Centre mulling alternative crops

The Union Government is looking at the possibility of replacing rice crop in Punjab and Haryana with alternative crops such as pulses, fodder and oilseeds that help in nitrogen fixation. The water-intensive rice cultivation over the years has become unsustainable in these two States and the water table has fallen to precarious levels.

Farmers can now get online information on the amount of fertilizers that they must apply to a particular kind of soil and crop. This will help them overcome the problem of over-use of fertilizer that is eroding soil health.

The Bhopal-based Indian Institute of Soil Science has developed a web-based system that calculates the quantum and quality of fertilizers that should be applied to the soil for targeted yield.

‘Probe how Bt brinjal seed was allowed to be commercialised’

In a major setback to the proponents of genetically modified technology in farm crops, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture on Thursday asked the government to stop all field trials and sought a bar on GM food crops (such as Bt. brinjal). The committee report, tabled in the Lok Sabha, demanded a “thorough probe” into how permission was given to commercialise Bt. brinjal seed when all evaluation tests were not carried out.

It will have guiding principles on laws States may adopt

In a move that will have far-reaching implications, the Centre has decided to frame a new National Water Framework Act with guiding principles on water laws the States may adopt. States that adopt and reform will be incentivised for water projects. That such a law would be made is buried in the pages of the draft new national water policy, which is yet to be considered by the National Water Council, the supreme policy body chaired by Prime Minister and with Chief Ministers as members.

In a move that will have far-reaching implications, the Centre has decided to frame a National Water Framework Act with guiding principles on water laws the States may adopt. States that adopt and reform will be incentivised for water projects.

That such a law would be made is buried in the pages of the draft new national water policy, which is yet to be considered by the National Water Council, the supreme policy body chaired by Prime Minister and with Chief Ministers as members.

50 per cent diesel subsidy to farmers to save standing crops

With the country facing a 20 per cent deficient monsoon, the Union government on Tuesday announced a financial assistance of more than Rs. 1,900 crore under various schemes for the affected States. It also extended a diesel subsidy of 50 per cent to farmers to save the standing crops through groundwater irrigation. Subsidy on seeds will be raised and farmers who are forced to sow again will be given compensation. To enhance the supply of animal feed, the import duty on oil meal cakes will be waived.

With sowing of kharif crops lagging by over 86 lakh hectares compared to last year, owing to an erratic southwest monsoon and the average water level in major reservoirs declining by 2 per cent (to 59 per cent of last year’s storage) over the previous week, the country faces a grim situation.

The area under rice, pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals is less than what it was last year. Earlier, the acreage under cotton was slightly higher, but has now declined as sowing has been hit in Gujarat, thanks to a weak monsoon.

From now on, damage to crops due to extreme cold or frost will be considered a natural calamity and the affected farmers will be eligible for financial relief from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) or the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

The Union Cabinet at a meeting here on Thursday approved the recommendation of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Drought to this effect.So far, crops damaged in natural calamities such as drought, floods, cyclone, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslip, avalanche, cloudburst and pest attack were eligible for relief under the SDRF and NDRF.

Giving in to public protest against privatisation of water services and indiscriminate pricing of water, the modified national water policy provides for subsidy to the poor but at the same time emphasises the need for subjecting water to allocation and pricing on ‘economic principles’.

It says the private sector can become a service provider in public private partnership mode if the states so decide. The twice-revised draft calls for withdrawal of power subsidy to the agriculture sector on the plea that it leads ‘over-use of electricity’ and water. It, however, proposes separate electric feeders where “limited’’ ground water use for agriculture is “desirable”.

With the southwest monsoon playing truant in northeast and central India, the Centre has asked States to be ready with alternate crops that are hardy, and can withstand dry conditions.

There are reports that in some north-western states, farmers have slowed down sowing, in the hope that the monsoon will arrive or revive in the first week of July. So far, 74 per cent of the country has received deficient rain since the onset of southwest monsoon on June 5, raising serious concerns in the farming community.