Livelihood And Food Security Of Country At Stake
Point of View provides a 360-degree perspective on crucial farm issues. Here, CPI(M)’s Nilotpal Basu writes on the three new agri laws Nilotpal Basu Mar 03, 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is evidently upset with the growing resonance in the country with the never-say-die movement of the Kisans. The vigorous united peaceful resistance is the rallying point of various sections of class differentiated peasantry in India. It is this remarkable unity which premises both the spread and depth of the resistance. Faced with this stonewall, the Prime Minister betrays his sense of frustration! Intervening in the debate on President’s address, he attributed the movement to FDI - Foreign Destructive Ideology.
Tata Trusts Hope To End Crop Residue Burning By 2024
In northern India, the practice has long been a major cause of air pollution despite intervention by authorities. Outlook Web Bureau Mar 02, 2021
Crop residue burning is an age-old practice followed by farmers. The straw stubble (parali) is set on fire after crops like rice and wheat have been harvested. This is done to prepare the fields for the next cropping season.
In northern India, the practise has long been a major cause for air pollution despite intervention by authorities.
Smoke from villages in Haryana and Punjab travel hundreds of kilometres, as far as the national capital, adding to toxic haze.
Agriculture Growth ‘Bright Spark’ In Times Of Pandemic: Study According to a CARE Rating report (February 2021), this sector is likely to “grow by 3.4% this year (2020-21) on top of 4% growth” in the previous year. Outlook Web Bureau Feb 27, 2021
Primary sector, which included agriculture, forests, and fisheries, was the bright spark of India’s GDP in the pandemic year, 2020-21. According to a CARE Rating report (February 2021), this sector is likely to “grow by 3.4% this year (2020-21) on top of 4% growth” in the previous year.
Two caveats need to be introduced here. One, the agriculture growth took place despite the “issues in marketing and pricing due to the closedown of transport and restriction in movement of people” during the various lockdown phases in 2020.
Benefits Of High Yield May Not Pass On To Farmers, Claim Leaders
This is higher by 5.84 million tonnes than the production achieved during 2019-20. Outlook Web Bureau Feb 25, 2021
The second advance estimates of production of principal crops for the year 2020-21 reveal a record production of 303.34 million tonnes of food grains, said the Union Agriculture Ministry in a statement.
This is higher by 5.84 million tonnes than the production achieved during 2019-20. Further, the production during 2020-21 is higher by 24.47 million tonnes than the previous five years’ (2015-16 to 2019-20) average production of food grain, it added.
But farmer union leaders are not too upbeat about the benefits that will pass on to the tillers.
Don’t Throw Away Used Tea Leaves, Use It As Compost
Tea leaves, or bags, can simply be put in compost pile after it swells in boiled water.
Representational Image Feb 24, 2021
Research have established that nitrogenous fertilizer has deleterious effect on soil health and crop productivity if used over a long time. There is also possibility of nitrate contamination in groundwater.
ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) recommends use of both inorganic and organic sources of plant nutrients to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, preventing deterioration of soil health, environment, and contamination of groundwater.
In first half of the current Budget session of Parliament, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the government has launched a National Mission on Soil Health Card to promote soil test based balanced and judicious fertilizer application.