Agriculture ministry data shows area under rice cultivation in Punjab this season reached a record high of 32.46 lakh hectares. Yet, the produce is lowest ‘since 2016’.
Farmers have complained of low yield & procurement issues with the Punjab Agricultural University-developed variety. Oppn says govt promoted it without proper yield testing.
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann thanked farmers for accepting the ban and staying away from the water-guzzling paddy variety Pusa-44. But convincing them about the larger public good is a work-in-progress.
Haryana govt says farmers already being incentivised for sowing crops other than 'non-native' paddy. Farmers, though, point out wheat & paddy both came to the region with green revolution.
2009 law restricts the sowing & transplantation period of paddy to monsoon, resulting in delayed harvesting & purportedly less time to prepare the field for wheat, leading to stubble burning.
Stunting is being caused by Southern Rice Black-streaked Dwarf virus, which has previously led to yield losses in China, Vietnam & Japan, finds Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
Mystery disease cause for worry in high rice-yielding states of Punjab, Haryana, western UP, and Uttarakhand. Experts to rule out possible causes through DNA, RNA sequencing tests.
KCR was joined by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait and TRS MPs & MLAs at protest in Delhi. Amid chants of 'Jai KCR', Telangana CM taunted Piyush Goyal as 'Piyush Golmaal'.
Paddy, wheat farmers from Lakhimpur Kheri noted they are often forced to sell their produce to commission agents as government officials cite various excuses to avoid buying their produce.
DMK govt accuses Centre of withholding funds, tightening borrowing, unilateral deductions from state accounts. Says Centre's accounting & funding decisions have 'artificially inflated' debt burden.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
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