Business Standard

There is no conclusive study available that burning of paddy straw crop residue in the States like Punjab and Haryana would always impact quality of air in the States/UT like Rajasthan, Delhi etc. As per the Report of IIT, Kanpur, the back trajectory analyses suggest that the Crop Residue Burning and other biomass emissions may be transported to Delhi from the sources upwind of Delhi.

Business Standard

West Bengal food minister Jyotipriyo Mullick today said the demonetisation was taking a heavy toll on paddy procurement in the state and would cause a severe food crisis in days to come. Despite a bumper paddy production in Bengal this year, the process of its procurement by the government has gone for a toss due to the current liquidity crunch among farmers, who are unable to pay the labourers engaged in reaping paddy crops.

The Pioneer

Paddy procurement in Haryana in the current kharif season has crossed 53.24 lakh metric tonnes (MT),  an all-time high. Last year, only 42.69 lakh MT of paddy was  procured by the agencies during the corresponding period. Also, the farmers have been paid Rs 8040 crore for this record procurement, said Haryana Minister of State for Food , Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Karan Dev Kamboj on Tuesday.

The Times of India

The state will finally start procuring paddy from December 10 through 330 central purchasing centres (CPC) at paddy-growing blocks after meeting with the district magistrates and ADM (food), though harvesting is very low due to severe liquidity crunch. By November 25, 55% of paddy is harvested, but only 22% Kharif paddy has been reaped so far. The government is thinking of diverting 100-day job labourers to fields for reaping the crop. Bengal’s food minister Jyotipriya Mullick on Tuesday said: ” After the paddy is procured, it will go to rice mills. Each entry at rice mill will generate three challans, one of which comes straight to food department in Kolkata. Immediately , the fund will ...

The Times of India

With the state facing a 69% deficit in rainfall, a team of senior bureaucrats has fanned out to assess the impact of the water shortage on crop production and livestock in the state. The development also comes in the wake of the opposition clamoring for declaring the state as drought-hit, akin to 2012-13, but the government is undecided since a revival of monsoon is forecast from December 1.

Greater Kashmir

Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali on Monday conducted an extensive tour of far-flung areas of district Reasi and listened to grievances of common masses during a series of public meetings at Sungri, Mahore,  Arnas and Reasi, an official spokesman said. The Minister also inaugurated a Maize Procurement Centre (Maize Procurement Mandi) at Seela. Speaking on the occasion, the minister stressed on the need for establishing a ‘Food Procurement Corporation’ in the state to address the issue of food scarcity.

Money Control

Due to a lack of buyers in the market, farmers of perishable goods are selling their produce at 20 percent cheaper, says Former Agriculture Secretary Siraj Hussain. He says the farmers may also use poor quality seeds for sowing as they do not have the money to buy superior ones. Farmers will require more money in two weeks time, when they have to apply fertilizers on their crop, says Hussain. They have only till then to get cash in their hands to buy urea.

The Economic Times

About 326 lakh farmers have been covered under the new crop insurance scheme for a sum insured of Rs 1.37 lakh crore during the 2016 kharif sowing season, government said today.  “As per tentative data available, during kharif 2016 about 326 lakh farmers have been insured covering an area of 380 lakh hectare for sum insured of Rs 1,37,535 crore as compared to 309 lakh farmers during kharif 2015 season covering an area of 339 lakh hectare for sum insured of Rs 69,307 crore,” Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said in Lok Sabha.

Live Mint

Recently, Union minister for road transport, Nitin Gadkari, publicly embarrassed Maharashtra’s minister of state for agriculture Sadabhau Khot, a firebrand farmers’ leader. Attending a public function in Nashik with Khot, Gadkari asked him to give up his demand for support prices for agricultural produce. Prices, Gadkari said, are now determined in the international market and are beyond the government’s control.

ZeeBiz.com

While the average income of farmers in India is somewhere around Rs 6,000 mark; those who cultivate in the lands of Punjab had more than double of the average income. In a statement by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare on Tuesday, said, “…the average income per agricultural household from various sources is estimated at Rs. 6,426/- per month during the reference period of the agricultural year July 2012 to June 2013.” Punjabi farmers’ average monthly income in this period stood at Rs 18,059.

