Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
India Becomes World’s Largest Producer & Consumer of Sugar: Food Ministryedit
Krishi Jagran – Online
During the Sugar Season (October-September) 2021-22, the country produced a record of more than 5000 Lakh Metric Tons (LMT) sugarcane, of which approximately 3574 LMT was crushed by sugar mills to produce approximately 394 LMT of sugar (Sucrose). 35 LMT sugar was diverted to ethanol production, while sugar mills produced 359 LMT sugar. As a result, India has surpassed the United States as the world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar, as well as the world’s second largest exporter of sugar. The season has proven to be a watershed moment for the Indian sugar industry. During the season, all records of sugarcane production, sugar production, sugar exports, cane procured, cane dues paid, and ethanol production ...
To promote moong and maize crops, processing & dryer plants to come up in Jagraon: Punjab ministeredit
The Indian Express – Online
Punjab agriculture and farmer welfare minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal announced Tuesday that the AAP government will set up processing and drying plants for moong and maize in the Jagraon sub-division of Ludhiana. Dhaliwal said that these plants would increase the profitability of farmers by adding value to the crop. He directed the officials to make separate proposals so that work could be initiated at the earliest. Dhaliwal expressed hope that these plants will encourage more farmers to opt for moong and maize and will reduce the area of paddy and wheat crops. Besides, the cultivation of these two crops will also increase the groundwater level in the state.
Govt. Policies
Agriculture ministry, NAFED sign MoU to boost international year of millets 2023edit
Hindustan Times – Online
The department of agriculture, farmers welfare and the national agricultural cooperative marketing federation of India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday to boost the initiative to promote millets towards the celebration of the international year of millets 2023. Both organisations will work together for the promotion and marketing of millet-based products, keeping in view the initiative of the international ear of millets (IYOM)-2023, according to the statement by the agriculture ministry. As India gears to bring millet back on the global map, they will build support and organise, promote, market, and forge effective market linkages for millet-based products to maximise the value capture and millet-based commodities across the country, the statement added.
Stubble Burning
Slow start to delivery of in-situ stubble management machines in Punjab even as farm fires pick up steamedit
Hindustan Times – Online
With the paddy harvest season kicking off in full swing in Punjab, the state agriculture department has started delivering machines for in-situ (mixing in the soil) management of stubble. So far, 7,300 machines have been delivered against a target of 32,100 in the current season. Officials say the delivery of machines got off to a slow start but would pick up pace once farmers have completed the sale of their kharif produce and have cash to pay the non-subsidised part of cost of machines. With the delivery of machines to farmers, the state government and Centre plan to control farm fires, construed as contributory factors in the formation of smog, a health and environmental hazard ...
Will take 4-5 years to properly resolve stubble burning issue: Punjab pollution control boardedit
Hindustan Times – Online
Crop diversification is not a long-term solution to the problem of stubble burning and it will take four to five years to properly resolve the issue, a senior official of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has said. Crop diversification and using short duration varieties of paddy are among several initiatives proposed by the Centre and experts to resolve the stubble burning issue in Punjab and Haryana. At a workshop organised by the Delhi-based Climate Trends in Chandigarh on Monday, PPCB member secretary Krunesh Garg said counting the number of farm fires is an inaccurate measure of ascertaining the scale of stubble burning and that the acreage of land being put on fire is the ...