India, The Maharashtra government has allocated a budget of ₹50 crore to introduce eggs into the mid-day meal scheme for government-run schools. This initiative aims to provide protein- read more..
Rabi acreage falls nearly 5% to 591.64 lakh hectares
- 26 Jan, 2019
- India
New Delhi: Sowing of rabi crops is progressing on a slow pace, with latest data from the agriculture ministry showing a near-5% drop in area under cultivation so far this season.
Total area under rabi crops has dropped to 591.64 lakh hectares from 622.12 lakh hectares a year earlier, according to a ministry report. The deficit is mainly because of a 21% fall in rice acreage.
“Area under rice cultivation this year is 18.06 lakh hectares as against last year’s area of 22.95 lakh hectares. Major rice-growing states West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are lagging in sowing,” an agriculture department official said.
There is a deficit in wheat cultivation area as well. As against last year’s 304.08 lakh hectares, the area under the crop is 296.37 lakh hectares. Even then, wheat production is likely to touch an all-time high this season.
“Due to favourable weather conditions, this time wheat production may cross the 100-million-tonnes mark. The yield will be better this time,” agriculture commissioner SK Malhotra said.
However, Malhotra showed concern over the production of pulses, as area under the crop has dropped this year.
“Due to drought-like conditions in Maharashtra and Gujarat, there will be an overall less production of pulses this time. But we have enough stock to bank on,” he said.
Oilseeds production is likely to be good as cold weather and drizzle are supporting the standing crops, especially mustard which thrives under such weather conditions.
“We are expecting good crop size of mustard. Ground reports suggest good flowering of mustard in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, which are major growers of the oil seed,” Malhotra said.
Poultry News
Centre committed to facilitate egg export
India, Namakkal: Alka Upadhyaya, secretary, Departm .. Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/112508513.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&ut read more..
USDA Forecasts Record Soybean Crop
United States, USDA on Monday forecast a record soybean crop while also bumping up corn production. Farmers will grow a record soybean crop at 4.589 billion bushels (bb), above the range of pr read more..
Punjab: Sowing maize as paddy replacement
India, Manav Mander The intensive input-based cultivation, specifically of paddy has raised major concerns for sustainable agriculture. The groundwater resource has depleted alarmingly read more..
With kharif sowing ending, India’s paddy acreage gains 4.3%
India, Area under cotton, bajra and urad declines; sugarcane, arhar and oilseeeds coverage up The acreage under paddy, the key cereal crop, has increased to 331.78 lh, which is 4.3 per read more..
Heavy rain inundates two poultry farms, 10K native chicks drown
India, Krishnagiri : More than 10,000 native chicks worth ₹17.5 lakh drowned after heavy rainfall flooded two poultry farms at two villages near Pochampalli on Sunday night. While 5, read more..
Markfed to be nodal agency for marketing corn as industrial crop
India, With the area under kharif maize in the 2024-25 season reaching an all-time high in the last eight years to 1.23 lakh hectares, the Punjab government is likely to appoint read more..
Two suspended after video of eggs being taken back from children’s plates goes viral
India, Anganwadi worker Lakshmi and her assistant Shahanaz Begum attached to Gundur Anganwadi in Karatagi taluk of Koppal district have been suspended after a video clip in which the latt read more..
Huge opportunities for southern states in food processing sector
India, South Indian states have huge opportunities in the food processing sector, especially millets, ready-to-eat foods, ready-to-cook foods, and plant-based dairy alternatives , accordi read more..