Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Rabi crops like wheat not much impacted by untimely rains, hail: Agriculture Ministeredit
Zee Business – Online
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said there is not much impact on standing rabi crops like wheat due to the current untimely rains and hailstorm, as per preliminary report. “There is not much impact on rabi crops as per the preliminary assessment. We are yet to receive a ground report from the state governments,” Tomar told PTI on the sidelines of an event. Wheat is the main rabi crop, harvesting of which is underway in some states. Mustard and chickpea are other major rabi crops. For the last three days, many parts of the country received unseasonal rains, hail and gusty winds brought about by Western disturbance.
Better attention by agriculture extension officers on villages raises farmers’ hopesedit
The New Indian Express – Online
Farmers in the delta region welcomed Tuesday’s budget announcement on allocation of fewer villages per agriculture extension officers, as they believed this would increase the latter’s visits to each village to advise them on various aspects, including schemes and saving crops from pests and diseases. Minister for Agriculture MRK Panneerselvam while presenting the budget announced the ‘Uzhavar Aluvalar Thodarbu Thittam-2.0’ (UATT) (farmer-official interacting scheme). Currently, an assistant agriculture officer is allocated eight to 10 panchayats and one horticulture officer 10 to 15 panchayats for providing extension services to farmers like providing department-related information and implementing the schemes. As such the officers can visit the respective village panchayats only once in a fortnight.
G20 Agriculture Working Group delegates to visit Haryana on March 31edit
Business Standard – Online
Delegates of the G20 second Agriculture Working Group will visit Haryana to interact with state officers on March 31, Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal said on Wednesday. He said the delegates would be apprised of milestones achieved by the state, especially in the field of agriculture. He also reviewed preparations for the visit of the delegation with state functionalities. According to Kaushal, 100 delegates of the G20 Agriculture Working Group will visit the historical Yadavindra Gardens, which was created in the 17th century by architect Nawab Fidai Khan.
Budget
TN promises ₹14k-cr crop loans to farmers in agriculture budgetedit
Hindustan Times – Online
Several long-term schemes implemented during 2021-22 after the DMK formed the government in May 2021 has resulted in 193,000 hectare of additional land being brought under agriculture resulting in a crop coverage of 6.348 million hectare, said Panneerselvam The Tamil Nadu government will provide cooperative crop loans of ₹14,000 crore to farmers in the state during 2023-24 and interest-free cooperative loan of ₹1,500 crore for goat rearing, dairying, poultry and fisheries, agriculture minister M R K Panneerselvam said on Tuesday while presenting the budget exclusively for the agriculture department in the assembly.
Paddy in India
Tamil Nadu govt yet to keep poll promise on MSP for paddy, say delta farmersedit
The New Indian Express – Online
Farmers in the Cauvery delta region expressed disappointment over no announcement on an increase in the incentive given over and above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy, in the agriculture budget. Minister for Agriculture MRK Panneerselvam in his budget speech on Tuesday announced allocation of `500 crore towards incentives at the rate of Rs 100 and Rs 75 per quintal for fine and common (bold) varieties respectively during procurement of paddy next year. The announced incentives, however, is already in effect in the ongoing procurement period (October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023).