Agriculture Current Affair 11 November 2022

Agriculture Ministry okays setting up 100 fodder-centric FPOs in 2022-23

The government has finally designated National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as the implementing agency for setting up of 100 fodder-centric Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) during this fiscal to address the fodder deficit situation in the country. The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in 2020 had proposed the establishment of fodder-centric FPOs and requested the agriculture ministry to allow such FPOs under the central scheme “Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new FPOs”.

The proposal was considered seriously and the agriculture ministry finally issued an order on November 4.

“The competent authority in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has approved to designate NDDB as implementing agency under the scheme of formation and promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to form and promote FPOs, primarily fodder centric, and animal husbandry activities as a secondary activity (fodder plus model),” the order said.

Paddy procurement for central pool rises 6.8%

Procurement of paddy for the central pool in the ongoing 2022-23 kharif marketing season was 6.8% higher at 21.45 million tonnes as on November 7, compared with 20.08 million tonnes a year earlier, according to latest data from Food Corporation of India (FCI).

The data indicate that this year, the government will actively procure paddy to fill up its stocks, as the central pool stocks of rice were 19% lower and the stock of un-milled paddy was 16% less as on October 1 compared with last year, said Rajiv Yadav, senior vice president at Origo Commodities, which focuses on commodity supply chain, post-harvest management, trade and finance.

While procurement from Punjab, Harya

na and Tamil Nadu increased this season, that in Uttar Pradesh, one of the top producers of the grain, was lower from last year. Till November 7, the state’s contribution was 12.39 million tonnes against 14.63 million a year earlier.

India weighs steps to cool record wheat prices, government sources say

Soaring wheat prices in India could prompt price-cooling measures such as the release of state reserves into the open market while axeing the 40% tax on imports, trade and government sources said on Thursday.

The government has been trying to rein in food inflation, but its efforts have been complicated by wheat prices that have climbed to record highs.

Stung by a sudden drop in crop yields, India banned exports of the grain in May. Market arrivals from the previous harvest, meanwhile, have slowed to a trickle as farmers have run out of stocks, growers and traders said.

Local wheat prices jumped to a record 26,500 rupees ($324.18) a tonne on Thursday, up nearly 27% since the May ban on exports.

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