Business Standard

The country’s rabi crop faces the prospect of a warmer-than-usual winter. If it remains above normal during harvest, this could be a problem; presently, sowing is on. On Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had said minimum temperatures were likely to remain two or thre degrees Celsius above normal in many parts of the northwest and adjoining central India on many days during the next two weeks, till December 8-9. Till early next month, sowing would still be on in several parts of the country.

Business Standard

Indian flour mills have imported 17.2 lakh tonnes of wheat from Ukraine, Australia and France so far this crop year to meet domestic shortages. Additional 6-7 lakh tonnes of wheat shipments are expected to arrive in the coming months of the 2015-16 crop year (July-June), taking the country’s overall imports to 24 lakh tonnes this year.

The Hindu Business Line

Ever since the Centre announced its demonetisation scheme, there have been countless reports on the farmers’ plight and how this bolt-out-of-the-blue move has brought the rural market to a standstill. Has there really been a collapse of the agri-market chain? BusinessLine spoke to a few people in the hinterland, who surprisingly don’t sound as dismal as many have claimed. While the short-term pain is visible in certain quarters, many are able to get by just fine.

The Times of India

Contrary to the claims of the central government and BJP leaders that farmers will not be affected by demonetisation, the agriculture sector in Andhra Pradesh is actually in the doldrums with sowing for Rabi not being taken up in large tracts of land. With the Krishna-Godavari delta region being the rice bowl, any output reduction is likely to hit both AP and Telangana. The common capital Hyderabad too gets a bulk of its food grain and cereal supplies from East and West Godavari and Krishna district.

The Sentinel

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said that the Agriculture Sector needs to be developed in the State and that the government is making all-out efforts to boost production in livestock and fish to make the State self-sufficient. Sonowal said this today at the inaugural function of Pig Expo 2016 organized by Indian Centre for Agricultural Research -National Research Centre on Pig at its premises at Rani on the outskirts of Guwahati. Highlighting the need to engage in piggery in a scientific way so that youths can find employment, Sonowal said that pig farming can generate big profits with small investment.

 

The Times of India

The government has taken a slew of measures to ensure that cash requirements of farmers are not adversely impacted due to the demonetisation exercise, even as it has urged farmers to join the movement for cashless transactions in the ongoing sowing season. About 50 farmers did their first cashless transaction at the event and bought seeds and fertilisers in the presence of Union ministers.

First Post

Indian agriculture has made incredible progress over the last few decades, but it needs to undergo a deep transformation. It must make more efficient use of scarce water resources, lest they deplete. It must make more efficient use of nitrogen fertilizers, lest they continue to pollute water and sicken children. It must make more judicious use of pesticides, lest they continue to poison farmers. And it must diversify.

Bloomberg Quint

Soybean futures extended a rally to a four-month high in Chicago as U.S. exports climbed and demand increased for fuel made from the oilseed. Soybean oil for January climbed to a record. Last week, soybeans jumped 5.3 percent, the most for the January contract since June, and soybean oil surged 7.7 percent, the biggest gain since Dec. 2015. On Nov. 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency boosted 2017 biofuel quotas to a record, while data from the Department of Agriculture showed better-than-expected export sales of the oilseed.

The Economic Times

The second dimension of the initiative is to impart livelihood training to the villagers. For that ICICI Foundation will impart training to 100 people in each village, especially women within as many days. Any underprivileged villager, in the age bracket of 18 to 40 years, is eligible to get the training free of cost. The skill training will be offered in a range of disciplines like agriculture, dairy & vermicomposting, agriculture equipment repair, hand embroidery, dress designing and sandstone cutting & finishing among others. These training will be of a duration of up to 30 days. The trained villagers will be self-employed while continuing to reside at their villages. They will also provide assistance for selling ...

