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Friday / March 29. 2024
HomePosts Tagged "Madhya Pradesh"

The government is taking steps to control inflation and meet the demand and check the prices of tomatoes in India

Nirmala Sitharaman Finance Minister (FM) informed the Parliament that the government is importing tomatoes from Nepal due to a record-high spike in prices in the country.

The minister said that the government is taking steps to control inflation and meet the demand and check the prices of tomatoes in India, it has decided to import them from its neighbour, Nepal. Sitharaman was participating in a debate on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha. As per her, the government has removed import restrictions and the first lot of tomatoes from Nepal will reach Varanasi, Kanpur, Lucknow this week.

Sitharaman also said that through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and other cooperative societies, the government has been procuring tomatoes from Maharashtra and Karnataka. These tomatoes are then distributed in Delhi-NCR, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan at subsidised rates. The National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd. has distributed 8.84 lakh kg of tomatoes in the aforementioned states. The finance minister added that the wholesale prices of tomatoes in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are already coming down.

Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Tamil Nadu are the major tomato-producing states in the country. These states account for 91 per cent of the total production of the country, said FM.

The government is taking steps to control

Bediya chilli mandi in Khargone district is the second-largest chilli market in India

The Madhya Pradesh horticulture and food processing department has applied for geographical indication (GI) tags for 46 state speciality products to aid in their worldwide promotion.

As part of the government’s ‘One District, One Product’ initiative, Nimar’s distinctive crop, Khargone Red Chillies, is already making a splash in foreign markets with 46 other products.

According to the local media Khargone district’s red chillies will receive special product status during Vikas Parv.

The Khargone’s chillies are among 46 special horticulture products in the state. A mission is underway to achieve this. The district cultivated chillies on 46556 hectares in 2023.

Bediya chilli mandi in Khargone district is the second-largest chilli market in India. The market has gained recognition for its high-quality chilli crops, leading to an increase in business expectations.

The Department of Horticulture and food processing conducted a survey of horticulture products in various districts of the state on Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s instructions.

Bediya chilli mandi in Khargone district is

Laxmi is from a high genetic merit IVF embryo having the potential for the production of 35-40 kg milk a day.

NDDB Dairy Services (NDS) announced the birth of the first female calf ‘Laxmi’, under the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Government of India’s Accelerated Breed Improvement Programme through IVF Embryo Transplant (ABIP-IVF-ET). The programme targets establishing two lakh pregnancies through the transplant of IVF embryos of high genetic merit to enhance the milk yield for dairy farmers.

The results of nine months of hard ground work which started with the transplant of IVF embryos in September 2022, have started coming in. Since the news of more births only seems to pour in, with 13 healthy female births confirmed to date. Laxmi is the first female calf born from the surrogate transplanted with an IVF embryo at Rajarambapu Patil Cooperative Milk Union Ltd., Islampur (Sangli), in Maharashtra. More than 250 births are expected in due course from cows and buffaloes whose pregnancies through IVF embryo transplants have been confirmed.

“Laxmi is from a high genetic merit IVF embryo having a potential for production of 35-40 kg milk a day, which is nearly double the average of the existing cattle owned by dairy farmers in this area,” said an exuberant Sushil Dilip Khot, the dairy farmer beneficiary who has just expanded his herd with the birth of Laxmi.

Meenesh Shah, NDDB & NDS Chairman, shared that the journey has not been easy. “When we initially started, the success rate with IVF embryo transplant was as low as 9 per cent, which today has reached, in some cases, up to 46 per cent. The success depends on the proper selection of the surrogates & its management, and there is still a lot of work required in the area.”

NDDB’s wholly owned subsidiary, NDS is one of the service providers identified by the DAHD, Government of India, for the execution of the programme. NDS last year kicked off the implementation on September 22 from Islampur in Maharashtra, said a Company spokesperson.

The NDS team have been working relentlessly for over a year and has already scaled the programme to 15 milk unions in six states, i.e. Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Punjab, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. Since September 2022, the team so far has transferred 1,436 embryos, out of which 1,211 have been examined for pregnancies. During the current financial year, embryo transplant activity will be scaled up, and another 3,000 IVF embryo pregnancies are expected to be established.

The choice of breed of the embryo to be transplanted lies with the farmer, and the gender-sorted IVF embryos of about 6 indigenous cattle and 1 buffalo breed have been used to ensure that 90 per cent of calves born are female. As the calves will have none of the characteristics of the surrogate, the potential of producing milk goes up to 15-20 kgs from Gir and Sahiwal breeds of cows and 20 kgs from the Murrah buffalo breed, the NDS spokesperson said.

