Page 5 - Farming

SBI Foundation hands out Rs 30 lakh grant in Shark Tank-like pitch fest

Fund given to eight fellows working on projects around health, governance, inclusion, farming

Chhattisgarh surpasses target of rabi sowing, eyes rubber plantation

Officials in the agriculture department said rabi crops had been sown in 1.936 million hectares, which is more than the target of 1.925 million hectares

Govt allows 5 pvt firms for cluster farming with Rs 750 cr investment

The Centre has allowed five private firms to undertake cluster farming of specific horticulture crops in about 50,000 hectares on a pilot basis entailing an investment of Rs 750 crore, including government subsidy -- a moved aimed at making Indian produce globally competitive and boost farmers' income. Desai Agrifoods, FIL Industries, Sahyadri Farms, Meghalaya Basin Management Agency, and Prasad Seeds are five companies selected for pilot cluster farming through a bidding process. The Centre will give financial assistance up to Rs 100 crore depending on the size of the project under the recently launched central scheme Cluster Development Programme (CDP), which is implemented by the National Horticulture Board with an outlay of Rs 2,200 crore. Speaking with PTI, Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry, said, the cluster-based approach has seen an incredible amount of success across the world. In India, the government for the first time is encouraging market-led .

Punjab minister launches helpline for farmers to report unfair practices

Punjab Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Saturday launched a helpline number and asked farmers to register complaints on it if they find any unfair practice during the special field inspection being conducted to assess crop loss due to inclement weather. Dhaliwal said he himself is supervising the ongoing work of 'girdawari' by visiting fields. He said the state government was fully committed to compensate farmers for their crop loss due to the rough weather. "My effort is that every farmer gets due compensation but if any farmer is facing inappropriate or unfair practice in the 'girdawari' process, then a concerned farmer can register his complaint on 9309388088 without any hesitation," Dhaliwal said in a statement here. He further said complaints can be made through WhatsApp on this number. The minister further said the complaint lodged on this number will be taken seriously and immediate action will be taken. He assured that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's promise

About 150,000 farmers practising natural farming in HP to be certified

About 1.5 lakh farmers practising natural farming in Himachal Pradesh would be certified under Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana (PK3Y) in 2023-24. According to a study, 28 per cent farmers have adopted natural farming techniques on their own through peer-to-peer learning without any training and therefore the focus of PK3Y in this financial year will be consolidation of farmers practising natural farming, said Agriculture Secretary Rakesh Kanwar. Addressing a meeting of the agriculture department officers to discuss the cluster-based agriculture development programme in the state, he said efforts would be made in 2023-24 to certify about 1.5 lakh farmers practising natural farming, a statement issued here on Friday said. He said focus should be on consolidation of the existing farmers, increasing their area under natural farming, conducting refresher workshops, capacity building training and exposure visits. The response and success in results on ground show that everyone is .

Apple farmers from hill states unite to protest Centre's farming policies

The protesting farmers submitted a 9-point memorandum with demands including the withdrawal of eviction orders issued to farmers in Jammu and Kashmir

Over 30 mn women farmers registered under PM-KISAN scheme: Govt in LS

The PM-KISAN Yojana aims to supplement the financial needs of land-holding farmers

Uttar Pradesh govt looks to double millet area to 2.5 mn hectares

According to the agriculture department, the current cultivated area of jowar and bajra in UP stands at more than 170,000 hectares and 900,000 hectares, respectively

PM releases Rs 16,000 cr to farmers in latest installment under PM-KISAN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released the 13th instalment of over Rs 16,000 crore, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), through direct benefit transfer to more than eight crore beneficiaries. Under the scheme, eligible farmer families are provided Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each. During the programme, Modi also dedicated the redeveloped Belagavi Railway Station building, to the nation. The railway station has been redeveloped at an approximate cost of about Rs 190 crore to provide world-class amenities to the passengers. Another railway project that was dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister is the rail line doubling project between Londa-Belagavi-Ghataprabha section at Belagavi. This project, developed at a cost of about Rs 930 crore, will enhance line capacity along the busy Mumbai Pune Hubballi Bengaluru railway line, leading to promotion of trade, commerce and economic activities in the region, according to a

PM Modi to release 13th instalment of Rs 16,800cr under PM-KISAN on Monday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 13th instalment of financial benefits worth Rs 16,800 crore to over eight crore eligible farmers under the flagship PM-KISAN scheme on Monday ahead of Holi and rabi harvesting. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), eligible farmers are provided with a financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each every four months. The fund is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The scheme was launched in February 2019 but is being implemented with effect from December 2018. The Prime Minister will release the 13th instalment at an event to be held at Belagavi, Karnataka, an official statement said on Sunday. More than one lakh attendees, comprising PM-KISAN and Jal Jeevan Mission beneficiaries are expected to take part in the event. The Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja will also be present. The 11th and 12th instalmen

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana extended to across Jammu and Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir government has extended Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to the farmers of all 20 districts of the union territory, an official said on Friday.

India guards wheat crop after extreme heat scorched fields last year

Several parts of the country are witnessing unusually warm weather for this time of the year, including in the biggest wheat-growing areas

Boosting productivity

Nano-fertilisers will improve efficiency

India eyes record rapeseed crop as high prices prompt farmers to plant more

Higher rapeseed production could help India, the world's biggest importer of vegetable oils, cut expensive overseas purchases of cooking oils that cost the country a record $18.9 billion

TN farmers demand annual de-silting of water bodies to increase storage

With most of the water bodies in Tamil Nadu not reaching their full capacity even during the monsoon season, farmers have demanded the state government to conduct annual desilting to increase storage

Govt plans pilots on new direct benefit transfer model for fertilisers

Currently, the version of DBT in fertilisers involves farmers purchasing their fertilisers through point of sale (PoS) devices after undergoing Aadhaar authentication

India's wheat planting area up nearly 11% y/y on record prices

Farmers have also increased acreage under rapeseed, the key winter-sown oilseed, to 7.1 million hectares as of Nov. 25

Wheat acreage till Nov 18 up 15% YoY, record open market prices spur sowing

Centre refutes the assertion of artificial shortage of fertilisers in country

Farmers lukewarm to bio-decomposers as stubble burning incidents rise

Industry players and farmers said there were other reasons for the slower-than-targeted adoption

Rabi sowing tracker: Mustard covers 72% of normal area, wheat spikes

Mustard is usually sown in 6.4 million hectares, and sowing in almost 4.6 million hectares is complete till Friday