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NDTV
14 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis Back Co-operatives As Key Rural Growth Engines
Mumbai: In a bid to promote India's cooperative system and boost the rural economy, Home Minister Amit Shah addressed two high-profile events in Mumbai. The first event was hosted by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), marked the celebration of the upcoming International Cooperative Year 2025. The second event commemorated 100 years of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA). It was Amit Shah's second visit to Maharashtra in two consecutive months, which is also seen as an attempt to connect with the local voters, months before the civic body polls kickstart in the state. NAFED Event: Strengthening Rural Economy Through Cooperatives Addressing the gathering, Mr Shah stated that while cooperation is often seen as an economic system elsewhere, in India, it reflects a way of life rooted in shared tradition and collective progress. "To come together, live together, and move towards a common aim - to be together in happiness and sadness - is the soul of our country," the Home Minister said. He underlined how successful cooperative models like AMUL, IFFCO, KRIBHCO, and NAFED have transformed lives. "In Gujarat, 36 lakh rural women are part of Amul. None of them invested more than Rs 100, yet they created a turnover of Rs 80,000 crore," he said, adding that money directly reaches them. Mr Shah announced that NAFED had already started procuring crops such as corn and pulses on Minimum Support Price (MSP), with an app-based system enabling farmers to choose better prices in the open market if available. He said such digital platforms would help farmers efficiently plan all three seasonal crops and shared examples from Uttar Pradesh, where triple-cropping had increased rural engagement. He noted that the ministry, long in demand but delayed due to its categorisation under the State List, has created a national cooperative database, increasing the chances of the cooperatives reaching across the country. This includes information about cooperatives in every village and helps identify regions for expansion. Plans are underway to set up two lakh new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) with integrated services including dairies, fisheries, petrol pumps, gas agencies, warehouses, and even common service centres that offer everything from ticket booking to certificates. "Corporate and cooperative tax laws have now been aligned," Mr Shah said, mentioning that even long-standing issues like the Rs 15,000 crore sugarcane mill tax dispute in Maharashtra were resolved under the Modi government. He also laid out plans for ethanol blending using corn, incentivised with increased procurement prices, reducing import dependence and increasing farmer income. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking at the same event, stated that no other place was more appropriate to celebrate the cooperative movement than Maharashtra, which boasts over 120 years of cooperative history. Mr Fadnavis said the state had exceeded the central targets and created new rural economic linkages. He urged NAFED to resolve the issue of procurement shortfalls, especially regarding 'poti' (grain bags), and assured continued support for cooperative growth. MACCIA 100 Years: Industry and Cooperative Growth Hand-in-Hand At the centenary event of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA), all three - Amit Shah, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde - underscored the role of cooperative and industrial synergy in Maharashtra's development. Mr Shinde praised the government's proactive style: "Our government takes no-reason, on-the-spot decisions," he said. Referring to the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi regime, Mr Shinde said, "The Chamber would meet them and ask them to act - I used to tell them, Amit Bhai would suggest something, we'd do it, and it would get done." Amit Shah, speaking at MACCIA, noted that Maharashtra continues to lead industrial investment in the country, housing India's largest ports and boasting the highest number of women income tax payers. He recalled concerns over Mumbai's traffic but said the Centre had allocated Rs 7,000 crore for the Metro project. Without naming him, Mr Shah appeared to criticise former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, asking rhetorically, "What has been done for Mumbai? What's your vision?" Mr Shah traced the shift in governance focus, stating, "When I started in politics, farmer suicides were always being discussed." He highlighted the implementation of the Jalyukt Shivar Yojana in Marathwada and Vidarbha and contrasted earlier central assistance to Maharashtra - Rs 1.91 lakh crore - with the Modi-era figure of Rs 7 lakh crore. He concluded by stating that only when both agriculture and industry function efficiently can development be meaningful. "It's this approach that has helped India become the fourth-largest economy in the world."
