Page 25 - Agriculture Economy

Best of BS Opinion: Olympian ideals, land leasing needs a sound law & more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Land leasing needs a sound law

The concept of imposing limits on land ownership and acquiring surplus land for allocation to landless people, in fact, seldom served its intended objective of equitable distribution of farmland

40 new schemes will revolutionize cooperative sector in HP: Ministry

Aiming to revolutionize the cooperative sector of the state, about 40 new schemes have been initiated in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Cooperation, an official said on Saturday. The Department of Cooperation has commissioned various new initiatives for Primary Agriculture Credit Societies (PACS) of the state, Secretary (Cooperation) C Palrasu said. The major initiatives include PACS as Jan Aushadhi Kendras, wherein generic medicines will be made available to the rural population at cheap rates. Almost 50 PACS have applied to get Jan Aushadhi Kendra in the state. In PACS as a common service centre scheme, the societies will function as Lok Mitra kendras, that will help the rural population in getting various kinds of certificates timely and cheaply at their doorstep. More than 80 societies are now functioning as common service centres in the state, a statement issued here said. Recently LPG and petrol pump retail licences have also been opened for PACS, he said and added

SC defers GM mustard hearing to Nov 21; experts say trials may be delayed

The ideal time to sown mustard hybrid for North India is Nov first week

Govt bans use of controversial pesticide monocrotophus ahead of SC hearing

Ahead of a pivotal SC hearing, the Central govt has banned four insecticides from a list of 27, triggering mixed reactions

Govt implements minimum price for raw jute following bumper production

The government on Thursday fixed the minimum price for jute following reports that farmers are facing losses due to bumper crop of the golden fibre. In a notification, the Jute Commissioner said the minimum price has been fixed at Rs 5,050 per quintal at the farm level and Rs 5,500 per quintal for deliveries in Kolkata. The move was appreciated as average raw jute prices of the most traded variety TD5 had slumped to as low as Rs 4,100 on Wednesday, market sources said. Jute Commissioner Moloy Chandra Chakraborty said that the minimum price of jute in all forms will be in force till October 31 or until further orders for any trade in raw jute. "No buyer or seller shall be entitled to transact at rates other than those specified in this order," he said. Jute farmers recently demonstrated in Nadia, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, North 24-Parganas, and Hooghly districts demanding better prices and a rise in the MSP for their produce. They had blocked roads and set jute bales on fire. S

IZA calls for integration of micronutrients in Indian agriculture industry

With India's consumption of micro-nutrients in the agriculture sector remaining below the global average, the International Zinc Association (IZA) on Thursday called for the integration of micro-nutrients in agri-practices to produce nutrition-rich crops. Recently, there has been a shift in Indian consumer preferences towards healthier food options that can aid in maintaining and improving health. This has resulted in a surge in demand for high-value crops, thus driving the need for micro-nutrients in the Indian agriculture industry, it said. "India's journey towards optimal health and well-being hinges on the pervasive integration of micro-nutrients into our diets, healthcare, and agriculture practices," IZA South Asia Director Sourmitra Das said. He was addressing a two-day global micro-nutrient summit organised by IZA in association with the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) here in the national capital. Highlighting the pressing challenge of micro-nutrient deficiencies ...

Bihar govt promoting cultivation of aromatic, medicinal plants: Minister

To encourage farmers to diversify from traditional paddy cultivation to commercially viable farming, the Bihar government has come out with several incentives and subsidies for planting aromatic and medicinal plants in the state. The state agriculture department has come out with several incentives for farmers to promote cultivation of 'lemongrass', 'palmarosa', 'shatavari', 'tulsi', mulberry', 'khas', 'gooseberry', 'bael', 'tamarind', 'jackfruit', and lemon plants. Bihar Agriculture Minister Kumar Sarvjeet told PTI on Saturday that, "The government is coming out with several incentives and subsidies to farmers to help cultivate aromatic and medicinal plants in the state. The growing health awareness has created a lot of opportunities for innovation in the agriculture sector and the government is helping farmers to exploit this opportunity. This is the time Bihar farmers must opt from traditional paddy cultivation to commercially viable farming". This scheme will be implemented main

