20-September-2023: KALIA Yojana Second Phase Payment, Oilmeals Export, MSP, 'Food For a Healthy Planet' Workshop

19 September 2023

• KALIA Yojana Second Phase Payment, Check Features, Date, Balance, & Other Details

  The second phase of KALIA Yojana payments, involving around 13 lakh farmers from the second beneficiary list, will be distributed through Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) mode by the Odisha government starting in November 2019.The Odisha Government introduced the KALIA program to improve farmers' well-being and promote agricultural prosperity to reduce poverty. In January 2019, the First Phase Beneficiary payment covered 12 lakh farmers, with 12,45,490 beneficiary accounts identified. Funds were successfully transferred to 12,43,449 bank accounts, while 2041 accounts had issues. The government has yet to confirm the release date for the Second Phase Payment of the KALIA Yojana.

• Focus on Technology Adoption and Creating Infrastructure to Build Resilient Agri Value Chain: Joint Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Ministry

  Samuel Praveen Kumar, Joint Secretary (Extension), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt of India today said that it is imperative to adopt technology and create infrastructure to build a resilient agriculture sector in India. Addressing the knowledge sharing session ‘Harnessing Agriculture’s Potential- 2035’, organized by FICCI, Kumar stated that earlier the government had a production centric approach in the agriculture sector but now we focus on the entire value chain. Every country across the world is embracing newer technology, following innovative ways to build a strong agriculture value chain. “By adopting these measures along with the collective efforts of all stakeholders, we can make the Indian agriculture sector more robust, resilient, climate smart to match the global standards,” he added.

• 'Food For a Healthy Planet' Workshop Held By Nauni Varsity and The University of Melbourne

  The University of Melbourne and Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University jointly organized a one-day workshop called 'Food For a Healthy Planet' in Nauni, with support from the Institutional Development Plan (IDP) under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research's National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP). A six-member delegation from the University of Melbourne, including Prof. Alex Johnson, Prof. Giovanni Turchini, Dr Antanas Spokevicius, Dr Surinder Singh Chauhan, Chaira Balsamo, and Loughlin Hooper, attended the event. The workshop, organized by the PI IDP, aimed to explore the interconnections between the natural environment, food production, human health, and climate change. It also aimed to promote awareness of healthy diets and sustainable food systems. Additionally, the workshop aimed to strengthen collaboration between UHF Nauni and the University of Melbourne for future research and academic exchanges.

• Oilmeals Export Records a 25.74% Rise in August

  India witnessed a significant surge in the export of oilmeals in August 2023 with figures reaching 3.54 lakh tonnes (lt), marking a remarkable 25.74% increase compared to August 2022 when it stood at 2.81 lt. According to data from the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), the overall export of oilmeals for the period between April and August 2023-24 amounted to 19.45 lt. This figure represents a substantial growth of 27.85% in comparison to the same period in the previous year, which recorded 15.21 lt. BV Mehta, the Executive Director of SEA, attributed this positive trend to India's competitiveness in the international market, particularly regarding soyabean meal.

• Campco Advocates Implementation of Minimum Support Price for Rubber Farmers in Karnataka

  The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd has urged the Karnataka government to establish a Minimum Support Price (MSP) program for rubber farmers in the state, similar to the initiative provided to rubber growers in Kerala. In a letter addressed to Karnataka's Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, Kishore Kumar Kodgi, the President of Campco, highlighted the challenges faced by rubber growers in Karnataka due to a significant drop in rubber prices. Karnataka boasts nearly 60,000 rubber growers spread across districts such as Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Shivamogga, Chikmagaluru, Hassan, and Mysuru. These growers cultivate rubber on approximately 55,000 hectares of land, contributing to the state's production of around 40,000 tonnes of natural rubber.