The Times of India – Online

Regenerative agriculture is more than just a buzzword – it’s a sustainable farming method that can help save the planet. But what is regenerative agriculture, and how does it work? Simply put, it’s a holistic approach that goes beyond conventional farming practices to promote healthy soil, increase biodiversity, and reduce the negative impacts of agriculture on the environment. Building healthy soil is the primary focus of regenerative agriculture. Healthy soil is crucial for producing healthy crops, as it provides the nutrients, water, and oxygen that plants need to grow.

News Click – Online

Farmers in the northern states of the country were hit by an extreme heat wave in March last year, followed by excessive rainfall this year. Virendra Singh, a small-scale farmer from Punjab, had sown wheat on his one-acre land and was hoping to harvest at least 40 quintals of wheat for the season. His family was planning to use some of it for their own consumption and sell the rest to earn a living. However, their hopes were shattered by the unprecedented rainfall and hailstorms. Three-fourths of his crops were destroyed by the rainfall, and as a result, he has to bear the loss until the next season. This season, the farmer had installed a ...

Hindustan Times – Online

The untimely showers and downpours during summer is making an impact on the lives of farmers that are facing huge risk due to climate change. According to Maharashtra agriculture department, the state has lost 36 million hectares of crops in the last five years due to the impact of the climate crisis. The loss was due to erratic climatic conditions including cyclonic storm, flash floods, floods, drought, unseasonal rains and cloudburst. Sunil Chavan, Agriculture Commissioner, Maharashtra said , “It is true that change in climate conditions like unseasonal rains, hailstorms, flood and drought-like situations are impacting agriculture.

The Times of India – Online

Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday stressed on the need to improve crop productivity as the country requires to increase farm production to meet domestic requirement and export to global markets. The minister inaugurated a Summit on Farm Machinery Technology organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Tractor and Mechanization Association (TMA). Addressing the event, Tomar highlighted that the agriculture production has increased substantially over the years thanks to the hardwork of farmers and scientists as well as policies of the government.

Krishi Jagran – Online

During the ongoing wheat procurement activities, an MSP outflow of around Rs. 41148 crores has already been made to approximately 14.96 lakh farmers. Notably, the three wheat procuring states of Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh each contributed 89.79 LMT, 54.26 LMT, and 49.47 LMT, respectively, to the procurement. One of the primary causes contributing to this year’s progressive procurement is the GOI’s lowering of quality criteria for wheat being procured due to late rainfall causing lustre loss. This will alleviate farmer hardship and prevent any distress sales.

Deccan Chronicle – Online

Untimely rains over the last few days have caused extensive damage to crops in many districts. Among the worst hit in north Telangana districts were paddy, maize, sesamum, bajra, mango, banana and vegetables. Paddy farmers incurred heavy losses at the harvesting stage while sesamum crop was affected at the pod maturing stage and bajra at the grain filling stage. Unseasonal rains lashed undivided Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda and other districts from April 23 to 25. Some farmers were ready to sell their produce at the nearest paddy procurement centres, which the government has set up to ensure minimum support price.

The New Indian Express – Online

About 30,000 quintals of paddy were damaged by the hailstorm that lashed Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on Tuesday night. Part of the paddy brought to IKP centres by farmers in Bhuvanagiri, Bhudampochampally, Bibinagar, Yadagirigutta, Turkapally, Bommalaramaram, Alair and Valigonda mandal soaked as the rain pounded the procurement centres without respite. A farmer from Nandanam village in Bhuvanagiri mandal O Nagaraju said that he brought his paddy to the IKP centre a week ago and it was yet to be procured when the rain lashed. There is an acute shortage in the supply of gunny bags and tarpaulin which compounded the problem as the entire paddy stock had to be kept in the open without ...

The Financial Express – Online

Following the declaration of the year 2023 as ‘the international year for millets’ by the United Nations, the Gujarat Government is promoting the Dang region in Gujarat as an organic millet producing region. Farmers are being incentivised to produce pesticide free millets. Arohi Prajapati from Dang Ahwa Farmer Producer Company Limited, an FPO from the tribal area, said, “Our main focus is on Ragi, Little Millet and Finger Millet. We are maintaining our production with 332 small and marginal tribal farmers”. Prajapati said adding “We have introduced 7-8 millet based products. We are getting a 90% loan from the government to set up our Primary Processing Unit to improve our production.”

