Page 8 - Agriculture Economy

India likely to experience above-normal rainfall this monsoon: IMD

India is likely to experience above-normal cumulative rainfall in the 2024 monsoon season with La Nina conditions likely to set in by August-September, the IMD has said on Monday. However, normal cumulative rainfall does not guarantee uniform temporal and spatial distribution of rain across the country, with climate change further increasing the variability of the rain-bearing system. Climate scientists say the number of rainy days is declining while heavy rain events (more rain over a short period) are increasing, leading to frequent droughts and floods. Based on data between 1951-2023, India experienced above-normal rainfall in the monsoon season on nine occasions when La Nina followed an El Nino event, India Meteorological Department chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told a press conference here. India is likely to see above-normal rainfall in the four-month monsoon season (June to September) with cumulative rainfall rainfall estimated at 106 percent of the long-period average (87 cm),

Arya.ag FY24 results: Profit up 37% at Rs 17 cr despite weather challenges

Agri-tech platform Arya.ag on Monday posted 37 per cent rise in net profit at Rs 17 crore for 2023-24 despite weather-related hurdles and challenges posed by policy changes. The company had reported a net profit of Rs 12.4 crore in 2022-23. Net revenue increased to Rs 360 crore during 2023-24 from Rs 297 crore in the previous year, the company said in a statement. The platform facilitated Rs 22,796 crore worth of commodities, disbursed Rs 12,895 crore with nearly zero NPAs, and enabled commerce worth Rs 4,523 crore during 2023-24, it said. "In a year fraught with policy changes and weather-related hurdles, Arya.ag has not only weathered the storm but thrived, posting impressive financial results for fiscal year 2023-24," it added. In the coming financial year, Arya.ag said,"Given the climate-induced stress in agriculture, we will work with farmers, Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs) and climate champions' to build trust, optimise resource allocation, and minimise adverse ...

BJP manifesto promises 30 mn houses, empowerment of women and farmers

MSP to be hiked periodically, PM-KISAN disbursements to continue

Supported BJP in 2014, but it didn't live up to expectations: Naresh Tikait

Farmer leader Naresh Tikait says his Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) openly supported the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, but the party did not live up to their expectations after coming to power. Tikait lamented that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre did not acknowledge the "martyrdom" of around 750 farmers during a 13-month-long protest at Delhi's borders in 2020-21 and claimed that the saffron party "reeks of dictatorship". However, Tikait, the "Chaudhary" of the Balyan Khap of the influential Jat community in western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, said the BKU members are open to supporting any party's candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The BKU, part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM),? an umbrella body of farmers' unions, had participated in the major protests against the Centre in 2020-21 over the now-repealed agri-marketing laws. "The Bharatiya Kisan Union is a big organisation where every member has some relation or link with one or the other party. Some are relatives

Top US trade mission to visit India to explore agribusiness sector

A high-powered trade delegation will visit India later this month to explore opportunities in the country's agribusiness sector. "India represents a growth economy for the US agribusinesses seeking to capture an increasing share of the household food purchases in the fifth-largest economy in the world," said Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affair Alexis Taylor. From April 22 to 25, Taylor will lead a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) agribusiness trade mission to Delhi. "India's rising middle-class consumers' familiarity with American food products and increased purchasing power is a real opportunity for US producers," Taylor said. "This along with the Indian consumers' trusted view of American food and agricultural products as high-quality has contributed to an 11 per cent growth in the US agricultural-related exports to India over the past two years," she said. While on the trade mission, participants will engage in targeted business-to-busine

Addressing zinc shortage to boost agricultural quality, soil health

Zinc content of crops increases crop yields and improves the quality of products

India moved fewer people to non-agri jobs than most neighbouring nations

Change in employment ratio is also worse than its key peers

Centre starts chana procurement at MSP for maintaining buffer stock

The Centre on Tuesday said it has started procuring chana (gram) from farmers at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for maintaining the buffer stock to check prices and meet the demand of those states which want to distribute under their welfare schemes. Speaking to reporters, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said the agriculture ministry has indicated chana yields are intact and there is "no concern about production as of now." Meanwhile, states have been directed to make sure traders, importers, and millers declare their stock position of pulses effective from April 15 in a bid to check hoarding and contain price rise, she said. The Consumer Affairs Department has called a meeting on Wednesday to discuss with importers, traders, customs, and state officials on the issue of imported pulses lying at customs, she added. The MSP for chana for the 2024-25 rabi marketing season is Rs 5,440 per quintal. "With the increase in the arrival of chana crop, mandi prices have softened and ..

India to stop importing urea by end of 2025, says Mansukh Mandaviya

India will by the end of 2025 stop importing urea as a massive push for domestic manufacturing has helped bridge the gap between supply and demand, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has said. In an interaction with PTI, the minister noted that the availability of fertilisers is very important for Indian agriculture. He said the country has been using chemical fertilisers for the last 60-65 years to enhance crop production. Now, Mandaviya said, the government is making efforts to promote alternate fertilisers like nano liquid urea and nano liquid di-ammonium phosphate (DAP). "Use of alternate fertilisers is good for crops and soil health. We are promoting it," he said. Asked about achieving self-sufficiency in urea production, Mandaviya said the Modi government has adopted a two-pronged strategy to end dependency on urea imports. The minister highlighted that the government has revived four closed urea plants and is reviving one another factory. He noted that I

