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Hans India
15 hours ago
- General
- Hans India
Punjab sees rise in direct seeding of rice technique
Chandigarh: Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said on Wednesday that in an advancement of the government's efforts to conserve groundwater through sustainable agricultural practices, the state saw 11.86 per cent increase in area dedicated to direct seeding of rice (DSR) compared to last year. He said paddy has been sown using water-conserving DSR technique at over 2.83 lakh acres this year, up from 2.53 lakh acres in the last year. He expressed hope that the area under DSR will rise further as paddy sowing is still going on. The minister said the government has been offering Rs 1,500 per acre to farmers adopting the DSR method. He said the financial assistance was transferred into the bank accounts of 24,032 farmers who adopted the DSR technique during the kharif season of 2024. Minister Khudian reaffirmed the government's commitment of encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. He also congratulated the Agriculture Department officials for promoting the water-saving method. Administrative Secretary (Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) Basant Garg said that the Agriculture Department has taken various proactive steps to promote the direct seeding of rice. The department has been organising awareness campaigns and farmer training camps to provide hands-on knowledge, besides conducting field demonstrations to showcase the technique's effectiveness and sensitise farmers about the advantages of DSR. With a land area of only three per cent of the net cultivated land of the country, Punjab contributes 25-35 per cent of rice and 38-50 per cent of wheat to the central pool of food grain. The state ranks fourth in the world in terms of productivity and first in India among all the other states. In neighboring Haryana, the paddy is currently sown over 34 lakh acres in Haryana. Of this, 57 per cent of the area is under basmati, which matures two weeks later than the non-basmati type.
Hindustan Times
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Union minister Chouhan uses convoy vehicle to rush accident victim to hospital
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday stopped his convoy in Bhopal to assist a youth injured in a road accident and ensured he was rushed to the hospital. Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan also spoke to the hospital's doctor over the phone. (ANI) According to an official statement, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister was en route to attend a Jain community event in Awadhpuri area when he noticed a crowd gathered near Chetak Bridge. "On inquiring, he learnt that a youth had been injured in a road mishap and was lying unattended. He quickly arranged for one of the vehicles in his convoy to rush the injured to a nearby hospital and deputed an official from his team to accompany the injured person," the statement said. Chouhan also spoke to the hospital's doctor over the phone and asked him to give urgent medical attention to the injured person, it added.
Hans India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Centre tells states to take strict action against those selling fake, poor quality fertilisers
New Delhi: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chauhan has written to the Chief Ministers of all States and Union Territories to take immediate and strict action against those selling counterfeit and substandard fertilisers to farmers. The letter has been issued to curb the sale of fake fertilisers, black marketing of subsidised fertilisers, and illegal activities such as forced tagging across the country, an official statement said. The Minister has emphasised, in the letter, that agriculture is the backbone of India's economy, and to ensure stability in farmers' income, it is essential to provide them with quality fertilisers at the right time, at affordable prices, and of standard quality. He has also highlighted that the sale of counterfeit or substandard fertilisers is prohibited under the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985, which falls under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has highlighted that it is the responsibility of the States to ensure adequate availability of fertilisers at the right places and locations where it is required. Therefore, states must strictly monitor and take swift action against activities such as black marketing, overpricing, and diversion of subsidised fertilisers. He has asked them to undertake regular monitoring of fertiliser production and sale, as well as strict control over counterfeit and substandard products through sampling and testing. The Union Minister has further stated that forced tagging of nano-fertilisers or bio-stimulant products along with conventional fertilisers should be stopped immediately. He has also recommended that strict legal action, including cancellation of licenses and registration of FIRs, should be taken against the culprits, and effective prosecution must be ensured to secure a conviction. Besides, states have been directed to develop feedback and information systems to involve farmers in the monitoring process and to make special efforts to educate farmers on identifying genuine and counterfeit products.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
T.N. CM Stalin to visit Cuddalore on July 14
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will be on a two-day visit to Cuddalore district on July 14 and 15 to take part in various government events. According to official sources, the Chief Minister will launch the first camp of the 'Ungaludan Stalin' (Stalin with you) initiative, aimed at directly addressing public grievances and delivering government services through special camps at people's doorsteps, on July 15 in Chidambaram Municipality. Under this initiative, a total of 378 camps will be held in the urban and rural areas of Cuddalore district. The initiative aims to bring government services and welfare schemes directly to people's neighbourhoods. The Chief Minister will also pay floral tributes to a portrait of former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Chidambaram on the occasion of the leader's birth anniversary. Mr. Stalin will inaugurate a memorial hall to mark the birth centenary of Dalit leader and former president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee L. Elayaperumal at his hometown in Chidambaram. The memorial hall has been built at a cost of ₹6.39 crore. Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam, accompanied by Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar, reviewed the security arrangements for the Chief Minister's visit.
New Indian Express
20-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Bill to pull up substandard seeds suppliers soon
NEW DELHI: The Centre is set to introduce a Seed Amendment Bill to the Seeds Act in the Winter Session of parliament. Intended to be farmer-friendly, it will ensure seed traceability and hold suppliers accountable for substandard seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, which significantly affect farmers' incomes and the country's food security. The decision comes after Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan,received numerous complaints about the poor quality of seeds, pesticides, and fertilisers during his 15-day 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' recently. Chouhan stated. 'The government will take strong measures to strengthen the Seed Act and implement stringent quality control mechanisms to ensure that only certified, high-quality inputs reach farmers.' To achieve this, the government plans to enhance the current network of central and state laboratories, and mandating accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), which is part of the Quality Council of India. However, the country has, currently, fewer laboratories than necessary. 'Our first step is to instruct states and central agencies to obtain NABL accreditation from their own funds,' said Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. 'The testing fees for collected samples of seeds, pesticides, or fertilisers will be covered by the Central government's Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana,' he added. He explained how biases in sampling would be eliminated. 'Our software will randomly select the retailer's name from which field inspectors will collect the proper samples. These samples will be packed, encoded with a QR code and sent to laboratories for testing. This will minimise manipulation and foster trust among genuine manufacturers and retailers.'