Hindustan Times – Online

Bihar’s cooperative department on Tuesday said farmers can register compensation claims on its website for losses due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm in March. The cooperative department will compensate farmers for the loss in yield under its crop assistance scheme in addition to financial help given by the agriculture department. “The window on the cooperative department’s website has been opened to accept the claims for assistance in case of production loss,” said a senior official of the cooperative department. The Bihar government did not implement the Prime Minister’s Crop Insurance Scheme in the state because it believed the premium to be paid by farmers for coverage was too high.

The Economic Times – Online

India’s horticulture sector has proven to be more profitable and productive than the agricultural sector and has emerged as a rapidly growing industry. According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India ranks second in fruits and vegetable production in the world after China. The country’s advantage lies in being a low-cost producer of fruits and vegetables because of a combination of factors such as favourable agro-climatic conditions, availability of labour, and low input costs. As a result, fruits and vegetables account for almost 90% of the total horticulture production in the country. Horticulture contributes around 30.4% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while using only 13.1% of the gross ...

Hindustan Times – Online

An international seminar was held by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), to discuss strategies to boost income of farmers through intervention of CGIAR technologies, at the Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research here on Tuesday. The seminar hosted nearly 60 CGIAR employees as well as representatives from research institutes and stakeholders from all over the country that are tied up with the aforementioned global organisation.

The Financial Express – Online

With more farmers, traders and farmers producers organisations (FPOS) starting to use the electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), which digitally integrates wholesale markets, the turnover of the e-NAM trade rose by 32% to Rs 74,656 crore in 2022-23 compared to the previous fiscal. Officials said that after seven years since the launch e-NAM platform, farmers and buyers are increasingly using it for trade both within and outside the states. The turnover on the platform is expected to cross Rs 1 trillion in the current fiscal.

Krishi Jagran – Online

Since the start of civilization and the domestication of animals, livestock has provided crucial contributions to human well-being in social and economic terms. Livestock systems have drastically evolved over centuries to meet the growing population’s needs. However, in light of global challenges such as climate change, population growth, and the urgency of ensuring the availability of nutritious and secure food for everybody, optimization of sustainable livestock production is the need of the hour.

Hindustan Times – Online

The total wheat yield in Punjab is expected to cross 160 lakh tonnes in the current rabi season. The state agriculture department has pegged production based on crop-cutting experiments. It is less than the earlier production estimates of a bumper crop when the yield was predicted to cross 175 lakh tonnes before the rainfall, high-velocity winds and hailstorm that began on March 25 and continued till April 5. The yield is expected to fall by 15 lakh tonnes, a loss of 8%. Last year wheat crop suffered a yield loss of 15% due to a sudden rise in temperatures in March when the crop was at the maturing stage. The state food and civil supplies ...

The Times of India – Online

From national level Millet Melas in multiple states and international trade fairs attracting global community, India is celebrating 2023 – The International Year of Millets in its unique way. Referred as the ‘smart food’, from the well-being perspective, the millets are highly nutritious in terms of fiber, proteins, iron and minerals. But, from a sustainable development point of view, millets are turning out to be staunch contributors in curbing the consequences of climate change, food insecurity, poverty, and malnutrition. In case of India, promoting these nutritious and climate-resilient small-seeded grasses can go a long way in the quest for achieving UN SDGs and the globally appreciated Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) campaign.

The Economic Times – Online

The National Rice Research Institute (NRRI) has recently submitted proposals to the Central Varietal Release Committee (CVRC) for the identification of 10 new rice varieties, an official said. The institute’s director A K Nayak said that seven rice varieties sent from NRRI were recognised by the CVRC in the last one year. The institute will celebrate its 78th foundation day on Sunday, during which it will showcase its achievements so far. This year’s foundation day lecture has been named after the first director of the institute, K Ramiah, who was instrumental in identifying the site in Cuttack to establish the rice research centre in 1946.

