-The Indian Express PM Modi government’s mandatory coating policy brings down sale of fertilisers, despite record farm production Here’s an apparent contradiction: The Narendra Modi government claims that India’s foodgrain output will hit a record 271.98 million tonnes (mt) in 2016-17 — up from last year’s 251.57 mt — with production of rice, wheat, maize, pulses and even oilseeds estimated at all-time highs. Yet, fertiliser sales — considered a proxy for farm sector...
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The solution to saving native cattle breeds lies in organic farming practices, not jallikattu -Aparna Rajagopal
-Scroll.in A farmer describes her efforts to preserve 12 breeds of draught as well milch indigenous cattle. On Monday, the so-far peaceful protests against jallikattu on Chennai’s Marina Beach turned violent as the police sought to clear agitators from what had become ground zero of the movement against the Supreme Court ban on the bull-taming sport. Though an ordinance cleared on Saturday allowed the sport to take place this Pongal, the controversy...
More »Reading the pulse
-The Indian Express Government committee must work out a sustainable policy framework to address scarcity and inflation in pulses The government’s decision to form a panel headed by chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian to study and suggest ways to contain the rising prices of pulses is a welcome move. The committee is expected to frame a long-term policy, which will look into various aspects, including the MSP (minimum support price) and bonus...
More »Govt to import 2 mt of urea to meet kharif demand
-PTI New Delhi: To meet the demand for fertiliser in the ongoing kharif season, the government has contracted 2 million tonnes of Urea import for delivery by the month-end. India is dependent on Urea imports as domestic output is lower than the demand. Overseas purchase is being done via three state trading enterprises — STC, MMTC and IPL. “Our urea requirement is 2.5 million tonnes for this kharif season. We have finalised imports...
More »Nutrient prices: Non-starter of a cut -Harish Damodaran
-The Indian Express Fertiliser makers rule out reduction in DAP rates, despite exhortations from Centre. Union Chemicals and fertilisers minister Ananth Kumar has stated that companies have “agreed” to slash maximum retail prices of non-urea fertilisers like DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) and MOP (muriate of potash) by Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 per tonne, even as plantings for the ongoing kharif season have picked up on the back of a good monsoon. But it...
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