Agriculture News at a Glance: March Highlights

1. Union Agriculture Minister Kickstarts Mega Farmers Fair in Jharkhand

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated a multipurpose farmers’ fair in Bishnupur, Gumla, organized by Krishi Vigyan Kendra. The event aimed to help farmers showcase their produce, learn about new farming techniques, and interact with experts. The fair celebrated the 40th anniversary of Vikas Bharti, Bishnupur, which oversees the Kengra’s operations from the Vikas Bharri premises.

2. Himachal Pradesh starts producing mulethi for the first time in the country

Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to commence organized commercial cultivation of Mulethi. The IHBT has provided planting materials to farmers, enabling them to benefit from the growing demand for this medicinal herb.

3. Andhra Pradesh’s edible oil unit to get Rs. 100 crores investment from Godrej Agrovet

During the Andhra Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023, the state government signed an MoU with GAVL’s Oil Palm business to set up an edible oil refinery and solvent extraction plant in Seethanagaram, Eluru District. The plant is expected to have a refining capacity of 400 tonnes per day, and the investment by GAVL’s Oil Palm business is estimated to be around Rs. 100 crores. The move is expected to boost the state’s economy, create employment opportunities and contribute to the growth of the edible oil industry in Andhra Pradesh.

4. Union Minister lays foundation Frozen Semen station in J&K

The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairy, Shri Parshottam Rupala laid the foundation stone for the Frozen Semen Station in Ranbir Bagh, Jammu & Kashmir. The project gets funding under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission scheme. This will also make Kashmir self-sufficient in the production of high-quality and disease-free germplasm to be used for Artificial Insemination. The project will strengthen Frozen Semen Bull Station, Ranbir Bagh by the MSP guidelines to realize the production of over 10 Lac FSSs annually. 

5. Indian Spice Board’s 36th Anniversary

The 36th Anniversary of the Spices Board has been celebrated in Kochi, Kerala. A Nationwide campaign on ‘Clean and Safe Spices’ in over 20 States/UT was organized to bring awareness to food safety and the quality of spices. A panel discussion as part of the 36th anniversary on doubling exports of spices was organized with spice industry leaders and exporters.

6. Jawaharlal Nehru University hosts the National Millet Conference

The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, inaugurated a National Millet conference organized by Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University in Jabalpur. The university is contributing to the promotion of agriculture in Madhya Pradesh by focusing on soybean and millet crops. The government has established three National Centres of Excellence in Hyderabad, Haryana and Bengaluru to increase research on millets and promote their cultivation. This reflects the government’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and improving the livelihoods of farmers in India.

7. Reviving Bhojpuri’s Millet Legacy: A Festive Celebration of Health and Sustainability

As part of The International Year of Millets (2023), the Bhojpuri Millet Festival was organized from February 28 to March 1 aimed to bring awareness about the importance of millets in health. The event brought awareness about the mother of all grains-Shree Anna and its importance in human health.

8. Uttarakhand launched a scheme for sericulturists for the first time in the country

Recently, Uttarakhand launched the ‘Resham Keet Bima’ programme for sericulturists for the first time In India. It was launched in Dehradun under the management of Saral Krishi Beema. Two hundred sericulturists in four districts of the state received the insurance in the first phase which covers the effects of climate change, water scarcity and other challenges.

9. Wheat Procurement for RMS 2023-24

The estimates of procurement of wheat for the current financial year were finalized by the central government. The Government of India fixed an estimate of 341.50 Lakh Metric Tonnes for the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS). Most of the States and FCI have come up with Online procurement Systems which will be transparent and convenient to the farmers.

10. International Ayurvet conclave on ‘Veterinary and Ayurveda’ inaugurated at Haridwar

International Ayurvet conclave was hosted at the Rishikul campus of Ayurveda University at Haridwar, Uttarakhand with a theme of ‘Veterinary and Ayurveda’ on March 17. It was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Shree Sanjiv Baliyan, where he mentioned the historical applications of Ayurveda in Animal care and shared that the government is working on the same.

11. Shree Anna conference by APEDA in New Delhi

The Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference was organized by the APEDA, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India in New Delhi to boost the exports of millets from India. The Prime Minister launched a book on millet standards and unveiled a commemorative coin and a postal stamp to mark the occasion. He also declared the Indian Institute of Millet Research –ICAR as a Global Centre of Excellence. The World Food Programme and the GoI signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation for five years.

12. MP Government with Samunnati to promote Agricultural practices

Samunnati and the MP government signs MoU to explore opportunities for capacity building among the MP-Jan Abhiyan Parishad cadres under its village level entrepreneurs initiative. This association is to strengthen the Chief Minister’s Community Leadership Development Program (CMCLDP) of MP by redesigning the course curriculum on Agriculture and rural economic empowerment.