At a time when climate change poses significant challenges and the need for sustainable and efficient farming practices has never been more critical, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) allow farmers to gain a bird's-eye view of their crops from ground level. Drones have become a new force in precision agriculture, helping increase productivity while prioritising sustainability and resilience. Fertiliser major IFFCO is exploring this very transformative power of technology in agriculture.
On the occasion of Chinese president Xi Jinping's two-day visit, Indian exporters are looking for a big boost in export of agricultural commodities, especially the ones that have been impacted by the ongoing trade war between the United States and China.
It is "absolutely clear" that the new laws will finish government mandis (wholesale markets) and private mandis where big corporates will sell and buy will have monopoly, he claimed.
Incentives like concessional loans and direct farm credit waivers for farmers would boost the sector's growth, it said.
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.
India's largest public sector lender State Bank of India has put on hold the financing of new tractors and other capital equipment, a move that can have an impact on agriculture sector, a priority area for the government.
Gold prices tumbled by Rs 3,350 to Rs 72,300 per 10 grams in the local market in New Delhi on Tuesday amid subdued demand by jewellers after the government announced the customs duty cut on the yellow metal and silver to 6 per cent.
Fair trade regulator CCI on Tuesday said it has approved the demerger of the hotel business of diversified entity ITC Ltd into a separate entity. After the completion of the demerger, shares of ITC Hotels Ltd, a new entity, will be listed on the stock exchanges. The proposed combination relates to the demerger of the demerged undertaking to ITC's wholly-owned newly incorporated subsidiary, ITC Hotels.
The $4 billion tractor-to-IT conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra is in talks with European fresh produce supply chain and distribution companies to set up a supply joint venture to cater to international and domestic markets.
The Punjab government will soon launch e-agriculture services in collaboration through 'Kisan Soochna Kendras', a network of agri based information kiosks with broadband connectivity.
'...you evaluate three key factors before committing your money.'
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a stay of the implementation of the contentious three new farm laws hoping this will end the prolonged protests by the farmers and also constituted a four-member panel of agri experts to resolve the impasse between their leaders and the Centre.
Three key agriculture Bills, approved by the Lok Sabha, are facing staunch opposition from within the ruling coalition with senior minister Harsmirat Kaur Badal resigning in protest and farmers hitting the street.
According to the proposal, the railway would utilise the surplus land for development of facilities as part of agri retail chain at non-metro stations.
Exim Policy for the new fiscal unveiled on Monday has called for a major thrust on agri-exports zones with increased participation of corporate sector and concessions in duty drawback schemes.
One lakh copies of the three agri laws were burnt at the Singhu border alone, said Paramjeet Singh of Samyukta Kisan Morcha.
The next meeting has been scheduled for January 22, a day after the farmer unions hold their internal discussions on Thursday, farmer leaders said after the 10th round of talks ended at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi after nearly five hours of talks, including two breaks.
Japanese agri-equipment firm Kubota is taking cues from Suzuki Motor's strategy to establish India as its global production hub, according to a report by Nikkei Asia. The acquisition of Escorts in 2022, leading to the rebranding as Escorts Kubota, a prominent tractor manufacturer in India, which held the fourth-largest global market share, offered Kubota a crucial foothold in the Indian and international markets, complementing its strengths with Escorts' established presence.
The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector has underperformed the Nifty over the past year as its 20 per cent return is trumped by 29 per cent of the benchmark index. The FMCG index saw a 2.2 per cent drop in the last session, while the Nifty lost 1 per cent. FMCG is seen as a defensive segment. The demand for staples like personal care products, groceries and snacks tend to be stable. FMCG companies are consistent dividend-payers.
'Three manufacturing sectors can create jobs by the million: Apparel, food, and electronic assembly.' 'Let's talk to them and ask them what it would take to scale by a factor of ten,' suggests Naushad Forbes.
As a result of the downturn in commodity prices across the world, and the easing of supply constraints on most commodities because of good domestic production, there is hardly any incentive for over-stocking by trade or bulk consumers of agri-commodities. Also, it is amply clear that the imposition of storage limits on farm goods has had little impact on their prices or the overall rate of inflation. Even the ban on futures trading has proved ineffectual.
Dairy, sugar prices fall sharply, despite El Nio fears
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday pledged to make 30 million 'Lakhpati Didis', up from the 10 million rural women who have already achieved the feat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday released the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The manifesto says the ruling party will continue the quarterly financial disbursements under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN) yojana.
In a big boost to farm sector, Finance Minister P Chidambaram proposed a whopping Rs 1.25 lakh crore increase in agri-credit target for next fiscal at Rs 7 lakh crore and raised allocation to the ministry by a handsome 22 per cent.
'The government has put in a lot of effort to provide infrastructure for the industry.'
In a move which could enhance the competitiveness of the country's agricultural and marine exports, the government has abolished cess that would cost the exchequer Rs 110 crore (Rs 1.10 billion) a year.
'The lack of a majority isn't the issue. He has enough in 240, especially as none of his allies can pull down his coalition.' 'That's why he's started as if this were just another, normal term. That pretence is vital for him.' 'The change for Modi 3.0 comes not from numbers, but from the new environment of contestation,' points out Shekhar Gupta.
Several BJP-backed state governments have unveiled schemes targeting the poor, women, farmers and students, following the party's setback in the Lok Sabha polls.
Domestic rating agency Icra on Monday revised its FY24 GDP growth forecast to 6.5 per cent from 6.2 per cent earlier. However, the revised forecast is still much lower than the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) 7 per cent real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth estimate for the ongoing fiscal. Earlier this month, the RBI had revised upwards its GDP estimate to 7 per cent from 6.5 per cent, calling the revised number a "conservative" one.
India is keen to forge partnerships with ASEAN countries for the exchange of technology to enhance farm productivity and address the impact of climate change on agriculture.
'The government has put in a lot of effort to provide infrastructure for the industry.'
The government last week extended the ban on futures trading in the four commodities till November 30, which was initially meant for four months when imposed in May. The top official regulating India's commodity futures market said FMC had submitted inputs to the government before the decision on the extension was taken. He iterated that there was no direct link between futures trading and price rise.
The export of more than 100 agricultural and processed food items have increased by 24.43 per cent to Rs 39,461 crore (Rs 394.61 billion) in 2008-09 from Rs 31,712 crore (Rs 317.12 billion) in the previous year due to substantial growth in fresh fruits and vegetables, meat products and processed foods, government's agri-export promotion body APEDA chairman Asit Tripathy said in New Delhi on Monday.
ICICI Bank is likely to disburse Rs 7,000 crore (Rs 70 billion) as agricultural lending in 2004-05 as against Rs 4,000 crore (Rs 40 billion) in the last fiscal.
Days after their passage in the Lok Sabha, Tomar introduced the Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 in the Rajya Sabha.
While foreign direct investment is not allowed in the multi-brand retail, the organised retail stores promoted by the domestic industrial houses have been steadily growing.
In a show of strength in Jind by protesting farmers, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday warned the government that it could find it difficult to stay on in power if the new agri-marketing laws are not repealed.
In Punjab, farmers sat on railway tracks at many locations in 22 districts, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur, Firozpur, Fazilka, Sangrur, Mansa, Moga and Bathinda. Because of the disruption of train services, passengers experienced inconvenience.