The Hans India – Online

Heatwaves in India are increasing in frequency, intensity and lethality, burdening public health, agriculture, and other socio-economic and cultural systems, says a study. The study, “Lethal heat waves are challenging India’s sustainable development” published in PLOS Climate by Ramit Debnath of University of Cambridge, Britain, and colleagues, suggests heatwaves made more likely by climate change may impede India’s progress toward its sustainable development goals. India has committed to achieving 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including no poverty, good health and well being, and decent work and economic growth.

The Print – Online

Procurement of chickpea crop from the Rabi season at assured Minimum Support Price (MSP) is currently underway and its stocks this year are expected to rise to a new high, according to a report published by Global Pulse Confederation. Chickpea or as they are called chana in India is a rabi crop, which is mostly sown during October and November and the produce is harvested from January to March depending on maturity.

The Financial Express – Online

More than 68% of marginal farmers are engaged in non-farming activities such as daily wager labour activities, especially in construction of roads and houses, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to supplement their income from crop cultivation, according to a survey on the state of marginal farmers in India. The survey conducted across 20 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, has estimated the average landholding of marginal farmers at 1.22 acres.

Teleangana Today – Online

Around 70 percent of over 6,000 marginal farmers engage in non-farm activities for income support, but 84 percent of them do not want to sell off their land to pursue other economic activities, a new study has found. According to the study conducted by the Development Intelligence Unit (DIU), a collaborative venture between Transforming Rural India Foundation and Sambodhi, marginal farmers are largely engaged in non-agricultural activities like wage labour and livestock management to supplement their income.

The Print – Online

Killer heat waves are putting “unprecedented burdens” on India’s agriculture, economy and public health, with climate change undermining the country’s long-term efforts to reduce poverty, inequality and illness, a new study showed. Extreme heat has caused more than 24,000 deaths since 1992 and has also driven up air pollution and accelerated glacial melt in northern India, said a team of scholars led by the University of Cambridge’s Ramit Debnath. India is now “facing a collision of multiple, cumulative climate hazards”, with extreme weather happening almost every day from January to October last year, they said.

The Financial Express – Online

The pace of procurement of chana, or gram, under the agriculture ministry’s price support scheme for the 2023 rabi season has gathered momentum, but mandi prices have been ruling below the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 5,335/quintal. Traders say that higher carry-forward stock from the previous year, with farmers’ cooperative Nafed and farmers still holding onto stock in anticipation of higher prices later, is keeping mandi prices below the MSP level. Prices are currently ruling in the range of Rs 4,800-5,100 per quintal.

The Indian Express – Online

WITH peak demand for electricity expected to cross 15,000-MW mark this summer, Punjab with generation capacity of 6600 MW from its own sources, will have to fill the gap in demand and supply by purchasing power and draw it from state’s share in the central pool. On Tuesday, the demand was 6523 MW and it would cross 15,000 MW during the paddy transplantation season, power utility sources say. They predict that while the government will be able to sail through in the current year, the next year would be difficult. The government would have to think on generation line.

Mint – Online

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of UN has recognized India’s strength in the seed sector which it would be useful to other countries, said a statement from the union agriculture ministry. Earlier in the morning, a bilateral meeting was conducted with FAO. Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR), Himanshu Pathak, who is also the MACS Chair, led the discussions and emphasized that the extension service through KVK to farmers would be a very important area of cooperation. FAO representatives also expressed keen interest in extending cooperation in extension service.

Mint – Online

India requires to increase maize production by 10 million tonnes (mt) over the next five years amid growing demand for ethanol production and to meet demand from the poultry industry, Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said while speaking at the 9th India Maize Summit organied by industry body FICCI.

Krishi Jagran – Online

As part of the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund launched by the West Bengal government, a total of 1,325 crore has been invested in 1,000 projects in agriculture and associated sectors. Cold storages, oil and dal mills, packaging and grading facilities, warehouses, and farm machinery hubs are among the projects. According to an official press statement, as of April 14, payouts had been made for as many as 881 of the total projects sanctioned. The state government has emphasized the convergence of activities and efforts to strengthen agriculture infrastructure for the development of agriculture and allied sectors in the state in order to increase farmers’ income and employment opportunities through value addition and improved market connectivity.

