Page 4 - Farming

Rajasthan government bets on investment in agriculture-based industries

The farmers taking subsidies under this policy launched by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in 2019 are setting up agro-processing industries, cold storage, pack houses and milk chilling plants

NCRTC conducts training camps to educate farmers on modern techniques

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) on Wednesday organised skill development training camps in the districts of Ghaziabad and Meerut to educate farmers on modern agricultural techniques, officials said. Under the training programme, a team of agricultural experts is teaching the farmers new methods of modern agriculture. The initial phase of the programme is being implemented in villages such as Bhud Baral, Khadarabad, Nangla Moosa, Asalat Nagar, Kakra, Sahapur, Sara, Kanoja, and Sikrikurt in Ghaziabad and Meerut districts. The programme has been initiated to raise awareness, enhance skills and provide training to modern farmers on the latest agricultural techniques, the NCRTC said. "As a part of the training programme, farmers were also guided on how to increase their earnings via hydroponics (a technique to grow plants using water-based nutrient solution instead of soil) and protected cultivation techniques," an official of the NCRTC said. The official said

At 36.1 mn hectares, India plants 4.3% more land with rice than last year

Higher rice planting in India, the world's second biggest producer of the grain, could alleviate concerns about supplies of the staple

Mahindra launches 7 lightweight 4WD OJA tractors, beginning at Rs 5.64 lakh

The tractors were developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi at an investment amounting to Rs 1,200 crore

India needs new green revolution to show natural farming to world: Shah

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said India needs a new green revolution under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show the path of natural farming to the world and lead the way for prosperity of farmers. This green revolution will bring wealth from across the world to India by finding markets for organic products, he said. Shah was speaking at the ceremony to lay the foundation stone for leading fertiliser cooperative major IFFCO's nano DAP (liquid) plant at Kandla in Gujarat's Kutch district. The minister said 2 lakh bottles of 500 ml liquid will be produced per day at the plant, which will reduce the country's dependency on imported fertilisers and save Rs 10,000 crore subsidy on fertilisers. "I believe that under the leadership of Modiji, the country needs yet another green revolution, albeit of a different kind where production is not the only aim," Shah said while addressing a gathering on the occasion. In the past, India needed to impo

Over 400,000 hectares brought under natural farming in 8 states: Govt

About 4.09 lakh hectares have been brought under natural farming in eight states with Andhra Pradesh leading the group, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in Parliament on Tuesday. The eight states are Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu, the minister said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The Centre is promoting natural farming since 2019-20 through a sub-scheme, Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP), under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana. "So far, 4.09 lakh hectare area has been brought under natural farming in 8 states," Tomar said. About 1 lakh hectares have been brought under natural farming in Andhra Pradesh, 99,000 hectares in Madhya Pradesh, 85,000 hectares in Chhattisgarh, 84,000 hectares in Kerala, 24,000 hectares in Odisha, 12,000 hectares in Himachal Pradesh, 3,400 hectares in Jharkhand, and 2,000 hectares in Tamil Nadu, he said. Natural farming is chemical-free and based on the

Maha to bring law to curb sale of bogus seeds, fertilisers: State minister

The Maharashtra government will bring a law to curb the sale of bogus seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde said in the legislative council on Friday. Explaining the need for such a law, he said farmers across the state are being frequently cheated. We are bringing a law. It will be brought in the current Monsoon session to curb the sale of bogus seeds, fertilisers and pesticides in Maharashtra, Munde said in the council. Munde, who recently took charge of the agriculture ministry, said companies selling genuine seeds and other agriculture-related products won't be bothered by officials.

Co-0238, India's wonder sugarcane variety tries to get its juice back

Successful variety helped farmers and millers alike but has fallen prey to red rot disease

This Israeli drone can pick fruits from trees

Need to transform agricultural practices for a sustainable future: IFPRI

India needs to think about alternative ways of doing agriculture so that the country doesn't run out of groundwater resources and destroy the soil, said Dr Shahidur Rashid, Director-South Asia the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). In an exclusive interview with PTI on the sidelines of the recent launch of the Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) in Kathmandu, Nepal, Rashid stressed on the importance of developing heat-tolerant crop varieties and adopting sustainable irrigation techniques. Flood irrigation, prevalent in rice cultivation, leads to water wastage and decreases water use efficiency. Implementing innovative irrigation methods and embracing solar power for irrigation can reduce carbon footprints and alleviate water scarcity issues, he said. Rashid emphasised that while India currently has sufficient food production to feed its population, challenges lie in ensuring accessibility, nutritional value, and long-term stability. The biggest challenge, he said, f

Uttarakhand CM lays foundation for Aroma Park in Kashipur, allots plot

The Uttarakhand government implemented the Aroma Park Policy 2018, under which 46 industries related to aroma and perfumery are being established in Sidkul Kashipur

Need to promote recycling of agri-waste, chemical-free farming: MoS Agri

Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary on Monday stressed recycling of agriculture waste and chemical-free farming. The agriculture ministry organised an event on Mission LiFE on the occasion of World Environment Day at Pusa in New Delhi. The programme began with a tree plantation activity on the premises of the venue by Choudhary. In his remarks, the minister highlighted the importance of lifestyle for the environment and stressed chemical-free farming as one important option for sustaining the resources for future generations, according to an official statement. He emphasised the adoption of Mission LiFE in agriculture to address the adverse impact of climate change. Quoting the example of Rajasthan, he mentioned that the state is having pre-monsoon showers more frequently than in previous years. Untimely and heavy rains are causing distress to the farming community. Farmers are highly vulnerable to climate change, the minister said. To address this, he highlighted

3F Oil Palm starts oil palm cultivation in Assam under state govt scheme

3F Oil Palm on Monday said it has started oil palm cultivation in Lakhimpur district, Assam, in association with the state government, and aims to cover over 20,000 hectare area in the next five years under a central scheme. The Hyderabad-based company is undertaking the plantation as part of the centrally sponsored scheme National Mission on Edible Oil - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) and had signed an agreement with the Assam government in December 2022. 3F Oil Palm commenced oil palm plantation on Monday at Bokanala in Baginadi Block, Lakhimpur district, in the presence of state agriculture minister Atul Bora. The initiative aims to uplift farming communities and contribute to India's self-reliance on edible oils. "...upon signing of the MoU with the government in December 2022, we are the first company to have commenced our investment and set up a state-of-the-art nursery and commence plantation activities through this ceremonial plantation," the company's CEO and Managing Director Sanjay .

India looking at low fertiliser subsidy burden, less urea import in FY24

Urea is the most widely consumed fertiliser in the country, which is followed by DAP

High-density farming poses threat to environment: Agriculture expert

He said that there is also a need to preserve the ecology and biodiversity in states like Himachal with the method of organic agriculture

Cabinet approves Rs 38,000-cr subsidy for non-urea fertilisers this kharif

Centre likely to spend Rs 1.08 trn overall on subsidy this Kharif season

N Korean media calls for increased farming output amid food shortage crisis

The reports are the latest in Pyongyang's efforts to raise grain production, as its food situation seems to be worsening amid deepening economic challenges

Farming linked with global carbon credit market in Uttar Pradesh

Agroforestry or tree-based farming is a nature-based activity to nurture carbon-neutral growth

Women-run farmer producer organisations make inroads into may sectors

Looking at the success of these Farmer producer organisations, the central government has set a target to form 30 additional women's FPOs in the state

Gender equality in farming could add $1 trillion to world economy, says FAO

The number of people facing hunger this year is more than double what it was in 2020, according to the World Food Programme