Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
NABARD launches Agri Export Facilitation Centre at Jodhpuredit
Krishi Jagat – Online
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned an agri-export facilitation centre (AEFC) at Jodhpur under its Farm Sector Promotion Fund to create an ecosystem and facilitate export of agri commodities from Rajasthan. AEFC will be implemented by South Asia Biotechnology Centre, Jodhpur in collaboration with local organization, FPOs, aggregators, processors and agri exporters from Rajasthan. The AEFC was inaugurated by Shri Baiju N Kurup, Chief General Manager of NABARD, Rajasthan RO, Jaipur in the presence of Shri B. K. Tripathy, General Manager of NABARD, Rajasthan RO, Jaipur and Shri Manish Manda, District Development Manager (DDM), Jodhpur; Dr MY Honnur, Deputy Director of the Spices Board of India; Drs D Kumar, Bhagirath Choudhary ...
Farm Mechanization
Need farm mechanisation atmanirbhartaedit
The Financial Express – Online
India is one of the largest agricultural economies in the world with low levels of mechanisation due to factors like affordability and accessibility of expensive machinery, being a deterrent to the use of such technologies. Hence mechanisation on farmlands holds the key, for sustainable and efficient development of this sector, as well as that of the rural economy. So far growth of India’s agri sector has been on account of several positive factors related to the rural economy, including progressive policies towards agriculture, also leading to growth of the domestic tractor industry. Farm mechanisation in India may have made strong strides in recent years, with India as the largest tractor market in the world, ...
Govt. Policies
Agriculture Department Modifies the Guidelines for Crop Insurance Schemeedit
Krishi Jagran – Online
According to a department order dated September 24 indicating the changes to the scheme rules, farmers must mention their nominations when applying for membership in the scheme. The nominee is eligible to apply for and receive the money in the aforementioned situations. No other situation will be covered under this provision. According to a government order from October 27, 2017, crop damage to insect attacks on paddy has been taken into consideration in the scheme. An official said that this is already in effect. In the case of crops other than paddy, the following individuals have the authority to recommend crop loss compensation: Administrative Committee (above 5 lakh), Principal Agriculture Officer (Rs 50,001 and 4 ...
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
Heavy showers ahead of harvest season could fuel food prices, spur rate hikesedit
The Economic Times – Online
Food prices are likely to surge in the coming months with India witnessing heavy showers ahead of the harvest season for summer-sown crops such as rice, soybean, cotton and pulses. Rains have damaged the crops right before the harvest, prompting expectations of higher food prices. This may add to India’s pre-existing inflation worries. The increased food prices may eventually add pressure on the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to go for another rate hike in order to bring inflation back to its comfort level. In the latest policy review, India’s central bank had left its inflation forecast unchanged at 6.7% for Asia’s third largest economy for this fiscal year that ends Mar. 31, as ...
Why late rainfall may lead to more intense farm firesedit
Hindustan Times – Online
An unexpected drop in temperatures caused by unseasonal rainfall may have reduced pollution levels in the national capital and the northern plains, but it will further delay maturing of paddy, leaving a shorter window for farmers in Punjab and Haryana to sow the next crop, forcing cultivators to resort to burning stubble, and leading to a more intense pollution spike in the region. The Punjab government has deputed 50,000 volunteers and employees from the departments of revenue, agriculture, and rural development to reach out to each farming household in the state, and ask them not to burn stubble. Though Haryana has witnessed a considerable fall in incidents of farm fires so far this year, officials ...
Paddy in India
Progressive FPO alleges official apathy in buying paddy in Rupnagaredit
Hindustan Times – Online
One-and-a-half year after scripting a maiden success story last rabi marketing season by venturing into the business of arhtiyas or commission agents, a farmer producer organisation (FPO), PB-12, is now facing a bleak future. Formed by enterprising farmers of Rupnagar district, PB-12, which is the vehicle registration code of the district, has been directed by the Punjab mandi board authorities to stop buying paddy this season. Upset over the official apathy, the FPO urges the chief minister to intervene by either providing them adequate and permanent space in mandi or like three purchase seasons since 2021, allowing them to buy foodgrain from a rented place in the vicinity of Chamkaur Sahib mandi. A mandi board ...
40% paddy still to be harvested in Haryanaedit
Hindustan Times – Online
Inclement weather coupled with unseasonal rains have delayed paddy harvesting and procurement operations in Haryana, leaving a shorter window for farmers to sow the next crop, which the agriculture officials feel could force the cultivators to resort to stubble burning, the cheapest and easiest way to clear fields of crop waste. As per ground reports from major paddy sowing districts of northern Haryana, nearly 40 per cent of the crop is yet to be harvested and farmers are running from pillar to post to reap their produce and take it to the mandis amid spells of rain. “We are facing problems as nearly 50 per cent of the procured paddy is still in mandis and ...
Stubble Burning
Ludhiana breathes easy as winds keep stubble smoke at bayedit
Hindustan Times – Online
Despite rampant stubble burning in the region, the city is breathing easy thanks to windy weather conditions and rainfall in neighbouring districts, which have acted as bulwarks against air pollution. At 76, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) on Monday was ‘satisfactory’, an improvement from the ‘moderate’ air quality on the same date (October 10) over the last two years. An AQI reading between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”. On October 10, 2021 and 2020, the city had registered an AQI of 123 and 152, respectively. Despite the state government’s efforts to ...
Stubble burning: More than 700 farm fires recorded in Punjabedit
The New Indian Express – Online
More than 700 farm fires have been recorded so far in Punjab despite the state authorities making several efforts to curb the practice of stubble burning. According to data from the Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, the state witnessed four farm fire incidents—two in Amritsar and one each in Ludhiana and Kapurthala on Monday. From September 15 till October 10, a total of 718 farm fire incidents have been recorded, as per the data. On the same day in 2020 and 2021, the state had witnessed 244 and 150 farm fires, respectively, according to the data. The farm fires continued despite the state government assuring more crop residue management machines and launching massive ...