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Thursday / October 31. 2024
HomePosts Tagged "Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare"

 Production of Wheat is estimated at 1129.25 LMT which is higher by 23.71 LMT from previous year’s wheat production.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released Third Advance Estimates of Major Agricultural Crops for the year 2023-24. From the last agricultural year, the summer season has been segregated from Rabi season and incorporated in the Third Advance Estimates. Hence, this Advance Estimates of area, production and yield includes Kharif, Rabi & Summer season.

This estimate has been primarily prepared on the basis of information received from State Agricultural Statistics Authorities (SASAs). The data received has been validated and triangulated with information received from Remote Sensing, Weekly Crop Weather Watch Group and other agencies. Further the climatic conditions, previous trends, price movements, mandi arrivals etc. are also considered while preparing the estimates.

Total foodgrain production is estimated at 3288.52 LMT, which is slightly lower than foodgrain production of 2022-23 while higher by 211.00 LMT from average foodgrain production of last 5 years (2018-19 to 2022-23) of 3077.52 LMT.

Total Rice production is estimated at 1367.00 LMT as compared to 1357.55 LMT in 2022-23, showing an increase of 9.45 LMT. Production of Wheat is estimated at 1129.25 LMT which is higher by 23.71 LMT from previous year’s wheat production.

Production of Shree Anna is estimated at 174.08 LMT showing a marginal increase of 0.87 LMT from 2022-23 production. Further, Production of Nutri/Coarse Cereals is estimated at 547.34 LMT which is higher by 46.24 LMT from average Nutri/ Coarse Cereals production.

Production of Tur is estimated at 33.85 LMT which is marginally higher by 0.73 LMT from last year’s production of 33.12 LMT. Production of Lentil is estimated at 17.54 LMT which is higher by 1.95 LMT than the previous year’s production of 15.59 LMT.

The production of Soybean is estimated at 130.54 LMT and production of Rapeseed & Mustard is estimated at 131.61 LMT which higher by 5.18 LMT to last year’s production. The production of Cotton is estimated at 325.22 Lakh Bales (of 170 Kg each) and production of Sugarcane is estimated at 4425.22 LMT.

While preparing the Kharif crop production estimates the Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) based yield has been considered. Further, the process of recording CCEs have been re-engineered by the implementation of Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) which was rolled out in 16 states during the Rabi season. The yield results received under DGCES has been predominantly used to arrive at rabi crop production. Further, summer crop production is based on the average of last 3 years yield.

The details of production of various crops are given as under:

Total Foodgrains– 3288.52 LMT

Rice -1367.00 LMT

Wheat – 1129.25 LMT

Maize – 356.73 LMT

Shree Anna– 174.08 LMT

Tur – 33.85 LMT

Gram – 115.76 LMT

Total Oilseeds– 395.93 LMT

Soybean – 130.54 LMT

Rapeseed & Mustard – 131.61 LMT

Sugarcane – 4425.22 LMT

Cotton – 325.22 Lakh Bales (170 Kgs. each)

Jute – 92.59 Lakh Bales (180 Kgs. each)

 Production of Wheat is estimated at 1129.25

The exhibit delves into the many superpowers of millets, showcasing their diverse varieties, cultivation methods, and culinary uses.

In collaboration with India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Google Arts & Culture launched a new digital exhibit, “Millets: Seeds of Change,” celebrating the rich history and growing international importance of millets, of which India is the world’s largest producer. The digital exhibition highlights the history of millets from ancient grains to modern-day superfoods, as well as their nutritional benefits, contribution to global climate resilience, and potential to address global food security challenges.

The exhibit delves into the many superpowers of millets, showcasing their diverse varieties, cultivation methods, and culinary uses. It features simple and delicious millet recipes from celebrated chefs like award-winner Chef Thomas Zacharias, who is leading a millet revival movement. Interactive elements like quizzes and crosswords allow visitors to test their knowledge and engage with the content in a fun and informative way.

Launching the exhibit at Krishi Bhavan, Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare stated: “When India spearheaded the UNGA resolution to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets, we did so with the objective of sharing our agricultural practices and experiences with the world. We were gratified to see ‘Shree Anna’, which holds immense potential for multiplier impact – including offering India’s small farmers a doorway to prosperity – receiving interest during the global G20 Summit. Our hope and ambition are that the conversations that have been generated over the past year translate into the advantages of millets spreading farther and wider. I thank Google Arts & Culture for supporting us in this endeavour with a dedicated digital exhibit.”

