09-01-2017

Cropdamageassessmentunderway
AssessmentofcroplossowingtolackofrainfallinThoothukudidistrictisunderway.
OfficialsoftheDepartmentofAgricultureandotherdepartmentshadbeenassessingtheextentofdamagecausedto
thecrops,CollectorM.RavikumarsaidhereonMonday.
Hesaidtheofficialswouldensurecentpercentassessmentofagriculturalfields.About10percentofthe
assessmenthadbeencompleted.Theassessmentofthedamagecausedto13majorcropshadbeenmadeona
randombasisat53villagesacrossthedistrict,andabout95percentofthecropssuffereddamage,hesaid.Areport
wasforwardedtothegovernmentfollowingthevisitofthespecialteamofmonitoringofficers,headded.

Theslowingeconomy
January 09, 2017 00:04 IST
Updated: January 09, 2017 00:25 IST
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more-in
Union Budget
ThatIndiaseconomicmomentumhassloweddownisnowbeyonddoubt.AdvanceGDPestimatesandgrossvalue
added(GVA)forthecurrentfiscalyearfromtheCentralStatisticsOfficeclearlyrevealtheextentoftheslowdown.
WhileGDPgrowthisnowpeggedat7.1percent,comparedwitha7.6percentpacein201516,GVAisforecastto
expandat7percentthisyear,easingfromthe7.2percentposted12monthsearlier.AndastheChiefStatistician
emphasised,theseprojectionswerebasedsolelyondatafromthefirstsevenmonthsthroughOctoberanddonot
factorintheimpactfromthewithdrawalofhighvaluebanknotesandtheconsequentcashcrunch.Acloserlookat
thesectoralGVAprojectionsthrowsintorelieftheareasofconcern:Miningandquarryingisestimatedtoshrink1.8
percentthisyearafterexpanding7.4percentayearearlier,whileelectricity,gas,watersupplyandotherutility
servicescollectivelyanindicatorofbroadereconomicactivityisslowingto6.5percentfrom6.6percent.
Moreworryingly,thesevenmonthnumbersestablishthattwokeyenginesoftheeconomy,manufacturingand
services,arelosingmomentumfasterthanwasanticipated,andthiscouldspelltroubleforthecomingquarters.This
isespeciallysowhenseeninthebackdropofdemonetisationandwhattheReserveBankofIndiareferredtoasthe

shortrundisruptionsineconomicactivityincashintensivesectorssuchasretailtrade,hotels&restaurantsand
transportation,andintheunorganisedsectorandaggregatedemandcompressionassociatedwithadversewealth
effects.

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Demonetisationwillleadtobigger,cleanerGDP:BJP

ThereisasilverliningintheCSOdata,though.FinanceMinisterArunJaitleyinAprilprojectedthatgrowthcould
acceleratethisyearto8percentto8.5percentsubjecttoanormalmonsoon.Theimprovementinrainfallhas
manifestedbothintheCSOsprojectionfortheagriculture,forestryandfishingsector,whichisestimatedto
expand4.1percentthisfiscalcomparedwiththepreviousperiods1.2percent,andinrabisowingdatafromthe
MinistryofAgriculture.PreliminaryreportsfromtheStatesshowthetotalareasownundertherabicropason
January6stoodat602.75lakhha,up6.5percentfromlastyear.Iffarmerscountrywidecantideovertheacutecash
shortageresultingfromdemonetisationandensurethatthesowingtranslatestostronggrowthinoutput,wecould
seeruralconsumptionprovidesomecushioningfromtheslowdown.Nonetheless,intheUnionbudgetduenext
month,theCentrewillhavetoworkinasubstantialfiscalfilliptohelprekindleeconomicmomentum.

