Page 21 - Agriculture

Govt assisting, encouraging farmers to take agriculture on new path: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reiterated his government's commitment to support farmers in exploring new avenues in agriculture. Addressing an event in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, the prime minister emphasized the importance of working towards a common goal of having Indian food products on dining tables across the globe. His remarks came amid a protest by a section of farmers over their various demands such as a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops. "We are assisting and encouraging farmers to take our country's agriculture on a new path," he said. He emphasised the focus on natural farming and millets. "This is the right time for investment in superfoods like millets," he said. He cited the emergence of large-scale natural farming along the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, which not only benefits farmers but also helps preserve the purity of sacred rivers. The prime minister appealed to food processing entrepreneurs to prioritise the mantra of "zero .

Uttar Pradesh govt transfers nearly Rs 11,200 crore to paddy farmers

In the current kharif marketing season 2023-24, the state has paid nearly Rs 11,200 crore to the farmers against paddy procurement under the MSP formula

Farmers' protests: Why are Tikaits, many big guns missing in action?

A protracted agitation may force other farmer leaders, and political parties to join forces with protesters: Experts

Farmers' agitation to cause Rs 500 cr loss daily to northern states: Phdcci

Industry body PHDCCI on Friday said it apprehends "severe hit" to trade and industry and loss of employment in the northern states from a lingering farmers' agitation which would result in economic losses of over Rs 500 crore daily. "A lingering agitation will cause Rs 500 crores economic loss daily and will have an impact on Q4 Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of northern states majorly Punjab, Haryana and Delhi," said Sanjeev Agrawal, President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The industry body looks forward to an early resolution of the issues from both the government and the farmers, with a common consensus for the welfare of all in the country, he added. Agrawal stated that the farmers' agitation is severely impacting the businesses of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan as raw materials of such units are procured largely from other states to execute production processes and to

Rajnath, Munda, other ministers discuss farmers' issue amid protests

Senior Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Arjun Munda, on Wednesday held discussions on the ongoing farmers' protests and ways to address the issues, according to sources. The meeting in the national capital assumes significance against the backdrop of farmers from Punjab marching towards Delhi and Haryana Police using tear gas shells to stop them at the Shambhu border between the two states. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, also a former agriculture minister, deliberated upon various farmer issues with Munda, who is currently in charge of the agriculture ministry. Munda is also one of the ministers who held discussions with farmer groups, the sources said. Details about the meeting could not be immediately ascertained. Thousands of farmers, who are seeking a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) among other demands, started their 'Delhi Chalo' march on Tuesday. Haryana Police lobbed tear gas shells at farmers from Punjab at the Shambhu border as thousands of protesters

Farmers protest: Ready for talks with Centre, says Jagjit Singh Dallewal

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Wednesday said they are ready for holding talks with the Centre over their demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price. Citing media reports, Dallewal said Union Minister Anurag Thakur has, in his statement, said that the Centre was ready for holding talks and was also ready to resolve the issues of the farmers. "We do not want to give any room to the Centre for saying that it was inviting us, but they did not accept it. That we have accepted and we are ready for talks," he told reporters at the Shambhu border. Dallewal said the farmer leaders have taken the consent of fellow farmers for holding talks. "After taking their consent, we will hold talks," he said. "Our priority is that the talks should take place in Chandigarh," asserted Dallewal, who is the president of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur). "If they (the Centre) have given an invitation after seeing all this and said they are ready to resolve their issues then w

MSP law cannot be rushed, farmers should talk with govt: Arjun Munda

Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday said a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price (MSP) on crops cannot be brought in a hurry without consulting all stakeholders and urged the protesting farmer groups to have a structured discussion with the government on the issue. In an interview with PTI, Munda also cautioned the protesting farmers to be "aware and alert" about some elements which could defame their protest for political benefits. Munda is part of the ministerial delegation that held two rounds of discussion with the farmers' groups, including Samyuka Kisan Morcha (non-political), Kisan Mazdoor Morcha in Chandigarh, to resolve their concerns. However, as the talks remained inconclusive, farmers' groups have started their 'Delhi Chalo' march on Tuesday. "In the two rounds of discussions, we agreed to many of their demands. But there was no agreement on certain issues. The talks are still on," Munda said.

