Agriculture Current Affair 16 July 2020

After HTBT cotton, Maharashtra farmers plan to plant genetically-modified brinjal, soyabean

The member farmers belonging to the Shetkari Sanghatana in Maharashtra, who have already broken the law by planting genetically modified HTBT cotton are now planning to plant genetically modified brinjal, soybean and corn.

President of the Shetkari Sanghatana, Anil Ghanwat, told BusinessLine that their organisation has asked its members to plant brinjal, soybean and corn. Since the seeds are banned the seeds are available through hidden means for planting. The Shetkari Sanghatana wants the Genetically Modified (GM) technology to be opened up, therefore the farmers would get better yield for their crops. If the technology is unshackled then they will no longer resort to hidden means for procuring the seeds from the black market, he said.

GoM recommends minimum selling price of sugar to be raised to ₹33 a kg

The Union Cabinet will take a final call on the proposal to hike minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar by ₹2/kg as recommended by a group of Minister (GoM) headed by the Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday.

According to sources, the ministerial panel has recommended revising the MSP to ₹33/kg. This is expected to come into effect from October 1, which is the beginning date for sugar season 2020-21.

Oilmeal exports dip 15% in H1 on price disparity in foreign markets

India’s oilmeal exports for first six months of the current fiscal (April-June 2020) fell 15 per cent to 579,110 tonnes as compared to 684,769 tonnes in the corresponding period last year. The fall in exports is attributed to the disparity of prices in export markets making Indian oilmeals costlier for international buyers.

As per the provisional data compiled by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), the oilmeal exports for the month of June stood at 229,230 tonnes, as compared to 228,416 tonnes in the same month last year, with marginal rise.