Dainik Jagran – Online

कृषि मंत्रालय के मुताबिक रबी सीजन की फसलों की बोआई करीब-करीब खत्म होने वाली है। बोआई के आंकड़ों पर गौर करें तो 30 दिसंबर तक गेहूं की बोआई का रकबा साल भर पहले की तुलना में 3.59 प्रतिशत बढ़कर 325.10 लाख हेक्टेयर हो गया है। जबकि पिछले वर्ष इसी अवधि में 313.81 लाख हेक्टेयर बोआई की गई थी। गेहूं बोआई में उत्तर प्रदेश अव्वल मक्का, ज्वार, चना और सरसों अन्य प्रमुख रबी फसलें हैं और इनकी कटाई अगले साल मार्च-अप्रैल में शुरू होगी। राज्यवार गेहूं बोआई के आंकड़ों पर गौर करें तो उत्तर प्रदेश (3.59 लाख हेक्टेयर), राजस्थान (2.52 लाख हेक्टेयर), महाराष्ट्र (1.89 लाख हेक्टेयर), गुजरात (1.10 लाख हेक्टेयर), बिहार (0.87 लाख हेक्टेयर), मध्य प्रदेश ...

Business World – Online

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that 19 per cent of our agriculture finance is done through cooperative societies. 35 per cent of fertiliser distribution, 30 per cent fertiliser production, 40 per cent of sugar production, 13 per cent of procurement of wheat and 20 per cent of paddy procurement is done by cooperatives only. While addressing the Cooperative Beneficiaries Conference in Bengaluru Shah said, “Out of 30 lakh cooperatives in the whole world, 9 lakh cooperatives are in India only. About 91 per cent of India’s population is linked to a cooperative in one way or another, with cooperatives covering 70 per cent of the country’s farmers through PACS.” He ...

The Hindu BusinessLine – Online

Exports of major agriculture and processed products, promoted by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), have jumped by 15.68 per cent to $17.43 billion during April-November of current fiscal from $15.07 billion year-ago. Exceeding the target, APEDA products had registered record $24.76 billion in FY22, still the target for current fiscal has been set at $23.56 billion.

Mint – Online

India’s agricultural and processed food products exports rose by 16 per cent in the first eight months (April-November) of the current financial year 2022-23 on a yearly basis. The agricultural exports has managed to attain 74 per cent of its annual export target, latest data released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry showed. An export target of $23.56 billion has been fixed for the agricultural and processed food products basket for the year 2022-23. According to the provisional data, the overall export of agricultural and processed food products increased to $17.43 billion from $15.07 billion over the same period of the last fiscal.

Business World – Online

In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the priority of his government is to double the income of farmers by 2022. Apart from Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah 2021 also mentioned that the three central agriculture legislation would guarantee significant increases in the income of farmers. However, later on, the Centre withdrew all three laws after a massive protest against the controversial laws. Now, after five years, the income of farmers has only “marginally increased,” far from “doubling.” Akhilesh Jain, Co-founder, Agrotech India said, “There is unawareness among farmers of government schemes launched in the favour of farmers such as PMFBY, PM Krishi Sichai Yojna, PM Krishi Vikas Yojna, Soil Health Card etc.” ...

The Print – Online

Sugarcane farmers in Haryana Thursday held protests over the support prices announced by the state government and threatened to hold a mass agitation in the form of a Kisan Mahapanchanyat in Karnal on 10 January if their demand for a hike wasn’t met. The Haryana government had announced the state approved price (SAP) of sugarcane as Rs 362 and Rs 355 for the early and late varieties of the crop respectively, unchanged from the 2021-22 season. Amid rumblings of discontent about the prices from farmers’ unions as well as the Opposition, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on the concluding day of the state assembly’s winter session Wednesday, announced that an expert committee would be ...

The Times of India – Online

The Girdhan Mahila Utpadak (Producer) Company in Jharkhand onboarded Ms Neelima Muramu as a board member and treasury in-charge. Kiran Devi proved her business acumen and diversified her income source by venturing into value-added products when others around her stuck to the old way of doing business. Both Neelima and Kiran broke the proverbial glass ceiling in a sector that discriminates against women. But Neelima is no MBA, and Kiran has not had much schooling. Both these women are farmers who turned their lives around after they became part of the organization, a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO). FPOs are a body of farmers/producers who come together as shareholders to pursue business activity (production/marketing) ...