Business Standard

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised the country’s farmers for their efforts and patience in the face of economic change. “Our farmers are an important source of our economy. Due to the change in economic policy, they are also suffering, every citizen is trying to adjust. But I want to especially appreciate and thank the farmers of the country,” said PM Modi in his Mann Ki Baat address.

The Hindu

The Madras High Court Bench here on Friday reserved its judgement on a public interest litigation petition filed against the State Government’s decision to extend waiver of crop loans obtained from cooperative banks only to 16.94 lakh small and marginal farmers and not to the 3.01 lakh other medium and large farmers.

Live mint

Cotton is a major cash crop for the regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada in Maharashtra, which account for nearly 85% of the state’s total yield. Manoj Saunik, managing director of the Maharashtra federation, said APMC markets have been witnessing the arrival of nearly 1.5 lakh quintals of cotton per day, which he said indicated that the market situation was “normal”.

The Economic Times

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the Centre of messing up the Indian economy and causing hardships to farmers, labourers and traders by demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes. He said neither corruption nor black money will end with demonetisation, which will, on the other hand, inconvenience all sections of society due to lack of planning.

The Times of India

Government of India’s relief to farmers allowing them to buy agricultural inputs from government stores for Rabi season using Rs 500 notes has produced desired results and brought smiles to top authorities in agriculture department as well as farmers. Speaking to the TOI, the agriculture production commissioner of the state Pradip Bhatnagar confirmed the targeted sale of seed of wheat and oilseeds and fertilisers is likely to be achieved by November 30, which is not only satisfactory but would also assist in increasing production of wheat in the state.

The Hindu Business Line

The country is at the risk of a ‘wheat shock’. Prices of wheat have escalated over the last two months — from around ₹1,750 a quintal to over ₹2,000 a quintal recently. And, come to think of it, the next harvest is over four months away! Rising prices are a cause of concern for policymakers, regulators and consumers alike.

 

The Financial Express

All businesses involved in rural distribution face this challenge: the cost of last-mile delivery of products and services is high. For banks providing credit to farmers, there is an additional twist: As well as issuing crop loans, they need to recover them. A dense network of rural branches assuring both functions might look like the answer,but there is a cost factor. So, India tried branchless banking with business correspondents who earn commissions for connecting village customers to banks. This has not been very successful so far: the correspondents cannot make a living from commissions based on the sale of financial products alone.

The Indian Express

Despite There being techniques available in the market to deal with the problem of paddy residue, the majority of farmers are reluctant to do so, said additional director, Research, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Surinder Singh Kukal on Friday. He added that the burning of paddy residue was causing pollution and a matter of concern.

Millennium Post

Reports about farmers not able to get seeds for sowing, fertilisers, and other essential items for their daily consumption started coming from the hinterlands as a result of which, the government allowed farmers to withdraw Rs 25,000 from their accounts and use the now-defunct Rs 500 notes for buying seeds. So, who are the ones really feeling the pinch of demonetisation? In reply to this, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said, “Swapping old currency for new is not bothering 70 per cent of rural people because they generally deal in notes lower than Rs 500.

The Times of India

Over 30.08 lakh hectare was covered under rabi sowing till the third week of November, which is 55% of the estimated area of over 54.75 lakh hectare. As per the agriculture department, the sowing this season has come down by 7% as compared to the same period last year. “In 2015 till third week of November, around 32.55 lakh hectare was covered under rabi sowing as against the 30.08 lakh hectare this time around,” stated the latest report released by the department.

IANS

More than 80 per cent of wheat sowing has been completed in Himachal Pradesh in the Rabi season, but the prolonged dry spell for almost two months is causing anxiety among the farmers as they apprehend it will badly hit the crop. According to the weather bureau in Shimla on Sunday, the deficiency in rainfall was almost 100 per cent from October 1 to November 26. Hamirpur, Kangra and Una were among the worst affected districts.

The New Indian Express

Stepping in to address the severe cash crunch due to demonetisation, the state has asked district central cooperative banks (DCCBs) to disburse agriculture loans to farmers. This would be attached to the primacy agricultural cooperative credit societies (PACCS). A new KYC compliant account will be opened at DCCBs for each of them.