Laxmi is from a high genetic merit

The combined Stock position of wheat and rice in the Central Pool stands at over 579 LMT

Wheat procurement during the ongoing Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2023-24 has progressed smoothly. The progressive procurement of wheat in the current season till 30 May is 262 Lakh Metric tons (LMT) which has already surpassed last year’s total procurement of 188 LMT by 74 LMT. About 21.27 Lakh farmers have already benefitted from the ongoing wheat procurement operations with a Minimum Support Price (MSP) outflow of about Rs. 47,000 crores. Major contribution in the procurement has come from three procuring states of Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana with procurement of 121.27 LMT, 70.98 LMT and 63.17 LMT respectively.

The major contributing factors in healthy procurement this year have been the grant of relaxation by the Government of India in quality specifications of wheat affected due to untimely rains; opening of procurement centres at village/ panchayat level; carrying out procurement through Co-operative Societies/ Gram Panchayats/ Arhatias etc. in addition to designated procurement centres for better outreach and permission to engage FPOs for procurement operations.

The rice procurement is also progressing smoothly. A quantity of 385 LMT of rice has been procured till 30 May during the Kharif crop of Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2022-23 with another 110 LMT yet to be procured. Further, a quantity of 106 LMT rice has been estimated to be procured during the Rabi crop of KMS 2022-23.

The combined stock position of wheat and rice in the Central Pool is over 579 LMT (Wheat 312 LMT and Rice 267 LMT) which has placed the country in a comfortable position to meet its requirements of food grains.

The combined Stock position of wheat and

New Galaxy® NXT herbicide features dual mode of action technology to control grasses and broadleaf weeds in soybean crops.

FMC, a leading agricultural sciences company, announced the launch of drone spray services in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The company also launched Galaxy® NXT, a novel herbicide for soybean crops, one of the most cultivated crops in the state.

The new herbicide and drone spray service were launched in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, in the presence of Mark Douglas, President and Chief Executive Officer of FMC Corporation and Pramod Thota, President of the FMC Asia Pacific region. A live demonstration of self-propelled boom spray services, which are expected to be introduced throughout the country in the next three months, was also conducted successfully in farmers’ fields.

Approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the government body responsible for the regulation of air transport services in India, the drone service is expected to improve farm productivity while reducing the need for manual labour. Agricultural unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) allow more control over spray uniformity and coverage, as well as improve the precision with which crop protection products like FMC’s premium and farmer-trusted brands Coragen® insect control and Benevia® insecticide are applied. Each spray drone can treat three to four acres in about 15 minutes, making the spraying job easier and more efficient. Using UAVs will also protect farmers from climatic risks like dehydration and heat stroke. FMC India has also been running customized training programs for farmers, advocating optimal use of input resources across crops grown in India. The spray services are available via the FMC India Farmer App in regional languages for ease of accessibility.

“FMC’s move is in line with the Indian government’s inclusive reforms to onboard drone and other spray services to modernize agriculture in the country,” said Ravi Annavarapu, President, FMC India. “Adoption of technology is critical to ensure crop protection and food security. India is at the forefront of innovating food systems, and this progress is best displayed in the state of Madhya Pradesh, which is market-driven, tech-positive and farmer-centric. Madhya Pradesh, one of the first states where FMC has introduced spray services, demonstrates our commitment to providing access and training to promote rural entrepreneurship. At the same time, we are pleased to offer innovative solutions for production of soybean ahead of the kharif season and will continue to contribute to the growth of the agriculture sector in Madhya Pradesh.” Annavarapu also added, “Through the launch of spray services to enable farmers in Madhya Pradesh to use our range of insecticides on various crops and the launch of a new product Galaxy® NXT herbicide for soybean growers, we are well equipped to meet the requirements of our partners and we will continue to localize and customize our services across the spectrum.”

New Galaxy® NXT herbicide features dual mode

The National Workshop of Bamboo Sector Development and Bamboo Exhibition aims to bring together key stakeholders from the bamboo industry, including policymakers, researchers, industry experts

Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, inaugurated the Bamboo Exhibition at the National Workshop on Bamboo Sector Development in New Delhi. The Additional Secretary, along with Joint Secretary (Horticulture), Priya Ranjan and Horticulture Commissioner, Dr Prabhat Kumar, visited all 58 stalls at the event, interacting with State Bamboo Mission officials, State Department officials, artisans, bamboo experts and entrepreneurs.

The exhibition saw participation from State Bamboo Missions including Tripura, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Institutes like Bamboo and Cane Development Institute, Phoenix Foundation, Northeast Cane and Bamboo Development Council, Foundation of MSME Clusters along with startups and new age companies like Epitome (Mutha Industries), BioCraftBiomize, Bamboo India, ESES Biowealth Pvt Limited, Corner Art Store and organisations like Maharashtra Bamboo Board, Handicraft Sectorial Council and Bamboo FPOs under NAFED also participated in the event.

The National Workshop of Bamboo Sector Development and Bamboo Exhibition aims to bring together key stakeholders from the bamboo industry, including policymakers, researchers, industry experts, institutes and organisations to discuss the current state of the bamboo sector in India and identify ways to promote its growth and development.

