Ministry Of Agriculture

Paytm deploys card machines across 42 Krishi Mandis in Madhya Pradesh

For the first time, the Krishi Mandi app in Madhya Pradesh has been integrated with Paytm EDC devices (card machines), marking a pivotal step in the digital transformation of agricultural sales

India's foodgrain production hits record 332.22 MT in 2023-24: Govt

India's foodgrain production reached a record 332.22 million tonne in the 2023-24 crop year ended June, driven by bumper wheat and rice output, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. The final estimate for 2023-24 shows an increase of 2.61 million tonne from the previous year's 329.6 million tonne, the ministry said in a statement. Rice production touched a record 137.82 million tonne, up from 135.75 million tonne in 2022-23. Wheat output also hit a high of 113.29 million tonne as compared to 110.55 million tonne the previous year. However, pulses production declined to 24.24 million tonne from 26.05 million tonne and oilseeds output fell to 39.66 million tonne from 41.35 million tonne. The ministry attributed the decline in pulses, coarse cereals, soybean and cotton production to "drought-like conditions in southern states, including Maharashtra and prolonged dry spell during August especially in Rajasthan". Sugarcane production decreased to 453.15 million tonne from 490.53

Paddy acreage up 2.22% to 41.35 mn hectare so far in this kharif season

Area sown to paddy has increased by 2.22 per cent to 413.50 lakh hectares so far in the ongoing 2024-25 kharif (summer) season, the agriculture ministry said on Monday. In the year-ago period, area under paddy was 404.50 lakh hectares. Sowing of paddy, the main kharif crop, begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from June, and harvesting takes place from September. Additionally, area sown to pulses increased to 128.58 lakh hectare till September 23 of the ongoing season, from 119.28 to pulses in the same period last year, the ministry said in a statement. Area sown to 'arhar' and 'moong' reported higher area at 46.50 lakh hectare and 35.46 lakh hectare, respectively, while area under urad was slightly lower at 30.73 lakh hectare so far in the current season. Area under coarse cereals and 'Shree Anna' (millets) increased to 192.55 lakh hectare from 186.07 lakh hectare in the year-ago period. Among coarse cereals, area under maize rose to 88.06 lakh hectare from 84.65 lakh ...

Govt implements many farmer-friendly policies in first 100 days: Amit Shah

The government has implemented several farmer-friendly policies in its first 100 days of the third term with focus on improving agricultural productivity and exports, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference on the completion of 100 days of the Modi 3.0 regime, Shah said the government has implemented policies worth Rs 15 lakh crore across 14 sectors. Listing works initiated for the welfare of the farmers, he also said the Modi government has launched the agriculture fund to support startups and rural enterprises, driving agricultural innovation. The minister said the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has been expanded to enhance agricultural infrastructure and support to farmers, and Rs 14,200 crore has been allocated across seven schemes to improve farmers' lives and livelihoods. The minister highlighted key achievements in the farm sector, including the disbursement of Rs 20,000 crore to 9.3 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman .

Rice on the ropes: As Japan faces a supply crunch, govt appeals for calm

The shortage of rice in Japan has become so severe that several stores are limiting consumers to one bag per person

Paddy sowing increases 4.29% so far in 2024-25 kharif season: Report

Paddy acreage increased by 4.29 per cent to 39.42 million hectare so far in the ongoing 2024-25 kharif (summer) season, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday. In the year-ago period, the area under paddy was 37.8 million hectare. Sowing of paddy, the main kharif crop, begins with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June, and harvesting takes place from October Additionally, the area sown to pulses increased to 12.21 million hectare till August 27 of the ongoing season against 11.55 million hectare in the same period last year, the ministry said in a statement. The coverage of 'arhar' rose to 4.57 million hectare from 4.07 million hectare. Arhar (tur) sowing has been completed. The area sown to 'urad' was 2.9 million hectare against 3.08 million hectare. The area under coarse cereals and 'Shree Anna' (millets) increased to 18.55 million hectare from 17.75 million hectare in the year-ago period. Among coarse cereals, the area under maize rose to 8.72 million hectare against 8

PM Narendra Modi to give out 1.1 million certificates to Lakhpati Didis

Chouhan said that several Didis will have their certificates delivered to their place of residence

Shivraj Singh Chouhan leads agriculture ministry in developed India pledge

In a move to align with the government's vision of a 'developed India' by 2047, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday led a pledge-taking ceremony with officials and staff from the agriculture and rural development ministries. The event, held at the Pusa campus in the national capital, saw participants vowing to contribute to India's development through their work in agriculture, farmer welfare, and rural development. "We resolve to do our part...with full hard work, honesty, dedication and by putting in all our capabilities," the pledge stated. Chouhan expressed confidence in his team's abilities, praising their talent, work ethic, and energy. He asserted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and with the collective efforts of all colleagues, the ministry would significantly contribute to realising the goal of a developed India. The ceremony underscores the government's push to mobilise all sectors towards its ambitious 2047 target, with agriculture

Will find solutions to farmers' problems through dialogue: Shivraj Singh

Addressing a press conference here, Congress MPs Randeep Singh Surjewala and Digvijaya Singh alleged that Chouhan misled the House "by telling lies"

Agriculture at the centre of India's economic policies, says PM Modi

He also mentioned a big focus on sustainable and climate-resilient farming in this year's budget, as well as developing a complete ecosystem to support India's farmers

