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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Centre-state mango relief: Karnataka growers to be paid for price fall on 2.5 lakh tonnes; price fall prompts joint compensation plan
The Centre and Karnataka government have agreed to jointly compensate mango farmers in the state for up to 2.5 lakh tonnes of produce after a sharp decline in market prices, according to an official statement issued on Saturday. The decision was taken during a video conference between Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Karnataka Agriculture Minister N Chaluvaraya Swamy, where the two sides finalised a joint compensation mechanism under a central government scheme. 'To address the drop in mango prices, the central and state governments will jointly bear the cost of the price difference and pay that to the farmers,' the Union agriculture ministry said. Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi also participated in the meeting. The relief will apply to 25% of the estimated 10 lakh tonnes of mangoes produced in the state this season, the statement said. Karnataka had earlier submitted a formal proposal to the Centre, citing a price crash in both tomatoes and mangoes, particularly the Totapuri variety. However, Swamy informed the Centre that tomato prices had stabilised since the proposal was submitted, and thus, no immediate intervention was needed for tomatoes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo 'Since farmers were receiving much lower-than-usual prices for Totapuri mangoes, it was decided that the difference in price from the usual market rate would be borne equally by the Centre and state governments,' the ministry said. Swamy thanked Chouhan for approving the move. 'This decision will support and provide relief to mango-producing farmers in the state,' he said. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- 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.'
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Government may introduce seed amendment bill in Parliament this year
New Delhi: The government is in the process of making changes to the Seed Act to address the problem of spurious seeds, minister of agriculture and farmers' welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Wednesday. The amended bill will ensure traceability of seeds and fix accountability, he said. "We are in the process of amending the Seed Act, which would be introduced soon," the minister added. A senior official in the agriculture ministry said the government would try to introduce the bill by the winter session of Parliament, which usually starts in the last week of November. 'We are working on the modalities and would try to introduce various measures so that quality seeds reach to the farmers,' said the senior official. One of the features will be a QR code to help farmers trace the origin of seeds, he added. Spurious or uncertified seeds are causing significant losses to farmers, leading to crop failures and financial distress. Fake seeds, often sold under the guise of reputable brands, fail to germinate or produce expected yields, leaving farmers with debt. In 2023-24, out of a total 133,000 seed samples tested, 3,630 were found sub-standard, minister of state for agriculture and farmers' welfare Ramnath Thakur said in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 11 February. The Seeds Act, 1966, which regulates the quality of seeds for sale, has been amended multiple times to improve seed quality and ensure access to high-quality seeds for farmers. The Act provides a legal framework around seed certification and systematic seed certification started in India in 1969. According to officials in the agriculture ministry, the amendment will be done in consultation with states and other stakeholders. Under the existing provision, certification of seed is not mandatory, and private players are currently selling seed as 'truthfully labeled'. In March the Haryana assembly had passed the Seeds (Haryana amendment) Bill, 2025 which has stringent provisions including imprisonment for one to three years and a fine of up to ₹ 5 lakh to prevent the production and sale of substandard or fake seeds. Additionally, the Central government is planning to strengthen equip seed testing labs with the latest technology. "We are in the process of upgrading the labs, the funds for which will be given to the states under PM-RKVY (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna)," said the official. Chouhan said that the government will also tighten pesticides legislation and may bring amendments to the existing laws to ensure quality inputs to farmers. The minister said many farmers have raised concerns about the quality of seeds and pesticides during an outreach campaign "Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan", a countrywide initiative running from 29 May to 12 June across all states and union territories, aimed at equipping farmers with information, tools, and technology for the kharif sowing season. Chouhan said, "The campaign was very successful. We engaged directly with 13 million farmers across 143,000-villages in 721 districts." As many as 60,281 programmes were conducted including in tribal, aspirational and border districts. 'Scientists will focus on demand-driven research based on farmers' feedback and many innovations done by progressive farmers would be popularized,' he added. Chouhan said the government will make KVKs (Krishi Vigyan Kendra) a nodal agency for better coordination among all stakeholders. There are 731 KVKs spread across the country, with almost one KVK in each district barring a few.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Will act against sale of substandard seeds, pesticides, says Agriculture Minister