Hindustan Times – Online

Union minister VK Singh on Monday said that India would be the largest producer of millets in the world in near future as the government is serious about promoting its output due to nutritional qualities of millets. Inaugurating the G20 meeting of agricultural chief scientists (MACS) in Varanasi, he asked G20 countries to work towards promotion of crop diversification, efficient use of inputs like fertilisers and post-harvest management, and said the latest digital tools should be used in agriculture across the world. About 80 delegates from G20 member states — Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the USA and ...

Hindustan Times – Online

With around 55% of the wheat crop of the total 23.76 lakh hectares under wheat having been harvested, farmers and agriculture experts are of the view that the overall production of wheat in Haryana remains normal. Though the initial reports suggested that the unseasonal rains had affected wheat crops on 17 lakh acres in Haryana, there is no major impact of the rains on wheat production as the yield remains normal.With around 55% of the crop of the total 23.76 lakh hectares under wheat having been harvested, farmers and agriculture experts are of the view that the overall production of wheat in the state remains normal.

BW BusinessWorld – Online

The government of Chhattisgarh has placed 2.84 million tonnes (mt) of rice in the central pool for the kharif marketing season (KMS) 2022-23. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has set a goal of buying 5.86 million tonnes of rice from the state for the central pool. In the kharif season, Chhattisgarh will be the second largest rice contributor behind Punjab. The FCI would purchase 12.2 million tonnes of rice from Punjab. “So far, 4.71 mt of rice has been deposited in the central pool,” a state government spokeswoman said. 2.84 million tonnes have been placed with the FCI, while 1.86 million tonnes have been deposited with the Civil Supplies Corporation. The latter has used ...

The Financial Express – Online

Millets, christened as ‘Shree Anna’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are back in focus, thanks to the government’s policy push. Not only is 2023 the ‘Year of Millets’, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly upon India’s proposal, the Parliament canteen, too, has gotten a new menu that includes traditional yet increasingly disappearing dishes like jowar vegetable upma, bajra khichdi, ragi ladoo, and bajre ka choorma. The Union Budget, too, held provisions for millet outreach, like anointing Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Millet Research (IIMR) as a Centre of Excellence (CoE), for sharing best practices, technologies and research regarding millets. “In the past, millets suffered primarily due to lack of policy support vis-a-vis other ...

Hindustan Times – Online

As wheat harvesting is in full swing in southwest Punjab, Mansa is leading among the seven districts of the region with more than 1.57 lakh tonnes of grain arriving in mandis till Saturday, according to officials. Punjabi Mandi Board data reveals that wheat arrivals in the region have seen a sharp surge since Monday. Agriculture experts attribute it to rise in temperature, which has touched 40 degrees Celsius, after unseasonal rains in March-end and early April delayed harvesting. Field officials of the state agriculture department say the initial yield results are encouraging and the impact of unfriendly climatic conditions during the last phase of crop ripening is hardly visible.

Krishi Jagran – Online

The move aligns with the Indian government’s higher agriculture credit target for FY24 of Rs 20 lakh crore. Fasal, an Agri-tech business, established a partnership with State Bank of India (SBI) on Thursday, with the goal of providing farmers with easier access to finance. The collaboration will assist in resolving cash-flow problems in farming during important cycles by delivering quick, convenient, and collateral-free loans at very reasonable rates. This fits into Fasal’s greater goal of resolving the myriad difficulties that exist throughout the horticulture value chain, clearing the path for India’s horticultural transformation.

The Times of India – Online

Ending global hunger is an ‘affordable goal’ despite the ongoing food crisis but it requires a rethink of development aid and finance, according to a new report by Economist Impact with global agri foods-focused research partnership Consultative Group on international agricultural research (CGIAR). CGIAR is the largest agriculture innovation network while Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank. The report ‘Ending hunger: the role of agri-food financing’, showed that increases in development funding alone have been insufficient to bring down food insecurity, with almost 670 million people projected to face hunger by 2030.

Krishi Jagran – Online

Agrifood systems employ more than one-third of the world’s working women, and encompass the production of food and non-food agricultural goods, as well as related activities ranging from food storage, transportation, and processing through distribution. However, according to a new FAO analysis, gender disadvantages such as fewer access for women to knowledge and resources, as well as a higher unpaid care burden, explain for a 24% difference in productivity between women and men farmers on farms of same size.