The Print – Online

After two years of disruptions due to Covid and other headwinds, India’s economy has been on the path of recovery this financial year, government data shows — but only some sectors have exceeded their pre-pandemic performance levels, with agriculture doing particularly well. Overall, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or the monetary value of goods and services produced, was 5.6 per cent higher in the first half of 2022 (April-September) than in the comparable pre-pandemic period in 2019, shows National Accounts Statistics (NAS) data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). However, a closer analysis of the data for gross value addition (the amount of economic activity) shows that not all sectors of the ...

Down To Earth – Online

The year 2022 was not kind to the agricultural sector. Many states reported drought conditions and untimely incessant rainfall destroyed standing crops in several areas. Skyrocketing fodder prices and lumpy skin disease didn’t make it easier for cattle farmers. The agricultural sector was the only one to record growth during the COVID-19 pandemic and the central government told the Parliament that farmers’ income doubled since 2016. But an agricultural labourer died by suicide every two hours in 2021 and young women in Marathwada villages are refusing to marry farmers.

The Economic Times – Online

The astounding progress in wheat and rabi rice sowing is insisting on the hope that it will offset the dent in total food grain production. As India’s kharif foodgrain production is estimated to drop by 6.2% year-on-year to 146.39 MMT mainly due to a fall in rice production. India’s rice production for the crop year 2022-23 declined by 11.12% year-on-year to 99.33 MMT from the previous year production of 111.76 MMT. Poor dispersion of monsoon rains in North and East India resulted in persistent dryness which impacted the acreages and yield negatively.

The Indian Express – Online

With Punjab giving thrust to Rabi crops like oilseeds, the state has recorded around 36,000 hectares (ha) less area of wheat cultivation during this season. According to field reports collected by the Punjab agriculture department, the state has recorded around 34.90 lakh hectare area under wheat crop this year compared to 35.26 lakh hectares last year. This year, the state targeted to divert around 75,000 hectares of land from wheat to oilseeds out of which nearly 48 per cent target could be achieved, officials said. Among the districts which have reduced the maximum area of wheat cultivation is Hoshiarpur district, (around 10,000 ha less area), followed by Fazilka (7,000 ha less area), and Mohali ...

Business Standard – Online

For wildlife conservation in India, 2022 will be the year of the Cheetah. In September 2022, eight African cheetahs were translocated to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, in the hope of reviving this species, extinct in the country for nearly 70 years, and for conservation of grassland ecosystems. Though this project got attention, and money, there are several species of birds, mammals and reptiles indigenous to India, threatened due to illegal hunting, habitat fragmentation, diseases etc., whose conservation requires a greater push in 2023, experts say. “Irrespective of the cheetah project, the other threatened species have to be undoubtedly given attention,” said Kedar Gore, director of The Corbett Foundation, a non-governmental organisation working for wildlife ...

The Print – Online

The government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution for declaring the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets and the proposal of India was supported by 72 countries. UNGA declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets in March 2021. India pushed for recognising the importance of millet and creating a domestic and global demand along with providing nutritious food to the community. Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare on Monday put out a detailed explainer about millets, its benefits, history, and India’s policy intervention and initiatives to promote such nutrition-rich cereals.

The Financial Express – Online

India’s export of agriculture and allied commodities rose by 11% in dollar term to $ 30.21 billion during the April-October period of the current fiscal year compared to the same period in 2021-22, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. Agri-exports had risen by 20% to $ 50.24 billion in the previous fiscal. Wheat, basmati rice, raw cotton, castor oil, coffee, and fresh fruits are the major commodities exported. According to provisional data by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, the value of Basmati rice exports rose by more than 37% in the first seven months of the current fiscal to $ 2.5 billion.

The Print – Online

While there could be differences on how to address the issues pertaining to agriculture as a sector and livelihood, the problems are well identified. One need not reiterate the issues of fragmentation of land holdings, unremunerative prices, ecological issues — particularly water table depletion, erosion in the quality of soil, monocropping and resource intensive industrial farming carried out in some geographies. These are accepted problems irrespective of an ideological divide without much debate. However, when it comes to addressing these problems, the jury seems to be divided on two sharply distinct ideological lines.

Business Standard – Online

The Centre seems to have made a smart move to not only limit its food subsidy outgo, which was going out of hand due to unabated extensions of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) but also saved a good chunk of wheat for effective intervention in the open market. This is through its latest decision to make PDS totally free but end extra allocations under PMGKAY, said experts. This is aside from the huge political significance ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2024 because ration in India has seldom been given free nationally except in case of emergencies such as the Covid pandemic. The move will also take a big selling point from states, ...

