Focus On Zone And Unit-Based Programmes For Sector

The state planning board is about to push for a basic change of approach in agriculture in Kerala’s annual plan for 2013-14. The draft plan report prepared by the board proposes to foster strategies and action plan based on the scientific division of the state into Agro Ecological Zones (AEZ) and Agro Ecological Units (AEU).

Distribution of compensation to farmers in non-delta areas of the district for crop losses suffered by them owing to the monsoon failure began on Saturday.

About 37,745 farmers will get relief ranging from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 an acre in the district. The State government has allotted Rs.16.96 crore for the purpose. Farmers who had raised paddy and suffered losses will be get Rs. 5,000 an acre.

The Central Government would provide relief only to those farmers, who were affected by drought, and not compensation for crop loss, clarified Pravesh Sharma, Team leader of the Central Drought Tea

The State government will soon come out with a comprehensive organic agriculture policy, according to K. Ramasamy, Vice- Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU).

Addressing the launch of ‘SUSTAIN,’ a Public Private Partnership initiative to deploy innovative drying and storage technology to farmers, Dr. Ramasamy said here on Tuesday that various components of the policy, including the formation of a Department of Sustainable Organic Agriculture and establishment of a Directorate for Organic Agriculture, were under preparation.

Loans Clubbed To Seek Benefit

Pune: The reaudited report of the National Bank for Rural and Agricultural Development (Nabard) on the Rs 52,000-crore agriculturaldebt waiver and debt relief scheme (2008), shows that loan amounts of about 3,000 farmers from Kolhapur, who owed Rs 2 lakh each, were waived when the ceiling was set at Rs 1 lakh per farmer. The cumulative amount of such non-eligible farmers stood at Rs 58 crore.

After a few days of respite, hot weather conditions returned to the industrial city on Thursday. For the second time in this summer, the mercury touched 40-degree celsius mark on Thursday. The maximum temperature was approximately four degrees above normal, while the minimum temperature was recorded at 20.6 degrees, which was 2 degrees below normal. The humidity level was at 54%.

Allocation for crop loans, farm mechanisation in Namakkal

The Annual Credit Plan (ACP) for Namakkal District for the financial year 2013-14 at an outlay of Rs. 2,565 crore that will cover 10,93,364 borrowers in the priority sectors was released by District Collector D. Jagannathan here on Tuesday. He said that the targeted credit for this year is Rs. 510.1 crore (24.82 per cent) more than the target for 2012-13 that was fixed at Rs. 2,054.9 crore.

Lucknow: Famous Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib had once said, “A a m k h o o b h o a u r m e e t h e h o,” (mango must be in plenty and sweet) after having tasted Lucknow’s famous Dusseheri variety of mango. However, this time the king of fruit is likely to lose on both counts – volume and sweetness.

The blame for this goes to the increasingly unpredictable weather pattern and climate change that have taken a toll on the mango crop in the state this year. Adding to this are the brick kilns that have also played a wicked role as far as the mango crop is concerned. There is uncertainty over the yield and horticulture experts are predicting a sharp fall in production.

To promote organic farming, the Agriculture Department has decided to open Kisan Huts under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) project in all districts.

State government is trying to decrease area under paddy

In order to give a fillip to maize research and cultivation in the state, the Punjab government has approved transfer of 100 hectares in Ladowal near Ludhiana free to the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) for setting up a Directorate of Maize Research in the state. The step is likely to give a major thrust to the much-needed agricultural diversification programme in Punjab. This endeavour would also help in development of new hybrid and high-yielding varieties of maize, thereby contributing in improving farmers' incomes.