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India Pulses News & Pulses Market Prices.

Pulses News: Conference on “Pulses for Nutritional Security and Agricultural Sustainability”

India is the world's largest producer, importer and consumer of pulses. India is the world's largest producer, importer and consumer of pulses.

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Pulses News: Approval by CCEA for measures to increase production of pulses.

Approval for creation of buffer stock of pulses, given by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The buffer stock will be created in current year itself.

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Pulses News: To boost pulses production, govt suggests YIP strategy.

For boosting output and attaining self-sufficiency, expressing concern about stagnant pulses production, the government’s mid-year economic analysis on Friday suggested three-pronged strategy focusing on ‘Yield, Insurance and Price’ (YIP).

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Crop Information : Pulses sowing grows 11 percent for this Kharif Season

According to Agriculture Ministry's sowing data released, the area under coverage for paddy has moved up to 361.46 lakh hectares so far in this kharif season (summer-sown), from 357.47 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.

Sowing of pulses has increased 11 per cent while paddy acreage has risen marginally by over 1 per cent for this Kharif Season.

Farmers are using more area under this crop in view of a sharp rise in retail prices, which have gone up to Rs 150 per kg. Because of this Pulse acreage went from 97.56 lakh hectares to 108.37 lakh hectares108.37 lakh hectares, from 97.56 lakh hectares.

"The total area sown under kharif crops as on 4th September, 2015 has reached 998.67 lakh hectares compared with 979.40 lakh hectares last year at this point in time," an official statement said.

Source:http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Pulses production to decline 7% this year; prices to go up

MUMBAI: India may start releasing cotton from government reserves in the first week of February, a source with knowledge of the India's pulses output is set to decline seven per cent to18 million tonnes in crop year 2014-15, according to the Second Advanced Estimate by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Pulses output during the previous crop year (July-June) was estimated at 20 million tonnes.

Bimal Kothari, vice-chairman of India Pulses and Grain Merchants Association and managing director of import firm Pancham International, said, "Lower output may support pulses price moving up this year."

The benchmark chana for delivery in April firmed up by two per cent to Rs 3,665 a quintal in February on the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange. Other pulses moved in tandem in spot markets.

Pulses price has been under pressure for the past few years following a slowdown in demand growth.

While tur production is estimated at 2.75 million tonnes, gram output is forecast to remain around 10 per cent lower this year at 8.3 million tonnes.

One month of delay in the monsoon rainfalls previous season resulted in a proportionate delay in the sowing and harvesting of kharif crops. Consequently, sowing of rabi pulses also remained lower. Besides, unseasonal rainfalls in January are reported to have damaged standing rabi crop in major growing areas.

"Thus, India's dependence on foreign pulses would rise with around four million tonnes of estimated import this season, a rise of 0.3-0.5 million tonnes in the previous year," said Kothari.

Source : Economic Times

French Plan for Protein Crops: 2014-2020

INDIA - In December 2014, the French Minister of Agriculture Stephane Le Foll released a plan to increase the production of protein crops in France between 2014 and 2020. This plan mainly consists of direct subsidies to farmers that produce protein crops. It is expected to result in an increase in production in the short- to medium-term, which will probably lead to a decrease in soybean imports. However, protein crops are not competitive in France and, if subsidies are removed, production will revert to previous lower levels.

2014-2020 plan to increase protein crop production in France
A seven-year "protein plan" was released by the French Minister of Agriculture Stephane Le Foll in December 2014. This plan aims to reduce the dependence of French livestock and poultry producers on imports of vegetable proteins and to decrease the use of nitrogen fertilizer.

An increase of protein crop production in France
Farmers will be granted between 100 and 200 euros per hectare per year of protein crops between 2014 and 2020. This measure is funded by a 49 million euro annual budget from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union. Seventy one percent of this amount is dedicated to legumes (field peas, lupine, fava beans), 16 percent to dehydrated fodder made of legumes (e.g., alfalfa, clover, sainfoin, vetch, and sweet clover), and 12 percent to soybeans.
In order to increase the production of legumes as fodder, to reduce the purchase of concentrates, and to decrease forage corn area, livestock producers will be granted between 100 and 150 euros per hectare per year of legumes planted as fodder between 2014 and 2020. This measure is also funded by the CAP (98 million euros per year). The production of legume seeds will be subsidized, as well, at a rate of 4 million euros per year.

A strategy for research in the field of protein crops
The plan calls for the development of a ten-year research strategy for plant breeding, but there is no specific budget allocated to this measure.

Working groups
Working groups make up of farmers and animal feed compounders will be set up to discuss the possibilities for reducing France's shortage in protein plants.

The protein plan 2014-2020 is not a long-term plan
The "protein plan 2014-2020" is not a sustainable long-term plan, because protein crops are not competitive in France. If subsidies are removed at the end of the current plan, production would likely revert to previous levels.
As a consequence of the protein plan 2014-2020, French imports of soybean are expected to decline in the next few years. They could increase again in the future, when subsidies will be removed.

Source : Apeda