Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
India’s Agriculture Sector Grows By 4.6% Over Last Six Yearsedit
Business Standard – Online
India’s agriculture sector has been witnessing robust growth with an average annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent over the last six years. This has enabled agriculture and allied activities sector to contribute significantly towards country’s overall growth, development and food security, says the Economic Survey 2022-23. Further in recent years the country has emerged as the net exporter of agricultural products, with exports in 2021-22 touching a record US $ 50.2 billion. The Government has been increasing the MSP for all 22 Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops with a margin of at least 50 per cent over the all-India weighted average cost of production since the agricultural year 2018-19, says the Survey.
Budget
Budget lacks roadmap on crop diversification, boosting farmers’ income: Punjab agri expertsedit
Hindustan Times – Online
The experts in the field of agriculture opined that the budget speech delivered by the union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday for the upcoming finance year starting from April 1, lacks assurance for increase in productivity and farmers’ income, and there is no definitive roadmap for diversification which are the key concerns of the agrarian society. Talking about the announcements such as digitization, use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), setting up centres of excellence to support agriculture, a road map for natural farming, encouraging cluster cropping pattern, increase in institutional farm credit, they say it would support agriculture in the long run, but it is “without a clearcut deadline”.
Budget 2023: FM Sitharaman announces plans to set up digital public infrastructure for agricultureedit
The Indian Express – Online
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Wednesday announced plans to set up a digital public infrastructure for agriculture as an “open source, open standard, and interoperable public good”. While delivering her Budget 2023-24 speech, Sitharaman said, “This will enable inclusive farmer-centric solutions through relevant information services, for crop planning and health, improved access to farm inputs, credit and insurance, help for crop estimation, market intelligence and support for the growth of agri-tech industry and startups”.
Budget 2023-24: Agriculture ignored, schemes for ensuring MSP-based procurement nearly ‘closed down’edit
Down To Earth – Online
The agriculture sector was expected to be on a high-priority list but it has been ignored in the Union Budget 2023-24, with even flagship government schemes receiving a lacklustre allocation. The overall allocation for the sector saw a marginal increase of 4.7 per cent – from Rs 11,02,54.53 crore in the Revised Estimates (RE) of financial year (FY) 2022-23 to Rs 11,55,31.79 crore in 2023-24. Including the department of agricultural research and education, the overall allocation to the sector was Rs 12,50,35.79 crore, against the 2022-23 revised estimates of Rs 11,89,13.42 crore.
Agri budget: Major boost to rural economy through enhanced farm incomeedit
The Economic Times – Online
In a major boost to the rural economy through enhanced farm income, the government will set up a large number of multipurpose cooperative societies, primary fishery societies and dairy cooperative societies in uncovered panchayats and villages in the next five years. The Budget announcement comes close on the heels of the Cabinet decision to set up three new cooperative societies to boost organic farming, seeds and exports to push up farm income. These cooperatives are expected to help realise the vision of “Sahakar Se Samriddhi” (prosperity through cooperatives).
Dairy Farming
Cooperative sector says next level of growth will be facilitated; rues ‘insufficient’ farm subsidiesedit
The Indian Express – Online
Cooperative sector leaders in Gujarat hailed the Union Budget 2023-24 on Wednesday, saying it will go a long way in realising the potential of the sector and facilitate next level of growth even as some said that subsidy to farmers was insufficient and that the government could have opted to reduce tax on agri-equipment and machinery. In the budget, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the target of disbursing credit to the agricultural sector is being increased to Rs 20 lakh crore with focus on animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries. The FM also allocated Rs 2,200 crore for Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme to make quality planting material available and an Agriculture Accelerator Fund to ...
Paddy in India
Worsening financial crisis, increasing expenditure gap may lead to blackouts during paddy season, power engineers warn Punjab government in letter to CMedit
The Times Of India – Online
Amid the worsening financial crises of the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) and the continuous rise of its expenditure gap, the power engineers have warned the Punjab government of power shortage or blackouts during upcoming paddy season that is being expected to be more challenging for the power sector. The engineers said that the power demand is expected to exceed 15000 MW during upcoming paddy season that turned challenging due to “costly indecisions” attributable only to the state government whereas with dwindling finances and no increase in power generation in the state sector, ordinary consumers will face power interruptions and blackouts if immediate corrective and timely actions are not taken by the ...