Crops

Systemic failure

Instability in prices of perishables must be addressed

NIRDPR, ICRISAT sign MoU to promote dryland crops, climate-smart farming

City-based National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) on Monday signed a MoU to strengthen evidence-based research and capacity building on critical development issues. The Memorandum of Understanding aims to promote collaboration between the two institutions in areas such as climate change adaptation, rural entrepreneurship development, value chain development, sharing international best practices, scaling-up of identified agricultural and rural technologies, and livelihood development, a release from NIRDPR said. Under the agreement, the two institutions will focus on different collaborative activities by sharing each other's strengths, including developing Rurban' clusters for ICRISAT mandate crops through value chain development, encouraging rural incubation and entrepreneurship development by integrating with National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) activities, it ...

Pakistan's wheat production target likely to dip by 1.7 mn tonnes: Report

Wheat production is likely to remain around 26.7 million tonnes as against the envisaged wheat production target of 28.4 million tonnes

High temperature unlikely to damage wheat crops: Food Secy Sanjeev Chopra

Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra asserted that wheat crops are unlikely to get damaged although temperatures are little bit on higher side and exuded confidence of achieving a record output of 112 million tonne in this crop year ending June. The secretary said the ban on wheat exports would continue, boosting the availability of grains for the government procurement. He said the government would procure around 35 million tonne of wheat in 2023-24 marketing year (April-March). The bulk of procurement of wheat, a major rabi crop, takes place between April and June. Chopra said wheat prices have come down and would ease further after the arrival of new crop. "(On Wednesday), we had a meeting with state food secretaries, which was followed by a meeting with state food ministers. And what we have discovered in the meeting is that the food scenario in the country is very, very comfortable," Chopra said on the sidelines of an event on Thursday evening. The weather department made a

Four-month long dry spell may take a toll on the 'Champagne of teas'

Lower crop expected in South India; Munnar, Nilgirs impacted by weather conditions

Remunerative cash crops to be introduced as per land use: Agri min Chander

In a bid to increase farmers' income, exclusive organic models for off-season crops will be set up in villages and remunerative cash crops will be introduced as per land use and crop pattern suitability in rainfed areas of the state, Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar said. "Farmers have benefited from off-season cash crops like tomato, cucumber, karela (bitter gourd) which are in great demand in the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh during monsoons, while off-season crops like cauliflower, potato and beans fetch good prices during the months of May-June, he told PTI. The aim is to increase farmers' income and ensure them monthly returns of Rs 35,000 and traditional crops like chana (gram) would be revived, he said. He further added that the agriculture department would buy cow and buffalo milk for Rs 80 and Rs 100 per liter respectively and sell the by-products. Need-based demands of 'clusters of farmers' engaged in cultivation of different crops would be ..

IARI builds pond in Pusa campus to meet water need of research farm land

A rain water harvesting pond spread over 2.5 acres has been built in the city-based Pusa-IARI campus -- the cradle of green revolution in the country -- that has a capacity to meet 60 per cent of total water requirement of the research farm land. Currently, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has about 1,200 acres of farm land for research purpose alone. IARI has dug a pond under the 'Amrit Sarovar' scheme under which 75 ponds are to be constructed in every district of the country. "In Pusa campus, we have our own area of 1,200 acres. Earlier, the rain water was flowing into the Najafgarh drain. Now, we have created a Pusa Amrit Sarovar in an area of 2.5 acres," IARI Director A K Singh said. The pond has a water holding capacity of 50,000 cubic metres and can meet the water requirement of 300 acres farm land with three irrigation, he said, adding that it will be a big help for the research programme. The pond will harvest clean rain water and also since it is coming from

India's post-harvest infrastructure needs to be improved, say experts

India's post-harvest infrastructure including storage facilities should be improved for strengthening the plantation sector, said experts here on Friday. They were speaking at a seminar held on the sidelines of Plantation Expo', organised by the newly set up Plantation Directorate, Government of Kerala, here. According to a recent survey, the country's available storage facility is sufficient to keep only 10 per cent of India's plantation products. And this in turn results in 6-18 per cent wastage of fruits during the post-harvest period, an official release said. It has been noted, as consumers have realised the nutritional value of fruits, the market demand for fruits has shown a remarkable hike during the post-pandemic period. And in India, 80% of fruits are sold as fresh fruits, said Sanjib Kumar Sahoo of IG International. Pointing to the major challenges faced by the sector in the seminar, themed Income augmentation in plantation sector through diversification and value ...

UN eyes revival of millets as global grain uncertainty grows due to drought

While others in her Zimbabwean village agonize over a maize crop seemingly headed for failure, Jestina Nyamukunguvengu picks up a hoe and slices through the soil of her fields that are lush green with a pearl millet crop in the African country's arid Rushinga district. These crops don't get affected by drought, they are quick to flower, and that's the only way we can beat the drought, the 59-year old said, smiling broadly. Millets, including sorghum, now take up over two hectares of her land a patch where maize was once the crop of choice. Farmers like Nyamukunguvengu in the developing world are on the front lines of a project proposed by India that has led the U.N.'s Food and Agricultural Organisation to christen 2023 as The Year of Millets, an effort to revive a hardy and healthy crop that has been cultivated for millennia but was largely elbowed aside by European colonists who favored corn, wheat and other grains. The designation is timely: Last year, drought swept across much

Can millets be India's own super crop?

Millets are reemerging as nutri-cereals or smart foods, thanks to their therapeutic qualities and nutritional superiority compared to rice, wheat. What will make this a 'wonder crop' of masses?

GM mustard (DMH-11) may not solve India's edible oil import problem: ICAR

Indian Institutions engaged in developing GM seeds for 13 crops

Why is China's perennial rice variety evoking curiosity?

Researchers in China's Yunnan University have developed a rice variety, which does not need to be planted every year. Once grown, it can be harvested for next eight seasons in four years. Here's more

Wheat, flour prices soar, expected to remain high till new crop arrives

In the past one month, prices of wheat and flour have soared by 5% and 4%, respectively, and commodity watchers expect them to remain high till the new crop arrives

Wheat acreage up nearly 10% as rabi sowing nears halfway, shows data

Usually wheat is sown in around 30.5 million hectares of which so far around 15.28 million is already sown

The world's food security is at stake as Russia exits Ukraine grain deal

The sudden move by Russia has left leaders scrambling to rescue the UN-and-Turkey-brokered agreement credited with saving vulnerable populations from risk of starvation.

Centre restricts use of herbicide glyphosate over health hazards

Allows use only by authorised Pest Control Operators

Pulses, onion won't see price hike this year; have adequate stock: Govt

The all-India average retail price of onion has witnessed a significant decline of 28 per cent compared to last year

Bridging the gap: Late rains likely to narrow paddy acreage shortfall

This acreage was, however, 1.13 per cent more than the normal area in which paddy is planted

France loses up to 35% of vegetable crops due to drought: Producers' union

France's fruit and vegetable crops have fallen by nearly 35% due to the extreme drought this summer, president of the French national association of vegetable producers said

Self-sufficiency in foodgrain shows India can reduce imports: PM Modi

Government encourages farmers to diversify crops, but doing away with imported oilseeds and pulses challenging