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HomePosts Tagged "Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare"
Agribusiness, AgroPolicy, Company News, Finance, India, Schemes - Govt, Seeds

NSC’s revenue from operations increased to Rs 1,143.26 Crores from Rs1,078.23 Crores in the previous year, while the total income rose to Rs 1,182.48 Crores (ever highest) compared to Rs 1,112.13 Crores in 2022-23.

National Seeds Corporation Limited (NSC), a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, has announced the declaration of final Dividend of Rs 35.30 Crores for the Financial Year 2023-24, representing 5 per cent of its net worth, in compliance with Department of Investment and Public Asset Management-DIPAM guidelines. This highest ever dividend underscores NSC’s commitment to contributing to National Agricultural Development while ensuring financial sustainability.

The Dividend cheque was presented to the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan by Dr. Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, Chairperson cum Managing Director of NSC, in a ceremony held at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi today. Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that it should be ensured that farmers always get good quality seeds.

NSC is a Schedule ‘B’-Mini Ratna Category-I company wholly owned by the Government of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Established in 1963, NSC is engaged in the production and distribution of certified seeds to enhance agricultural productivity and ensure food security in India.

During FY 2023-24, NSC recorded significant growth in its financial performance. The revenue from operations increased to Rs 1,143.26 Crores from Rs1,078.23 Crores in the previous year, while the total income rose to Rs 1,182.48 Crores (ever highest) compared to Rs 1,112.13 Crores in 2022-23. The company’s profitability also witnessed a substantial increase, with Profit Before Tax (PBT) surging by 64.74 per cent to Rs 86.81 Crores and ever highest Profit After Tax (PAT) growing by 38.15 per cent to Rs 73.64 Crores.

NSC’s operational efficiency and strategic market expansion contributed to this growth. The company achieved seed sales revenue of ₹1005 Crores, marking an increase from Rs 947 Crores in the previous year. Notably, non-subsidized seed sales reached Rs 920 Crores, up from Rs 847.83 Crores. Online seed sales also saw a remarkable rise, reflecting NSC’s efforts in digital transformation. The company strengthened its market presence by appointing 992 new dealers, bringing the total dealer network to 4,665. The Company also appointed 2,126 no. of Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs) and PACs and LAMPs.

On the production front, NSC continued to enhance its capabilities, with raw seed production/procurement reaching 17.10 lakh quintals. The seed processing capacity increased to 25.67 Lakhs quintal, supported by infrastructure improvements. Additionally, NSC played a crucial role in Government agricultural initiatives, supplying seeds to the Government, State Governments, dealers and also selling online via ONDC platform.

NSC is producing seeds in its five big Farms located at Sardargarh, Suratgarh, Jetsar in Rajasthan, Hisar in Haryana and Raichur in Karnataka with total area of 21,841 Ha. and through 14,166 Registered growers. The Company produces Test seeds to Breeder Seeds to Foundation seeds to Certified seeds, chronologically. The Company operates from 11 Regional Offices, 48 Area Offices, 29 Production Centres, 75 Seed processing plants, having 7 Air-conditioned seed storage facilities, and 180 seed storage godowns. The company has 4 Quality control labs and 1 DNA Finger printing lab.

NSC’s revenue from operations increased to Rs

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Agribusiness, AgroPolicy, Collaborations, Inputs, Institutions, Interaction, Investments, R&D, Schemes - Banks, Schemes - Govt

Government assures farmers to receive subsidized fertilizers in adequate quantities

Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while addressing the Rajya Sabha, emphasized that the Congress had previously denied farmers the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops. In contrast, the Central Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has consistently increased the MSP over the last decade. Chouhan assured that the Central Government will continue to purchase crops from farmers at the MSP, reaffirming the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare. Chouhan stated that the government will not only fix the Minimum Support Price (MSP) at more than 50% of the production cost but also procure the produce from farmers. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government is committed to ensuring beneficial prices for farmers. He highlighted that in 2015, the ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, marking a significant shift towards prioritizing farmers welfare, which was previously lacking.

Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar affectionately bestowed a new title upon Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, calling him “Kisano Ke Laadle” during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha. While responding to agriculture-related queries, Chairman Dhankhar praised Minister Chouhan, noting that the man revered as the brother of beloved sisters will now also be cherished as the brother of farmers. Dhankhar expressed confidence that the energetic minister will fulfill his responsibilities in accordance with his name ‘Shivraj.’ He formally declared, “From today, I have given you a new name – Kisano Ke Laadle.”

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured that the farmers’ produce will be purchased at the minimum support price. Our government will fix an MSP of more than 50% and will also purchase the produce. He stated that this is Narendra Modi’s government, Modi’s guarantee is to fulfill the promise. He further said that when the congress was in power, they had said that they cannot accept the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Commission. In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government decided that MSP rates will be fixed by adding 50% profit on the cost. When the congress government was in power, they never gave more than 50% profit to the farmers on cost, but we are committed, we are committed that we will buy the crops of the farmers by giving at least more than 50% profit.

Union Minister said that Modi’s government work with a lot of foresight. Welfare and development of farmers is the top priority of Prime Minister Modi. There has been an unprecedented increase in the budget allocation for agriculture. Till 2013-14, it was only Rs 21900 crore , which has now increased to Rs122528 crore . We have six priorities for farmer welfare – we will increase production, reduce the cost of production, give fair price for the production, if there is any loss in the crop, we will compensate for it through Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, we will diversify agriculture and by taking them towards natural farming, we will increase the income of farmers so that farmers will not be in a position to demand loan waiver again and again. “We believe in increasing income. I will utilize all my strength and capabilities to serve our farmers and improve the agricultural landscape”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to develop India, and we have created a roadmap to achieve this goal. We are committed to leaving no stone unturned in fulfilling this vision.”

“Chouhan stated that the government provides not only fertilizers but also subsidies to support farmers. Recently, a substantial subsidy of Rs 194000 crores was allocated to farmers. This enables farmers to purchase essential items like urea and DAP at lower prices. Notably, the government led by Shri Narendra Modi has achieved a significant milestone by offering subsidies on bags costing Rs 2100. By providing subsidies to farmers across India, the government ensures timely availability of fertilizers, a commitment that will continue in the future. We are actively promoting awareness about the harmful effects of excessive and indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi shares these concerns, and as a result, we are shifting our focus towards organic and natural farming practices. However, Shri Chouhan assured that our government remains committed to providing subsidized fertilizers to farmers. We have consistently made adequate amounts of fertilizers available and will continue to do so in the future. Our goal is to strike a balance between promoting sustainable farming practices and ensuring that our farmers have access to the resources they need.

Government assures farmers to receive subsidized fertilizers

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Oilseeds

The total Kharif Foodgrain production for 2024-25, is projected at 1647.05 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) which is higher by 89.37 LMT as compared to previous year kharif foodgrain production.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has released First Advance Estimates of production of Major Agricultural Crops (Kharif Only) for the year 2024-25. These estimates have been primarily prepared on the basis of information received from States.

The crop area received from the States have been validated and triangulated with information received from Remote Sensing, Weekly Crop Weather Watch Group and other agencies. Further, DA&FW took the initiative of Stakeholder consultation with representatives from the industry and other Governmental Departments to receive their opinion, views and sentiments for the current kharif season. These have also been considered while finalising the estimates.

For the first time, data from the Digital Crop Survey (DCS) which is being conducted under Digital Agriculture Mission in collaboration with State Governments has been utilized to prepare area estimates. This survey which is envisaged to replace the manual Girdawari system is an important step towards arriving at robust crop area estimates. DCS based Crop Area Estimation has been done for the States of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Odisha wherein 100 per cent districts are covered under DCS in Kharif 2024. This has led to substantial rise in area under rice particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

The total Kharif Foodgrain production for 2024-25, as per the First Advance Estimates, is projected at 1647.05 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) which is higher by 89.37 LMT as compared to previous year kharif foodgrain production and 124.59 LMT higher than average kharif foodgrain production. Foodgrain production witnessed record increase due to good production of Rice, Jowar and Maize.

