Kharif sowing exceeds 1,100 lakh ha
Notwithstanding controversies surrounding the recently-passed farm Bills, farmers in the country have sown a record 1,117 lakh hectares (lha) under kharif crops — which is nearly 5 per cent more than the 1,066 lha planted in the corresponding week last year, showed data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday.
While oilseed crops registered a near 10 per cent increase over the same period last year, acreage of rice and pulses went up by over 5 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively.
Farmers protest against farm Bills in many States
Farmers across many States in the country hit the streets on Friday, protesting against three farm Bills that seek to bring in sweeping changes in agricultural produce marketing regulations.
The nation-wide protest called by a number of farmer groups, most of them affiliated to the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, was near total in Punjab and Haryana, while widespread in States such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. However, States such as Gujarat that witnessed only a muted response to the protest call.
Reservoir storage at 99% of last year
Live storage available in 123 reservoirs monitored by the Central Water Commission (CWC) was 86 per cent of their total live storage capacity as on Thursday. This is 99 per cent of the level during corresponding period last year and 115 per cent of the 10-year average.
