India suffers a food loss of about Rs. 1.53 trillion (USD 18.5 billion) every year as per the latest large-scale study conducted by NABCONs during 2020 to 2022. Reducing post-harvest losses (PHL) is much
Union minister of state for commerce Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday allayed fears on any adverse effect of plantation crops on the rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats. “Cultivation of plantation crops in the Western Ghats will not affect its rich bio-diversity or disturb the ecological balance between flora and fauna in the region as feared,” Scindia said at a planters’ conference here. The rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats is safe and free from adverse effect from plantation crops grown on slopes, he told the 119th annual conference of United Planters’ Association of South India (Upasi), here.
DIMAPUR: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has said that a State like Nagaland which is rich in natural grown bamboo needs a policy or programme suitable for growth of bamboo industry to boost the State’s economy. Addressing a day-long programme to commemorate World Bamboo Day here at Nagaland Bamboo Resource Centre (NBRC), the Chief Minister said that the green gold (bamboo), if exploited judiciously through application of modern scientific methods can help to sustain the State’s economy and transform Naga society from a consuming society to a producing one.
No Relief For Farmers As Water Levels In Dams Still Dismal Gandhinagar: Despite the recent good spell of rain in Saurashtra and Kutch, the regions are staring at several months of water woes. With the water storage in the dams remaining quite low, farmers will not be getting any water from these sources for irrigation. The issue is all set to become a poll agenda for parties opposing the ruling BJP. Sources said that at the beginning of this week, the average water storage in dams and other schemes in Kutch was recorded at 36.40 per cent while that for Saurashtra was a grim 17.86 per cent.
The government will release Rs 10,901 crore to state-run banks to enable interest subvention for short-term crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh to farmers for the current financial year. On Thursday’s cabinet meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, decided this. Public sector banks (PSBs) provide such a subvention to enable short-term crop loans at seven per cent interest. Also, a three per cent subvention is given to those who start repaying their loans within the first year of disbursal.
Centre to explain steps taken for convening meet in Supreme Court today Even as the Supreme Court is to hear the Centre on Friday on fixing the date for the meeting of the Cauvery River Authority, the Tamil Nadu Government on Thursday made a fresh plea that Karnataka be directed to release 2 tmcft of water every day till the CRA meets. A Bench of Justices D.K. Jain and Madan B. Lokur will take up the case on Friday. Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval is expected to explain the steps taken by the PMO for convening the CRA.
The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to limit the extent of land that can be used by plantations for tourism purposes. The State, by way of an amendment to the Land Reforms Act, had earlier allowed 5 per cent of land in recognised plantations to be used for cultivating non-plantation crops and tourism. (The Bill passed by the previous United Democratic Front government in 2005 received President’s assent recently). The Cabinet decision specified that 90 per cent of the five per cent land being diverted should be used for mixed farming, dairying, cultivation of vegetables, fruits, ornamental flowers, and medicinal plants,
Aimed at achieving 15 per cent growth in milk production in the district, the Department of Animal Husbandry has formulated a `71 lakh initiative for setting up dairy farms and milk shed development projects. A Rs 27.03 lakh project has also been formulated to promote fodder crop cultivation, said Dairy Development Board deputy director V Unni. Financial assistance will be provided to those who are ready to set up farm units
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed displeasure over the PMO officials' failure to hold a meeting of the committee, headed by the Prime Minister, to resolve the Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. A bench of justices D.K. Jain and Madan B. Lokur expressed surprise when it was told that the meeting had not been held till now as the PMO officials had been seeking convenient dates from the committee members, which includes the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.
The project will disseminate weather-related inputs to farmers to improve land productivity and boost crop output About 50,000 farmers in ten districts of Maharashtra are expected to benefit from a pilot project, which will disseminate weather-related inputs using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve land productivity and boost crop output. It is being launched jointly by the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) and India Meteorological Department (IMD), and is to be financed under the Farmers' Technology Transfer Fund (FTTF).
The Central government has released a sum of Rs. 501 crore under the Integrated Watershed Management Scheme (IWMP) as part of the drought-mitigation measures in the afflicted zones of Maharashtra. In a letter to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said that in keeping with the gravity of the drought being faced by the State owing to deficient rains till July, the Empowered Group of Ministers had approved to waive off the deduction of unspent balance from the first instalment of central assistance for 2012-13 under the IWMP.
