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Stagnant acreage (23-24 million hectares), low yields (around 600 kg per hectare — less than half the global average) and stagnant production (14-15 million tonnes a year) continue to be the characteristic feature of the country's pulses sector. No wonder, the per capita availability is low, at about 16 kg — at least a fifth lower than what nutritionists recommend. Only 15 per cent of pulses acreage, equivalent to 4 million hectares, is currently irrigated. In other words, as much as 85 per cent of land is rain-fed or dependent on monsoon. Meanwhile, new challenges are emerging
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| Given the robust demand conditions, one can safely expect that consumption growth has the potential of 700,000-800,000 tonnes a year. |
Pulses are as important as fine cereals, but have been totally ignored. It is a travesty of policymaking in the country that the Central government is shying away from supplying to the PDS pulses that provide protein and edible oil that provide calories. BL 240510
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AP Finances in trouble-Arrears of payments Rs 18,000 crore: |
2010-11.Revenue receipts 90,648 .Salaries and pensions 31,202.Food and electricity subsidy 9,688.Little funds for education and health, women & child welfare.
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| Labor Shortage: Maharashtra mills opt for mechanical harvesting |
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Excess sugarcane availability and lack of skilled labour have prompted cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra to opt for mechanical harvesting. Expected cane production for the 2010-11 crushing season is 72.5 million tonnes — an increase of 18.85 per cent from 61 million tonnes in 2009-10.
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| Out of the 170-plus cooperatives, six mills have already placed orders for 84 machines. Maharashtra is expected to produce 7.1 million tonnes sugar by the end of the ongoing crushing season against 4.3 million tonnes in 2008-09. Sugar production is likely to increase to 8.1 million tonnes in 2010-11. Mills in Tamil Nadu have already |
The decision was taken following a series of discussions with sugar mills, especially when they have been facing severe problems in availability of skilled labour. There has been shortage at a time when the crushing season has been extended in view of surplus sugarcane. Mechanical harvesting will certainly prove to be economical, bring more efficiency and reduce the time required for harvesting cane. B S May 23, 2010
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| Banks achieve 95 pc of farm credit target till Feb FY'10 |
Banks extended credit worth Rs 3,08,320 crore to farmers during April-February of last fiscal, against the target of Rs 3,25,000 crore, it said in a statement. According to official data, banks disbursed credit worth Rs 2,26,045 crore, cooperative banks extended Rs 52,282 crore and regional rural banks lent Rs 29,993 crore loan to the agriculture sector during April-February of last fiscal. The government also said the number of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) have so far crossed 9.06 crore since it was introduced in August 1998.
Target of agriculture credit flow for the 2010-11 fiscal is set at Rs 3,75,000 crore. ET 250510 |
Ficci proposes food stamps for poor as PDS fails to deliver
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With the government’s targeted public distribution system (TPDS) coming under attack for inefficiency and wastage from various quarters, industry association Ficci has suggested introduction of food stamps to poor families instead of the current practice of supplying subsidised food grains. The chamber has also asked the government to link food stamps to various social sector schemes.
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In a study on revamping the public distribution system, Ficci has stated that the issuance of food stamps will provide the incentive for BPL adult members to participate in developmental works, and at the same time, protect them and their families from rising food prices. The latest official data on wholesale prices shows that during the past 13 months, prices of pulses have gone up by 33.65%, rice grew by 7.72%, wheat by 4.74%, cereals by 6.37%, milk by 21.12% and fruits by 17%. fe Bureaus
May 23, 2010
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| Dairy items, food grains lead import of key items |
Import of dairy items during April 2009-February 2010 surged by a massive 275.5 per cent to Rs 284.88 crore, while that of foodgrains shot up 211 per cent to Rs 91.97 crore. |
In April 2008-February 2009, import of milk and other dairy products was only Rs 75.86 crore and foodgrains imports were just Rs 29.57 crore. |
The dairy products imports mainly comprise skimmed milk powder and butter oil brought in by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to meet shortfall in milk procurement of its subsidiary, Mother Dairy, and other co-operatives. With their procurement lagging behind, liquid milk supplies have been affected in many States. |
The other sensitive items that recorded huge increase in April 2009-February 2010 were pulses, edible oils, rubber as well as tea and coffee. |
Imports of edible oils rose 65.3 per cent to Rs 24,025.63 crore during the above period, while that of pulses increased by 62.9 per cent to Rs 9,667.86 crore. Tea and coffee imports went up by 39.4 per cent to Rs 256.05 crore, according to an official data released on Tuesday. |
The Government has permitted duty-free import of pulses, edible oils, sugar, rice, wheat and dairy products (subject to a quantitative limit) in its efforts to curb food inflation. B L May 18 |
| Kharif Prospects Bright |
Reversing the whopping 65-lakh-hectare decline of last kharif, rice acreage may return to its normal level of 400 lakh hectares, while pulses hold potential for further gains this season, over and above the 5-lakh-hectare increase of last kharif (ending at 101 lakh hectares), primarily because of better returns farmers received and firm open market prices. Cash crops such as cotton and oilseeds too should do well with return of planted acreage to normal or even above normal, especially in groundnut and soyabean. Cotton acreage has continued to trend upwards and a target of 100 lakh hectares is not beyond achievement. For sugarcane, planting was completed over a month ago; but there is no credible acreage estimate. Unless acreage rebounds by a fifth to over 50 lakh hectares (and there is no solid evidence now that it has), a sugar glut is out of question; if anything, we may be forced to import some quantity of sugar in 2011. The normal area under kharif season coarse grains (maize, jowar, bajra) is about 230 lakh hectares, but actual planted area has been falling short by some 10 per cent. Special efforts are required to promote cultivation of coarse cereal because of their nutritional value and multiple BL May 21 |
| SBI to expand reach to 50,000 unbanked villages |
State Bank of India plans to cover 50,000 unbanked villages during the current fiscal as part of financial inclusion drive. The bank under financial inclusion initiative has planned to cover 50,000 unbanked villages during 2010-11 which will take total reach to 1,50,000 villages . To achieve this the bank plans to hire 15,000 business correspondents, who will help people in the rural areas to open bank account.PTI 250510 |
| NPAs increasing |
| Outstanding gross NPAs of listed banks grew by over Rs 14,500 crore in 2009-10 to cross Rs 76,000 crore. In per cent terms, gross NPAs inched up to 2.3 per cent from 2.2 per cent at the end of March for the sector. In absolute terms, SBI’s NPA was to the tune of Rs 26,662 crore and the bank made a provisioning of Rs 15,792 crore (59%). |
The growth in the MSME sector in the country has doubled in the last four years despite the global meltdown. The total credit extended to the sector by the banks is more than 25 per cent and the contribution of the sector to the GDP is 11 per cent. |
The Reserve Bank of India has set a target of extending banking facilities to all villages in the country by 2015 as part of inclusive growth, the RBI Deputy Governor, Dr K.C. Chakrabarty, said.As a first step, RBI has advised banks to extend banking services to every village having a population of over 2,000 by 2012. |
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