Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Wheat prices fall over 10 pc in 7 days on selling of FCI wheat in open market: Governmentedit
The Economic Times – Online
The government on Friday said wheat prices have fallen more than 10 per cent in the past one week following its decision to sell the grain in open market to check rising prices. State-run Food Corporation of India has so far sold 9.2 lakh tonnes of wheat to bulk users at an average rate of Rs 2,474 per quintal on the first two-days of e-auction held this week. Recently, the Centre decided to offload 30 lakh tonnes of wheat from the buffer stock in the open market under the open market sale scheme (OMSS).
Additional area of 22.71 lakh hectares under cultivation for this Rabi season: Centreedit
Mint – Online
Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Friday said that 22.71 lakh hectares of additional area was under cultivation during the current Rabi season. “Final figures on 3 February, 2023 show that momentum gained in sowing rabi crops continued till end of the season. In a comparison made with the area sown last year (2021-22) and normal sown area (average area of last five years), total area sown under rabi crops has increased by 3.25% from 697.98 lakh hectares in 2021-22 to 720.68 lakh hectares in 2022-23,” it added.
Agriculture accelerator fund to help create more jobs: GlobalData researchedit
The Economic Times – Online
Initiatives to support agri starups through the creation of agriculture accelerator fund, increasing the agri credit target to $24.9 billion and promoting agri-tech will help increase productivity and create more jobs in the sector, said UK-based research firm GlobalData. According to GlobalData estimates, the agriculture and allied sector contributed 18.4% to the gross value added (GVA) and employed 44.8% of the total labour force in 2022. With the agricultural sector being a key contributor and employer, it received the much-needed push in the Union Budget. India’s agricultural and allied sector GVA could rise by 10.2% during 2023-25, it said.
Budget
No Jai Kisanedit
The Financial Express – Online
Budget FY24 has not stepped up outlays for agriculture and allied activities—the largest employer of the nation’s workforce—which has upset farmers, farmer unions and agri experts. Although the sector’s performance has been described in the latest Economic Survey as buoyant and resilient, allocations for the department of agriculture and farmers welfare are lower by 7% from the budgeted estimates for FY23. Since this government came to power in 2014, agricultural growth has averaged 3.5% per annum. This far-from-buoyant performance has been strongly influenced by the southwest monsoon, which has become highly wayward due to climate change. There were four years of normal and above normal rains (2016, 2019, 2020, and 2021) when this sector ...
After Budget 2023, Agriculture Sector Still Waiting for the Reforms it Needsedit
The Wire – Online
The Union Budget for 2024 may have disappointed farmers’ organisations who were expecting an enhancement in the PM Kisan amount of Rs 6,000 per year. There was a buzz that the amount of grant may be increased to Rs 8,000. It must be remembered that it was the interim budget of 2019 in which PM Kisan was announced, that too retrospectively from December 2018. So, hope need not be lost. The interim budget on the eve of parliament elections in 2024 may still bring cheer to farmers by increasing the amount under PM Kisan.
Govt. Policies
Kerala Budget 2023: What did FM KN Balagopal announce for agriculture?edit
Mathrubhumi – Online
Kerala finance minister KN Balagopal during the Budget 2023 speech on Friday made a slew of announcements for the agriculture sector. The state has allocated Rs 971.71 crore for this sector alone. According to Balagopal, the state is expecting Rs 156.30 crore from the union government as financial assistance to this pool. Some of the major announcements for the agricultural sector are: Rs 95.10 cr outlay for rice development Rs 732.46 cr for crop husbandry sector Rs 93.45 cr for comprehensive vegetable cultivation development programme Rs 74.50 cr for marketing, storage and warehousing of agricultural produces Rs 68.95 cr for Coconut Development Schemes Rs 19.81 cr for ‘Support to Farm Mechanisation’ scheme
Karmnata: CM Bommai bats for farmer-centric schemes, organic farmingedit
The Print – Online
Asserting that agriculture, as a profession, is replete with values and is sacred work, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said more farmer-centric schemes were required to ensure their wellbeing and progress. Speaking on the sidelines of an event where he released the audio CD of ‘Kasinasara’, a documentary film on agriculture, the CM said, “We pay to see magic but there is no bigger magic than what we see on the land that was also created by our maker. You sow one seed and harvest hundreds of grains. Thanks to modern agricultural tools and research, our government at the Centre has ensured food safety for a population of 130 crore. However, our farmers ...