Business Standard

He suggested that he was taking an electoral risk by making such utterances as some people might say that Modi “does not know politics” since he is giving such an advice to farmers when elections are near. “Do not burn it (crop residue). It is your property which is worth crore of rupees. Do not burn it,” Modi said while addressing a gathering here after laying foundation stone of AIIMS here.

India Infoline

Farm produce worth Rs 3,841 crore has been traded through electronic-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) till 16 November in 250 wholesale markets connected to this platform, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh said at an Assocham event held in New Delhi.

SiaSat

“We will write off 50 per cent of the loans if the central government waives off 50 per cent of the money farmers borrowed from banks for the kharif season this fiscal,” Chief Minister Siddaramiah told lawmakers attending the 10-day winter session of the state legislature that started here on November 21.

The Economic Times

Winter crops were planted on 327.62 lakh hectares as of Friday, compared with 241.73 lakh hectares on November 18, according to data from the agriculture ministry. The acreage planted is 4.62% higher than a year earlier, when crops covered 313.17 lakh hectares.

The Pioneer

He directed officials to undertake pilot project on the cultivation of local traditional crops including Mandua (finger millet), Ramdana (Amaranthus) and Gahat among others in two districts of the state. Work on this pilot project should be started soon at Pokhri in Chamoli district and Dharchula in Pithoragarh district, said the minister, while also directing that Rs 50 lakh be released soon for each of the projects’ marketing.

The Hindu

He urged the State government to lift the ban on digging borewells on agricultural land. The arecanut plantations are drying up in Sorab, Shikaripur, Bhadravati and Sagar taluks owing to moisture stress caused by scanty rain. Even the paddy crop cultivated in Malnad region, under upland farming and drill sowing methods, and the crop in command areas of tanks are also drying up.

Hindustan Times

Post-demonetisation, the farmers, who have not got payment for their paddy, are facing a lot of problems. The procurement of paddy started on October 8 and lasted till the middle of November. All the purchase agencies cleared the bills of up to October 20, except one, which cleared the bill of up tol October 27, as per sources. Around 17 lakh quintals of paddy worth Rs 255 crore has been purchased from the Nabha market this season. “Around half of the payment is pending,” said a commission agent. However, officials refrained from releasing the data about the pending payment.

The New Indian Express

Demonetisation has been a double whammy for Punjab. The state government’s revenue has fallen by almost 50 per cent and farmers are unable to buy fertilizers and seeds for the winter wheat crop. The Punjab government’s daily take by way of value-added tax [VAT], which used to be Rs 30-35 crore until November 8, has fallen to Rs 14 crore. Revenue from stamp duty, which used to  be Rs 200-250 crore per day, has almost dried-up. There have hardly been any sales of property in the state since Nov. 8.

News18

Pakistani authorities “halted” the import of cotton and other agricultural commodities, including vegetables, from India via the Wagah border, it was reported on Saturday. An official from the Department of Plant Protection has said the move came due to escalating tensions between the two countries after Indian troops allegedly targeted a passenger bus and an ambulance near the Line of Control (LoC) and killed “three Pakistani soldiers and 10 civilians” on Wednesday, Dawn reported.

Business Standard

A week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes — 86 per cent of India’s currency notes by value — business in the agricultural market of Pathardi, 350 km east of Mumbai, fell by 60 per cent, indicating how the rural economy of India’s richest state, Maharashtra, recovering from two years of drought, is slowing down. Pathardi’s Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), representative of 2,500 such markets in India, is where where most agricultural trade in the region takes place–almost all of it in cash. A slowdown in these markets can have wide-ranging effects on farmers, traders and the Indian agricultural economy.

The Hindu

The Assistant General Manager, NABARD, J. Subramanian, said that the focus of the plan was in line with the Union government’s policy of doubling the income of farmers. “This includes providing training to farmers for capacity-building and adoption of newer technologies to bring down their expenditure and thereby add to their income,” Mr. Subramanian said.