The Indian Express – Online

WITH AN aim to make augment the supply of irrigation water for Rabi crops this year in the water-starved Saurashtra region, the Gujarat government on Friday decided to pump 15420 million cubic feet (mcft) of Narmada waters to various dams and check-dams of Saurashtra through the extensive pipeline network of Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana. In an official release, Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel said that the state government is making concerted efforts to make irrigation water available to farmers and that as part of it, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has decided to fill dams of Saurashtra region with Narmada waters through SAUNI Yojana.

The Print – Online

Farmers in India have sown rabi crops across 620.62 lakh hectares as of Friday, an increase of 4.4 per cent year-on-year from the previous cropping season, Union farm ministry data showed. During the same period last year, the total acreage was 594.62 lakh hectares. The increase in crop area is across all crops with the highest in wheat. Out of the 25.99 lakh hectares increase in all rabi crops, the increase in wheat area is 9.65 lakh hectares from 302.61 to 312.26 lakh hectares. Though the sowing of rabi crops is still under progress, the area brought under wheat this year (312.26) till 23-12-2022 is more than the normal rabi sown area (304.47) and the ...

The Statesman – Online

UP Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, said on Friday that the state needs to double the growth in the field of agriculture to become the engine of the country’s largest economy. The Chief Minister said it as he was addressing the Kisan Samman Diwas-2022 after inaugurating the exhibition of products of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in Lucknow. He said Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched a number of programmes as soon as he came to power in 2014, in an effort to fulfill Chaudhary Saheb’s dream, and transform the lives of the “Annadata” farmers, and double their income. The Chief Minister said that PM Modi’s leadership, the Farmers Crop Insurance Scheme, was launched for the first time ...

Business World – Online

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that the government has put together a record purchase of Rs 2.75 lakh crore on Minimum Selling Price (MSP) in 2021-22. Tomar shared this information on Thursday. The minister said that the 339.88 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) paddy has been procured at MSP during Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2022-23 up to 4 December 2022, for Rs 70,000 crore, profiting 30 lakh farmers. It can be mentioned that while paddy procurement in Kharif was 475 LMT in 2013, this has increased to 759 LMT in 2021-22. There has been a boost of 132 per cent in the procurement price in eight years, Tomar mentioned. ...

Siasat – Online

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) stated that Telangana’s innovative policies adopted by the state government towards the development of the agricultural sector paved the way to the golden era in the welfare of the farmers in the country. The CM was speaking on the occassion of “National Farmers Day” (Kisan Divas) where he greeted the farmers of the Telangana and the country. The Chief Minister said that the there is a big variation in the condition of farmers welfare and the agriculture in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh and in the Telangana State. CM KCR said that the programmes implemented by the Telangana government with the aim of improving the living standards of the ...

Down To Earth – Online

Agriculture has not been a top priority for many countries when they look at climate change adaptation. For the first time this year, the topic of food systems and agriculture was extensively discussed at the annual conference of parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and made it to the main agenda. It was also the first time the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had an agriculture and food systems pavilion, where the linkages between climate change and agriculture were discussed. Down To Earth spoke to Zitouni Ould-Dada, deputy director of FAO’s climate and environment division, on what was achieved at the 27th COP (COP27) held in November this year ...

The New Indian Express – Online

The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) authorities are working to establish 35,000 self employment industrial units in the district. As part of their action plan, the authorities established around 10,000 units of livestock related businesses including backyard poultry, dairy and cattle farms. The authorities are focusing on establishing ‘Jagananna Cheyutha Mahila Marts’ by self-help groups with women members across the district. As part of the plan, the DRDA made elaborate arrangements to kick start about 6,000 high-end enterprises under the employment generation programme in relation to the farming and non-farming sector units, including various seasonal vegetables and fruit processing units, local familiar artifact industries, eateries, food processing units at various places of the ...

Telangana Today – Online

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has pegged a credit potential of Rs 1,85,327 crore for priority sector lending in Telangana for 2023-24. Of this, the potential estimate for agriculture is Rs 1,12,763 crore comprising short-term crop loan component of Rs 73,437 crore and agriculture and allied term credit of Rs 39,326 crore. The assessment of credit potential for MSME and other priority sectors is Rs 54,672 crore and Rs 17,892 crore, respectively. Finance Minister T Harish Rao released the State Focus Paper of Telangana giving an assessment of the potential for lending by banks to various activities under the priority sector ...

