Page 26 - Agriculture

India's law on farmers' rights can be a model for the world: Droupadi Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said India's law on protection of plant varieties and farmers' rights can be emulated for the entire world as it gains importance amid the challenges of climate change. Addressing the first ever global symposium on farmers' rights here, the President said India has taken a lead in introducing the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act (PPVFR), which is aligned to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for food and agriculture to protect farmers. India provides a range of rights to farmers that include use, reuse, save, share and sell the unbranded seeds of a registered variety. Besides, farmers can register their own varieties which get protection, she said. "Such an act can serve as an excellent model worthy of emulation for the entire world," the President noted. She further said this gains importance amid challenges posed by climate change and also to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

685 farmer suicides in Marathwada so far; agri min's home district on top

As many as 685 farmers have committed suicide this year till August 31 in Maharashtra's Marathwada region, according to an official report, with the highest deaths at 186 reported from Beed, the home district of state Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde. The arid region in central Maharashtra consists of eight districts -- Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Parbhani, Nanded, Osmanabad, Hingoli and Latur. As per a report of the Divisional Commissioner's office here, 685 cultivators have ended their lives between January 1 and August 31, 2023, in the region and 294 of these deaths took place in three monsoon months alone (June to August). Marathwada is currently facing 20.7 per cent rainfall deficit. The region has so far received 455.4 mm of rainfall (till September 11) as against 574.4 mm of average monsoon showers (during period under review), an official said. The highest number of farmer suicides in the region at 186 was reported from Beed district, said the report. Beed is the home ...

Multi-billion dollar India-Nigeria infra deal to boost agriculture, ports

The agreement, signed on Sept. 6 with Invest India, is expected to help the West African country industrialize its agriculture and manufacturing sectors and cut reliance on imports

G20 first spouses see breakthroughs in India's agriculture sector at IARI

As many as 15 spouses of G20 leaders including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's wife, Yoko Kishida, on Saturday visited the 1,200-acre PUSA-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) campus here -- the seat of India's Green Revolution -- and saw the breakthroughs in Indian agriculture and enjoyed the farm-to-fork millet experience. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty and World Bank President Ajay Banga's wife Ritu Banga were among the delegation of first ladies and spouses of G20 leaders who visited the IARI campus here in the national capital. They were received by Kyoko Jaishankar, the wife of India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. They were welcomed by a grand "millets-rangoli" at the exhibition that showcased the curated millets from 18-odd countries, and the burgeoning startup ecosystem and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in India. "At the exhibition area, 15 #Agristartups showcased innovative tech solutions to address ground-level ...

Basmati rice and humble makhana on global platter for G20 chiefs' spouses

The exhibition will also feature displays on various climate-resistant crop varieties crucial for food and nutritional security

Mohali to Manila: Rice economy faces turmoil as El Nino turns up heat

The agriculture department is coordinating with the state's irrigation and energy departments to ensure optimum supply of water and electricity

El Nino's potential impact on rabi crops overcasts govt's fiscal arithmetic

Food inflation rose to a three and a half year high of 11.51 per cent in July this year, compared to 4.31 per cent in the previous month

Rural demand vulnerable due to higher food inflation, lower income: Report

The country's rural demand is vulnerable and could be further impacted by the "dual blows" of lower income and high food inflation due to an erratic monsoon, according to a domestic rating agency. The upcoming festivities may lead to a rise in consumption demand but such an increase will depend on the extent of the skewed monsoon impact, CareEdge Ratings said in a report released on Tuesday. Consumption, including rural demand, is considered an important factor influencing the overall GDP growth in the country. Some FMCG players have already flagged concerns on the rural demand front. "Rural demand remains vulnerable and can be hit by a dual blow of higher food inflation and lower income," the rating agency said. It said the risk to farm income remains high as uneven distribution of monsoon has affected the sowing of certain crops and can adversely affect yields. The cost of living is also rising due to high food inflation and expected hit to agriculture due to an erratic monsoon,

India's farming input inflation saw marginal dip in last few months

WPI-based food inflation remained subdued since November last year, but rose in July, higher than the consumer price index inflation at 11.51 per cent

Crop protection companies to reap bumper Q2 harvest after dismal Q1

Global agrochemical business expected to remain subdued throughout CY23

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

Phagwara farmers suspend dharna after payment assurances from admin

Farmers under the banner of Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba) Thursday suspended their sit-in protest after the district administration here gave assurances to get cane dues amounting Rs 43 crore cleared from a local sugar mill. Farmers on Wednesday had staged a dharna here to protest against the alleged delay in the clearance of sugarcane dues pending with the private sugar mill. Phagwara sub-divisional magistrate Jai Inder Singh said that the administration would sell the properties of the sugarmill for clearing the cane dues. We have already identified 3-4 such properties and served notices to their owners, he informed. After the SDM's assurance, BKU (D) general secretary Satnam Singh Sahni suspended the dharna. On Wednesday, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian had directed deputy commissioner of Kapurthala Karnail Singh to identify all properties of the Phagwara mill so that the same could be sold to make payments to the cane farmers.