The event is being organised by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Invest India and the Kerala State Bamboo Mission in New Delhi.

The National Workshop of Bamboo Sector Development

Scientists play a key role in making Madhya Pradesh a leading state in agriculture

The 59th Foundation Day function of Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Jabalpur was held online and the Chief Guest, Narendra Singh Tomar said on the occasion that if Madhya Pradesh has emerged amongst the leading states in the field of agriculture today, the role of Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Indian Council of Agricultural Research lies at its strong foundation.

Tomar said that the Jabalpur Agricultural University is known across the country as an Institute of Excellence and this is a matter of pride for the people of the state working in the agriculture sector. Ever since this university was established in the year 1964, it has made a great contribution in advancing and upgrading the agricultural sector in the state. Madhya Pradesh has repeatedly received the prestigious Krishi Karman Award in the field of agriculture. 

Tomar said that farmers have to depend on nature in spite of the availability of sufficient resources. In this regard, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided a shield to the farmers in the form of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Claims worth INR 1.22 lakh crore has been settled against crop loss to farmers during the last 6 years.

Scientists play a key role in making

ICAR-Indian Institute of Soyabean Research, Indore has developed three varieties of soyabean, NRC 157, NRC 131, and NRC 136 which have been approved by the Government of Madhya Pradesh.

Dr Sanjay Gupta, principal scientist and breeder, said that NRC 157 (IS 157) is a medium-duration variety that matures in just 94 days. It has an average yield of 16.5 qt./ha. and is also moderately resistant to diseases like Alternaria leaf spots, bacterial pustules, and target leaf spots. Field trials in the institute have found NRC 157 suitable for delayed planting with minimum yield losses. Whereas talking about NRC 131 (IS131), he highlighted that it is a medium duration variety of 93 days, with an average yield of 15 qt./ha. This variety is moderately resistant to diseases like charcoal rot and target leaf spots.

Along with these two varieties, NRC 136 (IS 136) which has already notified for cultivation in eastern region of the country, has also been released for cultivation in Madhya Pradesh this year. Dr Gyanesh Kumar Satpute, the breeder of the variety and the principal scientist of the institute, said that this variety matures in 105 days with an average yield of 17 qt./ha. NRC 136 is moderately resistant to Moongbean Yellow Mosaic Virus (MYMV) and is India’s first drought-tolerant variety.

ICAR-Indian Institute of Soyabean Research, Indore has

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has raised the existing limit of 25 quintals for purchase of Moong and Urad under Price Support Scheme (PSS) to 40 quintals per farmer per day during the summer season 2021-22 for farmers in Madhya Pradesh. The exemption limit has been approved for Madhya Pradesh farmers. 

Earlier, during a meeting with Tomar, Patel said that while selling their Moong and Urad produce under PSS, if farmers have more quantity of summer moong available with them, according to PSS registration guidelines, they faced problem due to purchase limit of 25 quintal per day per farmer.

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers

Aims to promote startups and encourage entrepreneurship in the state

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched Madhya Pradesh’s Startup Policy and Implementation Plan – 2022 which aims to promote startups and encourage entrepreneurship in the state. This startup policy has been especially developed to strengthen and bring to reality the entrepreneurial ideas of the youth of Madhya Pradesh. The Prime Minister launched the policy virtually at a programme organized at the Brilliant Convention Center, Indore in the presence of the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Prime Minister Modi also launched the Madhya Pradesh Start-up Portal, which will be a one-stop avenue for entrepreneurs, providing them with vital information and guidance on launching a start-up. The portal will be integrated with the central government’s start-up portal. Besides this, Prime Minister Modi engaged in online interactions with several entrepreneurs and encouraged them to build India from the grassroots.

Modi said, “We have come a long way, and today, the Madhya Pradesh portal and i-Hub Indore has been successfully launched under the start-up policy of the state. I want to congratulate the government of Madhya Pradesh for this exceptional feat.”

Madhya Pradesh has over 1,900 start-ups with more than 800 start-ups founded by women entrepreneurs. The state is an agricultural powerhouse and aims to promote more than 200 start-ups in the agriculture sector with special emphasis on product-based start-ups. The state has also focussed energy on the capacity-building of startup incubation centres. The policy will usher innovation, experimentation, and risk-taking, boosting the spirit of entrepreneurship in the state.

Aims to promote startups and encourage entrepreneurship

ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh has developed the unique technology

Agrinnovate India, the commercial wing of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi granted license to the Department of Horticulture & Food Processing, Government of Madhya Pradesh for the ‘Aeroponic Method for Virus-free Potato Seed Production’ in New Delhi. The ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh has developed the unique technology of Aeroponic Potato Seed Production.