The Economic Times – Online

Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja on Thursday said there is a bright prospect of wheat crop in key growing states as the current temperature remains conducive for plant growth and higher yield. Till last week, there was a 3 per cent increase in wheat acreage at 286.5 lakh hectares in the ongoing rabi season that began in October, according to the agriculture ministry’s data. “Wheat crop prospect is bright. The current weather remains conducive for the plant growth and better yields,” Ahuja told PTI on the sidelines of a millet luncheon organised by the Union Agriculture Minister at his residence ahead of the 2023 International Year of Millets.

The New Indian Express – Online

The 11th agriculture census began in Ernakulam district on Thursday. The census is being conducted under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. According to District Collector Renu Raj, the public and officials need to cooperate to collect accurate information during the census. The collector also flagged off the proclamation rally held as a part of promoting the census. She said the agriculture census plays an important role in formulating future activities and projects in the farming sector. “However, it is seen that when the officials arrive to collect details, people show reluctance to provide the necessary information. To avoid such a situation, it important to make the public aware ...

Business World – Online

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday said that the government has made a record purchase of Rs 2.75 lakh crore on MSP in 2021-22. He informed that the 339.88 LMT paddy (227.82 LMT in case of rice) has been procured at MSP during Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2022-23 up to 4 December 2022 at a cost of Rs 70,000 crore, benefitting 30 lakh farmers. While paddy procurement in Kharif was 475 LMT in 2013-14, this has increased to 759 LMT in 2021-22 (an increase of 60 per cent). There has been an increase of 132 per cent in the procurement price in eight years (now the total value is ...

The Financial Express – Online

Capital markets regulator Sebi has extended the suspension of futures and options trading in seven agricultural commodities, including wheat and moong, for one more year till December 2023 in a bid to rein in prices. The other agricultural commodities suspended by Sebi are — paddy (non-basmati), chana, crude palm oil, mustard seeds and their derivatives and soya bean and its derivatives. “The suspension of trading in the above contracts has been extended for one more year beyond December 20, 2022, i.e. till December 20, 2023,” Sebi said in a statement on Wednesday. The suspension permits squaring up of existing positions in these commodities, but no fresh futures trading is permitted in them for a ...

Business Standard – Online

Acquisition of land in their villages, for setting up a greenfield airport at Parandur, would lead to ‘destruction’ of agriculture and eliminate the region’s ‘self-reliant’ economy, farmers opposing the project in their backyard said in a representation to the Tamil Nadu government. The project area covers ‘bird migration routes’ and it is closer to INS Rajali Naval Air Station and hence not suitable for airport, they said. The flow of water of a natural water channel, that carries surplus flood waters to Kosasthalai river, would be prevented leading to inundation of 30 surrounding villages and ‘incalculable farm and economic losses’ considering flooding. The project would lead to complete displacement of people in five villages, including ...

The Indian Express – Online

Ginners, who separate lint (white fibre) and seed from raw cotton, in Punjab have been facing a serious threat to their businesses since the area under cotton crop started decreasing in the state. This cotton season, their business reached a new low as currently, only 7-8 ginning units of are functional of a total of nearly 80 units across the cotton belt in Punjab. For every quintal (100 kg) of kapas or unginned cotton, the recovery of lint is 33-36 kg and 63-66 kg of seed. The seed, in turn, is crushed to produce oil and de-oiled cake. Cottonseed oil is used in ...

Business Standard – Online

Fodder prices have increased by 28 pc in November compared to the same month last year, the government said on Tuesday. “Wholesale price index (WPI) data released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry, showed that the index value for fodder has recorded at 225.7 in November 2022, registering an increase of 27.66 per cent over the same month last year (176.8),” Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. “As such, no severe hardships to rural families whose livelihood are dependent on livestock have been reported by the States, although there is increase in the price of fodder,” he added.

The Economic Times – Online

Wheat prices in the benchmark Delhi market touched a record high level of Rs 2915/quintal in the opening trade today morning as stock position is becoming tight. Wheat prices had declined by close to 1% within a day in the previous week on rumours that the government may sell wheat in the open market. Millers had stopped buying, anticipating government announcement, which did not bring them back in the market to buy wheat. This has lifted the wheat prices this week. Wheat millers and traders expect the wheat prices to soon touch the psychological benchmark of Rs 3000/quintal.

The Economic Times – Online

The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) has become the world’s number one crop insurance scheme in terms of farmer applications enrolled, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed Parliament on Tuesday. The PMFBY is also the world’s third-largest crop insurance scheme in terms of gross premium, Tomar said in his written reply to the Lok Sabha. Launched in 2016, the PMFBY provides for comprehensive risk insurance against crop damage due to non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest for the crops/areas notified by the concerned state government.