Hindustan Times – Online

The Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) in G20, which is scheduled in Varanasi from April 17 to 19, will provide new opportunities of collaboration in research and education in the field of agriculture, said Himanshu Pathak, secretary- Department of Agriculture Research (DARE). The meet will also strengthen the G20 forum in terms of international economic cooperation, he added. The 12th MACS conference under India’s Presidency has identified “sustainable agriculture and food systems for healthy people and the planet” as its theme. There are four priority areas on which focused discussions will take place: food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture through approaches of climate resilient agriculture, digitisation for agricultural transformation and public-private partnerships for research ...

Hindustan Times – Online

Addressing a press conference, the Haryana minister said that of the total wheat arrival in the mandis, about 14 lakh MT wheat has been procured by the government. He said 95,847 MT mustard has also been bought by government agencies so far. Addressing a press conference, the Haryana minister said that of the total wheat arrival in the mandis, about 14 lakh MT wheat has been procured by the government. He said 95,847 MT mustard has also been bought by government agencies so far.

Mint – Online

The heat-wave warning issued for Orissa yesterday provides context to assessing the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast of a normal southwest monsoon this year. The IMD’s forecast means that total rainfall over the four months from June to September will be 96-104% of the long-period average of 868.6 mm. While this average has never been a good enough indicator, obscuring as it does the spatial distribution of rainfall, it has become even less useful these days thanks to climate change and the resulting erratic weather patterns. Now, the temporal sequencing of precipitation is as important as its spatial distribution.

Hindustan Times – Online

Bihar will start procurement of wheat from April 20 and targets to lift 10 lakh metric tonnes, officials of the co-operative department said on Wednesday. The procurement will continue till May 31. The co-operative department has asked primary agricultural co-operative societies (PACS) to procure wheat from farmers who prefer to sell to government agencies at the minimum support price of ₹2,175 per quintal. Last year, Bihar was able to procure only 3,519 metric tonnes against a target of 10 lakh metric tonnes for 2021-22. In 2020-21, the procurement stood at 4.55 lakh metric tonnes against the target of 7 lakh metric tonnes.

India Today – Online

The scorching heatwaves that haunted India for a long period in 2022 are back. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast very hot days in the coming days and weeks while issuing heatwave warnings for several parts of the country. These are developments that will be closely watched not just by economists, but by politicians as well. India is building up to a high-stakes general election year. And, like in every election, the state of the economy will be a top focus area for all politicians – whether from the ruling party or the opposition – as they gear up to campaign for the 2024 polls.

Hindustan Times – Online

Private crop forecasters have predicted far lower wheat output this year than the government’s estimates following a prolonged spell of rain and storms in key producing states last month. They, however, added that there’s unlikely to be any serious shortages since the grain’s export is banned. The agriculture ministry has stuck to its initial projection of total output at a record 112.18 million tonne while acknowledging reports of crop damage in states such as Punjab and Haryana. Estimates released by Agri Watch on behalf of the Rollers Flour Millers Association of India on Saturday pegged total production at 102.24 million tonne, 8.9% lower than the official projection. Agri ...

Mint – Online

India defended its minimum support price programme for procuring domestic foodgrain at a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting, saying it not only ensured food security but also kept global food prices from surging in the backdrop of the Ukraine war. Large foodgrain exporters including the US and Canada last month challenged India’s public stockholding (PSH) programme on the grounds that it is highly subsidized, especially for rice, and that this is affecting food security of other countries. India has invoked the ‘peace clause’ several times at the WTO for breaching the prescribed 10% subsidy ceiling on rice procurement.

The Times of India – Online

With the wheat crop being flattened at many places in Punjab over the past two weeks, farmers are now finding it tough to harvest the crop as it is unfeasible to use combine harvesters for flattened crop. Farmers are now left with the option of manual harvesting. Against paying Rs 2,000-2,200 per acre for combine harvest, the manual method will cost farmers up to Rs 7,000 per acre. This includes Rs 4,000-4,500 per acre for harvesting and Rs 2,500-3,000 for threshing (separating grain from straw). In manual harvesting, farmers will save more toori (dry fodder), which fetches nearly Rs 600 per quintal. Under ...