Promising action against the sale of substandard seeds and pesticides, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) said the Centre is planning to amend the Seeds Act and the Pesticides Act to make them 'more farmer-friendly'. He was briefing reporters after the conclusion of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, the campaign where scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) interacted with farmers. During the interactions, farmers had highlighted their two pressing concerns – substandard seeds and pesticides, Mr. Chouhan said. The Agriculture Ministry will take strong measures to strengthen the Seed Act and ensure 'stringent quality-control mechanisms, so that only certified, high-quality inputs reach farmers', he said. Minister to meet farmers Noting that the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan was a success, Mr. Chouhan said the Centre will initiate several policy changes to meet the demands raised by farmers during these interactions. Mr. Chouhan said the campaign will continue and the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) will be made the nodal agency in every district for future interactions of scientists with farmers. 'KVK scientists will visit farms and interact with farmers three days a week,' the Minister said, adding that he himself will visit farms and interact with farmers two days a week. 'Each State will have a nodal officer from the ICAR who will coordinate with a scientific approach,' he said. Though agriculture is a State subject, on this issue of bringing a technological innovative approach in the fields, the States and the Centre will function as one team, he said. The Minister said teams of 2,170 scientists had directly interacted with over 1.34 crore farmers in more than 1.42 lakh villages. He said the attempt was to bridge the gap in knowledge, research, and capabilities. On amending the Seeds Act and Pesticides Act, Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said steps will be taken so that the Seeds Bill gets passed in the winter session of Parliament. The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan was aimed to bridge the gap between research labs and agricultural fields. 'We have seen remarkable work happening, but challenges persist. Our focus must now be on increasing productivity, reducing input costs, and ensuring that agriculture becomes a profitable and sustainable livelihood for every farmer,' Mr. Chouhan said. Apart from Mr. Chouhan and Mr. Chaturvedi, ICAR Director General M.L. Jat also attended the press conference.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Govt will tighten seed & pesticide laws, tackle stray animal issue: Chouhan
The Centre will consider solutions to address the problem of stray animals and it will tighten legislation on seeds and pesticides to ensure quality inputs for farmers, said Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday. The easy availability of substandard seeds and pesticides was among the main concerns raised by farmers, along with limited availability of climate-resilient seeds, the growing menace of stray animals, and the falling yield of soybeans, he said at a press conference at the conclusion of the fortnight-long mass-contact programme called 'Vikshit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan'. The campaign, which began on May 29, reached over 13.4 million farmers in 142,934 villages. 'The new amendments to the Seed Act will improve traceability, bring uncertified seeds under regulation, increase the quantum of penalties, and be more farmer friendly,' Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi told reporters on the sidelines of the conference. He said the amendments would be tabled in Parliament by the winter session at the latest. Chouhan said that scientists at Krishi Vigyan Kendras will be required to visit farmers' fields three days a week. 'I myself will go to the field among farmers two days a week,' Chouhan said, adding that a similar directive had been issued to officials in the ministry. He said the Centre would also launch a mobile application to provide real-time weather updates to farmers under the Digital Farming Mission. About wild animals damaging crops, the minister said farmers had suggested using modern technology such as artificial intelligence for crop monitoring and deterrent systems. The government is providing assistance under a scheme to build fencing that does not harm wild animals. States regulating already approved seeds The central government believes that states should not have a major role in regulating seeds already approved by official agencies. It holds that farmers should have the freedom to decide what to sow. Reacting to the recent order by the Punjab government banning the use of hybrid paddy seeds, a senior official said the matter is currently sub judice and should not be commented on in detail. However, as a matter of principle, the Centre maintains that farmers should have the choice to grow the seeds they prefer.
