Parthasarathi Biswas

The latest sowing report released by the Agriculture Ministry shows an year-on-year increase in sowing of pulses. As against the 114.77 lakh hectares of kharif 2019-20, farmers have sown pulses over 119.59 lakh hectares of area this season

Officials said the state government has asked them to ensure the pre-seasonal loans have to be repaid before the end of the season. “So, the banks will not revoke the guarantee and save the government from coughing up the amount if mills fail to repay it,” he said.

Cotton growers count PBW as one of the most dreaded pests for their crops. The worm completes its lifecycle in the crop and eats through the square (bud) flower and the lint of cotton. If not controlled early, PBW can wreak havoc in the cotton crop.

In his letter sent on Monday, Thackeray said that Maharashtra has implemented a scheme to procure 10 lakh litres of milk per day and convert it into SMP and white butter. Till July 25, at least six crore litres of milk has been procured, he said.

On Monday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to declare the locust outbreak in the state a “national disaster”.

As many as 83 FIRs have been lodged against seed companies in this regard, which has rattled both the companies and farmers alike.

For those visiting malls after Aug 5 reopening, an experience like never before.

Interestingly, none of the 33 mills fulfilled all the five conditions laid down by the government. The four mills also didn't fulfil all the conditions, but the standing cane in their area makes it imperative that they start their operations soon .

SOPA has, however, expressed concern about the stoppage of online registration of Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS) claims by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on its portal from April this year.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought sales to a standstill as demand from both domestic and international markets tanked. The CCI auctions its stock daily to traders bidding for the same.

This is the first time dairies are being forced to take such action owing to the dip in demand for milk, said Gopalrao Mhaske, chairman of the Maharashtra Dairy Farmers and Processors Welfare Association, the umbrella body of private and cooperative dairies in the state.

Industrial activities were allowed to resume after the strict lockdown of first two months.

The state minister for cooperation had earlier indicated that the crushing season is likely to start on October 15. The Covid-19 pandemic is expected to affect the crushing season.

The Zilla Parishad hopes this will help elected representatives better plan development projects in their respective areas.

The state government as well as dairies feel this scheme will help get over the present crisis, which has seen a sharp drop in procurement price for farmers.

As Maharashtra is expected to have another bumper cane crop this season, the state government was keen to see the maximum number of mills operational to help farmers sell their cane at the right time.

As farmers take to dumping their milk on roads and stopping milk supply to urban areas, dairies blame the COVID-19 pandemic and the frequent lockdowns as the reason behind the recent price corrections.

Farmers, under the banner of All India Kisan Sabha, protested on Monday by pouring milk on streets across the state, while the opposition party BJP has also declared its decision to do the same from August 1.

Of the 11.50 lakh litres of milk it collects daily, Gokul dairy said, it was forced to covert around 1 lakh litres into SMP. “This is an improvement from the situation in April- May, when our sales had dipped by 2-2.5 lakh litres per day,” he said.

Other than Devendra Fadnavis, the delegation had BJP MLA Jaykumar Gore, Dhananjay Mahadik, Harshvardhan Patil, and others. While Gore and Patil joined the BJP from the Congress just before the Assembly elections, Mahadik has joined the BJP from the NCP.

Since they were first reported in early April, locusts have made their presence felt in various parts of the country.

As monsoon remains active, punctual sowing operations have picked up in the state. Urea is used by farmers as a fertiliser both in pre-sowing land preparation as well as during growth phase of crops.

As per estimates, of the total weedicides sold in India worth Rs 4,500 crore annually, glyphosate alone accounts for over Rs 1,100 crore, with the most-talked about application being in cotton crops.

Timely arrival of monsoon had seen farmers accelerating their sowing activities. As of July 10, India has reported 580.21 lakh hectares (lh) of sowing as against the 402.57 lh of last year.