Page 6 - Agriculture

Private channels to have 30-min slot for 'public interest' programmes

Part of new uplinking-downlinking rules prescribed by I&B ministry

Going forward, IOB will be posting very good results: MD & CEO Sengupta

'It has been in the range of 20-30 per cent in almost every quarter'

Will unveil new technique to prepare bio-bitumen at farmlands soon: Gadkari

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday said a new technique will be launched in the next two to three months under which crop stubble will be used to prepare bio-bitumen at farmlands using a tractor-mounted machine. He said farmers have the capacity to expand their role beyond being foodgrain producers and they can become manufactures of bio-bitumen which can be used in construction of roads. I have introduced a new technique which we will be launching in two to three months under which tractor-mounted unit will go to farmers' land to make bio-bitumen with 'parali' (crop straws that remain after grains such as rice & wheat have been harvested) which will be used for construction of roads, Gadkari said. The Union minister was addressing a programme organised to lay foundation stones of road projects worth Rs 1,261 crore in the tribal Mandla district (part of Jabalpur division) of Madhya Pradesh. He spoke about the changing role of farmers. I have ..

Farmers lukewarm to bio-decomposers as stubble burning incidents rise

Industry players and farmers said there were other reasons for the slower-than-targeted adoption

Centre reviews progress of PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana in five states

Union Land Resources Secretary Ajay Tirkey on Friday reviewed the progress of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The review meeting for PMKSY, which aims to expand the cultivated area with assured irrigation, reduce wastage of water and improve water use efficiency, was held at the Project Building in Ranchi. Tirkey directed representatives of the five states to complete all the works under the project within the stipulated time. Ranking of all the states will be done based on their progress, he said. The official appreciated the work done in Jharkhand under the gravity irrigation system.

Haryana govt will promote research for agricultural development: CM Khattar

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said that with the changing nature of traditional farming, peasants can earn more income by adopting new technologies in the agriculture sector. With this objective, the government is taking concrete steps for promoting research in the agriculture sector, which will prove beneficial in the economic upliftment of the farmers, Khattar said. He was interacting with the farmers and agricultural experts after inaugurating Dhanuka Agritech Research and Technology Center at village Sihol in Palwal district, an official statement said here. The chief minister said that today two big projects are dedicated to Palwal district, of which one project is for water conservation and the other project will motivate the farmers towards farming with new technology. The company Dhanuka is working in the interest of the farmers, which will definitely increase the income of the farmers, he added. Peasants were not aware of new technologies earlier. B

Agriculture minister launches portal on national mission on natural farming

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday launched a portal on National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) for the benefit of the farming community. The NMNF portal (http://naturalfarming.dac.gov.in) -- developed by the agriculture ministry -- was launched in the first steering committee meeting of the National Natural Farming Mission here. The portal contains all the information about the mission, implementation outline, resources, implementation progress, farmer registration, blog etc., which will be useful for the farmers. Also, this website will help in promoting natural farming in the country, an official statement said. Tomar, who chaired the committee, said the mission of natural farming in the country would be taken forward with everyone's cooperation. In this regard, the minister asked the officers to coordinate with the state governments and central departments and enable market linkage so that the farmers get more ease in selling their products. Union Rural .

Need to boost crop productivity, make farming profitable for growth: Tomar

Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar on Thursday stressed on increasing farm productivity and crop production as well as making farming activities profitable for the overall growth of the sector. He also said there is a need for balanced use of agro-chemicals and fertilisers by creating awareness. Addressing an event 'India Chem 2022', Tomar said the government has undertaken various reforms in the agro-chemical industry and the process would continue in consultation with the stakeholders, including private manufacturing players. He assured them that the government will make efforts to address the challenges faced by the industry. Tomar emphasised on the need for coordinated and comprehensive efforts across various ministries and sectors to realise the true potential of India. The two-day event was organised by FICCI along with the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. According to a FICCI statement, Bhagwanth Khuba, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, said Indian ..

Wheat exports double to $1.48 billion in April-September period: Govt data

The country's wheat exports more than doubled to USD 1.48 billion during April-September 2022-23 as compared to the year-ago period, the commerce ministry said on Wednesday. The exports stood at USD 630 million in the year-ago period. Though the government banned wheat exports in May, some shipments are allowed to meet food security needs of the countries that request for it. "Wheat export rose to USD 1,487 million in April-September 2022 from USD 630 million in April-September 2021," the ministry said. The global wheat supply has been seriously disrupted because of the Russia-Ukraine war. Both nations are major wheat producers. The ministry also said exports of agricultural and processed food products rose 25 per cent during the six- month period of this fiscal year. The overall export of Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) products increased to USD 13.77 billion in April-September 2022 from USD 11.05 billion in the same period a year ago. For

Cabinet approves Rs 51,875 cr subsidy for P&K fertilisers for rabi season

The government on Wednesday approved a subsidy of Rs 51,875 crore for phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for second half of 2022-23 as part of efforts to provide affordable soil nutrients to farmers. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) rates for P&K fertilisers for 2022-23 rabi season, an official statement said. The CCEA has approved a subsidy of Rs 98.02 per kg for nitrogen (N), Rs 66.93 per kg for phosphorus (P), Rs 23.65 per kg for potash (K) and Rs 6.12 per kg for sulphur (S), it said. "Subsidy approved by the Cabinet for the NBS Rabi-2022 (from 01.10.2022 to 31.03.2023) will be Rs 51,875 crore including support for indigenous fertiliser (SSP) through freight subsidy," the statement said. This will enable smooth availability of all P&K fertilisers to farmers during the rabi season at subsidized / affordable prices and support the agriculture sector, it said. "The ...

