Page 12 - Agriculture Economy

Budget proposals for marine sector to boost India's aquaculture: MPEDA

Budget announcements for the marine sector such as rationalisation of customs duties and financing facilities will help boost the country's India's aquaculture and seafood exports, MPEDA said on Thursday. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) also said the Budget includes a range of strategic measures aimed at bolstering the competitiveness of marine products, with a particular focus on shrimp production and export. Various inputs used in the manufacture of shrimp and fish feed will now enjoy customs duty exemptions, it said adding a number of feed inputs such as mineral and vitamin pre-mixes, krill meal, fish lipid oil, crude fish oil, algal prime, algal oil are fully exempted from any import duty. Artemia and Artemia cysts which are key nutritional inputs in aqua hatchery were also fully exempted from any import duty. The Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on essential aquafarm/ hatchery inputs such as Vannamei and black tiger broodstock, polychaete worms, and fish/shrim

Potato dispatches from Bengal up 35% day after traders withdraw strike

A day after West Bengal potato traders called off their indefinite strike, dispatch of tubers from cold storages surged by 30-35 per cent to fill the demand vacuum, officials said on Thursday. The traders' body said they would continue to adjust supplies in an effort to stabilise prices. "Since last night, around 8 lakh packets of 50kg each have been dispatched compared to the normal daily average of 6 lakh packets," said Progressive Potato Traders' Association secretary Lalu Mukherjee on Thursday. He assured the state government of adequate supply and asserted that traders would refrain from exporting the produce to other states for now, as the government has pledged to address local concerns first. Rabindranath Kole from the Traders Forum and a state task force member said, "The news of the strike withdrawal has led to some price reduction, but a significant decrease will be seen at the wholesale level, which hovered at Rs 34 per kg, once the produce hits the market in sufficient

Budget 2024: FM Sitharaman continues with push for spiritual tourism

The government will also start a comprehensive development initiative for the city of Rajgir in Bihar, which holds immense religious significance for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains

Union Budget 2024-25: Some boost for agriculture and rural economy

India spends only 0.4% of agri GDP on R&D and it is far below the levels in China, Brazil, and Israel

Farm sector hails forward looking budget, Tikait calls it 'empty-handed'

Tikait expressed concern over providing funds for the private sector in agri-research in the name of climate change, letting foreign lobby groups and big corporations push their agenda

Budget focuses on review of agri research setup, new phase of rural roads

The shrimp sector gets big leg with duty cuts and new breeding centers

Budget 2024: Realty gets mixed signals with housing boost, indexation cut

Rs 10 trillion boost for urban housing but indexation removal plays dampener

Multiple policies at various levels hurting farmers' income: Eco Survey

Suggests use of 'agri-stack' for better targeting of fertiliser subsidies

One-third of food inflation came from vegetables in 2023-24: Eco Survey

It became the second biggest contributor after cereals during the year, shows data from the Economic Survey

CEA Nageswaran bats for re-orientation of farm policies despite subsidies

Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran has called for a pan-India dialogue on the agriculture sector, highlighting the need for policy re-orientation despite existing subsidies and support measures. In the preface to the Economic Survey 2023-24, Nageswaran noted that while the government provides substantial support to farmers through subsidies on water, electricity, and fertilizers, along with income tax exemptions and minimum support prices, there is room for improvement in policy implementation. "A case can be made that they (farmers) can be served better with some re-orientation of existing and new policies," the CEA stated. The survey pointed out that current policies, implemented by both national and sub-national governments, often work at cross-purposes, leading to unintended consequences. These include soil fertility degradation, groundwater depletion, environmental pollution, and nutritional imbalances in crop production and dietary habits. Nageswaran emphasised the .

Food subsidies to cost 11% more than Interim Budget estimate: Report

The country's combined food and fertiliser bill is expected to reach Rs 3.88 trillion, up 5% rise from the estimate in the interim budget unveiled before the election

Supporting agripreneurs

New fund should support innovation

Will head towards Delhi whenever Shambhu border opens: Farmer leader

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Tuesday said that farmers will head towards Delhi whenever the national highway, which is barricaded at Shambhu border near Ambala in Haryana, is opened. His statement came days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the Haryana government to open the barricades at the Shambhu border on "experimental basis". Farmers have been camping at the border since February 13. The Haryana government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court order. The state government's appeal, filed through advocate Akshay Amritanshu, has cited law and order situation for the blockade. Addressing the media here on Tuesday, farmer leader Dallewal said farmers will head towards the national capital as part of the 'Delhi Chalo' programme in support of various demands, including legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops. "Our decision is that whenever the road (highway) is opened, we will move towards Delhi," Samyukta Kisan Morcha ...

Scindia launches NE-RACE portal, mobile app for farmers in northeast

The NERACE app is intended to support agricultural and horticultural products such as spices, fruits, vegetables, pulses, cereals, and minor forest products

Train women to use drones for spraying fertilisers, says Amit Shah

'PM Narendra Modi has launched the 'Drone Didi Scheme', so please train women to use drones for spraying fertilisers,' HM Shah said

Not politics, not interest rates: India's economy at risk from water

The shortages are affecting rural and urban Indians alike, disrupting agriculture and industry, stoking food inflation and risking social unrest

Wheat, pulses prices moderate after govt imposes stockholding limit

Pulses see sharper price moderation due to muted summer demand

FCI wheat procurement hits 26.6 mn tonnes, surpassing last year's purchase

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has procured 26.6 million tonnes of wheat during the current Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2024-25, surpassing last year's figure of 26.2 million tonnes, the government said on Wednesday. The procurement, which began earlier than usual this year, has benefited more than 2.2 million farmers who received about Rs 61 lakh crore directly in their bank accounts as payment at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), it said in a statement. The government had set the MSP for wheat at Rs 2,275 per quintal for the current season (April-March). States like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan showed significant improvements in their wheat procurement, the statement said. Uttar Pradesh procured 9,31,000 tonnes compared to 2,20,000 tonnes last year, while Rajasthan achieved 12 lakh tonnes, up from 4.38 lakh tonnes in the previous season. In addition to wheat, the government reported that paddy procurement during the 2023-24 Kharif Marketing season exceeded 77.5 million tonnes

Farmer groups want CACP to declare MSP at 50% above C2 production cost

Presently, MSPs are fixed at 50 percent more than the A2+FL cost of production

HADP a game-changer for J&K's agriculture, allied sectors: LG Manoj Sinha

The Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) is a game-changer for Jammu and Kashmir's agriculture and allied sector that could address challenges faced by farmers, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said. Sinha made the remarks after inaugurating the Litchi Festival and an agriculture exhibition organised by the horticulture department here on Sunday. Addressing a gathering at the event, "HADP has emerged as the game-changer for J&K's agriculture and allied sector. Twenty-nine projects of HADP hold the potential to address the challenges faced by farmers and it will diversify income sources." He said the unique initiative is a commitment of his administration towards farmers' welfare and determination to explore new avenues for their prosperity. Sinha said progressive reforms and policies of the administration are being implemented to tap the potential of agriculture and horticulture sectors in the Union territory. He extended his felicitations to all the stakeholders and ...