The country's seed industry is expected to grow by 53 per cent to 10,700 crore rupees by 2015 on increased demand for high-yielding varieties to ensure food security. According to industry body Assocham, awareness about high-yielding varieties among farmers and public private partnership with a strong regulatory framework and collaborative research would be key measures to ensure smooth growth of the seed industry. In a statement, it said, presently, size of the domestic seed industry is about 7,000 crore with a production of 40 million quintals of various kinds of seeds. Assocham Secretary D S Rawat said, better quality seeds with vitality to raise crop yields from limited area is the need of the hour to ensure the country's food security.

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The need to encourage millets' cultivation and consumption by people has been stressed at a side-event at the ongoing bio-diversity conference in Hyderabad on Monday.

Various speakers from Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Karnataka and also from Nepal and African countries outlined the state of millets' cultivation in their areas.

They affirmed that millets' cultivation helps to achieve food sovereignty and also bio-diversity conservation.

Speaking on the occasion, PV Satheesh, National Convener, Millets Network of India said millets are included in National Food Security Bill which will come up before Parliament shortly.

He said the Government of India has recently issued a circular asking the state governments to include millets in Mid-day meal scheme.

He further said millets should be promoted in the food culture of people in the country by taking into consideration India's stand at 85th position on Hunger Index and 127th position in respect of malnutrition.

 he Jammu and Kashmir government will provide modern storage facilities to farmers at the village level round the year market linkages to strengthen farm economy and motivate the young to join the agri-sector. Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir made the announcement while inaugurating a day long Kissan Mela cum Exhibition in Budgam district . He said such storage facilities would help farmers strengthen their economic conditions and motivate the youth to opt for agriculture as a profit-making activity

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to continue interest subsidy to Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Cooperatives Banks and NABARD to enable them to provide short-term crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh to farmers at 7% p.a. during the year 2012-13. It also decided to provide additional interest subsidy of 3% p.a. to those farmers who repay loans within one year of disbursement in the current fiscal year.

The Cabinet allowed the release of 10,901 crore Rupees as interest subvention for 2012-13 . Interest subsidy has also been allowed for small and marginal farmers having Kisan Credit Cards for loan against negotiableखरीद फरोख्त के लायक warehouse receipts for post harvest at 7% p.a. The Cabinet approved the release of 442 crore rupees as interest subsidy to small and marginal farmers having Kisan Credit Cards against negotiable warehouse receipts, for post-harvest.

AIR correspondent reports, centre has been subsidizing short-term crop loans to farmers since 2006-07 to ensure the availability of crop loans to farmers upto Rs.3 lakh at 7% p.a. Banks have been consistently meeting the target set for agriculture credit flow in the past years. For the year 2012-13, the target for agricultural credit flow has been raised to 5,75,000 crore Rs from 4,75,000 crore Rs in the year 2011-12.

 Israel plans to take up agricultural development projects in India. Under the Indo-Israel Action Plan for Horticulture for the period 2011-15, Israel will set up crop-specific Centres of Excellence in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat gave this information in the Lok Sabha today.

 The government has taken several steps to revitalize agriculture sector and improve the condition of farmers on sustainable basis by increasing investment and improving farm practices. This information was given in a written reply by the Agricultue Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar in the Rajya Sabha today. He said investment in agriculture and allied activities by public and private sectors at current prices has increased from 1,81,562 crore rupees in 2009-10 to 2,11,565 crore rupees in 2010-11.

The Minister said total plan outlay for the department of agriculture and cooperation has been increased from
17,123 crore rupees in 2011-12 to 20,208 crore rupees in 2012-13. He
also said minimum support prices for most crops have increased
significantly in recent years.

The government is to distribute five lakh seventy-five thousand crore rupees by way of agricultural loans in the current fiscal. The last fiscal's target was four lakh seventy-five thousand crore rupees which crossed the mark of five lakh eleven thousand twenty-nine crore rupees by March, this year. Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain

Six states including, Rajasthan Maharashtra and Gujarat, which have been badly affected by rainfall deficiency, sought a total assistance of 43,461 crore rupees from the Centre to tide over the crisis. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, minister of state for Agriculture Charan Das Mahant said Karnataka, Haryana and Punjab are the other states that have sought Central assistance for drought mitigation across various sectors including feed and fodder.

The minister said production of fodder has dipped due to severe drought conditions in various parts of the country affecting the livestocks population. Mr Mahant informed that
preliminary reports indicate a decline in area under cultivation of coarse cereals to the extent of 4.03 million
hectare which is likely to have an adverse impact on availability of feed and fodder.

He said there is no proposal under consideration of the Centre to provide fodder security to the livestocks population on the lines of the food security for human beings as this is
because Central and Centrally sponsored schemes are available for development of feed and fodder.

 The government has constituted village committees in 100 most vulnerable districts to promote climate smart agriculture strategies. The committee will identify the climatic vulnerability of the village and possible intervention to cope with drought and damages due to flood and reduce losses.

This was informed by Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat in the Parliament last week. He said the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has already prepared contingency plans for 343 districts with a matrix of situations and matching climate smart technologies.

