Want to know what is going on in the agricultural sector of India? Here’s a round-up of the top 10 news.

1. Maharashtra Launches Its Own Agriculture Export Policy

The Government of Maharashtra launched the state’s Agriculture Export Policy (AEP), which will focus on the export promotion of 21 agricultural commodities. The Government of India had unveiled its Agriculture Export Policy in December 2018, directing the state governments to draft their own policy. Accordingly, the state government had constituted a committee in May 2019 to draft the policy. Some of the activities envisaged under the AEP include infrastructure creation, export of organic products and products registered under GI, hiring international consultants for post-harvest management, and implementation of an effective traceability system. Read more here.

2. Himachal Plagued By Fertiliser Scarcity As Apple Season Peaks

Horticulture hotspot Himachal Pradesh is facing a shortage of chemical fertilisers at a time when the state’s 200,000 apple orchards are in need of them. Just 22,598 tonnes of chemical fertilisers have been distributed among the state’s farmers by HIMFED till now, with only a month left for the current financial year to end. Some 74,604 tonnes were distributed by HIMFED last year. HIMFED stands for the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing and Consumers’ Federation Ltd. It is the apex cooperative marketing federation of Himachal Pradesh. Read more here.

3. Indian Agri-tech Space Saw ₹6,600 Crore PE Funding In 4 Years

Private equity investments in the Indian agri-tech space grew more than 50% annually to aggregate approximately ₹6,600 crores till 2020, according to a new report by Bain & Company and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The report pointed out that India’s rural economy contributed close to half of the nation’s overall GDP in 2019–2020. Two-thirds of India’s population participated in its rural economy in the past two years, and agriculture, the largest sub-sector within the rural economy, had the highest share of output, contributing approximately 37% of the total rural GDP,” it said. Read more here.

4. Gram Prices May Hover Around MSP

The Department of agricultural economics (DAE) of the Jamnagar Agricultural University predicted that the production of grams in India this year will be higher than the domestic demand. Hence they have advised farmers to sell their crop upon harvest as prices may hover around the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹5,230 per quintal. Based on the econometric analysis and production reports, it is concluded that the prices of gram from March to April may remain in the range of ₹900 to 1,000 per 20 kg. Read more here.

5. World Bank Offers ₹869 Crore Loan For Watershed Management For Indian Farmers

The Union Finance Ministry said that the World Bank will provide ₹869 crore loan to fund a program in India that will help national and state institutions adopt improved watershed management practices to increase farmers` resilience to climate change, promote higher productivity and better incomes. The Government of India, the State Governments of Karnataka and Odisha, and the World Bank have signed the agreement for the program called Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development Program. Read more here.

6. Relief For Moong Importers As DGFT Relaxes Policy To Permit Shipments

The Director-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has decided to relax some provisions of foreign trade policy (FTP) to help importers bring in their moong cargoes contracted before February 11. Last month, the Centre had amended the moong import policy by moving it from ”free” to “restricted”, a move that shocked importers. The quantity eligible for import would be proportionate to the amount paid prior to February 11, 2022, as advance. Read more here.

7. Paddy Procurement Would Reach 707.24 Lakh Tonnes In 2021-22

The Union Food Ministry said that the Centre has acquired 707.24 lakh tonnes of paddy at the minimum support price (MSP) from over 96 lakh farmers throughout the nation in the current marketing year 2021-22. A total of 186.85 lakh tonnes of paddy has been bought from Punjab so far, followed by 92.01 lakh tonnes from Chhattisgarh, 70.22 lakh tonnes from Telangana, 55.30 lakh tonnes from Haryana, and 64.93 lakh tonnes from Uttar Pradesh until February 27 of the current marketing year. Read more here.

8. New Variety Cassava Introduced In Salem To Increase Farmers’ Income

The ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, and the Department of Horticulture have introduced a new cassava variety ‘Sree Raksha’, which is resistant to mosaic disease. Mr. Muthuraj, a scientist, said the new variety could provide 45 tonnes high yield per hectare and has a starch content of 28%. He added that 500 stems have been distributed for farmers initially and it could be cultivated on 1.5 to 2 acres. More stems would be distributed to farmers in the future. Read more here.

9. Farmers In Erode District Used Drones To Spray Pesticides On Jasmine Fields

Jasmine farmers in Sathyamangalam, Erode district, are being encouraged to use drones to spray pesticides over their fields. A team of professors and students from the Bannari Amman Institute of Technology in Sathyamangalam conducted a field study before finalizing a standard operating procedure as well as the insecticide/water ratio needed for jasmine fields. The study reveals that the usage of drones in agri-fields is advantageous in the localized application of insecticides on jasmine leaves. Drone spraying solves the labor issue and reduces both the cost and time taken, compared to manual spraying. 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.

For more information and updates, subscribe to our YouTube Channel or follow our Facebook page and our Blog. Book a free demo by dialing +91 9311341199 or by visiting www.chargeerp.com.