Agriculture In India

El Nino phenomenon may impact agriculture sector in India this year

The El Nino phenomenon, which occurs normally after every three to five years, may impact the weather in India this year, thus affecting the agriculture sector

Centre planning to introduce measures to bring down fertiliser subsidy

Centre's focus is to bring down the cost of gas which is a key component for production of urea. Information from official sources indicated that bids, some of which stood at more than $30

Rajasthan Budget: Free electricity to farmers using less than 2,000 units

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday announced free electricity to more than 11 lakh farmers who consume less than 2,000 units per month. Providing uninterrupted power supply for farming is a priority for the state government, the chief minister said in his Budget speech for 2023-24. Farmers consuming up to 2,000 units per month will get free electricity from the 2023-24 financial year, Gehlot said. He also announced the enactment of the Rajasthan Farmers Debt Relief Act in order to protect the land of small and marginal farmers from being auctioned off.

Farmers should create value-added items from agriculture: Kerala minister

Farmers in Kerala should create value-added items out of their agricultural products and sell them as international brands in the world market to increase their income, state Agriculture Minister P Prasad said. Speaking after inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Kudumbashree projects at Ranni in Pathanamthitta district of the state, the minister said farmers can boost their income by international branding and sale of such value added products and by better organising the agricultural labour force. "Mechanization of the agricultural labor force can help both the farmer and the laborers," he said. As a step towards that, necessary machinery will be provided to the agricultural work force in Ranni Perunad panchayat with the help of the agriculture department, Prasad said. He further said that "our diet and lifestyle invite diseases, so we must take up agriculture to avoid them". The minister also praised the Kudumbashree and said it was a system that the world can emulate

Rozgar Mela will act as catalyst in employment generation, says Tomar

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday said that the Rozgar Mela will act as a catalyst in employment generation and provide meaningful opportunities

Kerala seed farm declared as first carbon neutral farm in the country

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday declared a seed farm, located in Aluva here, as the first carbon neutral farm in the country. A significant reduction in carbon emission has helped the seed farm, under the Agricultural Department, achieve the carbon neutral status, he said making the announcement. The total amount of carbon emission from the farm, located at Thuruthu in Aluva, in the last one year was 43 tons but its overall procurement was 213 ton, he said. Compared to the emission rate, as many as 170 tons of more carbon have been procured at the farm, which helped it to be declared as the first carbon neutral seed farm in the country, the Chief Minister explained. "Carbon neutral farms will be set up in all 140 Assembly constituencies...Efforts have already been launched to make 13 farms in Kerala carbon neutral," he said Carbon neutral agricultural methods would be implemented through women's groups and such interventions would be made in the tribal sector a

Is DBT the solution for agri subsidy transfers? There is no direct answer

In India, farmers receive subsidised supply of inputs as agriculture subsidies and the difference between the actual cost of supplying and the price paid by the farmers is reimbursed to the suppliers

Farmers unions to march to Raj Bhavans across country on Saturday

Farmer unions will take out marches to Raj Bhavans across the country on Saturday to mark two years since they launched their agitation against three farm laws of the Centre that have since been scrapped. The marches will also register the farmers' protest against non-fulfilment of various promises by the government, farmer leaders said on Friday. Farmer leaders claimed that the government had given to them in writing that it would hold a discussion and bring a law for minimum support price (MSP) of crops, but nothing has been done so far. Thousands of farmers, particularly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, protested at the borders of the national capital for over a year demanding the repeal of the three farm laws. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced repealing the three laws in November. The protest was called off subsequently. "They gave us in writing and agreed to our many demands but nothing has been done. The government has proved it is a traitor who has cheat

India's wheat planting area up nearly 11% y/y on record prices

Farmers have also increased acreage under rapeseed, the key winter-sown oilseed, to 7.1 million hectares as of Nov. 25

Scientists say GM mustard production can start from this rabi itself

An official clarification made later says approval has come from GEAC, which is authorised to do so, and not from MoEF

Sowing hope: Nearly 54% jump in early wheat planting, shows data

However, this year, traders and market sources are hopeful that there could be a 10-15 per cent rise in wheat acreage

Yielding little results, does govt need to review PM-AASHA scheme?

Yielding little results, does govt need to review PM-AASHA scheme?

How genome sequencing could open several prospects for pomegranate farmers

The sequencing, the result of six years of hard work, has unlocked several mysteries about pomegranates which are sometimes called 'wonder-fruits' due to their immense nutritional value

Crop protection firms may face headwinds due to extreme weather conditions

Despite the price hikes, margins continued to be under pressure in the quarter

Kharif acreage nears last year's level, except for paddy and pulses

The Centre has clamped export curbs on several paddy varieties as it feels that total production might drop by 10-12 million tonnes due to delayed sowing.

Paddy acreage deficit goes down from 15% to 6% in a span of 14 days

The saving grace is that unlike wheat, rice stocks in the central pool are much higher than required

Statsguru: Why wheat production has been a cause for concern in India

Wheat production declined by 2.5 per cent compared to last year-its lowest level in three years

Ahead of MSP panel meet, farmers seek representation in policy making

They also want legal Guarantee of MSP linked to District-wise Area Production Plan

India at 75: A journey from growing more food to smartly growing it

Unless policies are pursued to address all the problems facing Indian agriculture holistically, the sector would find it difficult to meet the challenges of a new India

Centre likely to allow 1.2 MT additional sugar exports this season

Sugar production in the current year now estimated at more than 36 MT, against expectation of 35 MT