GA Topper Series : PIB Gist : Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

The following article is a compilation about the important facts shared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare at PIB website. 

1. Conference on ‘Scope of Public-Private Partnership in Agriculture : Smt N. Vijayalakshmi, JS (Marketing) laid emphasis on strengthening the four I’s namely Inputs, Infrastructure, Investments and Institutions for developing a conducive ecosystem for PPP projects in Agriculture.
2. A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between the Department of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare (DA&FW) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on commencement of Phase -2 activities of IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) to scale up the existing partnership for food and nutrition security in the South Asian region.

• The ISARC was established following the Union Cabinet approval in 2017. ISARC also set up a Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA) that includes a modern and sophisticated laboratory with capacity to determine quality and status of heavy metals in grain and straw.
• One of the critical achievements of CERVA is the development of one low and one intermediate glycaemic index (GI) rice varieties: IRRI 147 (GI 55) and IRRI 162 (GI 57), respectively, through the joint efforts of the CERVA team and IRRI HQ. Since most rice varieties are high in GI and most of the Indians consume rice, the popularization of low GI rice varieties will reduce or even reverse India’s increasing trend of diabetes.
• The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated state-of-the-art Speed Breeding Facility (SpeedBreed) at ISRAC in Varanasi on December 23, 2021
• In 2017, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the establishment of ISARC at the campus of the National Seed Research and Training Center (NSRTC) in Varanasi
• ISARC also provides training on grain quality, nutritional quality and food safety. Broader Programme for Research and Partnership (BPRP) was launched for undertaking breeding for climate resilience, bio-fortification, improvement of traditional landraces, seed systems to enhance varietal replacement, natural resource management, organic agriculture, digitalization, and mechanization of agriculture for small/holder farmers, use of geo-spatial technology in agriculture and women and youth empowerment.
• IRRI Research and Education Programme (IREP) was also launched for capacity development, including scholars, extension workers and farmers; and promoting South-South cooperation and networking with key stakeholders to support and capacitate NARES.

3. National Conference of State Agriculture & Horticulture Ministers in Bengaluru on 14-15th July, 2022 in the presence of Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministers of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Sushri Shobha Karandlaje and Shri Kailash Choudhary and Ministers of Agriculture & Horticulture of the States.
   • launching of e-NAM Platform of Platforms to promote trade & marketing of agriculture produce for getting better prices of agriculture commodities to farmers. Platform of Platforms (PoPs) under e-NAM” towards next level revolution in Agri- Produce Marketing which will facilitate the Indian Farmers to sell their produce beyond their state boundaries
4. The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to rejoin the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)
5. Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Government of India in association with the World Economic Forum (WEF), India organised a one-day stakeholder consultation on Public Private Partnership in Digital Agriculture.The policy vision was on “Delivery of digital and hi-tech services to farmers with involvement of public sector research and extension institutions along with private agritech player and stakeholders of agri value chain”.
6. National Conclave on Dragon Fruit : There is also need to develop a 5-year strategy to increase the area of Kamlam (Dragon Fruit) upto 50,000 ha. State Government of Haryana is providing assistance for cultivation. The other States may also follow the same pattern of assistance as given by State of Haryana to promote the fruit in the State
7. The conference on “Getting Agricultural Markets Right” has been organized jointly by ICRIER, one of the leading economic think tanks of the country, and NSE
   • Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) has been set up with an investment of more than Rs. One lakh crore, out of which loans worth about Rs. 9.5 thousand crore has been approved for about 13,000 projects so far, which will greatly benefit the farmers,
   • the work of setting up 10,000 Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) has started in the country with an expenditure of Rs 6,865 crore.FPOs constitute about 85 percent of small farmers in the country.
8. Centenary year celebrations of the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal (Haryana). NDRI, established in the year 1923, has become a leading institution in teaching, research and extension education. In its hundredth year, the NDRI should adopt 100 villages of the country and develop animal husbandry, then these villages will take it further to nearby villages.
9. DD-Kisan channel has set up a studio at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. DD Kisan channel for farmers on started in 26 May 2015. DD Kisan programmes are – Choupal Charcha, Kisan Samachar, Gaon Kisan, Mandi Khabar, Mausam Khabar, Hello Kisan Live (one hour live phone-in), Vichar-vimarsh (one hour panel discussion), Chhat Par Baghbani (rooftop farming), Guldasta (Bouquet from North Eastern States), Swasth Kisan (One Hour Live Phone-in, Panel Discussion) Pehli Kiran (Showcase Northeast), Krishi Darshan (Agriculture in Focus), Sarkar Aapke Saath, Badte Bharat ka Naya Kisan, Apna Pashu Chikitsak,  Krishi Vishesh
10. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2022-23. In MSP : cost of production includes all paid out costs such as those incurred on account of hired human labour, bullock labour/machine labour, rent paid for leased in land, expenses incurred on use of material inputs like seeds, fertilizers, manures, irrigation charges, depreciation on implements and farm buildings, interest on working capital, diesel/electricity for operation of pump sets etc., miscellaneous expenses and imputed value of family labour. The increase in MSP for Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2022-23 is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 50 percent over the All-India weighted average Cost of Production, aiming at reasonably fair remuneration for the farmers.

GA Topper Series Quiz: 14 July 2022

GA Topper Series : PIB gist- PM office

Recent Posts