A record production of pulses is in the offing. But neither farmers nor consumers stand to benefit because the government is withdrawing procurement from farmers and flooding the market with imported pulses
WHEN KEY pulses started hitting record prices since May last year, millions of farmers across the country began to cultivate them anticipating high income. Anil Mandage, a small farmer from Pimpri Gawli village, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, is one of them. His 1.2 hectare (ha) farm helped him produce one tonne of moong dal (green gram) this season. Unfortunately, no trader could offer him a decent price—the wholesale price of green gram has today dropped to below I30,000 per tonne. It was I60,000 per tonne when Mandage started sowing. When he turned to the government procurement centre, his produce was rejected on the grounds that it had a high moisture content. “The Marathwada region received heavy rainfall at the fag-end of this monsoon season,” says Mandage. Only 12.5 tonnes of moong was procured from 7,000-odd farmers in seven villages of the district.
Denne historien er fra November 01, 2016-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra November 01, 2016-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