This included alternate crops and practices to be implemented by the states in the event of natural calamities whether. He said to minimize the adverse impact of drought recommendations were also made on water saving methods in paddy cultivation.

He said in major states which faced significant rainfall deficit like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka, the locally adopted fodder varieties of annual crops were recommended to augment the fodder availability to livestock.

he Centre has issued new guidelines permitting states to tie up with private firms for big projects under its flagship programme Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). In a major reform to boost farm sector growth, the Centre has kept a target of four per cent agriculture growth rate for the 12th Five Year plan (2012-17). 

It has allocated 9,217 crore rupees for RKVY in the 2012-13 fiscal. Speaking to media in New Delhi, Agriculture Secretary Ashish Bahuguna said the ministry has issued a framework on Public Private Partnership for Integrated Agricultural Development (PPPIAD) under the RKVY to state governments. 

Our correspondent reports, as per the PPPIAD norms, the states have been given flexibility to team up with private sector players on large-scale integrated agri-projects that provide end-to-end solutions from production to marketing.

he said that the eastern coast, central India and north east are getting fairly good rains. He informed that Maharashtra and parts of peninsula are also having rain. Mr Rathore, however, said the only concern is north west India and interior peninsula . Mr. Rathore called on Food and Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas and briefed him about the Monsson situation.

In a reply to a question on the likely impact of deficient rains on kharif crops, Mr Rathore addmitted there is concern about coarse cereals but situation of rest crops is fine.
AIR correspondent reports that India had produced a record 252.56 million tonnes of foodgrains in 2011-12 crop year on good monsoon last year. Monsoon rains are crucial for the agriculture sector, which contributes about 15 per cent to the country's GDP, as only 40 per cent of the total cultivable area is under irrigation.

Mr.Kulandai Francis who has been awarded with Magsaysay says, working with the objective of eradicating poverty and empowering more than one lakh rural women for 35 long years has got him award. Talking to AIR News, he said that he did not expect to get the prestigious award.

Reeling in poverty during childhood days in Salem, Mr. Francis had to struggle hard to get a basic education. The only land which the family had to be sold in order to get him a graduate education. The inspiration to work for the upliftment and empowerment came to him when he was involved in relief work during the Bangladeshi war and also during drought in Pune in 1972.

His organisation, the Integrated Village Development Project provides training to rural students and also in enhancing their skills namely training in rural sanitation,accountancy,management, giving educational assistance for students in high schools, scholarships and also computer skills. The visionary Mr. Francis was also successful in pursuing the holistic economic empowerment of thousands of women and their families. His organisation has built science labs, computer labs, solar lamps in schools situated in many backward areas of Krishnagiri district.

Through more than 8500 self help groups, the organisation has encouraged savings and credit activities among the economically backward. They were able to build atleast 300 check dams in the region to save water for irrigation and drinking purposes.HIV testing for pregnant women, setting up of non formal schools for child labourers, providing sanitation facilities in the tribal areas are also part of the yeoman service rendered by the Integrated Village Development Program founded by Mr. Kulandai Francis.
He says that living in poverty is terrible and wants to fulfil his obejctive of wiping out poverty from the Country.

The government today said, it may ban futures trade in highly volatile agriculture commodities. It has also asked Foward Markets Commission, FMC, to monitor the price movement of some agriculture commodities. Food and Consumer Affairs Minister K V Thomas told reporters in New Delhi that if need arises, those items where high fluctuations are seen, will be pulled out of the futures market. Mr Thomas added that price situation in the futures market will be reviewed with FMC this week.

At present, futures trade in urad, arhar and rice is banned, while it is permitted in wheat, sugar, soya oil, mustard seed, soyabean and some others. There are five national and 16 regional exchanges in the country. FMC regulates these bourses. The Commission is already monitoring the price movement of five agricultural commodities - potato, chana, soyabean, soya oil and mustard seeds.

The Centre is ready with a contingency plan for 450 districts across the country to deal with any sort of drought situation. This was informed by Minister of State for Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat in New Delhi.

Rawat said the plan had been set up by the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture in consultation with the state governments and the district agriculture departments. The Minister further said the Government had also been playing an important role in assessing the situation. He said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had already directed the ministries and departments to be vigilant in case of a deficient monsoon.

After he took oath, Mukherjee was offered a 21-gun salute marking the assumption of office of the highest Constitutional post in the country. In his address, Mukherjee asserted that for the real development of the country, the poorest of the land must feel that they are part of the narrative of the rising India and poverty is erased from the dictionary of modern India. He said the trickle-down theories did not address legitimate aspirations of the poor and those at the bottom must be lifted up for a better life.  Terming terrorism as the fourth world war that the international community is facing, Mukherjee said India had been on the frontlines of this war long before many others could recognise its consequences. He sounded firm in his opinion that those, who instigate violence and perpetuate hatred(cause to continue or prevail) need to understand the truth that few minutes of peace would achieve far more than many years of war. The new President reiterated that India would not be deflected in its mission by noxious practitioners of terror.  Calling corruption an evil that can depress the nation's mood and sap9अशक्त या दुर्बल होना0 its progress, Mukherjee affirmed that the greed of a few could not be allowed to hijack the progress of the nation.  He said the country had achieved much in the field of agriculture, industry and social infrastructure, but it was nothing compared to what India, led by the coming generations, would create in the decades ahead. Highlighting the importance of non-violence in nation building, Mukherjee said violence was external to human nature. Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he said India would rise not with the power of flesh but with the power of spirit.

