Page 3 - Agriculture Ministry

Why is achieving 'atmanirbharta' in edible oils a difficult ask?

Unless the focus comes back on high-yielding seeds that have a higher oil content than currently available varieties, self-sufficiency in edible oils will continue to be a mirage

Govt working to support agri, focus on overall development: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said that the government is making efforts to increase the profitability of agriculture and is focusing on people-centric development

Masur production may touch record 1.6 mn tons this Rabi season: Govt

The country's masur (lentil) production is estimated to touch an all-time high of 1.6 million tonnes in the 2023-24 rabi season on higher acreage, according to Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh. Masur production stood at 1.55 million tonnes in the 2022-23 rabi season, as per the official data. Despite being the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses, India imports certain pulses, including masur and tur, to meet domestic shortages. "This year, masur production is going to be at an all-time high. Our masur production will be the highest in the world. The acreage has increased. The dynamic is changing," Singh said at an event organised by the Global Pulse Confederation (GPC) on Friday. In the ongoing rabi season, more area has been brought under the masur crop. The total masur acreage has increased to 1.94 million hectare as of January 12 in the ongoing rabi season, when compared to 1.83 million hectare in the year-ago period, according to the agriculture ministry

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

Paddy sowing up 3% to 18 mn hectares in kharif season; pulses area down 10%

Area under coverage for paddy is up 3 per cent to 180.2 lakh hectares till July 21 in the ongoing kharif (summer-sown) season, while the acreage of pulses is down 10 per cent to 85.85 lakh hectares, according to agriculture ministry data. The paddy acreage stood at 175.47 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year. Pulses area was 95.22 lakh hectares in the same period last year. Paddy is the main kharif crop, sowing of which normally starts with the onset of southwest monsoon. About 80 per cent of the country's total rice production comes from the kharif season. As per the data, the acreage of Shri Anna-cum-coarse cereals has risen to 134.91 lakh hectares till July 21, as against 128.75 lakh hectares in the corresponding period last year. In non-foodgrains category, area under oilseeds has increased to 160.41 lakh hectares, from 155.29 lakh hectares in the same period last year. Groundnut sowing area has improved slightly to 34.94 lakh hectares from 34.56 lakh hectares.

Agri Min issues draft guidelines for registration of bio-stimulants

The agriculture ministry has come out with draft guidelines specifying efficacy data and trial reports required for registration of various categories of bio-stimulants under Schedule-VI of the FCO Amendment order 2021. It is mandatory for a person who wants to manufacture or import any bio-stimulant to list such bio-stimulant under Schedule VI of the Fertiliser (inorganic, organic or mixed) Control Amendment Order 2021, also called the FCO Amendment order. India is one of the few countries to define separate regulations for bio-stimulants. In 2021, the government notified bio-stimulant regulation through the FCO Amendment Order. As per this order, bio-stimulants will have to be first registered and prove efficacy before hitting the market. As per the draft guidelines for registration of bio-stimulants released on June 12, stakeholders should ensure that the data submitted along with the application for registration is authentic, replicable, utilizable and of good quality. The ...

Narendra Singh Tomar chairs eighth meeting of SCO agriculture ministers

India is a leading producer of many commodities like cereals, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, and fish

Acreage of summer crops down slightly; area under rice, oilseeds falls

The area under coverage for summer crops is marginally down so far at 65.29 lakh hectares, according to the agriculture ministry data. The sowing area under rice and oilseeds is less, while the acreage of pulses and coarse cereals is higher, the data showed. The ministry on Monday released the progress of area coverage under summer crops as of April 28, 2023. As per the data, the area under coverage for rice stood at 27.45 lakh hectares so far against 29.14 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. Pulses acreage rose to 17.57 lakh hectare from 16.23 lakh hectares, while sowing area of coarse cereals increased to 10.86 lakh hectares from 10.19 lakh hectares. In the non-foodgrains category, oilseeds acreage is down at 9.40 lakh hectares till April 28 from 10.46 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. Overall, the total area under summer crops till April 28 stood at 65.29 lakh hectares, marginally down from 66.02 lakh hectares a year ago. The growing season for zaid/summer crops is shor

India's wheat stocks dwindle to a 6-year low of 8.34 MMT, down 57% YoY

Last year, in the month of April, the wheat stocks in the country stood at 18.9 MMT and there were concerns regarding the wheat stocks in the country

DigiClaim launched for National Crop Insurance Portal's claim disbursal

With the launch of the module, claims will be disbursed electronically, which will benefit the respective farmers of six states

Need to reach out to farmers with tech amid climate change challenge: Tomar

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday stressed the need to reach out to all farmers with new technologies and research amid the challenges of climate change. Addressing the 94th Annual General Meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Society, Tomar said agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and the sector must be further developed. "Various challenges like Climate Change are before us today. We are also facing the challenge of damage caused to the standing crops of the farmers due to natural disasters. In new India, we have to reach out to all the farmers with new technology and research," he said. He lauded the contribution of the ICAR scientists in boosting the farm sector so far and said more research efforts are required to make a new India by 2047. The minister also said India's supremacy in the farm sector is increasing all over the world and even expectations are also rising, according to an official statement. On the agricultu

