Indian Agriculture

Farmer in Solapur earns only Rs 2.49 net profit on sale of 512 kg onions

A farmer from Maharashtra's Solapur was in for a rude shock when he got to know that he has earned a profit of merely Rs 2.49 against the sale of his 512 kg onions to a trader in the district. The farmer, 63-year-old Rajendra Chavan who resides in Barshi tehsil of Solapur, said his onion yield fetched a price of Rs 1 per kg at the Solapur market yard and after all the deductions he received this paltry sum as his net profit last week. Talking to PTI, Chavan said, "I had sent 10 bags of onions weighing more than five quintals to an onion trader in Solapur for sale. But after deducting charges towards loading, transport, labour and others, I received a net profit of just Rs 2.49 from him." The rate the trader offered to me was Rs 100 per quintal. The overall weight of the crop was 512 kg and the total price he got for the produce was Rs 512, he said. "After deductions worth Rs 509.51 against labour, weighing, transportation and other charges, I received a net profit of Rs 2.49. This

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

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

Wheat crop reaches vegetative phase in MP, parts of Punjab, Haryana

Wheat crop has reached the maximum vegetative stage in Madhya Pradesh, parts of Punjab and Haryana, according to the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC). Whereas in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, wheat crop is yet to reach the maximum vegetative phase due to delay in sowing, it said in its latest report. The life cycle of a wheat plant is divided into three main development phases, namely the vegetative phase, in which leafs and tillers are developed; the reproductive phase, and the grain fill stage. The wheat crop normally enters the grain fill stage in March and any unusual rise in temperature could cause yield damage. Wheat is the main rabi crop, the harvesting of which will begin from end of next month. The government has projected a record wheat output of 112.18 million tonnes in the 2022-23 crop year (July-June). The government has set up a committee to monitor impact of rise in temperature on the wheat crop in order to avoid the repeat of last year when the

Rs 15,626 cr sanctioned under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, says Govt

Loans amounting to Rs 15,626 cr have been sanctioned under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to create 21,380 infrastructure units

Is it time for India to abandon GMO crop fears?

The govt has said that adopting new farming tech, like GM crops, is key to food security for the country and cut import bill. Is it time for India to adopt genetically modified crops at a large scale?

Govt lifts ban on exports of organic non-basmati rice

The government on Tuesday lifted the ban on exports of organic non-basmati rice, including broken rice after the easing of domestic supplies moderated prices. The government had, in early September, banned the export of broken rice with an aim to increase domestic availability. This followed a 20 per cent duty on the export of non-basmati rice aimed at shoring up domestic supplies after prices surged in retail markets. In a notification, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said the export of organic non-basmati rice, including organic non-basmati broken rice, will now be governed by rules that prevailed before the September ban.

Are the fears over GM mustard overblown?

Biotech regulator GEAC has recommended the environmental release of genetically-modified mustard. But not all are happy with this decision. So what are the concerns around GM crops?

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

Stubble burning: Unhappy with Punjab govt plan, farmers want compensation

Farmers have indicated that they will continue with the practice unless the govt compensates them suitably for the expenses they will incur by adopting alternative methods of disposing of crop residue

Govt to lift 51.8 mn tonnes rice in 2022-23, double coarse cereal purchases

Rice procurement a tad higher than 50.98 mn tonnes in 2021-22; market sources say this could be a sign that govt does not expect a major drop in Kharif rice output

Prof Abhijit Sen: A lifelong champion of the poor and marginalised

Coined the term 'technology fatigue' in relation to agriculture

Paddy dwarfing: Everything you need to know about SRBSDV Fiji virus

Scientists have decoded the mystery disease afflicting paddy crops in Haryana and Punjab

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

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

Sharad Pawar makes strong pitch for GM crops to improve food security

Former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has made a strong pitch for use of genetically modified (GM) crops, saying ignoring advances in crop science could adversely affect the country's food security

Delhi govt, IARI to provide training for urban farming from August

The Delhi government along with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute will provide training in urban farming to the citizens from August for growing fruit and vegetables for self-consumption

Fertiliser prices likely to come down as India secures supplies till Dec

Fertiliser demand usually peaks between April and June for the kharif harvest; between October and December for the rabi sowing season

Southwest Monsoon arrives in Kerala three days ahead of scheduled date

Met dept confirms that conditions have been satisfied for declaration of onset; 10 of 14 monitoring stations report rainfall of 2.5 mm or more in past 24 hours

Pending crop insurance claims to be paid by March-end: Raj minister

Kataria said on Wednesday that the pending amount of insurance claims of farmers till 2020 would be paid by March 31 under the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme