by 6%: Agriculture Ministryedit
The Indian Express – Online
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare released on Wednesday the First Advance Estimates of production of major Kharif crops for 2022-23 that pegged kharif rice production at 104.99 million tonnes during the current season in wake of uneven monsoon, which is 6 per cent lower than the production of 111.76 mt during the last season. The kharif rice production estimates are lower than the target of 112mt set for the current season and 105.21mt figure of 2020-21. The dip in kharif rice production is significant in view of requirement of rice for distribution under the National Food Security Act 2013. In a statement, the Ministry said, “Total production of kharif rice during ...
Technology in Agriculture
From Ploughs To Drones: India’s Agriculture Journey And Road Aheadedit
Business World – Online
‘Everything can wait but agriculture,’ said Nehru. India suffered severe food shortages soon after its independence. The Green Revolution was a watershed moment allowing us to become self-sufficient in food grains. In 1950-51, the government recorded food production in India at 50.82 million tonnes. Foodgrain production had scaled up to 314.51 million tonnes in 2021-22. For 2022-23, we have set our eyes on a target of 328 million tonnes. Having said that, this has also caused indiscriminate use of fertilisers and pesticides, causing soil erosion, greenhouse emission effects, increased soil salinity, and water shortages. Though India has been an agrarian country and its core competency lies in agriculture, we have not been able to utilize ...
Govt. Policies
Govt promoting use of new farm technologies to help reduce production cost: Union minister Narendra Tomaredit
ET CIO.com – Online
The government is promoting adoption of new farm technologies as it will help reduce the cost of production, enhance output and ensure better rates to farmers, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday. Tomar, while speaking at a Ficci event, said the use of various farm technologies will help achieve the production level required to meet the food demand in 2025. While the farm sector faces many challenges like falling acreage and impact of natural calamities, the government is overcoming these issues by focusing on drip irrigation, organic and natural farming, among others, he said. Tomar further said the government is making efforts to take new technologies to the farmers.
Export policy for 2022-23 sugar season soon, says Food Secretaryedit
The Economic Times – Online
The government will announce the export policy for sugar for the next season soon, food and public distribution secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said on Wednesday. Announcement of the policy will help sugar mills in enter into forward export contracts. Indian Sugar Mills Association (Isma) president Aditya Jhunjhunwala said the association has urged the government to allow exports of 8 million tonnes of the sweetener in 2022-23 in view of a surplus production. India had recorded record sugar exports under open general licence in 2021-22. The shipments were halted by the government in May this year when it capped annual exports at 10 million tonnes as part of its measures to check food inflation in the ...
Gujarat farmers got financial assistance worth Rs 6,600 crore in 3 years: Govtedit
The Indian Express – Online
The Gujarat government has paid Rs 6,624 crore to 59.81 lakh farmers in the state as compensation for crop damages due to various natural calamities in the past three years, said Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel Wednesday. He was replying to a question raised by Deesa MLA Shashikant Pandya on the financial assistance to farmers of Banaskantha and Jamnagar districts owing to very heavy rains. According to Patel, the government has paid Rs 2,489 crore to 33.18 lakh farmers in 2019-20 and Rs 2,905 crore to 19.03 lakh farmers in 2020-21. Also, following the Tauktae Cyclone, the government paid Rs 409 crore to 1.97 lakh farmers, he said. In 2021-22, the government paid the farmers ...
No plan for free power to farmers or restoration of old pension scheme: Uttar Pradesh government in assemblyedit
Hindustan Times – Online
The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday made it clear that there was no plan either for free power supply to farmers or for restoration of the old pension scheme for state government employees. Raising the issue during question hour in the state assembly on the third day of the monsoon session, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MLA Ajay Kumar asked whether the state government would provide free electricity to farmers for operating private tubewells for irrigation in order to reduce the cost of crops and increase income of cultivators. Replying to the question, energy minister AK Sharma said there was no plan for providing free electricity to private tube wells run by farmers. In order to ...
Agriculture, Food Processing ministries launch convergence portal for 4 major schemesedit
The Economic Times – Online
The government on Wednesday launched a joint convergence portal for different schemes run by Food Processing and Agriculture ministries. According to an official statement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Food Processing Industries jointly launched a convergence portal between Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY). The convergence portal was launched in the presence of Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Food Processing Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras and Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary. Food Processing Secretary Anita Praveen and Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja were also present.
Paddy in India
RBI sanctions ₹36,999crore CCL to Punjab for paddy purchaseedit
Hindustan Times – Online
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday sanctioned the first instalment of the cash credit limit (CCL) of ₹36,999 crore of the total ₹44,500 crore to Punjab for paddy procurement starting from October 1. The balance amount of ₹7,500 crore for November is expected to be released after the first instalment is exhausted. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the forthcoming kharif marketing season was the first of the AAP government and he had issued directions to the department of food and civil supplies to start advance planning. The government has revamped the policies related to milling, transport, labour and purchase of stock articles in an effort to make the process transparent and efficient, he ...
Stubble Burning
Strive for zero stubble burning: Centre urges Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UPedit
The Indian Express – Online
The Centre on Wednesday urged the state governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to “strive for achieving zero stubble burning” in the very near future. This was conveyed to these states during a high-level review meeting chaired by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. The meeting was attended by officials of State Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi, Officers of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). During the meeting, issues related to the actions taken/proposed to be taken by the State Governments for management of stubble burning during 2022 season were discussed. Asking these states to take steps ...