Want to know what is going on in the agricultural sector of India? Here’s a round-up of the top 10 news.
1. Modi Launches 100 Agricultural Drones Across The Country
On February 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually launched 100 made-in-India agricultural drones across the country. The PM labeled it a “milestone” for Indian agriculture. The drone blitz is said to be, by far, the largest collective agricultural drone exercise in the country. A raft of recent policy relaxations and incentives, including proposals in the Union budget 2022-23, have opened up India’s vast agriculture sector for commercial use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles. Read more here.
2. Paddy Procurement Reaches Up 6%
Overall purchases of paddy in the country reached 699.48 lakh tonnes as of February 21, as against 658.13 lakh tonnes a year ago as per the official data. The government has set a goal of procuring 774.85 metric tonnes of paddy from the kharif crop. While procurement has already been completed in important states like Bihar, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh, it will be completed in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu by March 31. Read more here.
3. Wholesale Price Of Mustard Oil Drops 10%
The start of mustard harvesting in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh has driven down the wholesale price of mustard oil by ₹15 to ₹135/litre. It is a 10% drop from the rates in January when it was around ₹150. The impact will be felt at the retail end from next month when prices are expected to come down to ₹160-170 per litre from ₹200. Mustard oil prices have been pinching consumers for more than a year now. Read more here.
4. GST Applicable On Seeds Used In Agriculture Say Two Tax Rulings
The Telangana Authority of Advance Ruling (AAR) has said in two rulings that seeds are not “agricultural produce” and should attract goods and services tax (GST), a development that could create complications for the agriculture sector in the future. In both the rulings, the AAR said that “seed” is treated separately from “grain”. The law applicable to grain and seed will be different and therefore concessions applicable to grain produced by a cultivator will not be applicable to seed. Read more here.
5. Centre Releases Onion Buffer Stock
To prevent a sharp increase in retail onion prices, the Centre announced that it has begun offloading buffer stock in a calibrated and targeted manner to states where prices have increased in recent months. The buffer stock is being released even in the Lasalgaon and Pimpalgaon wholesale onion mandis in Maharashtra to supplement supply in these markets, according to a statement from the Consumer Affairs Ministry. According to the ministry, the states were offered onion at ₹21/kg ex-storage locations. Read more here.
6. PM Exhorts Corporates To Work Towards Making Indian Agriculture Smart
Stressing the need for reducing imports of edible oils and pulses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24 asked corporates to come forward and help farmers in increasing domestic production of these essential food items. Addressing a webinar on the positive impact of the Union Budget 2022 on the agriculture sector, he exhorted Indian business houses to help in the branding and promotion of Indian millets. He also talked about “a huge opportunity” for the corporate world in the field of nano-fertilizer which is going to be a “game-changer”. Read more here.
7. Govt. Launches Vertical Garden Scheme With 75% Subsidy,
A vertical garden plan has been launched in Kerala by the State Horticulture Mission (SHM) as part of the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture. The Arka Vertical Garden’s major components are a one-square-meter base frame, main central support connected to the base frame, and supporters for pots/grow-bags, all of which are designed to accommodate 16 pots of various sizes and shapes at four different height levels. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Kannur Corporations have planned to distribute 330 units of the same in the fiscal year 2021-22. Read more here.
8. India’s First Electric Tractor To Be Exported To Mexico
India’s first electric tractor maker, Cellestial E-Mobility has inked a sales distribution and marketing partnership with a Mexican company, Grupo Marvelsa. The Mexican company already has a huge network of 800 service centres, 2,500 dealerships as well as 35 vehicles in its fleet. The Hyderabad-based E-tractor manufacturer claims to support e-Mobility and is ready to make a change in the automobile industry by marking its footprint overseas. The electric tractors made by the company will be mainly used in Airport GSE, goods carrier and Agricultural sectors. Read more here.
9. India Showcases Digital Agriculture Ecosystem At EXPO2020
As part of the ongoing ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ fortnight, at India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai, Ministry of Agriculture and Family Welfare, Government of India, hosted a seminar on ‘Emerging Technologies in Farm Machinery, Digitization & Opportunities for Entrepreneurships’. It was about innovative technologies that are supporting and promoting the overall productivity and agribusiness of India’s farm sector. The event also marked how emerging technologies are helping the agricultural sector shift from being production-oriented to being income-oriented agriculture. Read more here.
10. ChargeERP Launched An Independent Seller Bill Feature
ChargeERP, the easiest, fastest, and most secure mandi accounting software from Bijak has introduced an independent ‘Seller Bill’ tab to address the on-ground needs of commission agents. Along with this, they are offering ‘Bill Sundry’ and ‘Sales Expenses’ customization features which will be available in the ‘Settings’ section of this mandi accounting software. Commission agents will now be able to customize expenses and other charges, charged to Suppliers and Customers.
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