Amit Sood, Director, Google Arts & Culture remarked on the collaboration: “Google Arts & Culture is dedicated to leveraging technology, offering global audiences an interactive way to engage with cultural and historical treasures that shape our world. We are proud to have worked with India’s Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to celebrate one such prime example from the ancient world that is capable of transformative impact – for the world of today and of tomorrow. Given its long-standing versatility in addressing multiple nutritional and sustainability challenges, it is little surprise that millets are witnessing a global resurgence. We are glad to lend our technology and platform to support the growing popularity of this food group.”

The exhibit delves into the many superpowers

Production of fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, flowers and honey are expected to increase in 2022-23.

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the 2nd Advance Estimates of the area and production of various horticultural crops for the year 2022-23. According to this estimate, total horticulture production in the country is expected to be a record 351.92 million tonnes in the year 2022-23.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has said that along with food grains, horticulture is also continuously recording record production in the country, which is the good result of the hard work of our farmers, the efficiency of scientists and the farmer-friendly policies of the Central Government under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who is committed to the welfare of farmers.

Highlights of the year 2021-22 (Second Advance Estimates)-

• Total horticulture production in the year 2022-23 is estimated to be 351.92 million tonnes, an increase of about 4.74 million tonnes (1.37 per cent) as compared to the year 2021-22 (final).

• Production of fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, flowers and honey are expected to increase.

• Fruit production is estimated to be 108.34 million tonnes in the year 2022-23 as compared to 107.51 million tonnes in the year 2021-22.

• The production of vegetables is estimated to be 212.91 million tonnes in the year 2022-23 compared to 209.14 million tonnes in the year 2021-22.

• Production of plantation crops is estimated to increase from 15.76 million tonnes in 2021-22 to 16.05 million tonnes in 2022-23, which is an increase of about 1.78 per cent.

• Potato production is expected to be 60.54 million tonnes, compared to 56.18 million tonnes in the year 2021-22.

Production of fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, flowers

More than 2,165 FPOs of 8 lakh farmers are doing business through online platform ONDC.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Small Farmers Agri-Business Association (SFAC), and CSC jointly organized a Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) Mela at INA Market, Delhi Haat. Major FPOs from across the country participated in the fair, displaying a wide range of products from more than 20 FPOs. Visitors had the opportunity to taste and experience the essence of natural products at the fair.

FPOs are groups of farmers that run commercial activities related to farming and crop production in their area. They provide farmers with discounts on wholesale prices of agricultural inputs, such as manure, seeds, fertilizers, and equipment, and also help farmers sell their finished crops and produce in the market. FPOs are playing a vital role in boosting the rural economy.

To make it easier for farmers to access markets, the government has either formed or is in the process of forming an FPO in every block in the country. Today, more than 2,165 FPOs of 8 lakh farmers are doing business through the online platform ONDC.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director & CEO, CSC SPV, Sanjay Rakesh said that CSC has always strived to improve the lives of citizens in rural areas through various initiatives. Farmers and agriculture are an integral part of our initiative.

 Thanks to the vast network of CSCs present in remote areas of the country, we are already providing various services to the farmers through tele-consultation, crop insurance, e-veterinary, Kisan Credit Card and PM Kisan schemes.

In this context, we are working with full enthusiasm in the formation of FPOs across the country. Our VLEs through FPOs are playing a big role in the empowerment of farmers across the country. CSCs provide rural citizens with access to a variety of government services at their doorstep, such as caste, income, domicile, character certificates, and employment registration.

 Through these services, CSCs have played a remarkable role in helping the people of India in the field of e-governance. More than 5.5 lakh CSCs located in remote areas of the country have changed the lives of the citizens.

According to an estimate, there are more than 12 crore small and marginal farmers in India, with an average land holding size of less than 1.1 hectares. Most small and marginal farmers need access to both production and post-production functions, such as technology, quality inputs at reasonable prices, seed production, units of farming machinery, value added products, processing, credit, investment, and most importantly, markets. Collectivisation of such producers through formation of FPOs is crucial to address these challenges and increase farmers’ income.

The FPO Mela held in Delhi Haat was a successful event that showcased the wide range of products and services offered by FPOs. It also provided a platform for farmers to learn about the benefits of joining FPOs and how to access FPO services.

More than 2,165 FPOs of 8 lakh

Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary (Extension), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare was addressing the knowledge sharing session ‘Harnessing Agriculture’s Potential- 2035’, organised by FICCI.

Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary (Extension), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt of India said that it is imperative to adopt technology and create infrastructure to build a resilient agriculture sector in India.

