Synopsis
On January 20, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held discussions with ministry officials in New Delhi regarding rabi sowing, weather patterns, pest monitoring, and agricultural marketing. He stressed the necessity for regular interaction with state governments to ensure effective implementation of agricultural schemes.Key Takeaways
- Union Minister emphasized the importance of rabi sowing progress.
- Regular meetings with State Governments will be held.
- Crops' coverage in the rabi season is better than last year.
- Mandi prices show mixed trends for various crops.
- Retail inflation has decreased significantly.
New Delhi, Jan 20 (NationPress) Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan convened a meeting on Monday with senior officials of the ministry to discuss matters concerning the progress of rabi sowing, prevailing weather conditions, and pest monitoring through the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS). The conversation also included the marketing aspects of agricultural products, particularly exports.
The Union Minister emphasized the importance of regular meetings with State Governments at the level of Agriculture Ministers. He urged officials to maintain ongoing communication with State Government officers who are pivotal in executing schemes on the ground.
The overall coverage and condition of crops in the current rabi season show improvement compared to the previous year. The sowing of rabi tomato, onion, and potato (TOP) is ongoing, and as of now, the sowing of these crops has surpassed the figures from the same period last year, as per a ministry statement.
Mandi prices have seen fluctuations this week: wheat (0.46%), mustard (0.14%), and soybean (0.25%) have increased, while arhar (1.22%), rice (1.20%), gram (0.67%), potato (6.34%), and tomato (6.79%) have decreased.
Currently, wheat, rice, gram, mustard, and sesame are being traded at prices above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) in the market.
Looking forward, there is an expectation for food inflation to moderate, with a cautiously optimistic outlook for the economy in the coming months. The agricultural sector is predicted to benefit from favorable monsoon conditions, increased minimum support prices, and sufficient input supplies, according to the Finance Ministry’s monthly economic review.
India's retail inflation rate, based on the Consumer Price Index, dropped to a four-month low of 5.22% in December, as prices for vegetables, pulses, and sugar eased, providing relief to household budgets, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Statistics.
This decline in inflation marks a steady reduction trend after reaching a 14-month peak of 6.21% in October. CPI inflation fell to 5.48% in November.
The drop in retail inflation in December was attributed to a reduction in the price surge of key food items.