Onset of festive season pushes credit growth across sectors in September

Housing and vehicle loans lead surge in retail credit, which was up 19.6% YoY

Indian scientists say new GM mustard seeds safe for commercial cultivation

New hybrid GM seeds could potentially raise mustard yields to 3.0-3.5 tonnes per hectare, he said, up from around 1.3 tonnes now

Bees and drones give wings to farmers

Areas where drones are making their presence felt include seed propagation, pesticide spraying, yield prediction, land records, insurance assessment, and crop monitoring

RSS affiliates want GM mustard approval withdrawn immediately

BKS calls for CBI and ED probe while office of PM's scientific advisor welcomes it

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

Wheat sown in 54,000 hectare, mustard in 1.89 mn hectare so far: Govt data

Wheat has been sown in 54,000 hectare so far in the ongoing rabi (winter) season of the 2022-23 crop year, 59 per cent higher than 34,000 hectare in the year-ago period, according to the agriculture ministry data released on Friday. The sowing of wheat, the main rabi crop, begins in October and harvesting in March-April. Besides, gram and mustard are other major crops grown during the rabi season (July-June). According to the latest sowing data, wheat sowing is underway in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir. About 39,000 hectare was covered under wheat in Uttar Pradesh, 9,000 hectare in Uttarakhand, 2,000 hectare in Rajasthan and 1,000 hectare in Jammu & Kashmir as on October 28, the data showed. Area sown to pulses remained higher at 8.82 lakh hectare so far this rabi season against 5.91 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Among pulses, the gram was planted in 6.96 lakh hectare against 5.91 lakh hectare a year ago. In the case of oilseeds, about 19.69 .

Congress to focus on farming issues for 2023 Telangana polls: Rahul Gandhi

The Congress manifesto for the 2023 Legislative Assembly elections in Telangana will have special focus on farming issues, which would be prepared after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, top party leader Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday. Gandhi, who resumed his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Telangana after a four-day Diwali break, had an interaction with farmers and farmers' representatives from different parts of the state. The suicides of tenant farmers, lack of crop insurance and disaster relief and problems concerning the 'Dharani' land records portal were discussed, AICC General Secretary, incharge of communications, Jairam Ramesh said. "@RahulGandhi also promised that the Congress manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Telangana will have a very sharp focus on farming issues and will be prepared after the widest possible consultations with all stakeholders," Ramesh tweeted. Observing that 30 per cent peasants in the state are tenant-farmers and they account for 8

Govt restricts use of Glyphosate in agriculture; industry body opposes it

The government has restricted use of herbicide Glyphosate and its derivatives, fearing health hazards and risk to human beings/animals, a move opposed by an industry association AGFI citing endorsements from global studies and regulatory bodies. Glyphosate and its formulations are widely registered and currently used in more than 160 countries, including the EU and the USA. Farmers across the globe have been using it for safe and effective weed control for over 40 years. "The use of Glyphosate is hereby restricted and no person shall use Glyphosate except Pest Control Operators (PCOs)," said a notification issued by the agriculture ministry on October 25. The companies have been asked to return the certificate of registration granted for Glyphosate and its derivatives to the Registration Committee for incorporation of the warning in bold letters "The use of Glyphosate formulation to be allowed through PCOs" on the label and leaflet, it said. The companies have been given three mont

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches 'Safal' common credit portal for farmers

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday launched a common credit portal SAFAL' (Simplified Application for Agricultural Loans) for the welfare of farmers. The facility will enable farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to access more than 300 term loan products of over 40 banks, the chief minister said while launching the portal. It has also been integrated with Krushak Odisha and will have access to 70-plus model project reports. The application can revolutionise credit provisions for farmers and agri-entrepreneurs, he said. Expressing satisfaction over the launch of the portal, Patnaik said that the application is a one-stop solution for farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to avail formal sector credit from public and private sector banks, Regional Rural Banks, State Cooperative Banks, and Small Finance Banks. The portal will ease the loan application process benefiting both the farmers and banks significantly, the chief minister said. It will also reduce information asymmetry by se

Rajasthan govt rooting daughters to soil, promote agri studies for girls

A provision has been made to give Rs 15,000 per annum for up to three year to do a PhD in an agriculture-related subject.