Crop

Punjab govt launches outreach to curb stubble burning, push green farming

'Nukkad nataks', informative wall paintings and other activities will be part of the Punjab government's extensive campaign to highlight the ill effects of stubble burning and the benefits of crop residue management (CRM) machinery, officials said on Sunday. Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said the state government has unveiled a comprehensive and ambitious information, education and communication (IEC) plan for crop residue management as part of its move to address the pressing concern of stubble burning and foster sustainable agricultural practices in the state. Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi after harvesting of the paddy crop in October and November. As the window for the Rabi crop, wheat, is very short after the paddy harvest, some farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue for sowing the next crop. Khudian said the extensive campaign aims at engaging communities, students and .

Stabilising food prices: Focus must be on resilient crop varieties

Notably, temperature shocks affect crops during critical growth stages. This year's Economic Survey also highlighted how extreme weather conditions disproportionately affected perishable food items

Centre to expand area under DSR rice to 40% by 2030, solution in the weeds

Weed management remains the biggest challenge in the adoption of the direct seeded rice method; to counter this, popularisation of herbicide-resistant rice is critical, say experts

Paddy acreage surpasses normal levels, reaching 40.87 million hectares

Overall, till August 30 kharif crops have been sown in around 108.73 million hectares which was almost 2 per cent more than the same period last year

Share of crops declines; livestock and fishing up in agri GVO: NSO

Share of fruits, vegetables has risen from 24.1 per cent to 28.2 per cent between 2011-12 and 2022-23

Soy output likely to decline by 4.3% this kharif season, says SOPA

Low soybean output could have a bearing on the prices, as it is one of the largest oilseeds grown in the kharif season

Crop vulnerability grows with fickle rains, shows CRISIL's DRIP index

DRIP scores for these crops are worse than their respective averages in the previous five years

No concern for wheat if temp prevails below 35-degree C in mid-March: IARI

Amid concerns over the impact of rising temperature on wheat yields, government-research body IARI on Wednesday said the situation is not alarming right now even as it advised farmers to be ready to take contingent measures like light irrigation in case of temperature soars beyond 35-degree celsius in mid-March. Wheat, a major rabi (winter) crop, would be ready for harvest next month. As the Met office has forecast rising temperatures in parts of the country, farmers are worried about a repeat of last year when the heatwave hit the crop yields. Speaking with PTI, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Director A K Singh said: "The IMD (India Meteorological Department) has forecast that temperature would remain 2-degree celsius above normal but below 35-degree celsius till the first fortnight of March. A below 35-degree celsius temperature is not a concern for the wheat crop." IARI's agriculture and weather scientists explained heat is a major concern during the crop maturity

Revision in crop production estimates raises questions on credibility

Crop estimates have been way off the mark between the first and subsequent estimates and over the years this divergence has grown

Commerce ministry may rework draft Bills on tea, coffee with NITI Aayog

The commerce ministry is likely to engage with Niti Aayog to rework the five draft bills pertaining to cash crops tea, coffee, spices, rubber, and tobacco, an official said. Earlier this year, the ministry proposed the repeal and updation of decades-old laws on these sectors and to introduce new legislation with a view to promoting their growth and creating a conducive environment for businesses. "Niti Aayog has raised certain objections with the ministry on these five bills. The issues were recently discussed in a meeting between senior officials. Niti Aayog suggested a relook and the ministry has sought its help on that," the official said. Niti Aayog has given its views on the drafts of Spices (Promotion and Development) Bill, 2022; Rubber (Promotion and Development) Bill, 2022; Coffee (Promotion and Development) Bill, 2022; Tea (Promotion and Development) Bill, 2022 and Tobacco Board (Amendment) Bill, 2022. The ministry had earlier also conducted stakeholder consultations on th

GM mustard row: Supreme Court will only examine 'judicial aspects'

The next hearing will be on November 29

Heavy rains in several parts of Tamil Nadu affect paddy harvest, storage

Even as the Meteorological Department has predicted the arrival of monsoon in Tamil Nadu by the last week of October, cyclonic depressions have led to heavy rains in many parts of the state

Paddy acreage still down 13%, triggers final output fall concerns

In several states, farmers have already moved on to other short-duration crops such as pulses and coarse cereals abandoning paddy

KCR demands Centre procure Telangana's Yasangi crop on par with Punjab

Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao demanded that the Centre buy the entire Yasangi crop produced in the state just as it was doing in Punjab and Haryana

Crop sowing lags in India on scanty rains, raises concerns over yields

A drop in production could not only limit rice and cotton exports, but also boost imports of edible oils

Crop harvest takes centre stage in plans for lifting coronavirus lockdown

Some states stressed the need to restore supply chains

In pig plague, South American, European crop giants to benefit the most

The trade war between Washington and Beijing will also play a role, hampering US meat shipments to the benefit of South America and Europe

Govt weighing proposals of 4 PSU insurers for Fasal Bima Yojana

Currently, Agriculture Ministry has empanelled 11 private sector companies and state-owned Agriculture Insurance Company to implement PMFBY