Ministersvisitdroughtaffectedareas
AteamledbyMinisterforMunicipalAdministrationS.P.VelumaniandDistrictMonitoringOfficerandPrincipal
SecretaryHarmanderSinghvisiteddroughtaffectedpartsofCoimbatoreandsaidthatthedistricthad,duetopoor
rainfall,witnesseddroughtafter140years.
AreleasefromthedistrictadministrationquotingtheMinistersaidthatasagainstthedistrictsaveragerainfallof
671mm,therainfalllastyearhadbeenonly223mmadeficitof67.5percent.Theimpactofthepoorrainfallhad
beenthat8,230of9,869haofmaize,1,665of2,916haofjowar,and2,200of4,662haunderpulses,hadbeen
affected.
Ofthe295villagesinthedistrict,276wereaffected.Officialswouldassessdamagesduetodroughtandsteps
wouldbetakentoprovide100percentcompensation.
A.P.Nagarajan,MP,MLAs,andofficialsaccompaniedtheteam.TheteamvisitedvillagesinMadukkarai,
Thondamuthur,Periyanaickenpalayam,Annur,S.S.Kulam,Sultanpet,PollachiNorthandSouthandAnamalai
panchayatunions.
InTirupur,MinisterforHousingandUrbanDevelopmentUdumalaiK.RadhakrishnanonSundayinspectedthe
heavilystressedareasacrossthedistrictwhereacutewatershortagewasexperiencedbyfarmers.
Officialsourcessaidtheobjectiveofthevisitwastomakeagroundlevelassessmentofthedifficultiesfacedbythe
farmersduetoweakmonsoonandsubmitareportaccordinglytotheStategovernmenttomitigatethehardships.

ArecentreportsentbytheDepartmentofAgriculturetoitsheadofficehadindicatedthatnearly15percentofthe
totalcroppedareainthedistrictsincethecommencementofrabiseason,washeavilystressedwithalmostentire
cropswithered.
InUdhagamandalam,MinisterforSocialWelfareandNutritiousNoonMealProgrammeVSarojasaidthatthere
hadbeenamorethan50percentshortfallinrainintheNilgiristhisyearaftervisitingpartsofthedistricton
Sunday.
SpeakingtoreportersatNanjanad,Ms.Sarojasaidthatonanaverage,Nilgirisdistrictwitnessed1,920mmrainfall,
whilethisyear,atotalof970mmrainfallwasrecordedthroughoutthedistrict.
TheMinistervisiteddroughtaffectedareasaroundUdhagamandalam,includingForestGateandKavaratti,where
shemetpotato,carrotandcabbagegrowersandlistenedtotheirproblems.
Around1,000acresofpotatofarms,500acresofcarrotand200acresofcabbageseemtohavebeenaffectedby
thelackofraininandaroundUdhagamandalam.Thedistrictadministrationwilltakeacountofthetotalnumberof
farmersaffected,Ms.Sarojasaid.
Shesaidthatareportwouldbepreparedandsenttothegovernment,recommendingforcompensationtobe
providedtofarmerswhohaveincurredlossesduetothedeficitinrainfallthisyear.

DroughtassessmentcompletedinVellore

Collector says there has been a 40-50 per cent reduction

in sown area
AssessmentofthedroughtsituationhasbeencompletedinVelloredistrict,andthedistrictadministrationwasinthe
processofpreparingareportfortheStategovernment.

Teamswereformedforeachofthe20blocksinthedistricttocarryoutanassessmentofcropfailure.Thedistrict
administrationwillsubmitareporttotheStategovernmentonJanuary9.
OnSaturday,CollectorS.A.RamaninspectedtheassessmentworkcarriedoutbytheteamatPalurvillagein
Madhanur.HesaidtheworkwascompletedonSunday,andtheywerefinalisingthereportthatwouldbesubmitted
tothegovernment.
Asofnow,weareseeinga40to50percentreductioninactualsownarea.Farmersassessedwateravailabilityand
havereducedthesownareaaccordingly,hesaid.
Hesaidthewesternpartsofthedistrictwereaffected.InTirupattur,thereisnearlylossof35percentcropyield,
headded.OfficialssaidtherainfallfollowingVardahcyclonehelpedinsustainingstandingcropsfornow.
However,thefullimpactofpoorrainfallwouldbefeltinMarch.