India food surplus; working to provide solutions for food security: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India has become a food surplus country and is working to provide solutions for global food and nutritional security. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE), which is being organised in India after 65 years, the Prime Minister also said the Union Budget 2024-25 focuses on sustainable agriculture. Noting that the last time when the conference was hosted here, India had just achieved Independence, and it was a challenging time for the country's agriculture and food security. "Now, India is a food surplus country," he said, adding that the country is the number one producer of milk, pulses and spices in the world. Also, the country has become the second-largest producer of foodgrains, fruits, vegetables, cotton, sugar and tea. "There was a time when India's food security was a concern for the world. Now, India is working to provide solutions for global food security an

Potato dispatches from Bengal up 35% day after traders withdraw strike

A day after West Bengal potato traders called off their indefinite strike, dispatch of tubers from cold storages surged by 30-35 per cent to fill the demand vacuum, officials said on Thursday. The traders' body said they would continue to adjust supplies in an effort to stabilise prices. "Since last night, around 8 lakh packets of 50kg each have been dispatched compared to the normal daily average of 6 lakh packets," said Progressive Potato Traders' Association secretary Lalu Mukherjee on Thursday. He assured the state government of adequate supply and asserted that traders would refrain from exporting the produce to other states for now, as the government has pledged to address local concerns first. Rabindranath Kole from the Traders Forum and a state task force member said, "The news of the strike withdrawal has led to some price reduction, but a significant decrease will be seen at the wholesale level, which hovered at Rs 34 per kg, once the produce hits the market in sufficient

Union agri minister assures support to Bihar farmers to propel growth

Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday assured Bihar agriculture minister Mangal Pande of unwavering support to the state farmers and advocated for synergistic efforts between the Centre and the state to propel agricultural growth. At the meeting held at Krishi Bhavan in New Delhi, Chouhan committed to reevaluating funding allocations under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) and National Food Security Mission to bolster Bihar's agricultural initiatives. He urged the submission of new proposals to further these efforts, an official statement said. During the deliberations, Chouhan emphasised the seamless supply of kharif and rabi seeds, underscoring the need for advanced planning. The talks also encompassed a comprehensive review of schemes and initiatives by the agriculture ministry. Chouhan assured that Bihar farmers would receive unwavering support at the national level, advocating for synergistic efforts between the Centre and the state to propel agricult

Govt to review performance of FPOs as support period coming to end

The government will conduct a thorough review of the performance of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) as the three-year support period for these entities coming to an end, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced on Monday. Chauhan made the statement after visiting 55 FPOs who displayed their products at a fair organised at Dilli Haat INA here. The FPO Scheme, launched in 2020, is aimed to form and promote 10,000 new FPOs by 2024 with a budgetary provision of Rs 6,865 crore. Under the programme, the government provided financial assistance of Rs 18 lakh per FPO for three years, along with a matching equity grant and credit guarantee facility. However, the minister acknowledged that outcomes have been varied, with some FPOs achieving significant success while others continue to face challenges. "Some FPOs are standing on their feet in three years, while some are struggling. We will conduct a thorough review of all FPOs to understand their progress and identify gaps w

Train women to use drones for spraying fertilisers, says Amit Shah

'PM Narendra Modi has launched the 'Drone Didi Scheme', so please train women to use drones for spraying fertilisers,' HM Shah said

FCI wheat procurement hits 26.6 mn tonnes, surpassing last year's purchase

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has procured 26.6 million tonnes of wheat during the current Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2024-25, surpassing last year's figure of 26.2 million tonnes, the government said on Wednesday. The procurement, which began earlier than usual this year, has benefited more than 2.2 million farmers who received about Rs 61 lakh crore directly in their bank accounts as payment at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), it said in a statement. The government had set the MSP for wheat at Rs 2,275 per quintal for the current season (April-March). States like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan showed significant improvements in their wheat procurement, the statement said. Uttar Pradesh procured 9,31,000 tonnes compared to 2,20,000 tonnes last year, while Rajasthan achieved 12 lakh tonnes, up from 4.38 lakh tonnes in the previous season. In addition to wheat, the government reported that paddy procurement during the 2023-24 Kharif Marketing season exceeded 77.5 million tonnes

Rice export prices climb to near three-month high as demand picks up

India on Wednesday raised the price at which it will buy new-season common rice paddy from farmers by 5.4% to 2,300 rupees ($27) per 100 kg

Highlights: BJP will break TDP, JDU if it fails to secure Lok Sabha speaker post, says Sanjay Raut

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Low agri growth, rural discontent to keep Shivraj Singh Chouhan occupied

On Monday, the 65-year-old Shivraj Singh Chouhan was given the charge of the rural development ministry and the agriculture ministry

Shivraj Singh Chouhan makes national debut as agriculture minister

In a significant political move, senior BJP leader and four-time former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan has made his national debut as the Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new Cabinet. The 65-year-old leader, popularly known as "mama" (maternal uncle) and "paon-paon wale bhaiya" (foot soldier), took oath as part of the Prime Minister's Council of Ministers on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in his over three-decade-long political career. With his extensive experience in governance and deep connect with the rural populace, Chouhan's appointment as the Union Agriculture Minister is expected to bring fresh impetus to the government's efforts in addressing the challenges faced by the agriculture sector and the farming community. Chouhan, who assiduously cultivated a 'son of the soil' image and identified himself with the socio-economic concerns of farmers, villagers, women, and children in Madhya Pradesh, .