Page 2 - Agriculture In India

Farmers' protest highlights: Farmers have rejected govt's proposal on MSP

Farmers' protest march updates: Catch all the latest updates on the farmers' protest here

Highlights: Haryana Police use tear gas on farmers at Shambhu border

Farmers' protest march LIVE updates: Catch all the latest updates on the farmers' protest here

Farmers' march: Red Fort temporarily closed for visitors, say ASI officials

The historic Red Fort complex has been temporarily closed for visitors due to security reasons, a senior ASI official said Tuesday, amid a massive deployment of police and paramilitary forces in central Delhi in view of the farmers' march. The iconic Mughal-era monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in old Delhi, was "suddenly sealed" late Monday night "due to security reasons", the official said. Heavy security has been deployed there since late last night. "The Red Fort complex has been closed for visitors," the official told PTI. Asked when will the 17th-century monument will reopen, the senior official said, "it will be the call of security agencies". Security in Delhi has been intensified with multi-layer barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails and walls of containers at border points to stop a 'Delhi Chalo' march of farmers from entering the national capital on Tuesday, after talks between farm leaders and the Centre remained inconclusive.

Stubborn approach of govt proving to be dangerous: BKU chief Naresh Tikait

Bharatiya Kisan Union president Naresh Tikait on Tuesday wondered whether the farmers will always be in the agitation mode, block roads or head towards Delhi? On the proposed February 16 bandh call given by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and various organisations, Tikait said school vans, vehicles carrying patients and military vehicles will be allowed to go. The problems should be resolved through talks, he added. Asked to elaborate on the demands of the farmers, Tikait told PTI Video in Muzaffarnagar, "The demands are different from different states. Will the farmer always be undertaking agitation, block roads or head towards Delhi? "The government also has some (share) of responsibility. What is the problem in taking cognisance in these matters? And, the 'ziddi ravaiyya' (stubborn approach) is proving to be dangerous. The government should think (on these issues) and hold talks with the farmers," he said and asserted that Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) is always with the farmers. On .

Budget 2024: A glance Budget 2023 announcements for agriculture sector

From welfare schemes to infrastructure & digital development, here are the highlights of Budget 2023 for the agricultural sector in India and the expectation for the Interim Budget 2024

310 districts in 28 states, UTs highly vulnerable under NICRA: ICAR report

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of districts where agricultural land may be vulnerable to climate change

Nabard partners with UNDP India for data-driven innovations in agriculture

UNDP India and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co-create data-driven innovations in agriculture and food systems to support smallholder farmers. Under the MoU, the organisations will work to improve lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers by sharing open-source data for product development, transfer of technology and supporting the framing of agrarian policies, Nabard and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India said in a joint statement on Tuesday. The partnership aims at enhancing and disseminating collaborative digital public goods like DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture). DiCRA provides open access to key geospatial datasets pertinent to climate resilient agriculture. DiCRA, which is curated by UNDP and partner organisations to inform public about investments in agriculture, already provides intelligence on climate resilience for 50 million hectares of farmland across the

Farmers' incomes are key for boosting food security

Why enabling small-scale farmers to participate in food value chains can lead to rural prosperity

Uttar Pradesh to leverage agri waste value chain for power generation

Some thermal power units run by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and the UP power utility are already using biomass pellets along with coal

ABD, govt sign $130 mn loan agreement to increase agriculture in Himachal

The project will include new irrigation schemes that will improve on-farm irrigation in 6,000 hectares of farmland; it will help farmers enhance their access to markets of subtropical horticulture

62 newly discovered plants may help agricultural lands facing water crisis

A new study reveals 62 resilient plant species in India's western ghats that have high potential in agricultural and conservation applications

India needs to raise maize output to 44mn tonnes in 5 years to meet demand

The Centre on Tuesday said the country's maize output needs to be increased to 44-45 million tonnes in the next five years amid growing demand for the grain for ethanol production and poultry industry. Union agriculture secretary Manoj Ahuja, speaking at the 9th India Maize Summit organied by industry body Ficci here, also stressed on the need to cut down the losses in the entire value chain of maize in a systematic manner. "Currently, maize production in the country is in the range of 33-34 million tonnes. We need a quantity jump in the maize to 44-45 million tonnes in the next five years in order to meeting the rising demand for ethanol and the poultry industry," Manoj said. There is vast potential to harness in the maize value chain. Making better seed availability, providing storage and marketing linkages, public and private partnerships, among others, should be focused on amid growing threat of climate change, he added. Addressing the event, Maharasthra agriculture minister Ab

Citi, JICA announce co-finance loan to IndusInd Bank for agriculture sector

This includes a $30 million loan by Citi and JPY 13 billion loan by JICA

El Nino phenomenon may impact agriculture sector in India this year

The El Nino phenomenon, which occurs normally after every three to five years, may impact the weather in India this year, thus affecting the agriculture sector

Centre planning to introduce measures to bring down fertiliser subsidy

Centre's focus is to bring down the cost of gas which is a key component for production of urea. Information from official sources indicated that bids, some of which stood at more than $30

Rajasthan Budget: Free electricity to farmers using less than 2,000 units

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday announced free electricity to more than 11 lakh farmers who consume less than 2,000 units per month. Providing uninterrupted power supply for farming is a priority for the state government, the chief minister said in his Budget speech for 2023-24. Farmers consuming up to 2,000 units per month will get free electricity from the 2023-24 financial year, Gehlot said. He also announced the enactment of the Rajasthan Farmers Debt Relief Act in order to protect the land of small and marginal farmers from being auctioned off.

Farmers should create value-added items from agriculture: Kerala minister

Farmers in Kerala should create value-added items out of their agricultural products and sell them as international brands in the world market to increase their income, state Agriculture Minister P Prasad said. Speaking after inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Kudumbashree projects at Ranni in Pathanamthitta district of the state, the minister said farmers can boost their income by international branding and sale of such value added products and by better organising the agricultural labour force. "Mechanization of the agricultural labor force can help both the farmer and the laborers," he said. As a step towards that, necessary machinery will be provided to the agricultural work force in Ranni Perunad panchayat with the help of the agriculture department, Prasad said. He further said that "our diet and lifestyle invite diseases, so we must take up agriculture to avoid them". The minister also praised the Kudumbashree and said it was a system that the world can emulate

Rozgar Mela will act as catalyst in employment generation, says Tomar

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday said that the Rozgar Mela will act as a catalyst in employment generation and provide meaningful opportunities

Kerala seed farm declared as first carbon neutral farm in the country

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday declared a seed farm, located in Aluva here, as the first carbon neutral farm in the country. A significant reduction in carbon emission has helped the seed farm, under the Agricultural Department, achieve the carbon neutral status, he said making the announcement. The total amount of carbon emission from the farm, located at Thuruthu in Aluva, in the last one year was 43 tons but its overall procurement was 213 ton, he said. Compared to the emission rate, as many as 170 tons of more carbon have been procured at the farm, which helped it to be declared as the first carbon neutral seed farm in the country, the Chief Minister explained. "Carbon neutral farms will be set up in all 140 Assembly constituencies...Efforts have already been launched to make 13 farms in Kerala carbon neutral," he said Carbon neutral agricultural methods would be implemented through women's groups and such interventions would be made in the tribal sector a

Is DBT the solution for agri subsidy transfers? There is no direct answer

In India, farmers receive subsidised supply of inputs as agriculture subsidies and the difference between the actual cost of supplying and the price paid by the farmers is reimbursed to the suppliers