The total production of Kharif Rice during 2024-25 is estimated to be 1199.34 LMT which is higher by 66.75 LMT than the previous year kharif rice production and 114.83 LMT higher than average kharif rice production. The Kharif Maize production is estimated at 245.41 LMT and Kharif Nutri/coarse cereals is estimated to be 378.18 LMT. Further, the total Kharif pulses production during 2024-25 is estimated to be 69.54 LMT.

The total Kharif oilseeds production in the country during 2024-25 is estimated to be 257.45 LMT which is higher by 15.83 LMT than the previous year total kharif oilseeds production. The Kharif Groundnut production for 2024-25 is estimated at 103.60 LMT and Soybean production is estimated at 133.60 LMT.

The production of Sugarcane in the country during 2024-25 is estimated to be 4399.30 lakh tonnes. The production of Cotton is estimated to be 299.26 lakh bales (of 170 kg each). The production of Jute and Mesta is estimated to be 84.56 lakh bales (of 180 kg each).

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

Total kharif Foodgrains–1647.05 LMT (record)

Rice – 1199.34 LMT (record)

Maize – 245.41 LMT (record)

Nutri / Coarse Cereals – 378.18 LMT

Total Pulses – 69.54 LMT

Tur – 35.02 LMT

Urad – 12.09 LMT

Moong – 13.83 LMT

Total Oilseeds–257.45 LMT

Groundnut – 103.60 LMT

Soybean –133.60 LMT

Sugarcane – 4399.30 LMT

Cotton – 299.26 Lakh Bales (170 Kgs. each)

Jute& Mesta – 84.56 Lakh Bales (180 Kgs. each)

The Crop yields estimates are majorly based on trend/normal yield, coupled with other ground level inputs and expectations. This yield will undergo revision based on receipt of actual yield ascertained through conduct of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) during the time of harvest, which in return would be reflected in the subsequent production estimates.

The total Kharif Foodgrain production for 2024-25,

AgroPolicy, Foodgrains, India, Oilseeds

The total Foodgrain production in the country during 2023-24 is estimated at record 3322.98 LMT which is higher by 26.11 LMT than the production of food grains of 3296.87 LMT achieved during 2022-23.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has released Final Estimates of production of Major Agricultural Crops for the year 2023-24. These estimates have been primarily prepared on the basis of information received from States/ UTs. The crop area has been validated and triangulated with information received from Remote Sensing, Weekly Crop Weather Watch Group and other agencies. Crop yields estimates are majorly based on Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) conducted nationwide. The process of recording CCEs has been re-engineered with the introduction of the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), which was rolled out in major States during the 2023-24 agricultural years. The new system has ensured the transparency and robustness of the yield estimates.

The total Foodgrain production in the country during 2023-24 is estimated at record 3322.98 LMT which is higher by 26.11 LMT than the production of food grains of 3296.87 LMT achieved during 2022-23. Food grain production witnessed record increase due to good production of Rice, Wheat and Shree Anna.

Total Rice production during 2023-24 is estimated at record 1378.25 LMT. It is higher by 20.70 LMT than previous year’s Rice production of 1357.55 LMT. The Wheat production during 2023-24 is estimated at record 1132.92 LMT. It is higher by 27.38 LMT than previous year’s wheat production of 1105.54 LMT and production of Shree Anna is estimated at 175.72 LMT as compared to 173.21 LMT during previous year.

During 2023-24, there were drought-like conditions in southern states, including Maharashtra & prolonged dry spell during August especially in Rajasthan. The moisture stress from the drought also affected the Rabi season. This mainly impacted production of pulses, coarse cereals, soybean & cotton.