Addressing the knowledge sharing session ‘Harnessing Agriculture’s Potential- 2035’, organised by FICCI, Kumar stated that earlier the government had a production centric approach in the agriculture sector but now we focus on the entire value chain. Every country across the world is embracing newer technology, following innovative ways to build a strong agriculture value chain. “By adopting these measures along with the collective efforts of all stakeholders, we can make Indian agriculture sector more robust, resilient, climate smart to match the global standards,” he added.

To promote infrastructure in the agriculture sector, Kumar said that the government introduced agriculture infrastructure fund scheme. “Till date, close to Rs 30,000 crore has been disbursed for these projects and this in turn has brought in investments around Rs 50,500 crore. This is going to change the landscape of the agriculture sector in the country as it is through infrastructure only that we can address the other inefficiencies in the supply chain,” he added.

Sanjiv Kanwar, Managing Director, YARA South Asia said, “The agri-channels who have been in this space for over 50 years are the original start-ups of Indian agriculture- they believed in the future of Indian agriculture and committed themselves to making India self-sufficient by serving farmers with right agri inputs and technology support. Channel partners must be recognized for providing the last-mile connectivity from lab to land.”

Siraj Hussain, Advisor, FICCI and Former Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Govt of India said, “FICCI is thrilled to have partnered with Yara India for this knowledge-sharing event, ‘Harnessing Agriculture’s Potential – 2035’. This partnership opens doors to explore needs of input dealers and channel partners.”

Ajai Rana, CEO, Savannah Seeds Pvt Ltd said that we can improve our farm production by utilizing high-quality seeds, proper crop nutrition, and efficient mechanization in the farming process.

Kaushal Jaiswal, Co-Chairman, FICCI National Agriculture Committee and MD, Rivulis Irrigation India Pvt Ltd said with so much potential in the agriculture sector, it becomes imperative that the Agri channel partners are suitably identified, supported and handheld so as to mainstream them for the long run. 

Deepak Verma, Domain Lead- Agriculture, ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) said that ONDC brings all technology providers on one platform to provide unified solutions to the end user.

Arvind Chaudhary, Director General, Fertilizer Association of India said that there is a need to create awareness about balance use of fertilizers in farming.

Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary (Extension), Ministry

The Ministry of Cooperation will implement a pilot project in at least 10 selected districts of different states

The Union Cabinet approved the constitution and empowerment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for the facilitation of the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector through the convergence of various schemes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

In order to ensure time-bound and uniform implementation of the Plan in a professional manner, the Ministry of Cooperation will implement a pilot project in at least 10 selected Districts of different States/ UTs in the country. The Pilot would provide valuable insights into the various regional requirements of the project, the learnings from which will be suitably incorporated for the country-wide implementation of the Plan.

An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) will be constituted under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Cooperation, with the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Minister of Food Processing Industries and Secretaries concerned as members to modify guidelines/ implementation methodologies of the schemes of the respective Ministries as and when the need arises, within the approved outlays and prescribed goals, for facilitation of the ‘World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector’ by the creation of infrastructure such as godowns, etc. for Agriculture and Allied purposes, at selected ‘viable’ Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).

The Plan would be implemented by utilising the available outlays provided under the identified schemes of the respective Ministries.

The plan is multi-pronged – it aims to address not just the shortage of agricultural storage infrastructure in the country by facilitating the establishment of godowns at the level of PACS.

National Level Coordination Committee will be formed within one week of the Cabinet approval. Implementation guidelines will be issued within 15 days of the Cabinet approval.

A portal for the linkage of PACS with Govt. of India and State Governments will be rolled out within 45 days of the Cabinet approval. Implementation of the proposal will start within 45 days of the Cabinet approval.

The Ministry of Cooperation will implement a

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

Important outcomes included identifying the critical need for aligning the centres’ research activities with the country’s priorities and planning for a similar meeting every year

At the invitation of the Government of India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, 16 International Agricultural Research Centers (IARCs), including 10 CGIAR centres attended a meeting at ICRISAT Headquarters in Hyderabad, to update on their research activities in India and innovations in the pipeline.

Important outcomes included identifying the critical need for aligning the centres’ research activities with the country’s priorities and planning for a similar meeting every year in January/ February to synergise the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the IARCs’ research activities.

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Government of India, who participated virtually, set the context of the meeting. In his concluding remarks, he expressed the need to ‘institutionalise’ the annual meeting to integrate knowledge from all the centres and plan effectively both for the short, medium and long-term research goals.