The Times of India – Online

The farmers of Rajasthan, who observed a daylong fast at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the fall in the price of mustard by over Rs 1,000 per quintal on April 6, have decided not to sell mustard at a price less than the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 5,450 per quintal at the agricultural produce markets. Rampal Jat, state president of Kisan Mahapanchayat, said on Saturday that mustard farmers of the state have taken this decision. Mustard is now being sold at Rs 4,500 at the agriculture produce markets and at Rs 4,000 in the villages of the state, he added.

ANI – Online

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said that the Central government is working to improve the condition of farmers and make agricultural policies farmer-centric. “The central and state governments under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have always been farmer-friendly. The extent of empowerment of the farmers is unprecedented. The Prime Minister is of the opinion that the confidence of the farmers of the country is the biggest strength of the country. The central government is working to improve the condition of farmers and to make agricultural policies farmer-centric”, CM Dhami said.

The Times of India – Online

A three-day meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (ACS) of G-20 countries will take place as first of five meetings of G-20 slated in Varanasi from April 17. Talking to TOI on Saturday, district magistrate S Rajalingam said, “First of the series of five G-20 events scheduled in Varanasi will be meet of ACS. All necessary preparations on the part of district administration has been completed to host the event.” The PIB released the agenda of ACS meet as per which senior level officials, policymakers, scientists, and experts of the G-20 member states and invited countries and international organizations will participate to discuss and identify R&D priorities in agriculture and strengthen cooperation for sustainable ...

The Indian Express – Online

As per a preliminary official assessment, rains and hailstorms have caused nearly 20 per cent losses in the wheat and mustard crop in Haryana. With farmer leaders pegging the losses at over 50 per cent in affected areas, Haryana agriculture and farmers welfare minister J P Dalal tells Sukhbir Siwach that tough days lie in store for the farmers in the state. Q: What is your estimate of crop losses? Dalal: The process for assessment of crop losses is still going on but the farmers are very upset because of untimely rains and hailstorms.

The New Indian Express – Online

The agriculture department is in the process of forming farmers’ collectives — ‘Krishikoottam’ — to increase crop production. Forming 10,000 farmers’ collectives is part of the ‘Njangalum Krishiyilekku’ campaign of the state government to attract more people to farming. It also aims at launching organic farming on 10,000 hectares of land and encouraging the manufacturing of value-added products. As per the Krishkikoottam guidelines, each collective can have five to 25 members and cultivate on five cents to two acres of land. A ward can have more than one collective. The collective should have a president and secretary and should register with the Krishi Bhavan.

The Economic Times – Online

Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Thursday said the government is hopeful of a record wheat production of 112.18 million tonne in 2022-23 crop year ending June despite inclement weather conditions in some parts of the country affecting grains quality. The government has projected a record wheat production at 112.18 million tonne in the 2022-23 crop year (July-June). Wheat production had declined marginally to 107.74 million tonne in the previous year due to heat wave in some states.

The Economic Times – Online

World food prices are still high but have fallen by a fifth compared to a year ago when prices soared to a monthly record high after Russia invaded agricultural powerhouse Ukraine, UN data showed on Friday. Prices have fallen 20.5 percent since March last year after a 12th straight monthly drop, the Food and Agriculture Organization said. But in releasing its latest data tracking monthly changes in international prices of a basket of food commodities, the FAO said food remained expensive notably for developing countries highly dependent on imports.

The Times of India – Online

Every year, the burning of rice stubble by the farmers in north India causes extensive pollution and severely impacts NCR. The lessons drawn from the fields during the ongoing spate of heavy unseasonal rains in Punjab and their impact on the wheat crop may be the game changer in this war. The lashing rains and hailstorm have caused extensive damage to the wheat crop in Punjab, which was getting ready for harvest. The “surface seeding technique” adopted by some farmers may show the way forward in addressing this problem in the future.

