Neem-coated fertiliser helped reduce use of chemicals, raise crop yields: Gowda
Fertiliser Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Sunday said 100 per cent neem-coated urea, introduced in 2015-16, has helped reduce the use of chemicals and increase crop yields. It has also helped reduce the diversion of urea for non-agricultural purposes, he said in a tweet.
“100 per cent neem-coated urea introduced in 2015-16 has helped reduce the use of chemicals, improved soil health, reduced pest and disease attack and increased yield,” the minister tweeted.
Sugar production up 13 pc to 305.68 lakh tonnes during Oct’20 – May’21
India’s sugar production rose by 13 per cent to 305.68 lakh tonnes in the first eight months of the current marketing year ending September, mainly due to higher output in Maharashtra, according to trade data. Sugar marketing year runs from October to September.
“Sugar mills across the country have produced 305.68 lakh tonnes of sugar between October 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021,” the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) said in a statement.
Farmers understanding benefits of price-locking at sowing time with options trade: Officials
Confident of derivatives trade picking up in agricultural commodities, officials on Tuesday said farmers have begun understanding benefits of the options trading by locking in their price at the cost of sowing of the crop in a big way. A special ‘options familiarisation programme for FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations)’ has also helped farmers learn a technique to take care of the price risk and concentrate their efforts on increasing the yield of their crops, an official said.
“The success of the programme will most likely encourage them to participate in similar contracts in other agricultural commodities as well,” he added.
