Page 22 - Agriculture Economy

Paddy procurement in Himachal touches 20,993 MT, surpassing 2022's purchase

Paddy procurement in Himachal Pradesh has surpassed last year's purchase to touch 20,993 metric tonnes this year, officials said on Saturday. In comparison to the purchase of 14,000 metric tonnes of paddy last year (2022), about 20,993 metric tonnes of paddy has been purchased from 3,663 farmers in 14 markets established across the state in the current year (2023), the officials said. This year a target to procure 22 thousand metric tonnes of paddy has been set and so far farmers of the state have sold 20,993 metric tonnes of paddy worth Rs 45 crore to the government, informed Joint Director State Civil and Food Supply Corporation Ravindra Thakur. He informed that against the target of purchasing 6,250 metric tonnes (62,500 quintals) in Sirmaur district, the State Civil Supplies Corporation has already purchased about 9,000 metric tonnes. In 2022, crops across the state were ruined due to the southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) and several farmers had to destroy their

Centre says certain onion consignments can be exported till Nov 30

The government on Thursday clarified onion consignments that have been handed over to the customs authorities and are registered in their systems before October 29 can be exported till November 30. On October 28, the government imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 800 per tonne on onion exports till December 31 this year with a view to increase availability of the vegetable in the domestic market and to contain prices. "Where onion consignment has been handed over to the customs before October 29, 2023... and is registered in their system/ where onions consignment has entered the customs station for exportation before this notification and is registered in the electronic systems of the concerned custodian of the customs station with verifiable evidence of date and time stamping of these commodities having entered the station prior to October 29. "The period of export shall be up to November 30 this year," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said. It added that th

Crop insurance scheme PMFBY makes comeback, enrollments jump

Number of farmers availing of the scheme reaches all-time high of 25 mn

India criticises Cairns members in Geneva talks on foodgrain stockholding

India has criticised Cairns member countries during a WTO meeting on public stockholding of foodgrain for food security purposes in Geneva, stating that members are monopolising time to discuss their submission on domestic support, an official said on Tuesday. At a dedicated session on public stockholding on November 20, India said it would refrain from commenting as the session had been "ambushed" by some Cairns agriculture-exporting members, the Geneva-based official said. "India expressed the belief that certain Cairns members were attempting a motion to take away dedicated talks on public stockholding by monopolising time to discuss their submission on domestic support, a topic that arguably should be addressed by the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session, scheduled to convene the next day," the official added. The 19-member Cairns group lobbies for agricultural trade liberalisation. It was formed in 1986 in Cairns, Australia. The members include Argentina, Australia, ...

India developing sea protocols for fresh produce to boost ocean exports

India is developing sea protocols for various fresh fruits and vegetables like bananas, mangoes, pomegranates and jackfruit to promote their exports through ocean routes, a senior government official said on Tuesday. At present, most of these exports are happening by air route because of lower volumes and different ripening periods. The protocol includes understanding voyage time, scientifically understanding the ripening of these commodities, harvesting at a particular time and training of farmers. These protocols will be different for different fruits and vegetables. Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry Rajesh Agrawal said shipments through sea route have two advantages - cost and volume. The exercise would help boost exports of fruits and vegetables as shipments through air cargo have a positive impact on the price competitiveness of these commodities. "So far, we are using air routes to export these perishable goods. But now, we are trying to see how we can use the se

Maximising the minimum: A look at MSP promises in poll-bound states

Ensuring central procurement of surplus grains purchased by announcing hefty bonuses over the MSP is tricky

Agri robots to eye for lunar rovers: Indian deep tech startups come of age

The key to their cutting-edge innovations can be attributed to the rise of emerging technologies including AI, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) and their accelerated adoption across sectors

Hefty MSP hike promises in poll-bound states could spell trouble in future

Hikes in wheat and paddy MSP in key states that contribute a significant amount to central pool would also mean that the Centre might find it difficult not to replicate the same increases nationally

Kharif crop prices will guide inflation fight in coming months amid polls

The ongoing elections in the three states could also be influenced if inflation rears its head again.

Sowing of mustard seed in Rajasthan on the track to meet target soon

Agriculture and allied sectors contribute around 25 per cent to the state's gross domestic product

Farm fires incidents fall over last year, unusual weather plays spoiler

According to the data collated by Climate Trends, in Punjab, during October 1 - November 5, the total farm fire incidents recorded stand at 14,255, which is a 47.8 per cent decrease

Punjab farmers defy farm fire prevention, force officer to burn stubble

A group of farmers allegedly defied the orders of a farm fire prevention team, and forced an officer to set a heap of stubble on fire in Punjab's Bathinda district, drawing condemnation from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. A purported video of the entire incident also surfaced on social media. Police have lodged an FIR in the matter after an order by Mann on Saturday. The chief minister termed the incident as an inhuman crime against the people of the state. Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray had also written to the senior superintendent of police, asking him to register an FIR against the farmers for preventing the official from discharging his duty. The incident took place in Mehma Sarja village on Friday when a team led by a special supervisor went there to check stubble burning incidents. The DC said the official was surrounded by a group of 50-60 farmers with allegiance to a farmers' body, took him to a nearby field and forced him to put a heap of stubble on fire.

