Page 26 - Agriculture Economy

My non-privileged background paved the way for who I am today: Swati Nayak

"All my life I have mostly worked in farm and rural livelihood sectors with direct engagement with men and women farmers", she said

Regenerative cultivation the way to grow India's coffee industry: Report

Environmental and economic concerns are two major challenges threatening India's coffee industry, according to a report released here on Monday. The report titled 'Regenerative Cultivation for Sustaining and Growing India's Coffee Industry' by Firefly Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd, a company that works on soil health and nutrition management, said regenerative agriculture aims to create harmony between the three pillars of sustainability -- economic, environmental and social. The aim is to balance conservation and environmental sustainability alongside the commercial production of crops like coffee. An emphasis is placed on methods like agroforestry, reviving natural ecosystems and managing and replenishing soil health on coffee farms. It extends beyond merely sustaining soil and natural resources, to actively restoring and reviving agricultural land, it said. Founder and Director of Firefly Life Sciences, Nandita Abreo, said, "Drastic changes in climate patterns over the past decade have

SKUAST launches agricultural-entrepreneurship startup training programme

The Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) on Monday launched a skill training programme for creating the next generation of agri-entrepreneurs in Jammu and Kashmir. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has granted 550 skill training programmes to SKUAST for implementation in the current year, officials said. "We have to take our farming community from subsistence agriculture to sustainable commercial agriculture. We have to strive to achieve the goal set by the JK government to double the agricultural GDP in the next five years," Vice chancellor of the SKAUST Nazir Ahmad Ganaie told reporters. Last year the university implemented 66 skilling programmes. He said it is important that the country shifts toward startup culture as India is emerging as a big startup ecosystem in the world. "The universities have a very important role to play in bringing Jammu and Kashmir on the startup ecosystem map of the country," he added. S

India's soybean production may drop due to erratic rain: Industry officials

India uses soybeans to manufacture soyoil, which helps the country cut its hefty edible oil imports, while the by-product soymeal is used for animal feed and exported mainly to Southeast Asia

Odisha CM disburses Rs 900 cr for farmers under income assistance scheme

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday disbursed Rs 900 crore for the state's 44.56 lakh farmers, under an income assistance scheme on the occasion of Nuakhai, an agrarian festival celebrated mostly in the western region of Odisha. According to an official, an amount of Rs 2,000 each was directly transferred to the bank accounts of 43.88 lakh small and marginal farmers and other 68,750 landless farmers in Odisha under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme for Rabi crop. The state government launched the KALIA scheme in 2018, under which farmers are given Rs 4,000 in two equal instalments. So far, the state government has disbursed Rs 12,500 crore to farmers under the scheme. Today, on the occasion of Nuakhai, the farmers are paid Rs 2,000 as KALIA assistance for Rabi crop. Nuakhai is the festival of Mother Earth. Mother Earth blesses us with resources that are made available to us through the hard work of our farming community. They

Onion traders in Nashik district go on indefinite strike, suspend auctions

Trade sources suggest an immediate price hike of Rs 2 per kilogram due to the abrupt disruption in supplies

Govt to link 28 more wholesale mandis with online trading platform eNAM

The government will integrate 28 new wholesale mandis (market yards) with the online trading platform eNAM, taking the total count to 1,389 in the country, Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said on Tuesday. At present, 1,361 regulated mandis in 23 states and four Union Territories are linked with the electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM), launched on April 26. "To further strengthen e-NAM, 28 new mandis were approved recently for integration to take the total count of mandis to 1389," Ahuja said at a workshop here on eNAM 2.0. He also emphasised on the importance of providing key information to the stakeholders of e-NAM at the right time. "It is important to remove information asymmetry," he said. Ahuja further said the information pertaining to quality of produce is as vital to the buyer, as the prices of commodities are vital to sellers. "From an economic perspective, the whole value chain must be made efficient and wastage must be reduced," he said. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai,

Agriculture exports dip in first quarter of FY24 on bans and curbs

Data shows that between April and June 2023, agriculture product exports dropped by almost 15 per cent compared to the same period last year

The unfinished job of farm mechanisation

The current level of farm mechanisation in India, reckoned officially at 47 per cent, is far lower than the 60 per cent in China and 75 per cent in Brazil

Farmers' incomes are key for boosting food security

Why enabling small-scale farmers to participate in food value chains can lead to rural prosperity

How plant sensors are improving Indian agriculture, checking waste

Sensors that monitor plant health, irrigation, nutrient use and weather are improving productivity, checking waste at farms and greenhouses

