Page 16 - Agriculture

Arhar, maize, groundnut, soybean, sugarcane acreage top their normal levels

Easing maize supply woes would also benefit user industries like poultry feed, starch, and ethanol

Best of BS Opinion: An open bureaucracy, leveraging agri-tech and more

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

Can maize maintain its newfound supremacy in ethanol production?

Some reports say the maize-based industry has demanded immediate imports of 5 million tonnes of duty-free imports to tide over the supply crunch

Govt plans 'tech' tonic to boost India's agricultural productivity

In the wake of climate change and the pressing need for sustainable agricultural practices, artificial intelligence-based solutions and geospatial technology can change India's agricultural landscape

Food, fuel, and timber: How bamboo is becoming 'green gold' for farmers

Bamboo cultivation with modern agronomic practices is proving more rewarding than many other crops, including the highly lucrative ones like sugarcane and cotton

AI push: Farmers reap better quality and yield, but challenges remain

The Indian govt is also promoting use of AI to help farmers increase their productivity

Centre launches new decision support system for agriculture sector

Krishi-DSS provides seamless access to comprehensive all-India data

Kharif sowing over in Rajasthan, all eyes on sky as rain may queer pitch

70% of guar comes from Rajasthan, rain may hit the crop

Tendu leaves' collection increases 20% this season in Chhattisgarh

The collection season in the state starts from the third week of April and continues till the second week of June

India's imports of pulses likely to decline in FY25 on good monsoon

Eminent agri economist Ashok Gulati says imports likely to double in the next 5 yrs if policies remain unchanged

Uttar Pradesh govt set to launch Rs 4,000 cr agriculture business project

The project is estimated to benefit a million farmers, including 30 per cent of the rural women associated with agri self help groups (SHGs)

EPA issues rare emergency ban on pesticide over fetal harm concerns

For the first time in roughly 40 years, the Environmental Protection Agency used its emergency authority to halt the sale of a weed-killing pesticide that harms the development of unborn babies. Officials took the rare step because the pesticide DCPA, or Dacthal, could cause irreversible damage to fetuses, including impaired brain development and low birthweight. The agency struggled to obtain vital health data from the pesticide's manufacturer on time and decided it was not safe to allow continued sale, EPA said in an announcement Tuesday. In this case, pregnant women who may never know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems, said Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. DCPA is mostly used on broccoli, cabbage and certain other crops and about 84,000 pounds were used on average in 2018 and 2020, officials said. In 2023, the EPA assessed the pesticide's risks

Centre to unilaterally release its share of crop insurance premium

Replying to a Parliament question, Chouhan said that earlier farmers had to wait for their claims unless both the Centre and states released their share of the premium subsidy

Kharif sowing up 2.3% at 81.18 million hectares from last year, shows data

Kharif sowing of all crops is over in almost 74 per cent of the normal area, which is the average area covered in the last five years

Centre extends sale of 'Bharat atta' and 'Bharat rice' at revised rates

The retail price for 'Bharat atta' and 'Bharat rice' has been revised for new stocks

Govt prepares for Rs 10,000 crore war chest to fight food inflation

Within the whole inflation basket, food inflation has been stubbornly high

Ready reckoner: FM Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget 2024 is a balancing act

The gross borrowing target is lower relative to gross domestic product as well as in absolute terms. This has meant that deficits remain under control

Union Budget 2024: Govt slashes food, fertiliser, and fuel subsidy bill

As the gas prices dropped, the cost of producing urea has also come down, and with it its subsidy expenditure from the government

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: Surge in working days; more people engaged in agriculture

Boost to rural infra and National Cooperation Policy to help fast-track rural growth