Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
State-of-the-art farming machines on showcase as Agro Tech comes to a close at Chandigarhedit
Hindustan Times – Online
The need for ensuring the benefits of technological advancement reach the ground level was in focus on the fourth and final day of the 15th edition of CII Agro Tech India. While addressing the audience the Parade Ground CII chairperson Amit Thapar said, “The Government of India has taken a number of initiatives to give a major boost to agriculture through policy reforms as well as innovation and technological application at the grassroot level.” “CII is filling the technological gap using science to create a disruptive renaissance in farming. A major aim of Agro Tech India is to create awareness on Central schemes,” he said, highlighting the innovative exhibits and machinery on offer at the ...
Dairy Farming
Govt moves to set up fodder-centric farmer producer organisationsedit
The Indian Express – Online
TWO YEARS after the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying proposed the formation and promotion of fodder-centric Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to address the fodder deficit, the government has designated the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as the implementing agency, setting a target of 100 such FPOs in 2022-23. In its order on November 4, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said: “The competent authority in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has approved to designate NDDB as implementing agency under the scheme of formation and promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to form and promote FPOs, primarily fodder centric, and animal husbandry activities as a secondary activity (fodder ...
Paddy in India
‘Surface seeding of wheat’ PAU answer to manage paddy stubbleedit
The Tribune – Online
To address the issue of management of paddy stubble, Punjab Agricultural University has come up with a low-cost and environment-friendly technique “surface seeding of wheat” in which paddy harvesting and wheat sowing gets done simultaneously. An attachment has been fitted with a combine harvester, which uniformly broadcasts wheat seed and basal fertiliser, during paddy harvesting. It’s followed by a single operation of cutter-cum-spreader and application of irrigation. For sowing, 45 kg of wheat seed and 65-kg DAP fertiliser can be used in one acre of land. If the combine harvester with seeding attachment is not available, seed and fertiliser could be broadcast manually, after harvesting of paddy. The new technique does not require costly machines ...
Stubble Burning
11 farm fires in 24 hoursedit
The Tribune – Online
With the harvesting of paddy heading towards completion, the number of daily stubble-burning cases is also coming down across the state. Haryana recorded 11 fresh cases of stubble-burning over the past 24 hours. With these cases, the count of the state has reached to 2,624. Last year, the number of farm fires was 4,536 till November 8. With 613 cases, Kaithal district is leading the tally, while Fatehabad is second with 536 cases, followed by Jind (303), Kaithal (289), Karnal (271), Ambala (205), Yamunanagar (132), Sirsa (118), Hisar (51), Palwal (44), Panipat (32), Sonepat (24), Rohtak (3), Jhajjar (1), Bhiwani (1) and Faridabad (1).
Layer of haze shrouds Delhi as air quality deterioratesedit
India Today – Online
A layer of smog covered Delhi and people continued to gasp for fresh air as its air quality deteriorated on Wednesday. The national capital’s overall AQI worsened from 321 on Tuesday to 339 on Wednesday, according to the latest data from System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). The air quality is expected to become worse over the next few hours due to unfavourable meteorological conditions. Helpful wind speed,15 to 20 kmph, is predicted to bring a considerable improvement from November 11. The overall AQI worsened in other parts of Delhi-NCR, too. Noida’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is at 371 (very poor category) and Gurugram is at 338 (very poor category). An ...
Farmers cite lack of options as stubble burning turns air toxic in northern Indiaedit
The Print – Online
Smoke billows out of the fields in India’s Punjab state as several thousand acres of crop stubble are set on fire, wrapping surrounding areas in a thick, grey blanket. The national capital Delhi and surrounding areas are enveloped in a layer of smog each winter as cold, heavy air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from the crop stubble burning in the states of Punjab and Haryana. Raging farm fires in these states have become a common sight as farmers burn crop waste to clear their fields after a harvest and prepare for the next sowing. Typically, the harvesting of summer-sown crops starts in October and sowing for the winter crop is carried out ...