Farmers' protest highlights: Heavy traffic snarl seen near Singhu border

Farmers' protest updates: Catch all the latest updates on the farmers' protest here

Haryana beefs up security ahead of farmers' planned 'Delhi chalo' march

Agitating farmers and central ministers to meet on Monday for 2nd round of talks

Moody's downgrades agri solutions provider UPL, maintains negative outlook

Credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service on Tuesday downgraded agriculture solutions provider UPL to Ba1 and maintained the negative outlook on deterioration in the agrochemical industry. Moody's has downgraded the senior unsecured rating for UPL Corporation (UPL Corp) to Ba1 from Baa3 and has also downgraded the rating on the long-term junior subordinated rating on UPL Corp's USD 400 million undated perpetual Eurobonds to Ba3 from Ba2, the credit rating agency said in a statement. Further, Moody's has assigned a Ba1 corporate family rating (CFR) to UPL Corp and withdrawn the company's Baa3 issuer rating. "The downgrade to Ba1 is driven by a protracted deterioration in the agrochemical industry fundamentals that will keep UPL's credit metrics weaker than our expectation for an investment-grade rating," Moody's Senior Vice President Kaustubh Chaubal said. The Moody's rating action is following UPL's weak operating results for the third quarter of the fiscal ending March 2024 .

No proposal to hike PM-KISAN amount from Rs 6,000 per year: Arjun Munda

The government on Tuesday informed Parliament that it has no proposal to increase the financial benefit to farmers under PM-KISAN scheme to Rs 8,000-12,000 per year. There is no proposal under consideration to increase the amount even for women farmers under the scheme, Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. Launched in 2019, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) provides eligible farmers a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 every four months. The fund is directly transferred to bank accounts of the beneficiaries. "No proposal is under consideration," he said replying to question if the government plans to increase the amount to Rs 8,000-12,000 per year. Sharing the progress made under the scheme, the minister said the government has disbursed over Rs 2.81 lakh crore to more than 11 crore farmers in 15 instalments so far. The benefit is provided to supplement financial needs of land-holding farmers,

11 urea companies to get Rs 500 crore on settling gas marketing issue

The marketing margin is charged by gas marketing companies from consumers over and above the cost of gas for taking on the additional risk and cost associated with the marketing of gas

2.33 million farmers enrolled under PMKMY since launch, says Govt

Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday said in Parliament that 23.38 lakh farmers have been enrolled under the farmers' pension scheme PMKMY so far. Launched in September 2019, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PMKMY) is meant for old age protection and social security of Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs). It's a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for the entry age group of 18 to 40 years with a provision of Rs 3000 monthly pension on attaining the age of 60 years. "As on date, a total of 23,38,720 farmers have been enrolled across the country...," Munda said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. In Karnataka, total of 41,683 farmers have been enrolled under the PMKMY since the inception of the scheme, he added. As per the operational guidelines of the scheme, the central government matches the contribution made by the beneficiary farmer. As on January 31, this year, an amount of Rs 10,78,51,700 has been collected from farmers of Karnataka under PMKMY and the same

Decadal perspective: Foodgrain production up 20% under the Modi govt

Electronic National Agriculture Market has integrated 1,361 mandis and 180 million farmers over a period of time

Interim Budget 2024-25: For agri and rural, it's continuation of the past

Since it is an Interim Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not make any big announcements nor did she increase allocations for welfare schemes in an election year

IMD decides to shut down all 199 district agromet units across country

The India Meteorological Department has decided to discontinue the services of the 199 district agromet units that provide crucial and detailed weather-related advisories to lakhs of farmers at the block level, helping them reduce crop losses and increase income. In an order issued on January 17, the IMD said the services of the district agromet units (DAMU) will not be extended beyond the current financial year (2023-2024). "Therefore, you are requested to kindly take necessary action for discontinuation of services of district agromet units (DAMUs) and winding up the existing 199 DAMUs," the order said. According to the minutes of the Expenditure Finance Committee (Finance Ministry) meeting held in February last year, a senior advisor of Niti Aayog had advised reevaluation of the "necessity of providing staff at each DAMU". The official suggested the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) may have "centralised units instead of field units as the collection of data is automated". The

Bayer CropScience Q3 results: Profit falls 31% to Rs 93.1 cr on soft demand

The company's profit fell to 931 million rupees ($11.2 million) during the three months ended Dec. 31 from 1.35 billion rupees a year earlier

Seeking balance between controlled, skewed pricing in favour of urea

Some in the industry fear a return of controls while others see positives in a govt circular, but the bigger issue is the skewed pricing in favour of urea

Nova Agritech shares jump nearly 43.39% to Rs 58.79 in debut trade

The stock listed at Rs 56, up 36.58 per cent from the issue price on the BSE. It later jumped 43.39 per cent to Rs 58.79

Delhi's maximum temperature this January second coldest in 74 years: IMD

Unfavourable weather conditions in the world's second-biggest wheat producer after China could oblige the country to import the staple to ensure affordable supplies for its 1.4 billion people