“Any knowledge, idea or practice useful to the farmer in India, should reach them as quickly as possible before the opportunity is lost. We need a sandbox environment to test new ideas/ knowledge and then quickly roll it out and find out how much it can be scaled out,” Manoj Ahuja.

Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary (Crops, Oil Seeds & Administration, CVO), DA&FW, who participated actively in the discussions, emphasised the need to build strong seed systems and facilitate easy accessibility of improved varieties to farmers. She said she was happy to be part of the ‘first common meeting’ of all the IARCs.

Temina Lalani-Shariff, Regional Director, South Asia, CGIAR, presented case studies on technologies developed by the One CGIAR for regions across India, which were appreciated by officials from DA&FW.

Arvind Kumar, Deputy Director General-Research ICRISAT, highlighted the many achievements of ICRISAT and its work across disciplines and across agriculture for the development value chain. He cited the example of soil and water conservation in Bundelkhand which caught the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke of plans to out-scale to other regions.

Important outcomes included identifying the critical need

SKF solutions help agricultural customers achieve high reliability at low ownership and operating costs

SKF India, leading technology and solutions provider of bearings and services, will showcase state-of-the-art products and solutions for the agricultural sector at the 11th edition of Krishi Darshan Expo, scheduled between 18th and 20th February 2023 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture Cooperation, NRFMTTI in Hisar, Haryana.

Sujeeth Pai, Director of Industrial Market, SKF India said, “We partner with India’s leading agricultural equipment manufacturers at every stage of the crop cycle to meet the demand for machine longevity and productivity under challenging operations conditions. We are excited to participate in Krishi Darshan Expo 2023 and showcase our products and solutions for the sector. By working closely with SKF’s agricultural sector experts early in the product planning and design process, OEMs can optimise components, systems, and sub-systems. Our objective is to help the Indian agricultural sector drive machine speed and efficiency, reduce downtime, and automate manual processes, thereby making agriculture more efficient, competitive, and sustainable.”

SKF solutions help agricultural customers achieve high

To support Government of India’s efforts in creating long-lasting impact pathways to improve nutrition outcomes amongst the low-income population

New Delhi-based Indian School of Business (ISB) announced its collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India to further strengthen agriculture-nutrition convergence. The collaboration will be led by ISB, the University of Sheffield (UoS) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).  This was formally announced by Manoj Ahuja, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, at an event in Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.

ISB will anchor this collaboration in the Ministry which will further augment the government’s efforts in improving nutrition outcomes and strengthening agriculture-nutrition convergence while establishing an institutional mechanism to identify convergence opportunities at both central and state levels.

Over a five-year period, UoS, LHSTM, & ISB, along with ISB’s implementation partners – CInI-TATA Trusts, MSC and PDAG, will work towards the vision to increase the accessibility, availability, and affordability of Nutrient-Dense Foods for low-income population in underserved areas through agriculture-nutrition policy convergence, such that improving nutrition outcomes amongst the target audience becomes a stable policy outcome over an extended time horizon.

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said, “The need to improve nutrition, particularly of the underprivileged population, is of prime importance. There must be convergence of policies and programmes in agriculture and nutrition to address this pressing need. I am happy we are embarking on this journey with the consortium led by ISB; the Ministry will fully support this collaboration to strengthen research and policy for improved nutrition outcomes.”

Prof Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business (ISB), said, “The needle on nutrition in India has been hard to move. The collaboration, with a focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods (NDFs) such as fruits & vegetables (F&Vs) and animal source foods (ASFs), will support Government of India’s efforts in creating long-lasting impact pathways to improve nutrition outcomes amongst the low-income population”.

To support Government of India's efforts in

Agri startups one of key partners to boost agriculture exports

Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State (Agriculture and Farmers Welfare), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India said that soon an accelerator programme of Rs 500 crore will be started to take forward the successful initiatives of Agri Startups in which DARE, DPIIT, Agri Incubators, agriculture universities, research institutes, investors and other stakeholders will be included.

Choudhary said that there will be a separate division of Agriculture Startup to be set up in the Ministry to be led by Joint Secretary. “A cell will also be created to work as a single window agency to facilitate all the linkages required for agri startups,” he added.

Dr Sudhanshu, Secretary, APEDA, Ministry of Commerce and Industries, GoI, emphasised that increasing agriculture exports is a national imperative and Agri startups are potential partners in this journey. Efforts are being made to promote and support agri startups for engagement in agri exports and strengthening of the startup ecosystem.

Agri startups one of key partners to