Mail & Guardian
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Don't call asylum seekers and refugees makwerekwere; make them feel at home
Asylum seekers and refugees leave their home countries because life has become intolerable. They seek safety and understanding. World Refugee Day is observed annually on 20 June to honour the courage and strength of people who have been forced to escape their home country by conflict or persecution. According to the In South Africa, refugees and asylum seekers, like many around the world, seek safety and an opportunity to rebuild their lives after escaping violence, conflict and persecution from their countries of origin. But many continue to face ongoing difficulties, including xenophobia and limited opportunities to earn an income. These difficulties are often worsened by delays or obstacles in With more than First, we should have discussions with refugees and asylum seekers . It is essential to better understand their experiences of living in the country and the types of support they need to rebuild their lives effectively. In my experience, many are willing to speak openly and share their stories when given a safe space to do so. Second, we should make refugees and asylum seekers feel welcome. They are often called 'makwerekwere', a derogatory term used by some to inform foreign nationals from African countries that they are outsiders who are not welcome. Instead of looking at refugees and asylum seekers as outsiders, we need to focus on how we can make South Africa a place of safety and dignity, where they can rebuild their lives and feel at home. One way to achieve this is by running community-based programmes in areas where refugees and asylum seekers live. These programmes can raise awareness about who refugees are, why they are in communities and how local residents can partner with them to build stronger and more inclusive communities. Such platforms also allow refugees and asylum seekers to tell their stories. This will help locals to understand the context of their journeys and the reasons they have sought refuge in South Africa. Being given a voice also empowers refugees and asylum seekers to participate in community life and build mutual understanding. Many refugees are skilled professionals (lawyers, healthcare professionals, teachers, and more) who bring valuable experience and expertise that can benefit South African society. Embracing their contributions is a step toward building more inclusive and safe communities for all. Third, we should teach children to respect and accept refugees and asylum seekers . Through my work with refugee and asylum-seeking children in mental health services and research, one recurring problem they face is bullying often because of their skin tone or accent. It is important to teach local children respect, empathy, and inclusion. School-based programmes and initiatives can encourage South African learners to see refugees and asylum seekers as equals, and not to mock, isolate,or bully them for being different. In 2020, Fourth, we should support organisations that provide services to refugees and asylum seekers . In recent years, organisations worldwide offering essential services to them have had severe funding cuts, further reducing already limited services to this marginalised population. For example, in South Africa, the Adonis Musati Project, which was founded in 2007 and offered skills training, youth programmes and psychosocial support, had to close because of a lack of funding. Organisations such as the Trauma Centre and Last, we should prioritise multi-stakeholder intervention. It is also important for civil society, and government departments (such as health, education and the police) to collaborate in finding solutions to address the problems refugees and asylum seekers face. Ensuring access to basic needs like education and healthcare, as well as support services such as local language programmes and income-generating opportunities, is critical to promoting the effective settlement and integration of refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa. Standing in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa requires us all to play our part. The country is known around the world for its philosophy of ubuntu, which means 'am because we are'. For the nation to fully reflect its spirit of ubuntu and show humanity towards others, all who live in the country must extend compassion, understanding and support to refugees and asylum seekers as they work to rebuild their lives and heal from traumatic experiences. Yeukai Chideya is a researcher at the Institute for Life Course Health Research at Stellenbosch University.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Tomato price crash forces farmers to dump produce
A sharp crash in tomato prices has left farmers in and around Mysuru distraught, forcing many to dump the produce on roadsides and at the APMC Yard, on Wednesday. Though there was movement of tomatoes by way of bulk purchase for some time, the prices fluctuated and began to hover around ₹12 to ₹15 per kg. If purchased in bulk or wholesale, farmers were prepared to sell it at as low as ₹8 per kg. But with supply exceeding demand, the prices crashed and many of the cultivators were forced to dump the produce and return home sustaining a loss. Bardanapura Nagaraj, a farmer and district secretary of Raitha Mitra, a farmer producers company, said that the cost of cultivation ranges between ₹60,000 and ₹1 lakh per acre, depending on the method and input costs. But farmers were finding it uneconomical to even harvest and transport their produce, and many were not even harvesting the crop so as to save on labour charges and thus cut their loss, said Mr. Nagaraj. He said farmers faced the vagaries of nature on one hand and market rate fluctuation on the other and their lives had become miserable. Lack of cold storage infrastructure for perishable commodities such as tomatoes only worsened the situation, he added. Tomatoes from the Mysuru region are usually transported to distant markets, including Nashik in Maharashtra, as well as to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. ''However, over the past few days, demand from Tamil Nadu has dipped sharply due to an abundant local harvest and sufficient supply, leading to a glut in the Mysuru markets and a consequent crash in prices'', said Mr. Nagaraj. Apart from the imperatives of establishing cold storage facilities to store perishable commodities, farmers have also raised the demand from the government to encourage industries for value addition to fruits and vegetables in the region. 'We need to encourage the food processing industry, especially tomato-based units like sauce manufacturing units, in and around Mysuru. If such facilities are established here, they can support tomato growers not just in Mysuru but also in neighbouring districts,' said Mr. Nagaraj. While such facilities in Bengaluru will benefit farmers in Kolar, establishing units in Mysuru would aid growers in at least five surrounding districts whose economy is mostly agrarian. Another farmer Surendra echoed the concerns and called for policy intervention, demanding the introduction of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for tomatoes. This would help shield farmers from supply-demand fluctuation , he added. The recent rains will have no immediate impact on crops, but excess rainfall will reduce the yield of crop in various growth stages in the days ahead, say the farmers. There are concerns that without policy-initiatives translated into action, farmers will continue to bear the brunt of crop loss due to vagaries of nature followed by price crash due to supply-demand mismatch, forcing them into deeper financial distress.
Times
3 days ago
- General
- Times
The new summer holiday etiquette
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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
CCI buys 100 lakh bales cotton at minimum support price
The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has purchased close to 100 lakh bales at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) from farmers in the current cotton season and has sold 35 lakh bales in the market. Lalit Kumar Gupta, the CCI chairman and Managing Director, told The Hindu on Tuesday (June 17, 2025) that the CCI opened more than 500 centres in the cotton-growing areas since the beginning of the season in October 2024. 'The demand for cotton is not much from the textile mills, and if the current market situation persists, the CCI may purchase more cotton at MSP next season,' he said. Official sources said the outgo for CCI this year for the MSP operations was ₹37,500 crores. With 8 % increase in the MSP for the next cotton season (October 2025-September 2026), the outgo will be higher if the CCI buys more cotton from the farmers at MSP. Meanwhile, cotton imports saw a 133 % jump last month compared with last May and a 131 % increase in value in April-May 2025 compared with the same period last year. Nishant Asher, secretary of the Indian Cotton Federation, said International cotton is almost 8 % cheaper than Indian cotton. With the 11% import duty, Indian spinners are getting cotton from other countries at 1%-2% lower prices. However, they are unable to compete in the international market. The import duty is a major deterrent for the competitiveness of the Indian textile industry, he said.