Three Centre of Excellence to be set up for fruits, vegetables: Agri Min

The Agriculture Ministry on Friday said three Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be set up for dragon fruit, mango, vegetables and flowers at Bengaluru, Jajpur and Goa. The ministry "has approved 49 CoEs till now, out of which 3 CoEs have been approved on March 9, 2023" under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), an official statement said. One CoE for Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) will be set up by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) at experimental station Hirehalli in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The second CoE for mango and vegetables will be set up under the Indo-Israel Action Plan at Panikoili, Jajpur District, Odisha. The third CoE for vegetables and flowers under the Indo-Israel Action Plan will be established at a government agricultural farm in Ponda, South Goa. Under the MIDH, Centers of Excellence are being established in various states through Bilateral Cooperation or Research Institutes. These CoEs serve as demonstration and training centres

Guj govt announces Rs 330 crore to transport and store potatoes, onions

The Gujarat government on Tuesday announced a Rs 330-crore package for onion and potato cultivators for transportation and storage amid a drop in rates. State Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel told the Assembly that Gujarat is likely to produce seven lakh tonne of red onions in 2023. "Marketing yards in the Saurashtra region are likely to receive 3.50 lakh tonne produce for sale, for which the government will provide an assistance of Rs 70 crore by providing an additional Rs 2 per kg for sale through Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC). Onion farmers will get an assistance of Rs 20 crore for transportation (of the produce) to other states and abroad," he said. The government has also decided to provide financial aid of Rs 240 crore to potato growers affected by a fall in prices due to high production, the minister said. This aid will be provided in the form of storage and transportation cost for the sale of potatoes in other states and outside the country. (Of the Rs 2

Congress promises MSP with legal guarantee under Swaminathan panel

The Congress on Sunday promised farmers will be given minimum support price (MSP) with legal guarantee under C2 formula of M.S. Swaminathan Commission

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana extended to across Jammu and Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir government has extended Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to the farmers of all 20 districts of the union territory, an official said on Friday.

Wheat crop in good condition; govt's wheat procurement to be normal: FCI MD

Wheat crop is in good condition and the government's procurement would be normal at 300-400 lakh tonne in the 2023-24 marketing year starting March, FCI Chairman and Managing Director Ashok K Meena said on Thursday. "Area sown to wheat is higher than last year. The current condition of wheat crop is very good. Our procurement should be normal at 300-400 lakh tonne in 2023-24," Meena said in a press conference. The wheat procurement had declined last year due to a fall in domestic production and higher exports, he said. Asked whether there would be any impact on wheat crop due to rise in temperature, as forecast by the Met Department, Meena said it is unlikely to have any impact and the short duration crop will not be affected. The government has projected a record wheat production at 112.18 million tonne in the 2023-24 crop year (July-June) as per the second estimate of the agriculture ministry. Last year, wheat procurement for the central pool had declined to 187.92 lakh tonne fr

Wheat crop reaches vegetative phase in MP, parts of Punjab, Haryana

Wheat crop has reached the maximum vegetative stage in Madhya Pradesh, parts of Punjab and Haryana, according to the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC). Whereas in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, wheat crop is yet to reach the maximum vegetative phase due to delay in sowing, it said in its latest report. The life cycle of a wheat plant is divided into three main development phases, namely the vegetative phase, in which leafs and tillers are developed; the reproductive phase, and the grain fill stage. The wheat crop normally enters the grain fill stage in March and any unusual rise in temperature could cause yield damage. Wheat is the main rabi crop, the harvesting of which will begin from end of next month. The government has projected a record wheat output of 112.18 million tonnes in the 2022-23 crop year (July-June). The government has set up a committee to monitor impact of rise in temperature on the wheat crop in order to avoid the repeat of last year when the

Centre to add 60 more seats in NIAM, scrap compulsory stay in hostel

Asserting that youth should be attracted towards farm sector, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday announced that the Centre will add 60 more seats in the PG Diploma in Agri Business Management course offered by Jaipur-based Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (CCS-NIAM). The government will also abolish the provision of compulsory stay in a hostel, Tomar said addressing the fourth convocation of CCS-NIAM in Jaipur. Currently, the intake of students is about 60 for PG Diploma in AgriBusiness Management. "To bring more benefits to the agriculture sector in the country and to make the villages more prosperous, the students and youth associated with agriculture should also contribute," an official statement quoted the minister as saying at the event in Jaipur. The agriculture sector is important and youth should also be attracted towards it, he said, adding that there are many challenges in the farm sector, which the central government is

Rs 15,626 cr sanctioned under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, says Govt

Loans amounting to Rs 15,626 cr have been sanctioned under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to create 21,380 infrastructure units

G20: Union Agriculture Minister calls for renewed faith in multilateralism

Underlining the need for a renewed faith in multilateralism, Union Agriculture Minister said India is developing rapidly due to science and innovation