Media Monitor
Govt. Policies
Nearly 1.2 million farmers benefit from power subsidy in Rajasthanedit
Business Standard – Online
The Rajasthan government’s move to provide subsidised electricity to farmers under the Mukhyamantri Kisan Mitra Urja Yojana has started benefiting the agricultural community. Under the scheme, electricity bills of about 750,000 farmers have become zero, said a senior official of the state energy department. Energy Minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati said this scheme was meant to increase the incomes of farmers and free them from the worry of electricity expenses. The state government on July 17 last year launched the scheme. Bhati said agricultural consumers who had rural meters in the general category benefited. He said consumers were given a subsidy of Rs 1,000 per month on their agriculture electricity bills, going up to Rs 12,000 ...
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
Tamil Nadu to receive light to moderate rainedit
The New Indian Express – Online
Heavy rains lashed several parts of the city for a brief time on Monday. The rains started in Velachery, Adyar, Egmore, Broadway, Pallavaram, OMR and surrounding areas around 4.30 pm and last for two hours. According to the data from the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai received 31.6 mm of rain with the Nandanam recording highest of 38.5 mm as on 7.30 pm on Monday. As per the alert issued by RMC, light to moderate rain is expected with isolated thunderstorm and lightning over Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal areas till Wednesday. Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Theni, Erode, Salem, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tirupattur, Namakkal, Karur, ...
Paddy in India
Punjab facing gamut of problems in combating farm firesedit
Hindustan Times – Online
Widespread rain across over the past week has delayed paddy harvesting in Punjab by 10 days, leaving farmers with a smaller window to ready their fields for winter sowing, in what will likely compel them more to burn crop remnants, and, yet again, trigger a pollution crisis. Experts say that a host of unresolved issues going back decades are anyway likely to make farm fires inevitable, despite Punjab now being run by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that is also in power in Delhi, where the winter air pollution crisis is a massive public health issues. At the heart of the problem are two core issues: First, a large part of the state’s agriculture sector ...
Relief to paddy farmers as Haryana arhtiyas end indefinite strikeedit
Hindustan Times – Online
The arhtiyas in Haryana on Monday ended their indefinite strike after the state government withdrew its decision of making trading of basmati varieties of paddy mandatory on e-NAM portal, in a big relief to paddy growers whose produce has been lying unattended in grain markets amid heavy rains and waterlogging. The arhtiyas said that they will start the procurement operations from Tuesday. “It has been decided by the government that the farmers who are coming to the mandis for sale of crops (non-MSP) and they have registered on meri fasal mera bayora portal and obtained their gate passes through e-Kharid shall not be required to enter their details on e-NAM (portal),” read the order issued ...
Punjab records 30% surplus rain in Sept, but paddy crop safeedit
The Indian Express – Online
Unlike Haryana where the incessant rain has played havoc with the rice crop mainly in the rice belt of the state where early varieties of rice – Basmati 1509 and 1692 – witnessed huge damage, the crops in majority of Punjab districts have remained safe despite heavy and surplus rainfall in around 55% districts of the state. The state has reported heavy lodging in paddy crops in Ludhiana, Patiala and a few more districts, while paddy crop in Mansa has got submerged under two feet water in some areas. Mansa recorded the highest rainfall (186% surplus) in Punjab in September. The majority districts of the state could do away with irrigation this time as ...
Ludhiana: Incessant rain affects paddy crop on 60K hectaresedit
Hindustan Times – Online
The incessant rain has affected an estimated 60,000 hectare of paddy crop in the district. Paddy is sown in 2.5 lakh hectare in the district. The agriculture department started carrying out a field survey of crop damage on Monday. The heavy rainfall has been stated to have caused the second jolt to paddy farmers who were fearing low yield due to the outbreak of southern rice black streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) commonly referred to as dwarfing disease. “We are carrying out field visits in Raikot, Jagraon, Dakha and surrounding areas following reports of crop damage. However, the crop has suffered lodging (bending of crop) but it is difficult to predict whether the crop has been ...
Stubble Burning
Stubble burning, GST issue to come up in day-long Punjab assembly sessionedit
Hindustan Times – Online
The one-day Punjab assembly session will be held here on Tuesday during which issues related to stubble burning, goods and services tax (GST) and power supply will be taken up for discussion. On Sunday, Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit summoned the session, thus ending the stalemate with the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state, after the latter conceded and informed the governor about the issues to be discussed during the special session. Before that Purohit had cancelled a special session called by the state government on September 22 to bring-in a confidence motion. Speaking on schedule of the session, a cabinet minister said it will be decided in the business advisory committee ...