Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
WPI inflation cools to 22-month low of 4.95% in Dec as food prices falledit
Business Standard – Online
The wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation rate for December decelerated to a 22-month low at 4.95 per cent, on the back of a higher base and the easing of price pressure for food and manufactured products. In November 2022, wholesale price inflation stood at 5.85 per cent. In December 2021, it was at 14.27 per cent. The data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Monday showed food inflation — excludes manufactured food items — at minus 1.25 per cent contracted in December, from 1.07 per cent in November, as vegetable prices (minus 36 per cent) fell from their year-ago levels. However, the inflation rate for cereals, paddy, wheat, and pulses went up ...
Agri experts warn against GM Mustard introduction in Punjab: ‘University try to speak the language of govt’edit
The Indian Express – Online
Various stake holders in agriculture sector, including farm union leaders and agri experts Monday warned the Punjab government about fall outs of introducing Genetically Modified (GM) Mustard in the state and said there would be widespread agitation if this step was undertaken. The comments were made in heated discussions, which took place at a special seminar called by the Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on the issue to educate the MLAs of the Vidhan Sabha on the GM Mustard issue and its fallouts. Even as the agriculture experts and farm union leaders gave out dire warnings about the introduction of GM Mustard in Punjab and demanded that the experiment being done with GM ...
Budget
Budget: Indian Biogas Association seeks Rs 1,000-cr fund to promote fermented manure use in agricultureedit
The Economic Times – Online
Ahead of the budget, the Indian Biogas Association has requested the government to set a Rs 1,000-crore fund to promote the use of fermented organic manure (FOM) in agriculture. Biogas plants convert organic wastes such as crop waste, animal manure, municipal waste, vegetable waste, etc into clean biogas through anaerobic digestion to produce clean energy. In this process FOM is generated as a waste. As per the association, around 2,000 tonnes of FOM is generated in the country which can be used in agriculture. In its Budget recommendations, the industry body has said it recommends a Rs 1,000-crore fund to promote fermented organic manure.
Paddy in India
BJP seeks Vigilance probe into paddy purchaseedit
The New Indian Express – Online
BJP on Monday sought a Vigilance probe into irregularities in the ongoing paddy procurement in the state. A delegation of the state BJP Krushak Morcha submitted a memorandum to Vigilance director requesting for an investigation of officials at the paddy purchase centres. The delegation led by the morcha vice-president Hrushikesh Jena said that the mandi officials in nexus with rice millers are exploiting the farmers during purchase of paddy under price support system. Alleging that rice millers are ruling the roost in all mandis of the state, they said that farmers are getting the minimum support price of Rs 2,040 per quintal of paddy as announced by the government due to ‘katni chatni’ ...