NCRTC conducts training camps to educate farmers on modern techniques

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) on Wednesday organised skill development training camps in the districts of Ghaziabad and Meerut to educate farmers on modern agricultural techniques, officials said. Under the training programme, a team of agricultural experts is teaching the farmers new methods of modern agriculture. The initial phase of the programme is being implemented in villages such as Bhud Baral, Khadarabad, Nangla Moosa, Asalat Nagar, Kakra, Sahapur, Sara, Kanoja, and Sikrikurt in Ghaziabad and Meerut districts. The programme has been initiated to raise awareness, enhance skills and provide training to modern farmers on the latest agricultural techniques, the NCRTC said. "As a part of the training programme, farmers were also guided on how to increase their earnings via hydroponics (a technique to grow plants using water-based nutrient solution instead of soil) and protected cultivation techniques," an official of the NCRTC said. The official said

Drone tech in agriculture set to boost rural economy in Uttar Pradesh

The government is facilitating the training of drone pilots to cater to the growing demand for drones in the state

Paddy sowing rises 4.3% in ongoing kharif season, shows govt data

The area under coverage for paddy has increased 4.33 per cent to 360.79 lakh hectares across the country in the ongoing kharif season as the lag in sowing narrowed in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Karnataka, according to official data released on Friday. Paddy, the main kharif crop, was sown in 345.79 lakh hectares in the year-ago period. About 80 per cent of the country's rice is grown during the kharif season, which is generally from June to September. As per the data from the agriculture ministry for the ongoing kharif season till August 18, paddy was sown in 24.80 lakh hectares in Odisha, 0.43 lakh hectares less that the year-ago period. Similarly, it was sown in 16.61 lakh hectares in Assam, down by 0.61 lakh hectares from the year-ago period. Paddy-sowing areas in Andhra Pradesh were at 8.29 lakh hectares till August 18, down by 1.53 lakh hectares from the same period of the previous year. However, pulse sowing was lagging behind as coverage was at 114.92 lakh hectares

Delhi Cong meets LG, seeks uniform circle rate for all agricultural lands

A delegation of Delhi Congress leaders Thursday met Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and demanded the implementation of a uniform circle rate for all agricultural lands in the national capital. The party also alleged that there is a "conspiracy" behind the new circle rates. On August 7, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved an increase in circle rates of agricultural land and those adjacent to the Yamuna barrage. Previously, agricultural lands across Delhi had a uniform circle rate and they have now been delineated on a district basis. Handing a letter to the LG, a four-member Congress delegation, including Devendra Yadav and Anil Bharadwaj, alleged that the proposal for different circle rates has caused "dissatisfaction among the farmers of Delhi". "This proposed circle rate has become the subject of discussion and there is great dissatisfaction among the farmers of Delhi. We believe that the circle rate of agricultural lands should be uniform," the letter read. The Delhi .

Punjab to provide 22,000 straw management machines for 2023 Kharif season

The Punjab government plans to provide more than 22,000 crop residue management machines on subsidy under a Rs 350-crore action plan for the 2023 Kharif season to check stubble burning incidents in the state, said a senior official. Under the paddy straw management plan, the state agriculture department is also targeting zero-stubble burning incidents in seven districts Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Mohali, SBS Nagar and Malerkotla and 50 per cent reduction in stubble fire cases in Patiala, Sangrur, Faridkot and Muktsar districts, said the official. In the 2022 Kharif season, Punjab had seen a 30 per cent drop in stubble-burning incidents to 49,907 from 71,304 in 2021. "We have an action plan of Rs 350 crore for the paddy straw management," said Punjab Agriculture Director Gurwinder Singh. Under this action for paddy straw management, around 21,000 machines for in-situ management (mixing crop residue in fields) and 1,800 balers for ex-situ (using stubble as fuel) will

Over 400,000 hectares brought under natural farming in 8 states: Govt

About 4.09 lakh hectares have been brought under natural farming in eight states with Andhra Pradesh leading the group, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in Parliament on Tuesday. The eight states are Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu, the minister said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The Centre is promoting natural farming since 2019-20 through a sub-scheme, Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP), under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana. "So far, 4.09 lakh hectare area has been brought under natural farming in 8 states," Tomar said. About 1 lakh hectares have been brought under natural farming in Andhra Pradesh, 99,000 hectares in Madhya Pradesh, 85,000 hectares in Chhattisgarh, 84,000 hectares in Kerala, 24,000 hectares in Odisha, 12,000 hectares in Himachal Pradesh, 3,400 hectares in Jharkhand, and 2,000 hectares in Tamil Nadu, he said. Natural farming is chemical-free and based on the

Crop losses reported in parts of Goa due to extreme rainfall, says minister

Goa Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik on Monday informed the state legislative assembly that crop losses have been reported in parts of the state due to extreme rainfall last month. Naik was responding to a joint question tabled by MLAs Vijai Sardesai, Cruz Silva and Carlose Fereira. As per the annexure provided by the minister on the floor of the House, farmers from Bardez, Canacona, Ponda, Quepem, Sanguem and Sattari talukas have made claims for compensation for crop losses due to incessant rains in the coastal state. Extreme forest fires and unusually high temperatures have not caused major crop losses in the state since June 1, 2020, the minister said. In a reply to a question about providing weather warnings to farmers, Naik said there is no special plan or protocol for agriculture disaster risk management or crisis management with state agromet service centres (IMD). However, the agromet advisory bulletin for Goa issued by the Meteorological Centre, Goa and by ICAR-CCARI, Old G

Paddy acreage up 3.4% from last year, 28.30 mn hectares brought under crop

An improvement in acreage, coupled with higher stocks than the buffer norm, should help in soothing some of the concerns about rice this year