According to govt data, the area under paddy cultivation is lagging by 3.7 million hectares compared to last year in states like West Bengal, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Chhattisgarh & Odisha.
Worried that water will likely become a big political issue in Punjab in coming years, AAP govt pushing for wider adoption of 'direct seeding of rice' for paddy cultivation.
Central govt refused to procure parboiled rice produced in Rabi season, and Telangana has asked farmers not to cultivate rice. Experts say parties politicking over genuine problem.
Meanwhile, the Haryana BKU chief has said farmers will protest outside houses of MPs, MLAs of ruling BJP-JJP in the state if the govt fails to begin paddy procurement on 1 October.
Punjab govt has taken a number of steps to curb stubble burning, but has still registered 16,058 incidents between 21 September and 26 October this year.
Farmers in Punjab have to now rely on local workforce due to labour shortage after migrant workers’ exodus. Many have had to buy direct seeding machines.
Govt data says export of non-basmati rice declines by over 37% — from 50,48,000 MT in April-November 2018 to 31,41,000 MT during same period last year.
Plan for paddy states with severely depleted groundwater levels is part of 5-yr vision document that agriculture ministry will present before PM Modi this week.
Lobbying from Indian-origin CEOs, especially when there is direct interface between the US and India at the political level, is neither desirable nor necessary.
ThePrint had previously reported that India & Russia are talking about 5 more regiments of the S-400, but no contracts are to be signed during the Russian president's visit.
The India-South Africa series-defining fact is the catastrophic decline of Indian red ball cricket where a visiting team can mock us with the 'grovel' word.
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