Want to know what is going on in the agricultural sector of India? Here’s a weekly round-up of the top 10 news.
1. Agricultural And Processed Food Exports Up By 21.8% In April-August
India’s export of agricultural and processed food products rose 21.8% in April-August. Some of the major contributors are rice, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. The exports of products under the ambit of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) were ₹58.3 lakh in the first five months of the fiscal as against ₹47.2 lakh a year ago. Read more here.
2. India Sugar Mills Pause Export Deals In Bet Price Will Rise More
Sugar exporters in India are holding off signing any more export contracts. They expect that global prices will rally further after bad weather damaged crops in Brazil, the biggest exporter of sugar in the world. Abhinash Verma, the director-general of the Indian Sugar Mills Association said that raw sugar in New York should climb higher in price to again attract mills from the western Maharashtra state and the southern region. Read more here.
3. Cargill Launches ‘Digital Sathi’, A Mobile-First Local Online Service Platform
Cargill has launched ‘Digital Saathi’ – a mobile-first, artificial-intelligence (AI)- based local online service platform. Digital Saathi will provide digitally-enabled agriculture advisory services and enhanced market access to smallholder farmers. Small and marginal farmers will gain easy access to multiple stakeholders such as peer farmers, Farmer Producing Companies, agri-suppliers, buyers, traders, and processors. Read more here.
4. Telangana Govt Signs MoU With Wingsure For AI-driven Insurance Services For Farmers
The Telangana government has entered into an agreement with Wingsure, an insurtech venture of SRI International. Wingsure will provide deep-tech-based personalized crop insurance products and advisory services to small, underserved farmers in the state. The Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (ITE&C) Department of the Government of Telangana will facilitate its implementation. Read more here.
5. Kharif Food grain Output Estimated At A Record 15.05 Crore Tons This Year
The first advanced food grain production estimate for the ongoing Kharif season has been released. According to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, a record food grain production is estimated at 15.05 million tons in Kharif season. This has been possible due to better rice output amid a good monsoon. In the Kharif season of 2020-21 crop year (July-June), the food grain output stood at a record 14.95 crore tons. Read more here.
6. India Becoming Destination Country For Healthy Food: Tomar At G-20 Agri Meet
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that India is becoming the destination country for healthy food items like millets as he participated in the G-20 agriculture meeting recently. He added that the government will start promoting biofortified varieties, which are the source of a staple diet rich in micro-nutrients to remove malnutrition from the country. Read more here.
7. Himachal Apple Growers Demand Govt Support As Farm-Gate Prices Fall To A 10-year Low
Resentment is brewing among apple growers of Himachal Pradesh as farm-gate prices of the fruit fall to a 10-year low. Orchard owners have asked the Centre to implement the Kashmir formula in Himachal as well to cushion cultivators from a price shock. New Delhi, through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED), buys apples from Kashmiri farmers at ₹60, ₹44 and ₹24 per kg, depending on output quality. Read more here.
8. Higher Investment Required In Agri R&D: G20 Agri Meet
India stressed at the G20 agriculture meeting that there is a need to increase investment in agricultural research and development amid the challenges of climate change and an expected increase in food demand by 2030. The G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting is one of the ministerial meetings organized as part of the G20 Leaders’ Summit 2021, to be hosted by Italy in October. Read more here.
9. Farmers Panic as Pink Bollworm Attack on Cotton in Punjab
The pink bollworm attack on Punjab’s cotton crop has turned out to be far worse than expected. It has created problems in almost one-fourth of the area in the largest cotton-growing districts of Bhatinda and Mansa. Farmers are worried as the pink bollworm infestation has reached alarming levels, resorting to even un-recommended sprays in an attempt to eradicate it, but not getting any relief. Read more here.
10. ChargeERP Launched Its YouTube Channel
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