Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Crops’ share in agriculture drops to 55.5%, shows dataedit
The Economic Times – Online
The share of crops in India’s agriculture fell to 55.5% in 2019-20 from 62.4% in 2011-12, the ministry of statistics and programme implementation said on Wednesday. In a report on state-wise and item-wise value of output, the ministry said agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 18.3% of the gross value added (GVA) at current basic prices in 2019-20, down from 18.5% in 2011-12 but the share of this sector in overall GVA of the country showed a “fluctuating trend over the years”. It was 17.6% in 2018-19 and 18.6 % in 2013-14. “‘Cereals’ and ‘fruits and vegetables’ (two largest groups of crops) together accounted for more than 52% of the sector in 2011-12, and ...
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
Monsoon withdrawal begins: IMDedit
Deccan Chronicle – Online
The Indian Meteorological Department on Wednesday said the southwest monsoon had begun withdrawing after a bountiful season. In the state, it will begin on October 10 and the season will end on October 15. The IMD said eight districts received large excess rainfall, 17 districts received excess rainfall and eight others, normal rainfall. No district experienced deficient rainfall. Nizamabad and Jagtial were perhaps the wettest districts so far this year. The former received 1,576 mm rainfall against the normal 817.3 mm; the latter got 1545.3 mm against the norm of 802.2 mm. In the category of districts with excess rainfall, Peddapalli had the highest deviation of rainfall of 58 per cent at 1,376.4 mm from ...
Paddy in India
Paddy crop on 1,100 ha in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur inundatededit
The New Indian Express – Online
Paddy crops on 1,100 hectares in Thanjavur were inundated after recent heavy rain, Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver told media on Wednesday. “Procurement of paddy of the Kharif marketing season began on September 1, one month ahead of the usual date. So far, 70,000 tonnes were procured through DPCs,” he said. “This year, Kuruvai was cultivated on 72,000 hectares, out of which crops on 43,000 hectares have been harvested. A total of 267 DPCs are functioning and the TNCSC is planning to open 100 more,” he added. Oliver said the agriculture department conducted a survey and found crops on around 1,100 hectares were inundated. Steps will be taken to get compensation for ryots, he ...
Stubble Burning
Stubble burning back to haunt Delhi-NCRedit
The New Indian Express – Online
Instances of paddy stubble burning have started appearing in parts of Pakistan, and the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana, satellite imagery data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) showed. Fumes from the farm fires travelling to Delhi-NCR trigger an annual air pollution crisis every winter. ADVERTISEMENT Ads by Scientists and weather officials studying the crop stubble burning pattern warned that this year since monsoon withdrawal has been delayed on account of late September rain in the whole of northwest India, the farm fires may peak around mid-October and coincide with Diwali, which will be celebrated on October 24 this year. Each year, despite a ban, bursting of firecrackers on Diwali ...
Can bedding for cattle solve the paddy stubble problem in Punjab?edit
The Indian Express – Online
With the return of paddy straw burning in Punjab during the harvest season of early varieties of rice, creating bedding for cattle with paddy straw is among the many alternatives for the safe disposal of stubble. This bedding is not only good for animal health and soil health, but also increases milk production and enhances its quality. Why is providing bedding important for cattle and what material is good for it? Experts claim that bedding is used for animals to support their bodies when resting or otherwise stationary. It reduces pressure on the skin, restricts heat loss, and limits contamination by waste produced by the animal.