Paddysowingdownby39%inTamilNadu
duetopoornortheastmonsoon

Acreage of pulses, coarse cereals and oilseeds too

declines.
AreaunderpaddycultivationinTamilNadufellbyover39percentto7.18lakhhectaresofarinthe201617rabi
seasonduetothepoornortheastmonsoon.
SowingofpaddyandotherrabicropsbeginsduringOctoberandNovemberandharveststartsfromApril.
AsperthelatestdatareleasedbytheUnionAgricultureMinistry,paddywassownin7.18lakhhectaretillthelast
weekofthecurrentrabiseason,downby39percentfrom11.82lakhhectareintheyearagoperiod.
RicecoveragehasbeenlowerinTamilNaduandothersouthernStatesbecauseofdeficientrainsfromnortheast
monsoon,IndianCouncilofAgriculturalResearch(ICAR)deputydirectorgeneralJ.S.SandhutoldPTI.
Rainfallwaslowerby39percentthannormalandthishasaffectedsowingactivitylargelyinTamilNadu,he
added.
SowingofpaddyinadjoiningStates,especiallyKarnatakaandAndhraPradesh,toohasbeenaffectedbutnottothe
extentofTamilNadu,Mr.Sandhusaid.
Apartfromrice,pulsesacreagehasalsodeclinedto3.48lakhhectaretilllastweekoftheongoingrabiseason,as
against3.94lakhhectareintheyearagoperiod.
Evencoarsecerealscoveragewaslowerat3.55lakhhectarefrom4.23lakhhectare,whileoilseedsacreagewas
downat38,000hectarefrom89,000hectareinthesaidperiod.
Totalrabicropswerecoveredanareaof15.08lakhhectaretilllastweekofthisrabiseason,whichisdownby30
percentfrom21.42lakhhectareintheyearagoperiod.

40percentdropinpaddyproductionlikely

Staff Reporter
COIMBATORE: January 08, 2017 00:00 IST
Updated: January 08, 2017 04:07 IST
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ThesambaharvestseasonduringPongalwillseea35to40percentdropinpaddyproduction,accordingtothe
TamilNaduAgriculturalUniversity.
Thepaddyproductionlastsambaseasonwasaround86lakhtonnesandthisyear,itwillbearound55lakhtonnes.
Thisisbecausetheareaunderpaddyhasalsocomedown,saidTNAUvicechancellorK.Ramasamy.
Onayearwithnormalrainfall,paddycultivationistakenupon9lakhhectaresinTamilNadu.Butthisyear,the
areahasshrunkby3to3.5lakhha,asdroughthashitthecropshard.
TheworstaffectedareasareThanjavur,TiruvarurandNagapattinamdistricts.Accordingtorainfalldatawiththe
TNAU,therehasbeena62percentdeficitinthenortheastmonsoon.Asmanyas21districtshaverecordeda
rainfalldeficitbetween60and80percent,while10districtshaverecordedadeficitbetween20and60percent.
Mr.Ramasamysaidthatfarmershadtakenuppaddycultivationonlyinthoseareaswheretheywereassuredof
water.

Usecorrectamountofchemicalfertilizer,
saysIFFCOchairman
Farmershavebeenaskedtouseoptimumamountofchemicalfertilizers,saidIndianFarmersFertilizers
CooperativeLimited(IFFCO)chairmanU.S.Awasthi.
Theuseofbiofertilizerswasalsocatchingup,hesaid.HespoketofarmersataseminaronCooperationand
farmersconductedaspartofIFFCOgoldenjubileecelebrationsatPorankiontheoutskirtsofthecityonSaturday.
Hesaidtheagriculturesectorsawseveraltechnologicalandscientificadvancesover50years.Farmerstoowere
abletokeepabreastofthechanges.
HesaidthebondagebetweenIFFCO,whichstartedoffwithacorpusfundofRs.1lakhand57members,and
farmerswasverystrong.ThecompanywastodayagiantwithpresenceineveryStateofthecountry.Ofthe2,264
cooperativesocietiesintheState,nearly1,000werepartnerswithIFFCO.
Apartfromprovidingqualityfertilizerstofarmersatremunerativeprices,IFFCOwasbuildingschools,offices,
orphanagesandwasalsoprovidinghandpumpsinvillagesaspartofitsCorporateSocialResponsibility
programmes.
APCOBchairmanandformerMinisterPinnamaneniVenkateswaraRaosaidthatdemonetisationhadimpacted
cooperativebankmembersadversely.A.P.MarkfedchairmanKanchiRamaRao,whoisanexofficiodirectorof
IFFCO,saidthatfarmerswouldprosperonlyifthecooperativesocietiesthrived.MrRamaRaosaidMr.Awasthi,
whohadbeenworkinginthecooperativesectorforthepast50years,shouldberecognisedbythegovernmentwith
anaward.Aresolutionwaspassedtothateffectbythemeeting.A.P.CooperativeSocietiesRegistrarJMurali
recalledhowIFFCOstoodbythefarmerswhentherewasashortageoffertilizersin20042010.