The Print – Online

The final area under coverage for summer crops in India has declined year-on-year, though marginally, at 70.74 lakh hectares, according to the data released by the agriculture ministry on Friday. Last year, it was at 72.28 lakh hectares, which was over two per cent higher. The ministry’s data showed that the sowing area under pulses and coarse cereals is higher year-on-year, while the acreage of rice and oilseeds is lower. Coming to pulses and coarse cereals, the area increased from 19.11 lakh hectares to 19.86 lakh hectares, and 11.73 lakh hectares to 12.10 lakh hectares, data showed. For rice and oilseeds, they declined from ...

Business Standard – Online

India is gearing up for a meeting with some of the trade ministers of World Trade Organization (WTO) member nations next week in Paris, where there could be discussions on crucial issues such as the public stockholding matter in agriculture, fisheries subsidies as well as WTO reforms. Government officials said the meeting will be held on the sidelines of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) meeting in Paris. The 13th ministerial conference (MC 13) will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February 2024. But next week’s meeting, though informal in nature, will be the right platform for countries to discuss some priorities for the next ministerial, they said.

Krishi Jagran – Online

Agriculture, like every other sphere of life is not exempt from social change. And it certainly is not free from the discussions of gender roles and the disparity between the male and female sexes. Predominantly, a male dominating sector – agriculture – in the yonder years would not have invited an argument as nuanced as this. But now, our fields speak not only of crop diversity but farmer diversity as well. Indian women contribute massively to the Indian agriculture sector, particularly at the farm level but their contributions are often overlooked.

The Times of India – Online

The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) appealed to the global farming community to come together to oppose WHO’s agenda–Grow Food Not Tobacco, which advocates for the replacement of tobacco farming with alternative crops. Farming is a significant source of employment worldwide and is experiencing robust growth. According to industry estimates, the global general crop farming market expanded from $348.08 billion in 2022 to $381.76 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7%. The agricultural sector is thriving and is well segmented to serve human and animal consumption, as well as grow commercial crops.