In a move to rationalise the Centrally Sponsored Schemes under the agriculture ministry, the government will bring down the number of such schemes to just eight from the current 52 in the 12th Five
The Prime Minister’s office (PMO) has directed the agriculture ministry to come out with a time-bound action plan to usher in a green revolution in eastern India, with a special focus on improving
Existing targets for biofuels and other forms of bioenergy are based on flawed carbon accounting and should be revised downwards, a draft report by a panel of 19 top European scientists showed.
As a major step in this direction, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has ordered supply of rice free of cost to eligible cardholders under PDS as per their entitlement from June1 despite a huge burden on the State exchequer.
She recalled that the Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Council Bill, introduced in the House in June 2009, had become an Act. As per the sub-section three of the section 1, the law would come into force from the date to be decided by the government through a notification. The notification was not issued, she said, responding to observations of the Communist Party of India deputy leader, S. Gunasekaran, who described the Act as a black law.
As per the data released by the Ministry of Agriculture here on Friday, the area under rice cultivation is 260.36 lakh hectares against 244.79 lakh hectares sown this time last year. Sown area has increased in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. However, it is lower in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Haryana and Punjabdue to insufficient rain.
Farmers would also be trained in production of quality seeds. The training modules would cover selection of varieties, seasonal application of bio-fertilizers, micro-nutrients and improved seed production technologies.
Good monsoon, higher MSP help
The country is heading for a record foodgrains production in the 2010-11 crop year at 241.56 million tonnes, with wheat and pulses output touching an all time high of 85.93 million tonnes and 18.09 million tonnes respectively.
There is a need to break yield barriers through multidimensional approch to achieve food security on a sustainable basis for the people of this country. Cooperatives can play an important role in this direction due to their proximity to farmers. The Indian Farmers' Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), since over the last four decades, is providing services to farmers and cooperatives through various programmes, besides ensuring fertilizers availability.
