Agriculture Current Affair 25 January 2023

Climate change: Punjab’s cotton, maize yield to dip by 11-13% by 2050, says report

New Delhi: Climate change is predicted to reduce maize and cotton yield in Punjab by 13 per cent and 11 per cent by 2050, according to a new study conducted by agriculture economists and scientists at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). Punjab accounts for around 12 per cent of the total cereals produced in the country.

The study published in the Mausam journal of the India Meteorological Department earlier this month used rainfall and temperature data collected between 1986 and 2020 to project the impact of climate change on five major crops — rice, maize, cotton, wheat, and potato — in the agrarian state.

The researchers collected climate data from five weather observatories of Punjab Agricultural University, ie Ludhiana, Patiala, Faridkot, Bathinda, and SBS Nagar.

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund mobilises over Rs 30,000 crore for creation of post-harvest management infrastructure

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), which was launched in July 2020, has mobilised over Rs 30,000 crore for taking up projects related to creation of post-harvest management facilities. The AIF is a financing facility for creation of post-harvest management infrastructure and community farm assets. Under this scheme, Rs 1 lakh crore is to be disbursed by financial year 2025-26 and the interest subvention and credit guarantee assistance will be given till the year 2032-33, an official statement said.

“Within two-and-a-half years of the implementation of the AIF, the scheme has mobilised more than Rs 30,000 crore for projects in the agriculture infrastructure sector with a sanctioned amount of Rs 15,000 crore under AIF,” it added.

The AIF is providing financial support to the farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, farmer groups like Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Joint Liability Groups, among others to create post-harvest management infrastructure and build community farming asset throughout the country.

Walmart Foundation announces three new grants in the states of Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal

Walmart Foundation on Tuesday announced three new grants in the states of Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal with the aim to empower smallholder farmers through the Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) framework. This includes grants of USD 1.7 million to ACCESS Development Services for economic empowerment and income enhancement of farmers in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, USD 1.09 million to SRIJAN to improve the lives of small and marginal farmers and promote women as rural entrepreneurs, and USD 1.1 million to Action for Social Advancement (ASA) to enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, both in Madhya Pradesh. These projects are anticipated to reach 39 FPOs and over 60,000 smallholder farmers.

“Over the years, Walmart Foundation has invested in improving and strengthening the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through our grantee partners in India. We have invested over USD 25 million towards this since 2018. With the new grants of over USD 3.5 million, we hope to significantly advance the work of ACCESS Development Services, SRIJAN, and ASA in their efforts to build and empower FPOs through training on sustainable agriculture models. This will enable FPOs to enhance rural incomes and increase market access to farmers through the power of collectivization.” said Julie Gehrki, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Walmart Foundation.

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