Poorest monsoon in five years likely to dim India's sugar export outlook

India relies on rains to irrigate about half of its farmland, received 820 millimeters (32.3 inches) of rainfall during the June-September monsoon season, 6% less than the long-term

24 agri startups recommended for support from pool of Rs 20 cr: Govt

In a boost to the agri-tech sector, experts have recommended 24 start-ups for both technical and financial support from a dedicated fund of Rs 20 crore, an official release said on Saturday

US, EU criticise India's rice export ban, request immediate resumption

Representatives from Japan, Australia, Brazil, the EU, the UK, and the US raised concerns over the impact of the ban on the global food market

M S Swaminathan, scientist who made India self-sufficient in food dies

M S Swaminathan was the father of India's Green Revolution and the recipient of national and international awards

Swaminathan's advice was not to turn Green Revolution into greed revolution

The scientist appealed farmers not to harm long-term production potential for short-term gains

Dr M S Swaminathan deserves to be honoured posthumously with Bharat Ratna

A void has been created by the visionary agriculture scientist's death, writes R S Paroda

Swaminathan brought positive change to food security: Rakesh Tikait

India will always remember the positive changes that MS Swaminathan brought to the country's agriculture and farmers, and his contribution to food security, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said on Thursday, as he remembered the iconic scientist. Swaminathan (98), also known as the father of Green Revolution in India, passed away at 11.15 am at his Chennai residence, the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation said. "The news of the demise of famous agricultural scientist Dr MS Swaminathan, the father of the Green Revolution, is deeply saddening," Tikait, the national spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union, posted in Hindi on X. "This country will always remember his contribution to the positive changes to the condition of Indian agriculture and farmers, and for food security. We will all continue this fight for your ideas together," Tikait added. Swaminathan was the driving force behind the nation's Green Revolution of the 1960s. The celebrated agriculture icon was being treated for ..

Era of agri research has come to an end: IARI chief on Swaminathan's death

An era of agricultural research, education and extension marked by disruptive innovations has come to an end with the death of MS Swaminathan, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Director A K Singh said on Thursday. Renowned agricultural scientist Swaminathan (98), also known as the father of Green Revolution in India, died on Thursday in Chennai due to age-related illness. He is survived by three daughters. "In passing away of Prof. Swaminathan, ends an era of agricultural research, education and extension that was full of disruptive innovation. If God appears to poor and hungry in form of bread as said by Mahatma Gandhi, that God is Dr. Swaminathan who should be worshipped by every citizen while taking daily meals," Singh said in a statement. The celebrated agriculture icon was being treated for age-related illness for quite some time, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation sources said.

GeM tightens vendor validation, partners with TCS for tech overhaul

GeM's rigorous validation process includes a two-step contactless procedure involving online forms for document submission and mobile-application-based video assessments

Govt seeks partnerships to modernise Mohali's semiconductor lab

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology aims for public-private collaboration to boost local semiconductor manufacturing capabilities

Academic institutions agree to form agri-consortium to boost startups

India's higher educational institutions on Wednesday agreed in principle to create an 'Agri-Consortium' to give a push to startups in the agriculture sector. An in-principle framework in this regard was adopted by participating higher educational institutions (HEIs) during the 'Agri-Entrepreneurship in South Asia' Consortium-2023 that concluded at the Indian Institute of Management, Kashipur, on Wednesday. The two-day event was aimed at providing a common platform for academicians, researchers, students, and industry professionals to interact and deliberate on the latest trends and advancements in technology, research, funding avenues and requirements in the agriculture industry, an IIM Kashipur press release here said. The HEIs agreed to share startup databases among consortium members, disseminate startup support programmes, and networking, and share best practices on the platform. The event was organised by the Foundation for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development (FIED), an

Explained: Why are Russian export prices roiling the wheat market

In March, sources told Reuters that the Russian government was recommending exporters ensure prices were high enough to cover farmers' production costs