The BJP's manifesto speaks about the Prime Minister's vision of making 'Atmanirbhar Bihar'.
Since coronavirus broke out in a few cities in China and a couple of cases were spotted in India as well, rumours claimed for the first time that it was carried by birds.
The government on Wednesday raised the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy marginally by Rs 72 per quintal to Rs 1,940 per quintal for the 2021-22 crop year, while the rates of pulses, oilseeds and cereals were hiked substantially. Among the commercial crops, the MSP of cotton was increased by Rs 211 per quintal to Rs 5,726 for medium staple variety, and by Rs 200 per quintal to Rs 6,025 for long-staple variety of cotton for the 2021-22 crop year (July-June). The decision taken by the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will help farmers take a call on which kharif (summer) crop to grow as sowing picks with the spread of the Southwest monsoon in the coming weeks.
Most key rabi-producing states of north India, such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, have staggered their procurement to enable farmers to come in batches, so that there is no overcrowding. The Centre has also set up a call centre to coordinate the inter-state movement of farm commodities.
The environment ministry is likely to allow generic modification of food crops.
A would-be suicide attacker blew himself up after he was surrounded by the police in lower dir district of northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, officials said.
The output of pulses and oilseeds in 2012-2013 is likely to fall by 14.61 per cent and 9.62 per cent, respectively, says the first official estimate of kharif season. Experts warn this could trigger a spike in food prices.
They are worried at more than one forecast of a possibly weak monsoon, reports Dilip Kumar Jha.
Wheat is grown on more land area than any other commercial crop.
Though the Bills of Punjab and Rajasthan have a lot of similarities, the one approved by the Chhattisgarh Assembly is structurally different. None of the three has tried to address a key demand of the agitating farmers in full, which is to make all payments below the MSP, within and outside mandis, illegal.
Spiralling prices of wheat, maize, sugar and oils apart from food items such as vegetables turning costlier, are pushing food inflation higher, according to World Bank.
With monsoon rainfall 16% below the long-period average, total sowing area is down by 7% at 56.7 million hectares so far this season.
However, the estimates could change in the coming months, as full impact of excess rainfall and floods on the standing soybean and urad crops in central and western India in late August and September has not yet been fully taken into account.
Farmers of Haryana suffered because of unseasonal rain.
Even as the country awaits the final word on genetically modified brinjal, seed company Monsanto is moving ahead with new products.
The new price will come into effect on all six brands being sold in major markets of Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, West Bengal, Kolkata, Uttaranchal, Maharasthra and few other states.
Wholesale price-based inflation stood at 8.90 per cent in the corresponding week a year ago.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has hit businesses and people who could afford four goats till last year do not have enough money to buy even one this Eid.
Most of the sowing in the country depends on the monsoon as over half of the cultivable land, due to lack of proper irrigation system, is rain-fed.
In 2008-09, the global foodgrain production stood at 1,792 million tonnes."An unexpected good yield in the EU and improved prospects for US maize and spring wheat, resulted in a further 15 MT increase in the world grain production forecast to 1,748 MT, only 2.5 per cent short of the 2008 record," IGC said.
Ten people were killed in various rain-related incidents in Andhra Pradesh as incessant rains lashed the state for the third consecutive day on Thursday.
According to officials, after launching sugar successful on its electronic platform, NCDEX Spot has decided to go in for more commodities.
Nasa has predicted a bumper food production in Bihar this year. On the basis of its satellite imagery system Nasa has recently found that during this spring, rice and maize production in eastern India, particularly in Bihar, would touch a record level. It has indicated the prospect of having a bumper Rabi crop in most parts of Bihar this year. State govt survey had predicted a sharp fall in this year's foodgrain crop in the state. Nasa says the survey is technically faulty.
The wholesale price index stood at 6.21 per cent during the corresponding week a year ago. Prices of maize, arhar and moong declined by one per cent each. However, prices of fuel remained unchanged at the previous week's level.
According to an IFPRI press release, the Union Government and HarvestPlus have signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct research on increasing the level of essential vitamins and minerals, or micronutrients in crops critical to poor people.
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University will offer seven certificate courses spanning six months, through the Distance Education Mode, from July.
The country's agricultural products export was Rs 20,986 crore (Rs 209.86 billion) last year, according to an official of government's agri-trade promotion body Apeda. There has been a major rise in exports of coarse cereals like maize, jowar and barley.
Chandigarh-based Kanwar Deep Singh, 48, grows maize through contract farmers and processes it into chicken feed at his mill, owns hatcheries and poultry farms, runs a chicken processing plant and now sells the produce through his own outlets - all in Punjab. Nothing in the entire chain from feed to chicken sausages, he said, comes from outside.
According to the first advance estimates of crop production for 2007-08 report that was released on Wednesday, India can expect record production in maize, oybean, cotton and sugarcane crops.
In the eye of storm over recovery of Rs 1.14 crore, $600 and ornaments purportedly stolen from his flat, Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Giriaj Singh on Saturday recorded his statement with police claiming the money belonged to his businessman cousin.
US President George W Bush and his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may have their numbers wrong when they accuse China and India of contributing to the global food crisis as a result of growing prosperity-led consumption.
The West Bengal government is chalking out a new plan to set right the serious agricultural imbalance that the state faces.
While NSE is exploring 8-10 new agri-commodities, BSE is eyeing as many as 15, most of which aren't traded on any other online derivative exchange in India.
'Why did government not include a provision in the bills which categorically stated that no crop will be sold below the MSP in the open market?'
Rising prices of food items, jet fuel and alcohol pushed up inflation marginally for the second consecutive week, to 5.64 per cent.
Zambia can very soon emerge as a big investment destination for Indian firms looking for agriculture land to produce various crops.
Inflation rose to 3.83 per cent for the week ended January 12, against 3.79 per cent in the previous week mainly due to rise in prices of manufactured items and some food articles. The wholesale price-based inflation stood at 6.15 per cent in the corresponding week a year ago.
Inflation increased to 4.13 per cent for the week ended June 23 compared to 4.03 per cent in the previous week mainly due to rising prices of food articles and manufactured products.
The situation is unlikely to improve in the near- to medium-term, as the crop outlook is far from satisfactory in most of the major wheat-exporting countries. Matters have got even worse because some of the other cereals, notably maize, are being diverted to bio-fuel production as a response to spiralling crude oil prices. The worst-affected, predictably, are the low-income, food-deficit countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, who face 25 per cent rise in their food bill.
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