Amid economic slowdown, Bihar economy grew at a rate of 16.71 per cent in comparison to its performance in the previous fiscal. The agriculture sector registered a growth of 17.16 per cent the highest in the past five years. The quick estimates of growth rate of gross state domestic product (GSDP) on constant prices for 2011-12 has turned out to be the best in the past five years. 

In Patna Deputy Chief Minister Shushil Kumar Modi said the food grain production in year 2011-12 jumped to 169.69 lakh metric tonnes from 103.47 lakh metric tonnes a year earlier. Rice production contributed the most from 31.02 lakh metric tonnes in 2010-11, it jumped to 83.05 lakh metric tonnes in year 2011-12.

In a press conference Modi also said that government will expend 1 Lakh 50 thousand crore rupees for next five year in agriculture sector. Government targeted 13 per cent estimate growth rate in 12th five year plan in state economy with the support of 7 per cent estimated growth in agriculture sector, said Modi.

India and the Asian Development Bank, ADB, have signed a 67.6-million US Dollars loan agreement to support agriculture and boost investment for agri-business infrastructure in Bihar. The loan will help expand agricultural value chains and facilitate better linkages for small scale farmers with processors, agri-business entrepreneurs and service providers in Muzaffarpur and Patna-Nalanda regions of the state.

This will help farmers, traders and other value chain stakeholders to improve their products and processes, become competitive and adapt to changes in end markets. The programme will also enhance livelihoods by benefitting farmers, the landless poor and women through creation of additional employment opportunities.

The loan is the first tranche of a 170-million US Dollars multi tranche financing facility under the Agribusiness Infrastructure Development Investment Programme. The programme was approved by the ADB Board in September 2010 to boost private sector investment in agri-business infrastructure in selected regions of Bihar and Maharashtra.

According to an official release, the loan agreement was signed between Joint Secretary in the department of Economic Affairs Venu Rajamony and ADB country director Hun Kim. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rajamony said, the programme will promote a more inclusive agri-business value chain and efficient market-oriented farming among small landholder farmers. He said that the programme aims to leverage private sector investment and management into agri-business infrastructure through a public-private partnership mode.

Mr. Kim said the investment programme will help scale-up future models for agribusiness operations in the country

The government today asked the District Rural Development Agencies, DRDA, not to allow the multinational companies to purchase agricultural land in the country. The Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development, Ms Anita Chaudhary said that it will adversly affect the agriculture production in the country. Citing the example of South Africa, the Secretary said that multinational companies have purchased 40 per cent agricultural land in Africa, especially in Ethopia. She was inaugurating a two day National Confernce of Project Directors of District Rural Development Agencies, DRDA, in New Delhi. Ms Chaudhary said, DRDA has to play a great role to save the agricuture which is the biggest source of livelihood for people in India.

On this occasion, the Secretary in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ms Vilasani Ramachandran said that government will emphasise on drinking water and sanitation in the 12th Plan. She asked the district directors that under the Indira Awas Yojana, every house should have a toilet in the house.

n Punjab, to increase the depleting underground water table and help farmers financially, Punjab Agriculture Department has finally adopted direct sowing technique for Paddy instead of old traditional technique of puddling the field for transplanting it.

For this purpose, a state level two-day awareness campaign to promote direct sowing technique was organised by the department across the state to spread awareness amonst farmers about the technique.

The direct sowing technique means in which one would not require field full of water. Paddy can be sown like any other crop and watered after regular intervals. This way farmers could not only help underground water table to come up but would also save more than 1200 crore rupees of the state from going out as labour to those migrant labourers who transplant paddy in 25 lakh hectares in the state, every year. This technique would also increase the production.
Director, Agriculture deptt., Dr. Mangal Singh Sandhu has said that 15,000 hectares of agriculture land will be brought under paddy cultivation in the state through direct sowing technique for which the Central Govt. is providing Rs. 1.50 crore as financial help for farmers.

The Centre has launched a special programme in the current kharif season to achieve more than 19 million tonnes of pulse production in the country.

According to an official release, the programme focuses on inter-cropping of pulse crops over other crops and accelerating productivity through adoption of innovative technologies relating to plan nutrition and water use.

Three crops - pigeon pea (arhar), green gram (moong) and black gram (urad) - have been selected for the programme.

It will promote planting of pigeon pea with groundnut, soyabean or cotton. Besides this, emphasis will be on inter-cropping of moong and urad with maize, jowar or bajra.

Research institutes, fertiliser cooperatives (IFFCO and KRIBHCO) and private companies engaged in micro irrigation and production of special nutrients are being involved in the programme.

AIR correspondent reports the production of pulses during the kharif season in the past two years has been hovering around 18 million tonnes.

To meet the growing demand, stabilized and increased production of pulses is necessary, especially as the pulses crops are taken in rainfed areas with little irrigation.