Media Monitor
Technology in Agriculture
Farm to peel: Embracing digital technology and sustainable farmingedit
The Financial Express – Online
India is the world’s largest producer of milk and pulses and the second-largest producer of cereals like wheat and rice. The high-yielding varieties of seeds, enhanced fertiliser and pesticide use, expansion of the irrigation network and conducive policy measures taken by the government have helped India attain this phenomenal success in food production. While India is riding high on its agricultural success story, deteriorating soil health and excessive reliance on groundwater for the food security of its growing population remain a challenge.
Monsoon + Indian Agriculture
Unseasonal rains shatter farmers’ hopes of bumper harvest in Odishaedit
The New Indian Express – Online
Farmers across Kendrapara and Jajpur districts are a worried lot after the recent unseasonal rains and thunderstorms in their areas caused damage to their crops. In Kendrapara, farmers particularly those cultivating green gram, ground nut and sugarcane said they had grown the crops after taking loans from cooperative societies, various government and non-governmental organisations. “We hoped of reaping a good harvest but the untimely rain and hailstorms last week have shattered our expectations. We are spending sleepless nights as this unseasonal rain and thunderstorm will hit our yield both in quantity and quality,” said Ranjan Rout, a farmer from Kendrapara.
Rabi crop-growing states hit by excess rains in Marchedit
The Financial Express – Online
Heavy surplus rains in the key rabi crop-growing states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan this month have delayed harvesting of wheat and chana (gram), while there are reports of lodging of crops at several places, which is expected to impact the quality and yield of the grain. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the key wheat-growing states — Punjab (150%), Haryana (178%), Uttar Pradesh (185%), Rajasthan (344%) and Madhya Pradesh (199%) — have received more rainfall in March against the normal benchmark.
Tractor industry
Domestic tractor sales hit record high of 9.44 lakh in FY23edit
The Economic Times – Online
Tractor sales in India – the world’s largest market for such farm vehicles – hit a record high of 944,000 units in 2022-23, up 12% on year, as per industry estimates. But sales growth may moderate to low-single digits in the new fiscal, experts said. Including exports, tractor sales zipped past the one million mark in the year ended March 31, buoyed by an increase in the minimum support prices (MSP) that boosted farm income, coupled with another year of above-normal monsoon, said Hemant Sikka, president – farm equipment sector, at Mahindra & Mahindra.