The New Indian Express – Online

AIADMK Virudhunagar Secretary East RK Ravichandran submitted a petition to the district collector on Monday seeking immediate disbursal of compensation to farmers from Sattur, Tiruchuli, and Arupukottai, whose crops got damaged owing to rains, wild boar attacks, and pest attacks. Sources said wild boars had destroyed vast expanses of maize and cotton crops grown in Vembakottai and Sattur areas. “These animals also raze to the ground chillies, lady’s finger, and paddy crops in areas, including Kariyapatti, Narikudi, and Tiruchuli. Considering the huge loss suffered by farmers, officials from the revenue and agriculture departments must inspect the farmlands and provide compensation at the earliest,” they added.

India Today – Online

The Union government’s green signal for genetically modified (GM) herbicide tolerant (HT) mustard, Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11), buttressed by its statements in Parliament and the Supreme Court, points to a significant shift in official policy concerning GM crops. Going beyond considering it to be safe for food and feed use, the government is now advocating that GM technology is vital for India’s food security and reducing imports. The paradigm shift is an endorsement of the argument that genetic engineering is essential to meet the growing demand for farm products, boost farmers’ incomes by reducing production costs, and face the challenges posed by pests, diseases and climate change.

TechCircle – Online

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has intensified the food crisis in countries in the Middle East and the North Africa. Lebanon, Egypt, Oman, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Tunisia, Iran, Jordan and Morocco are witnessing high hunger levels. According to UNICEF, at least 61 million children lack access to enough food to meet minimum food needs. To address this, the four-nation group ‘I2U2’ (India-Israel-UAE-US) has taken the decision to develop integrated food parks across India. The cooperation aims to increase crop yield through superior-quality seeds and advanced agri-tech facilities.

The Financial Express – Online

The farmers’ income on an average may increase by around 70% nationally in seven years through June 2023, falling short of the target of doubling their income during the period, even though some states including Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh may achieve the goal fully. “At the national level, one of the reasons for not achieving the target will be the non-implementation of farm reforms such as model Agriculture Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, Livestock Marketing Act and Land Leasing Act,” Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand told FE. Due to prolonged protests, the Centre also had to roll back three new Central government acts for farm sector reforms.

Mint – Online

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is scheduled to host a “millet-only” lunch for all the members of Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday on the Parliament premises. The special “millet-only” lunch is being initiated by Narendra Tomar to mark the “Millet Year”, a special initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi will attend the “millet-only” lunch. According to a report, special chefs have been brought in from Karnataka to make ragi Idlis and dosas. To promote millet-eating culture in India, ragi and jawar-made rotis will be served to the MPs. Other food items include bajra and jawar khichdi, and bajra kheer will also be served.

The New Indian Express – Online

As irrigation woes continue to be one of the most frequented issues concerning the farmers of Ramanathapuram, farmers from several parts of the district have petitioned the district administration at a grievance meeting on Friday to put an end to the issue by providing water for irrigation. With Samba paddy crops in its maturing stage, farmers from RS Mangalam, Thiruvadanai, Kadaladi, Kamuthi and Mudukulathur arrived at the grievance meeting with wilted paddy saplings to address the issue. “Due to the lack of irrigation, the samba paddy crops have been wilting, adding to our woes. We have been facing difficulties since the district witness lesser rainfall during the monsoon than what was predicted,” they ...

Krishi Jagran – Online

IRRI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) during the workshop along with a Letter of Intent to collaborate with the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Instrument Standardization (IAAIS) of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia. Furthermore, IRRI also signed a ‘Letter of Agreement’ with Viamo, the country’s leading telecom service provider, to implement its Rice Crop Manager (RCM) Project. The RCM Project will create and disseminate a digital agriculture platform that will provide science-based information to help rice production become more efficient.

Hindustan Times – Online

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday hit out at previous state governments over corruption and discrimination in recruitments, alleging that these twin factors had made youngsters distrust the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) in the past regime. He made the remarks at a programme at Lok Bhavan where he distributed appointment letters to 431 candidates recruited by UPPSC for the state agriculture department under the Uttar Pradesh government’s “Mission Rozgar”. Congratulating the newly recruited candidates, Yogi Adityanath said, “Knowledge of the candidates will benefit the farmers of the state.” “Uttar Pradesh has enough potential to feed not only the entire country, but also the world. If the state’s agricultural capacity is improved with concerted ...

