-Hindustan Times According to the Central Ground Water Board’s 2019 report, state tops the country in over-exploitation of groundwater at 79% Patiala: The proposed reduction in the area to be covered under traditional water-guzzling paddy in Punjab this year due to labour shortage is likely to give some respite to already depleting groundwater table in the state. As per the target set by the state agriculture department, the department is expecting to reduce...

-The Indian Express India’s premier farm research and education institute has a full-time director after nearly four years. It is an institution whose blockbuster varieties account for more than 95% of the country’s Rs 32,800-crore annual Basmati rice export revenues, nearly half of its total wheat area, and a quarter of that sown under mustard. Yet, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI, better known as Pusa Institute) has an annual research budget...

-The Indian Express Rice exporters alone are said to be stuck with receivables of Rs 800-900 crore against shipments made till June 2019. A major hit to India from the uncertainty triggered by the assassination of Iran’s most powerful military commander could be to its multi-billion dollar Basmati rice export industry. The Islamic republic accounted for $1.56 billion (Rs 10,790.02 crore) out of India’s total $4.71 billion (Rs 32,804.30 crore) worth of...

-The Indian Express Following a Supreme Court order directing three states to compensate farmers who have refrained from burning paddy stubble on their fields, Punjab government is paying Rs 2,500 per acre. The Indian Express explains how the government is zeroing in on those managed the stubble in an environment friendly way * How many farmers have applied for compensation? The state government has received nearly 85,000 applications till date. The numbers...

-PTI India exports about 3 lakh tonnes of Basmati rice to the European Union Indian rice exporters will now have to obtain a certification of inspection from a government agency to ship both the Basmati and non-Basmati varieties to countries of the European Union (EU). “Export of rice (Basmati and non-Basmati) to European Union (EU) countries will require certificate of inspection from Export Inspection Council/Export Inspection Agency with immediate effect,” directorate general of...