India expands curbs on rice exports with 20% duty on parboiled grade

Last month, India surprised buyers by imposing a ban on exports of widely consumed non-basmati white rice, following a ban on broken rice exports last year

Area under paddy up 4.4%, pulses down 8.3% this kharif season: Govt

Area under paddy crop increased by 4.4 per cent to 384.05 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing kharif season despite a lag in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, according to data released by the Ministry of Agriculture on Friday. However, pulse acreage was down 8.30 per cent at 117.44 lakh hectares as on August 25 as against 128.07 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. Tur, urad and moong acreage, too, remained lower. Kharif (summer) sowing begins with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June, while harvesting starts in October. Paddy is the main kharif crop as more than 80 per cent of the total rice production is grown during this season. "We are quite comfortable in paddy area coverage. Sowing is still underway and the window is till September 15," Agriculture Commissioner P K Singh told PTI. Paddy acreage has increased to 384.05 lakh hectares as of August 25 in the ongoing kharif season as against 367.83 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. Maximum increase in paddy coverage was

Sunil Mittal says 60% of world's arable, uncultivated land in Africa

Africa's arable, uncultivated and fertile land can offer solution to food crisis, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chair of B20 India Action Council on African Economic Integration, said, adding that adopting Africa as a place to do agriculture can potentially change the world. Mittal said Africa economic integration is gaining momentum, and expressed hope that the Africa Union will soon become a permanent member of G20. Mittal asserted that African voice in G20 is "absolutely important". "Sixty per cent of world's arable and yet uncultivated land is in Africa...today we have all seen the crisis that the world is going through on food production...Just adopt Africa as place to do agriculture, perhaps some value added agriculture...the entire world can change," he said speaking at B20 Summit India 2023. Mittal, who is Bharti Enterprises Chairperson, described Africa as the last continent of hope. "...one of the most populous young continent around the globe, but equally one of the most backwar

80% of arable land in 8 J'khand districts lying fallow due to scanty rains

More than 80 per cent of arable land meant for paddy cultivation in eight Jharkhand districts is lying fallow due to scanty rainfall, an official said on Saturday. The ideal sowing period for paddy is from July 1 to July 31, according to agricultural experts. With delayed or scanty rainfall in the early months of monsoon in the last few years, many farmers nowadays sow crops till mid-August but that does not lead to a good harvest, they said. Overall paddy sowing coverage in Jharkhand was recorded at 43.66 per cent till August 18. Paddy was sown in only 7.85 lakh hectares of land against the target of 18 lakh hectares till August 18, according to coverage data of the state agriculture department. The situation is grim in eight districts out of the total 24 districts in the state in terms of paddy coverage. Palamu district has recorded the state's lowest paddy sowing coverage at 2.96 per cent till August 18, followed by Jamtara (5.63%), Dumka (7.66%), Garhwa (8.43%), Dhanbad (10.26%)

Centre aims zero stubble burning in current season: Agriculture Minister

The Centre aims to work towards achieving zero paddy stubble burning incidents in the current season, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday. To achieve this, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi governments presented their action plan and strategies for preventing paddy stubble burning at an inter-ministerial meeting on Thursday. Stubble burning is a process of setting on fire the straw stubble, left after the harvesting of paddy. It is a common practice in October and November primarily in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. "The aim in the current season is to work towards achieving zero stubble burning," Tomar said. The Centre is providing sufficient funds under Crop Residue Management (CRM)scheme to the four states and they must ensure proper utilization by providing machine to farmers in a timely manner, he said in a statement. There is a need for proper monitoring at the state level to ensure proper utilization of the machines and the use of ...

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Maha to bring law to curb sale of bogus seeds, fertilisers: State minister

The Maharashtra government will bring a law to curb the sale of bogus seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde said in the legislative council on Friday. Explaining the need for such a law, he said farmers across the state are being frequently cheated. We are bringing a law. It will be brought in the current Monsoon session to curb the sale of bogus seeds, fertilisers and pesticides in Maharashtra, Munde said in the council. Munde, who recently took charge of the agriculture ministry, said companies selling genuine seeds and other agriculture-related products won't be bothered by officials.

Rs 17,000 cr under PM-KISAN released by PM to benefit farmers: CM Saha

Prime Minister Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone and dedicated a series of transformative development projects in Sikar, Rajasthan

Statsguru: India's agri output may outpace global growth over 10-yr period

The production of pulses in India is likely to rise by 45 per cent by 2032, compared to a 30 per cent global rise, suggested the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2023-2032