The nutrients are sprayed into the roots in the form of misting through the Aeroponic. The Plant’s upper part remains in the open air and light. An average of 35 to 60 Mini Tubers (3 to 10 Grams) are obtained from one plant. Since, soil is not being used, there are no soil diseases and the Aeroponic System saves two years in the development of breeder seed as compared to the conventional system. To ensure the potato seed’s availability, the technology has been commercialised with 20 firms in eight states.

The Chief Guest, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare asserted on the Central Government’s dedication to ensure the timely supply of the quality and certified seeds to the farmers. 

Tomar stated that the ICAR Institutes develop the technologies for their respective areas.

The Guest of Honor, Bharat Singh Kushwaha, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Horticulture & Food Processing Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh hoped that the latest and unique technology will help to meet the requirements of Potato Seeds and enhance its production in the state. Mentioning Madhya Pradesh as the 6th Largest Potato Producing State of the country, Kushwaha underlined the significant role played by Malwa in the potato production.

The minister stated that Madhya Pradesh has emerged as an ideal destination state for potato processing in the country. He also underlined that Indore City alone is contributing for around 30 per cent potato production of the state. The minister accentuated that the licensing will play a crucial role in helping the farmers in the potato crops’ production to a large extent.

E Ramesh Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner, Horticulture & Food Processing Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh stated that the technology having the production capacity of one million mini tubers will help to meet the state’s seed requirement of about 4 lakh tonne.

Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Anand Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR along with Dr NK Pandey, Director, ICAR-CPRI, Shimla and Dr Sudha Mysore, CEO, AgrInnovate India deliberated during the occasion.

ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Hoarding of seeds have pushed up the prices of soybean oil

Inspections have revealed very large hoardings of soybean and mustard seeds in the Dewas, Shajapur and Guna districts of Madhya Pradesh. These seeds were much above the stock limit prescribed by the government. Hoarding of seeds have pushed up the prices of soybean oil. The State Government has been asked to step in to take necessary action under the EC Act, 1955.

In Maharashtra and Rajasthan, large quantities of edible oils were found more than the prescribed quantities of the control order. Wholesalers and big chain retail outlets were the main violators. The state governments have been requested to take corrective measures as per the relevant sections of the EC Act.

Inspection is ongoing in the remaining five states. The state governments of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have also been requested to ensure that the supply chain is not affected while taking action under EC Act.

Hoarding of seeds have pushed up the

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare inaugurates the fair

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare inaugurated the Farmers’ Fair organised by the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh at the Santha Village of Morena District, Madhya Pradesh today. The fair was organised under the Farmer FIRST Programme Project.

The Union Minister urged the small and marginal farmers for making the Farmers’ Producers’ Organizations (FPOs) that can revolutionise the agriculture sector of the country. Tomar expressed his concerns on the major irrigation water-related problems like majority of farmers in Chambal Region use flood-irrigation resulting in low yield, quality of produce, decreasing water table and soil quality. The adaptation of the improved methods of irrigation through border strip, furrow, pressure irrigation with fertigation for improving the yield, income and water productivity was stressed in the Union Minister’s address.

Tomar accentuated on reducing the cost of production with direct seeding, bed planting, water management technologies, stopping the burning of farm residue and utilising for soil water storage and improving the soil quality and safer environment.

Prof Surapaneni Koteshwara Rao, Vice-Chancellor, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Gwalior emphasised promoting the integrated farming system, protected cultivation, vegetable production, processing and value-addition and agro-based enterprises for higher profit. Prof Rao also urged for developing the aggregation modules for the farmers on commodity and community-based group farming linked with the Farmers’ Producers’ Organizations that can help in increasing the farmers’ prosperity.

More than 1,000 farmers, rural youths, senior officials and the various dignitaries attended the fair.

Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture

The prog will help farmers enhance productivity and profitability

The ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh in association with the African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) is organising an E-training Programme on “Agricultural Engineering Technologies for Enhancing Productivity and Profitability in Agriculture Sector” till January 21, 2022.

Delivering the inaugural address, Dr Kanchan Kumar Singh, ADG (Farm Engineering), ICAR highlighted the importance of mechanisation in the production and post-production agriculture for ensuring timely operation, precise input applications and loss reduction.

His Excellency, Dr Manoj Nardeosingh, Secretary-General, AARDO opined that mechanization technologies are highly relevant to develop countries. He also stressed that such technologies developed by the ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal and other organisations must reach AARDO member countries for sustainable and profitable agriculture.

Dr CR Mehta, Director, ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal briefed about the Institute’s activities. He also underlined the main objective of the programme to share the innovative agricultural engineering technologies developed by the institute and other organisations for up-skilling and sensitising the participants in the fields of pre and post-harvest mechanisation.

A total of 74 participants from 19 AARDO Member Countries including India are participating in the programme.

The prog will help farmers enhance productivity