Govt's paddy procurement at MSP reaches 16.14 million tons so far

The government on Thursday said 161.47 lakh tonne of kharif paddy has been procured directly from the farmers at the support price so far, and the buying operation is progressing smoothly. Paddy procurement is undertaken by the state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI) along with state agencies. The agencies are procuring paddy grown in the kharif (summer) season at the minimum support price (MSP). "Up to November 1, a quantity of 161.47 lakh tonne of paddy has been procured, benefitting about 9.33 lakh farmers with MSP value of Rs 35,571.14 crore," the food ministry said in a statement. The 2023-24 kharif marketing season, which runs from October to September is "progressing smoothly," it said. The agencies procure paddy from farmers and mill it later to get it in rice form. The ministry is targeting is procure 521.27 lakh tonne of rice in the kharif marketing season, out of which 20.76 per cent (108.23 lakh tonne) has already been procured from Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu.

India needs rural model that focuses on income from non-farm sources: Chand

Chand said NITI Aayog is working on the new development model for India with the same focus on boosting incomes from the rural non-farm sector

Cotton output estimated to be lowest in 15 years at 29.51 mn bales: CAI

The country's cotton production is estimated at 29.51 million bales in the 2023-24 marketing season, the lowest in 15 years on less planting amid the El Nino effect, the Cotton Association of India (CAI) said on Tuesday. The cotton marketing season runs from October to September. One bale of cotton is 170 kg. Cotton production is lower by 7.49 per cent from 31.89 million bales in the 2022-23 marketing season. It is also lower than the government estimate of 31.65 million bales for 2023-24. Releasing the first estimate, the CAI said, "After 2008-09, this is the lowest Indian cotton crop." Total area sown to cotton is lower by 5.5 per cent and yield is also expected to drop by up to 20 per cent due to unfavourable weather caused by El Nino, it said. The CAI has projected cotton production at 8.5 million bales in Gujarat, 7.6 million bales in Maharashtra, 3 million bales in Telangana,1.85 million bales in Karnataka, 1.8 million bales in Madhya Pradesh, and 1.6 million bales in Haryan

Wheat acreage jumps in initial sowing on good weather and firm price

According to the latest preliminary data by the Union ministry of agriculture, wheat has been sown in around 0.38 million hectares till October 27

'Pvt sector can provide advisory services, tech to support agri sector'

NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand on Thursday emphasised on the importance of partnership between the private and public sectors for long-term agricultural growth. Addressing an event organised by industry body Assocham, Chand further stressed on the need for coming up with new ways to boost agricultural output and recognising the wide range of agricultural practices across the country. "Private sector can play a critical role in precision farming In India. It can provide advisory services, agrochemicals, and suitable technology to support agricultural development," he said. He also highlighted the growth seen in India's agricultural industry, notably in livestock and fisheries, with an annual increase of roughly 2.75 per cent. The NITI Aayog member elaborated on the complex interaction between agriculture and climate change. "The real challenge lies in increasing productivity. To do so, we must address concerns of cost, technological progress, and resource efficiency," he said. Cha

Punjab govt to constitute industrial advisory commissions for 26 sectors

The Punjab government has recently issued a notification for constituting industrial advisory commissions for 26 sectors aimed at promoting holistic business development in the state. According to the notification, each advisory commission will be headed by a renowned person from the relevant industrial sector who will hold a rank equivalent to that of a cabinet minister. The commission will have industry representatives who will be nominated by the government, it said. The advisory commission is meant for several sectors, including textile, machine tools, sports goods, agri and food processing, rice milling and processing, bicycle and bicycle components, agriculture machinery and equipment, pharmaceuticals, alloys and steel, auto and auto components, and electronics. Information technology, paper and paper-based packaging units, plywood and wood products, hotels and hospitality, plastics and chemical products, logistics, construction materials, retail and service industries, ...

Nano urea will help farmers switch to natural farming, says Amit Shah

The nano urea and nano DAP introduced by IFFCO will help farmers adopt natural farming without compromising on production, Union cooperation minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said. He was speaking after inaugurating a nano DAP (diammonium phosphate liquid ) manufacturing plant at the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited's (IFFCO) unit at Kalol in the district. It is the world's first such plant, IFFCO said in a statement. "When a list of the biggest experiments in the field of agriculture will be prepared ten years from now, I can say with certainty that IFFCO's nano urea and nano DAP will find a place in it," he said. The need of the hour was to reduce the use of urea and move towards natural farming, the Union minister added. "If you want to move towards natural farming without reducing the production for three years (period needed to prepare the soil for such farming), then use nano urea and nano DAP," Shah said. Nano urea does not percolate into the ground, and hence it

Govt likely to set aside Rs 30,000 crore for PM Fasal Bima Yojna expansion

The govt plans to go beyond crop insurance to include assets such as ponds, tractors, livestock, and palm trees