A proposed pesticides bill that will replace regulations adopted nearly five decades ago needs more discussion, as some of the provisions are not progressive and would discourage fresh investments in India’s agro-chemical business, a top industry official told Ritwik Sinha in an interview. Asitava Sen, chief executive officer of CorpLife India, an association of leading […]
Amid travel curbs due to the Covid pandemic that have flattened demand for cars in India, sales for tractors will remain stable due to expectations of well-distributed and normal rainfall, according to a report by rating agency CRISIL. Despite a 37% on year decline in April and May combined sales, tractor volumes will likely be […]
In the middle of one of India’s worst COVID-affected states Maharashtra, farmer Atul Takte turns to his dusty smartphone for help every time he wants to buy farm inputs or sell his produce online. “This is great. I can even get the latest information on how best to grow papayas,” he says, referring to an […]
The key to reap real benefits of the big bang reforms for the agriculture sector recently announced by the government would be in demolishing several layers of controls as envisaged in the proposal, noted agriculture economist Ashok Gulati said. Gulati, chair professor for agriculture at the Indian Council for Research on International economics (ICRIER), said […]
The government has launched ‘Rural Backyard Sheep, Goat and Piggery Scheme’ under the aegis of Animal husbandry department. Under the scheme, the central government will provide 60 per cent of the cost of rearing goal, sheep and pigs while the state government will give 30 per cent for this scheme. The farmers will have to […]
By Ritwik Sinha As you take the left turn after crossing Manesar on the Delhi-Jaipur highway towards Panchgaon and drive down for more than a kilometer, the covered tall structures visible from a distance hardly give you the impression of being a serious lab for alternative farming. But when you reach the spot, the place […]
By Anubhav Das For a country that is predominantly agrarian – and employing directly and indirectly – over 60 percent of its active working population, the lack of a comprehensive vision and innovation in the sector is unfortunate. Our farm output growth rate is fluctuating between 0.2 – 4.2 percent in the last five years. […]
Urea players have been witnessing rising gas costs, which coupled with the depreciation of rupee against the US dollar will result in higher cost of production, ratings firm ICRA said in a report. As per ICRA estimates, for one US dollar rise in gas costs, the cost of production for urea rises by Rs. 1,800-2,000/MT […]
India’s weather office forecast normal monsoon rains this summer for most of the country, but said it expected deficient rainfall in the country’s northeast. Quantitatively, the season rainfall for the country as a whole is likely to be 97% of the long period average (LPA) with a model error of ±4%. The LPA rainfall over […]
A normal monsoon could boost India’s demand for diesel, as the agrarian sector in the world’s third-largest energy consumer would need more of it for farming and harvesting. It is estimated that the diesel consumption growth in calendar 2018 may be more than double last year, according to industry analysts. India’s average monthly diesel consumption […]