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

Total Foodgrains– 3322.98 LMT (record)

Rice -1378.25 LMT (record)

Wheat – 1132.92 LMT (record)

Nutri / Coarse Cereals – 569.36 LMT

Maize – 376.65 LMT

Total Pulses – 242.46 LMT

Shree Anna– 175.72 LMT

Tur – 34.17 LMT

Gram – 110.39 LMT

Total Oilseeds– 396.69 LMT

Groundnut – 101.80 LMT

Soybean – 130.62 LMT

Rapeseed & Mustard – 132.59 LMT (record)

Sugarcane – 4531.58 LMT

Cotton – 325.22 Lakh Bales (170 Kgs. each)

Jute & Mesta – 96.92 Lakh Bales (180 Kgs. each)

The total Foodgrain production in the country

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Foodgrains, India, Start ups

In the exhibition area, the spouses witnessed the dynamic Agri-startup ecosystem, where 15 Agri-startups showcased their innovative tech solutions to address ground-level challenges and digitise agriculture.

The first ladies and spouses of G20 member countries experienced the Agricultural prowess of India first-hand, in a one-of-a kind exhibition organized by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare at IARI Campus, Pusa. The event featured a range of captivating components, such as a millet-focused live cooking session led by celebrity chefs KunalKapur, Anahita Dhondy, and Ajay Chopra, as well as the display of cutting-edge agricultural technology from prominent Indian startups, interaction with Indian women agri-champions, ‘Agri-Street’.

In the exhibition area, the spouses witnessed the dynamic Agri-startup ecosystem, where 15 Agri-startups showcased their innovative tech solutions to address ground-level challenges and digitize agriculture. Climate Smart Agriculture, Innovation in Agriculture Value Chain, Agri-logistics & Supply Chains, Quality Assurance for Sustainable Consumption, and Millets: Sustaining Health, Empowering Agriculture, were a few themes that were covered in the exhibition. Additionally, diverse members of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) from across the nation displayed a range of edible products marketed nationwide, aligned with the theme ‘Empowering Rural Prosperity through Collective Agriculture.’

The exhibition also highlighted India’s Research and Development achievements via the stalls presented by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), demonstrating the latest innovations in precision agriculture, agricultural technology, and mechanization advancements driving sector growth. Each stall showcased specific crop advancements backed by government initiatives. Some of the key stalls focused on themes like the journey of the Basmati revolution, its role in the prosperity of millions of Basmati farmers, and its status as a 5 billion USD forex earner. Another stall highlighted India’s status as the “Land of Spices” emphasizing the wide variety and global fame of Indian spices, along with future scope. A neighbouring stall provided insights into the nutritional and medicinal significance of mushrooms, their extensive diversity in India, and their potential for export. Additionally, the esteemed guests also viewed the sensor-based system that facilitated the real-time monitoring of environmental conditions during the transportation, storage, and ripening of bananas, among other interesting exhibits of ICAR.

The ‘Agriculture Street’ was another major component of the exhibition curated by the Ministry, serving as a captivating journey into India’s agricultural legacy and offering insight into its vibrant past as well as the future. Here the Ministry presented a comprehensive view of agricultural practices, uniting experts, scientists, and farmers under one roof. This street was composed of nine interactive stalls, each adorned with rustic decor, creating an immersive environment for the spouses of G20 Head of States. Here, they could explore the diverse facets of agriculture, with a particular emphasis on millets. It also highlighted India’s initiatives aimed at enhancing food and nutritional security. One of the key highlights of the Agri Gully were the exhibits of Lahri Bai, a young female farmer from Dindori, Madhya Pradesh who conserved more than 150 indigenous seed varieties including about 50 varieties of millet seeds in her two-room hut earning the title of ‘Millet Queen’ of India.

In the exhibition area, the spouses witnessed