Business Standard – Online

The wheat stock in the central pool reached its lowest level in the past six years as on December 1, 2022, while prices touched a record high of nearly Rs 2,900 a quintal in North Indian markets even as sowing continued at a brisk pace, raising hopes of a good harvest if weather remains favourable in the coming months. According to the latest data from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the stock was at 19.02 million tonnes, which was the lowest since December 2016, when it was at 16.5 million tonnes. It is, however, 38 per cent more than the January 1 buffer requirement of 13.8 million tonnes, which the government needs to maintain ...

Krishi Jagran – Online

According to an official press release, Union Agricultural Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh formally released the data products and services of the RISAT-1A satellite for the user community on Tuesday. An MoU was signed between the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Department of Space to develop the Krishi-Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS) using geospatial technologies and related databases to improve the evidence-based decision-making capability of all stakeholders in the agriculture sector, according to an official press release. “A new dimension is being added in the field of agriculture,” Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on occasion.

Mint – Online

The National Statistical Office (NSO) released estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter of this fiscal year on 30 November. Based on these, India’s GDP in the July-September quarter increased by 6.3% compared to last year, whereas the gross value added (GVA) during the same period increased by 5.6%; the manufacturing sector witnessed a contraction of 4.3%. This is disappointing, given that most analysts predict a downward revision of these estimates for the full fiscal year. Their expectation isn’t unfounded. Estimates of the index of industrial production (IIP) for October showed a contraction of 4% compared to last year, with manufacturing contracting by 5.6%. For the half year of April-September, manufacturing growth was ...

Mint – Online

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Department of Space signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop the Krishi-Decision Support System (Krishi-DSS) using geospatial technologies and related databases for enhancing evidence-based decision making capability of all the stakeholders in the agriculture sector. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is developing Krishi-DSS, a decision support system, on the lines of Gati Shakti, using RISAT-1A and VEDAS of Department of Space. This will enhance the evidence-based decision-making capability of all the stakeholders in the agriculture sector by way of integration with MOSDAC and BHUVAN (Geo-platform) of ISRO and systems of ICAR.

Krishi Jagran – Online

Tenders issued on December 6 and 12 will expire on December 21 and 17, respectively. Bangladesh approached India after a Dhaka delegation, including the Food Secretary and Director-General of the Food Directorate, scouted supplies in Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia last month. Bangladesh has turned to India because it has been unable to find parboiled rice at a competitive price in these three countries. According to the sources, one of the four agencies (NAFED, NCCF, Kendriya Bhandar, and Kribhco Agri) could be shipping rice to Bangladesh on a G2G basis.

Business Standard – Online

The federal government on Monday announced another $325 million for agricultural projects that are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The latest list of 71 recipients for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Climate-Smart Commodities programme primarily involve small and underserved farmers and ranchers. The payments follow $2.8 billion awarded in September to 70 projects, mostly larger-scale efforts backed by universities, businesses and agricultural groups. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the latest round of funding at Tuskegee University, a historically Black college in Alabama, saying it’s vital that small operations benefit from the programme.

Business World – Online

Under the District as Export Hub (DEH) initiative, products including agricultural products with export potential have been identified in all 733 districts across the country. The government introduced a comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy in 2018 to diversify export baskets and destinations and boost high-value and value-added agricultural exports including a focus on perishables. Country and product-specific action plans have also been formulated to promote exports. The Government is also in the process to utilise the proposed District as Export Hub Initiative to achieve the objectives of the Agriculture Export Policy. Under the DEH initiative, products including agricultural products with export potential have been identified in all 733 districts across the country. State Export Strategy has ...

Business Standard – Online

The area under wheat jumped 25 per cent during the week ended December 9 compared to the same period last year. This comes as farmers brought more area under the crop in anticipation of better returns. Record high prices and hope that markets will remain favourable for wheat in the next few months due to dwindling stocks in government granaries and with private traders boosted sentiment, traders said. According to the latest data from the agriculture ministry, till Friday, wheat has been sown in around 25.57 million hectares. During the same period last year, it was 20.39 million hectares. In total, wheat is usually sown in around 30-31 million hectares of land. However, below par ...

The Financial Express – Online

The government should look at mechanisms similar to the GST Council for agriculture, the social sector and the digital economy to foster consensus in national policy-making with states and harness the potential in these sectors, 15th Finance Commission chairman N K Singh said. “About 45% of the population is still dependent on agriculture even though agriculture contributes only 14% of India’s GDP. So, I think that the philosophy of the good working of the GST Council, with some changes, can be replicated in other segments of the economy, particularly in agriculture,” Singh said at the CII Global Economic Policy Summit here.

