Page 2 - Farming

Why it might be better to mine the world's rainforests than farm them

Some 6,732 sq km of Indonesian forest has been granted to nickel mining concessions, a coalition of environmental groups wrote in a July letter to Tesla Inc.

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

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

MSP hike of Rabi crops will further energise agriculture sector: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday the hike in the minimum support price of several Rabi crops will further energise the agriculture sector. The government on Tuesday hiked the minimum support price (MSP) of six Rabi crops by up to 9 per cent, with Rs 110 per quintal increase for wheat crop to boost domestic production and farmers' income. Wheat MSP has been raised by 5.45 per cent to Rs 2,125 per quintal from Rs 2,015 per quintal to encourage more area under the crop amid tight government stock position owing to low procurement, fall in production and higher exports. Modi noted that farmers are important partners in the country's development and said the government has approved increase in the MSPs of all essential Rabi crops, including wheat, lentils, and barley.

PM to bring together 13,500 farmers, 1,500 agri startups on one platform

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the two-day event -- PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 -- on Monday at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.The event would bring together more than 13,500 farmers from across the country and around 1,500 agri startups, an official statement said. More than 1 crore farmers from various institutions are expected to attend the event virtually. The Sammelan will also witness the participation of researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders.Prime Minister will inaugurate 600 Pradan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PMKSK) under the ministry of chemicals & fertilizers. The statement said under the scheme, the fertiliser retail shops in the country will be converted into PMKSK in a phased manner. It said PMKSK will cater to a wide variety of needs of the farmers and provide agri-inputs (fertilisers, seeds, implements); testing facilities for soil, seeds, fertilisers; generate awareness among farmers; provide information regarding

Unseasonal rains are impacting small farmers, says Narendra Singh Tomar

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday said unseasonal rains in some parts of the country have affected small farmers and are getting compensation under the government's crop insurance scheme. At a conference on 'Enhancing Agricultural Productivity: Integration of Improved Seeds and Agri Inputs', the minister also said Indian agriculture sector as well as profit or loss in farming are dependent on nature. "You all must be experiencing now that unseasonal rains have caused losses to small and marginal farmers," he said. According to him, farmers have security cover as they get compensations under the crop insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The scheme provides protection to farmers from crop losses. Delhi-NCR and various districts of Uttar Pradesh have received unseasonal rains this month. So far, Tomar said the insurance companies have provided a compensation of Rs 1.22 lakh crore to affected farmers. However, he rued that all farmers are n

Farmers receive MSP worth Rs 2,356 crore during 2022-23 Kharif season

In the ongoing Kharif marketing season in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu, farmers have benefitted with minimum support price value of Rs 2,356.30 crore

Farmer grows cane crop upto 16-ft with trench technique in UP's Meerut

Chandrahas, a cane grower in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, is busy accepting compliments, answering to queries and welcoming visitors, in general

Women farmers are helping transition to natural farming in Andhra Pradesh

The state's natural farming programme must ensure that women are empowered as they move to cleaner, greener farming, and do not just become a means to an end

Agritech start-up Falca raises $3 mn in funding for expanding business

Company enables farmers to sell their products directly to consumers without extra costs like logistics, packaging

Nestle to invest $1 billion towards sustainable coffee farming plan

The new plan builds on a previous coffee-sustainability effort that started 12 years ago involving around 100,000 farmers; the goal is to double that in the coming years

Centre plans to offer sops for natural farming under national mission

The central government is considering offering sops to farmers to adopt natural ways of farming, which will be part of a soon-to-be-launched national mission

Delayed onset, withdrawal of monsoon: Time for farming in India to adjust?

If the monsoon withdrawal is again delayed this year, this would mean that for the second straight year, the southwest monsoon isn't leaving the country on time

Floriculture can flower more

The net profit from growing flowers, on per unit of land, can be 10 to 20 times higher than from most field crops

Southwest monsoon may see a brief lull in already-deficient states

So far, the main deficit states are Uttar Pradesh (-42 per cent), Bihar (-36 per cent), Jharkhand (-48 per cent), and West Bengal (-24 per cent)

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

CM asks Assam Agriculture Commission members to visit farming clusters

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged members of the Assam Agriculture Commission to make extensive visits to farming clusters to ensure qualitative improvement in the sector, an official release said

From Rs 20,000 to Rs 25 lakh, pear transforms fruit growers in J&K

Horticulture has emerged as a viable livelihood option for farmers who treated it at par with farming

What is soil health card scheme? Check eligibility, cost and challenges

Under SHC scheme, a soil health card contains soil health indicators and descriptive concepts based on farmers' knowledge of local natural resources and practical experience