Govt asks traders to avoid buying new-season wheat to shore up state stocks

India, the world's biggest wheat consumer and grower after China, banned exports in 2022 and is keen to bolster stocks and tame prices that surged after dry weather hurt output in 2022 and 2023

Harvesting progress for '47: Invest in R&D, address farm political economy

NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand, eminent agriculture economist Ashok Gulati and Chairman of Bharat Krishak Samaj Ajay Vir Jakhar were part of the panel

BS Manthan panel: Viksit Bharat can't thrive without nourishing farm policy

Business Standard Manthan 2024: Agriculture has a key role in making India developed by 2047, including building a nourished workforce, panelists highlighted at the key event

PM Fasal Bima Yojana a complete failure, used to fatten insurance cos: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday alleged that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is a "complete failure" and has been used to "fatten" the private insurance companies. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's attack on the government came over a media report which claimed that in the heartland of Marathwada, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna --? the Modi government's flagship crop insurance scheme -- has emerged as the "new political tool". The report said increased interference in the scheme's implementation has given rise to cases of major fraud in Maharashtra. In a post on X, Ramesh said, "As the Congress Party has been saying all along, the PM Fasal Bima Yojana is a complete failure, and has been used to fatten the private insurance companies." "The remote-controlled BJP government in Maharashtra has been using it as a political tool as well -- releasing payments primarily to its political supporters," he alleged. The Congress' 'Kisaan NYAY' guarantees include a promise that a

Govt to begin procurement of 500,000 tonnes of rabi onion in 2-3 days

Amid concern over likely fall in mandi prices in view of extension of onion export ban, the government on Tuesday assured farmers that it will start procurement of 5 lakh tonnes of rabi onion in next 2-3 days to protect their interest. Last week, the commerce ministry extended the ban on onion export till further orders. The ban on onion shipment was valid till March 31. "We want to assure farmers that their concern will be taken care of. ...We will begin procurement of 5 lakh tonne of rabi (winter) crop in the next 2-3 days for maintaining a buffer stock," Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh told reporters. The onion export ban is affecting traders and not farmers as average mandi (wholesale) prices are ruling currently at around Rs 13-15/kg in Maharasthra, which is almost double from the previous year level, he said. "Even if prices crash, we will protect the interest of farmers," he added. The secretary said the government normally buys onion for the buffer stock at a

India lags behind in geospatial patents but is scrambling to catch up

Geospatial technology data helps in urban planning, transportation, environment management, agriculture, public health and natural resource management

'Make agriculture more productive, don't move millions out of it'

Greeshma Kuthar, Ritika Chopra joint winners of Chameli Devi award

Oilmeals exports increased 9% in Feb to nearly 516K tonnes, says SEA

Oilmeals export rose 9 per cent year-on-year in February to nearly 5.16 lakh tonnes on higher outward shipments of soyabean meal, according to trade data. In a statement on Friday, Solvent Extraction of India (SEA) said the export of oilmeals in February stood at 515,704 tonne as compared to 4,71,770 tonne in the year-ago period. Of the total oilmeals export last month, the shipments of soyabean meal stood at 3,47,905 tonne and rapeseed meal 1,44,372 tonne. The data showed that the total export of oilmeals during the April-February period of this fiscal increased 19 per cent to 44,90,055 tonne as compared to 37,60,329 tonne in the corresponding period of the previous year. The export of soybean meal during the April-February period of the 2023-24 fiscal rose to 19.34 lakh tonne compared to 7.87 lakh tonne in the same period of the previous year as Indian soybean meal was most competitive in the international market. However, SEA said that soyameal exports might slow down because

Rajasthan govt to give free seed kits to boost millets production

Some of the hotels and restaurants in the Rajasthan are also serving dishes made with millets after a request made by the CM

Three new coop societies will help solve many agri problems: Amit Shah

Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the three new cooperative societies -- NCOL, NCEL and BBSSL -- will help solve many problems of Indian agriculture and enhance farmers' income by promoting exports of farm products, including organic foods. He was speaking after inaugurating the new office building of three national level multi-state cooperative societies -- Bhartiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Ltd (BBSSL), National Cooperative Organics Ltd (NCOL) and National Cooperative Export Ltd (NCEL) at World Trade Centre, Nauroji Nagar here. Shah stressed on the need to promote organic and natural farming, while discouraging use of chemical fertilisers. He announced that there will be a laboratory in every district over the next five years to certify organic farm and products. Shah said NCOL will promote organic farming in the country apart from cooperative Amul, which has already introduced many organic products in the market. He noted that the total global organic market is Rs 10

Lack of non-agri data hinders computation of farmers' income: Niti member

The lack of data on cultivators and their income from other sources has become a hindrance in determining whether farmers' income has actually doubled or not, Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand said, pointing out that they are earning more from non-agricultural sources. The Niti Aayog member further said that prices of agricultural commodities can not be fixed by a law as it has serious implications, which are neither in the interest of the agriculture sector nor individual farmers. "The government had fixed the goal of doubling farmers' income so that we make more efforts. There is a need for this assessment, where we are in terms of this goal. (But) the required data is not available with us," Chand told PTI in an interview. In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government set a highly ambitious target of doubling farmers' incomes by 2022. An inter-ministerial committee on "Doubling of Farmers' Income" was set up in April 2016 to recommend strategies to achieve this goal. The ..