The Economic Times – Online

There is a direct correlation between why north India becomes a gas chamber every winter and the scheme of paddy and wheat procurement under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime. The MSP is the oxygen that sustains an environmentally hazardous and illogical cropping pattern of wheat and paddy in Punjab, Haryana and western UP. It is common knowledge that if the winter stubble burning were to stop, the air quality will improve. But the knee-jerk and sporadic efforts of state governments-such as a ban on construction, on movement of diesel vehicles, and odd-even traffic regulations-though well intentioned, do not represent a permanent solution. Efforts in Punjab to provide a cash subsidy of ‘2,500 per ...

Mint – Online

A unique FinTech and AgriTech startup company, Growpital has put Rajasthan’s small TaraTara Math Village of Barmer on the national front by bagging a unique farming project. Growpital has bagged in the potato production contract, giving employment opportunities to farmers of this village across 25 acres of land from McCain Foods India. Barmer district lies in the Thar desert on the border with Pakistan. Dry weather and lack of groundwater for centuries had left no choice for the region but to cultivate limited crops such as bajra, chana, cumin, etc. In recent years, Barmer has started shaping lush fields of vegetables or orchards of fruits due to innovations in agriculture science and farmers’ hard work.

The New Indian Express – Online

The agricultural engineering department, in the month of October, handed out as many as 31 tractors to Tiruchy, which is the district’s share of the total of 185 tractors allotted to the delta districts by the state government. The high inrush of tractors spelled relief to farmers who were left a worried lot over a lack of equipment. Six of the tractors received have already been put into use, sources said. Until the previous year, the farmers of the 14 blocks in Tiruchy ploughed the fields with the 11 tractors available under the tractor hiring scheme. However, the farmers now anticipate ease of work as each of the blocks have been allotted three ...

The Economic Times – Online

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday said the agriculture sector remains resilient, and the rabi sowing has got off to a strong start. However, India is expecting some moderation in kharif production due to uneven rainfall. India’s total kharif crop production is estimated to moderate to 149.92 metric million tonnes (MMT) from 156.04 MMT in the previous kharif crop year, as per the first advance estimate. On the supply side, Das said, “The agricultural sector remains resilient. Rabi sowing got off to a strong start. The area sown so far is 6.8 per cent higher than the normal sown area (as on December 2, 2022)”.

News Click – Online

The marginal workers in Tamil Nadu are frequently taking to the streets on a variety of demands, including opposition to forceful land acquisition, Minimum Support Price (MSP) and payment of dues for sugarcane supplied to mills. The farmers in Annur and Mettupalayam blocks in the Coimbatore district have been protesting for more than one year against the proposed industrial park by the Tamil Nadu Industries Development Corporation (TIDCO). Another section of farmers in Kumbakonam in the delta region, the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu is demanding a hike in MSP for paddy and sugarcane. They refer to the MSPs provided in Chhattisgarh and demand the implementation by the government of Tamil Nadu. The misery of ...

India Today – Online

Substantive conversations on key global issues of inclusive growth, multilateralism, and women-led development, as well as 3Fs (Food, Fuel, and Fertilizer), tourism, and culture, were the highlights of the third day of the first Sherpa Meeting of India’s G20 Presidency, being held in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Tuesday marked the conclusion of all five substantive sessions of the Sherpa meeting in Udaipur. Initiating the discussions, Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa provided an overview of India’s G20 priorities on the above subjects, across six different working groups on agriculture, trade and investment, employment, anti-corruption, tourism, and culture, as well as ways to strengthen cooperative efforts therein.

The Economic Times – Online

India will steer the celebration of International Millet Year 2023 and organise campaigns to promote the cultivation and consumption of nutri-cereals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. The Prime Minister’s message was conveyed at the opening ceremony for the International Year of Millets (IYM) – 2023 organised by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, Italy, according to an official statement. An Indian delegation led by Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Agriculture, was present at the opening ceremony. During the event, India’s ceremonial message by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conveyed by Shobha Karandlaje.

Hindustan Times – Online

A global surge in the demand for Basmati has caused the prices of the aromatic and long-grained variety of rice to increase in both the international and domestic market, raising exporters’ hopes of harvesting a bumper profit after five years. As much as 21.57 lakh tonne of Basmati was shipped between April and September against 19.45 lakh tonne in the corresponding period last year. As per the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the price of Basmati rice touched 1,057 USD ( ₹86,050) per tonne in September from 1,019 USD ( ₹82,956) per tonne in May in this fiscal against 853 USD ( ₹69,442) per tonne in September in the last financial ...

The Financial Express – Online

Favourable weather conditions, availability of water and higher prices of wheat and other commodities have translated into almost 70 % higher sowing in Gujarat for the current winter (rabi) season compared to previous 2021-22 season by the end of November. As per the latest data of the state agriculture department compared to previous year’s sowing of 1.5 million hectare by the end of November, already acreage across crops has crossed 2.5 million hectare for the rabi season 2022-23. “Generally, winter sowing starts in Gujarat from the last week of October and continues till the first week of January. Higher prices of cereals including that of wheat and availability of water have encouraged farmers to ...

Mint – Online

India is working on developing the “world’s largest grain storage” programme by merging various schemes of the Union ministries of agriculture and farmers welfare; consumer affairs, food and public distribution; and food processing, two people aware of the development said. The proposal, which has been circulated among the Union ministries and departments for consultations, comes amid rising global food prices in the wake of disruptions caused by the war in Europe and the covid-19 pandemic. Nations are increasingly worried about their food security after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted the world’s foodgrain supply, sending prices to record levels.

The Indian Express – Online

By the end of November 2022, the sowing of crops during the Rabi season has seen a sharp increase of 24 per cent. The area under sowing increased to 36.20 lakh hectares from 29.16 lakh hectares during the same period last year. With two more months left for sowing, the sowing acreage covered under rabi crops is likely to cross 52 lakh hectares, sources in the agriculture department said. After initial hurdles due to erratic rainfall sowing activity have picked up since mid-November, said sources. A preliminary report based on data till November-end shows that the farmers are increasingly opting for pulses and oilseeds instead of conventional food grains and cereals for better dividends ...

The New Indian Express – Online

Farmers across Karnataka will be the first in India to be able to access procurement and distribution processes in a completely paperless and transparent manner, which will be mandatory from April 1, 2023. The state’s agriculture department will take its first step toward that from January 1, 2023, when it will be the first agricultural department in the country to go paperless. According to a government order dated November 24, 2022, before December 31, 2022, four districts of Shivamogga, Vijayapura, Chitradurga and Mysuru will have this facility, and from January 1, it will be launched in all 31 districts on a pilot basis.

Mint – Online

India’s northeast region has witnessed more than 85% growth in the export of agricultural products over the last six years, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said on Friday. “Export has reached to $17.2 million in 2021-22 from $2.52 million in 2016-17. The major destinations of export has been Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Middle East, the UK, and Europe,” it added. There has been a significant increase in export of agricultural produce from northeastern states of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya. To provide potential market linkages, the Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) has been organising field visits of importers to provide them with first hand information on qualitative cultivation ...

Mint – Online

Investment in technology startups in the agriculture and food sector jumped over twofold to $4.6 billion during the last fiscal on the back of higher inflow in restaurant marketplace and e-grocery, according to a report by AgFunder and Omnivore. “Total investment in agrifoodtech startups for India’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 stood at $4.6 billion, up 119% from FY2021. Deal volume also increased to 234 in FY2022 as compared to 189 deals in FY2021,” according to the report titled ‘India AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2022’. AgFunder is foodtech and agtech venture capital firm, while Omnivore is a venture capital firm, based in India, which funds entrepreneurs building the future of agriculture and food systems.

The Indian Express – Online

The National Statistical Office (NSO) has estimated agricultural growth for July-September 2022 at 4.6 per cent year-on-year against the economy’s other two production sectors, manufacturing and mining & quarrying, which contracted 4.3 per cent and 2.8 per cent, respectively, during the same quarter compared with July-September 2021. What is interesting about the 4.6 per cent farm sector growth — the highest in 10 quarters since the 8 per cent growth in January-March 2020 — is that it comes despite the Union Agriculture Ministry pegging production of most kharif crops lower compared with the previous year. Sowing and raising of kharif crops takes place mainly during July-September; the production of these is used by the ...

PIB – Online

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that today educated youth are getting attracted towards Agriculture sector and the government is continuously encouraging them through various schemes and programmes to join the Agriculture sector. Shri Tomar said this as the chief guest at the 2nd Sustainable Agriculture Summit & Awards organized by FICCI in New Delhi today. Emphasizing on adopting a holistic approach in the Indian agriculture sector, Shri Tomar said that there is a need to have a balanced-holistic approach in the agriculture sector, which will lead to more rapid development of agriculture. Shri Tomar said that in the agriculture sector, instead of focusing on only a few crops, we should ...