Down to Earth – Online

When a group of 20 farmers in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitharama Raju district ventured into production of seeds of finger millet (ragi) and little millet (samai) in 2019, it had no idea what the future had in store. For the next two years, unusual weather events ensured that the crops did not have grains good enough for use as seeds. “The years 2020 and 2021 saw excess rain in July and August. This did not allow the plants to take nutrition from the soil. The resultant grains were weak and the endosperm—part of a seed that stores food for the development of a ...

The Times of India – Online

The efforts of the agriculture department to increase the cultivation area of pulses, such as black gram and green gram, in the delta districts have started to yield results. This year, the area of pulse cultivation has significantly increased compared to last year. However, farmers have urged the state government to fix a reasonable price for the grains to motivate more farming communities to take up pulse cultivation in other areas. To promote the expansion of pulse cultivation in the coming year, the state government has allocated Rs 30 crore in the agriculture budget 2023-24 under a pulses development scheme. This scheme aims to increase ...

The Times of India – Online

All liaison officers being trained to escort foreign delegates expected to visit during the G-20 events here will be sensitised about development work in the city and basic information on the agriculture scene in Varanasi region. To take stock of the training programme of the liaison officer for the proposed G-20 events slated here between April and August, district magistrate S Rajalingam reached the office of joint director tourism on Wednesday. He took part in a training session and asked the trainers to sensitise liaison officers about agriculture in region surrounding Varanasi. “As the session of G-20 here is based on agriculture, all liaison officers should be made well aware about the basic ...

The Indian Express – Online

Officials of the Haryana agriculture department have estimated a loss of nearly 20 per cent in the production of wheat owing to untimely rains and hailstorm. Officials had earlier estimated 110.75 LMT (lakh metric tonnes) production of wheat in the state this year, which is likely to be less by 20 per cent because of untimely rains. As many as 59.10 lakh acres is under wheat cultivation in the state this year, which is ready for harvesting. The area under mustard was 18.15 lakh acre this year and production of 14 LMT was estimated for this year.

Hindustan Times – Online

Rain-battered farmers in Haryana are facing a fresh challenge: How to harvest the flattened wheat crop. As lodged crop cannot be harvested with machines, experts advise the use of manual labour for the task. But there isn’t sufficient labour available for the job. Though at least 70% of the crop is ready for harvesting and even government agencies have started procurement operations (from April 1), the shortage of labour and weather vagaries have left wheat growers in a fix. ‘Conditions not ripe for harvest’ As per ground reports, at least 60% of the wheat crop has been lodged and farmers are struggling to harvest their crop without incurring a considerable loss.

The Financial Express – Online

The gravity of food security across the globe, particularly in South Asia is a complex and layered issue that must be understood against the projection that the global population is set to hit 10 billion by 2050. Contrary to the earlier imagined solutions focused on increased food production, global actors and agricultural scientists in the region unanimously believe the key is to focus on nutritional security and climate-conscious and sustainable agriculture by reorienting global agricultural trends. Many experts have advocated resilient agriculture, diversified food supply chains, sustainable agricultural practices, and bringing back indigenous varieties of crops as the immediate steps to be undertaken. And, the answer may well have been right in front of ...

Mint – Online

In a male dominated agriculture occupation, the stereotype is being broken in a new India where many women farmers are seen to be shouldering not only end – to – end farming responsibilities on their own, but becoming agripreneurs and going digital for agri-produce trade. Thanks to many pro-farmer initiatives being taken by the Government, farmers’ collectives and private companies to encourage women farmers. A rising number of women agripreneurs are selling their agri-produce stocks through various digital platforms created by private companies or Farmer Producers’ Companies (FPCs).

Hindustan Times – Online

The G20 member countries are heading towards a consensus on adopting alternate grain and traditional crops in the respective countries, such as millets in India, to support food security and nutrition requirements, said Manoj Ahuja, secretary, department of agriculture and farmers’ welfare, the government of India on Friday. It was the third and final day of the second Agricultural Deputies Meeting held at Chandigarh concluded today. According to Ahuja, all the member nations raised concerns about the sustainability of agriculture, agroecology and nutrition. “Very shortly a communique will be prepared and sent to the member countries for pondering over it so that when we meet again in June, these are discussed threadbare, and a roadmap ...