The Hindu Business Line

Over five lakh farmers had traded farm produce worth Rs 3,841 crore through the electronic-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) — the online portal for trading in agriculture commodities — up to last week, said Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh. The transactions took place at 250 wholesale markets connected to the online platform, where 54,000 traders made purchases. As many as 28,000 commission agents have registered themselves so far, the Minister said while inaugurating an Assocham conference on ‘Linking farmers with the market’ on Thursday.

The New Indian Express

The farmers will have to use manual workers for cutting and shifting paddy straws to their houses.  “For this, we need cash. While a male worker charges Rs 300 per day, female workers demand Rs 250. I do not have sufficient Rs 100 notes. I stood in queues before an ATM and a bank for two days and withdrew Rs 12,000. While the bank gave me four Rs 2,000 notes and twenty Rs 100 notes, the ATM delivered one Rs 2,000 note. The Rs 2,000 notes are of no use since the workers are not willing to take and demand small exchange,” said another farmer Dinesh Patra from Basudevpur of Bhadrak district.

The Hitavada

In rabi season, area of wheat cultivation will increase. Hence, once again, bumper wheat production is expected in State. Madhya Pradesh is looking forward to break its own record in wheat production. In rabi season, area of wheat cultivation will increase. Hence, once again, bumper wheat production is expected in State. “Last year, Madhya Pradesh wheat production stood at 184 lakh metric tonne. Wheat was sown in 59 lakh hectares last year. This time, wheat cultivation area has increased to 63 lakh hectare. Hence, we are expecting wheat production around 200 metric tonne,” said Director of Agriculture Department, Mohan Lal to ‘The Hitavada’.

The Times of India

The government’s move to allow farmers to make purchase of seeds with the old banned notes has not proved a boon for them. Stocks and varieties of seeds available at the government and cooperative outlets are limited forcing farmers to make purchases from private shops. Sowing for winter crops such as wheat and chana is under progress in the region. Madhya Pradesh is the top producer of chana in the country.

The Times of India

The sudden cash crunch after demonetisation has proved to be a double whammy for the farmers eyeing on the cash crops, including musturd and wheat. In the absence of cash, they are apprehending loss of mustard crop as they are short of cash to pay to the labourers who are roped in to remove weeds from the sown crop.

NDTV

Demonetisation has had a definite strike on various sectors of the economy. The 17 lakh-crore food and agriculture market in the country and the lives of many farmers have been affected in a multitude of ways. The FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) sector is likely to record a massive sales drop in months to come, an estimated “15-20% dip in the top line for food companies in the third quarter,” opined Varun Berry, Managing Director of Britannia in an interview with Business Standard. Former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh noted in the parliament that the GDP could take an overall hit of an estimated 2%.

The New Indian Express

Agriculture Secretary C Parthasarathi kick started the beginning of market transactions through electronic weighing machine linked to eNAM portal for red chillies on Thursday at Malakpet Market yard. Parthasarathi inspected Malakpet market’s transactions for onions and also took stock of eNAM entries that had arrived with details of crop varieties. He discussed and reviewed the issues in implementation of eNAM for procurement of red chillies which is expected to be transported to the markets very soon. He added that e-Weighing would bring in greater transparency.

The Hans India

The Deputy Chief Minister, K Srihari, has formally launched the newly set-up Agricultural College on the premises of Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) at Mulugu road in Warangal on Thursday. The College established through GO Ms. No: 68, has started on the premises of the RARS from the current academic year with an intake of 60 students. In the first academic year, 35 girls and 25 boys are pursuing B Sc (Hons) Agriculture in the College.

The Hindu

According to the potential credit plan, prepared by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and released by District Collector T.N. Hariharan here on Thursday, of the total credit outlay of Rs. 16,892.31 crore for the district for next fiscal, the MSMEs are expected to get Rs. 7,735 crore, following by the agriculture sector (38 per cent). This will include crop loan and term credit to agriculture and allied activities, agriculture infrastructure development, and ancillary activities. The proposal is to double the income of farmers by 2022 and hence, efforts are directed towards improvement of agricultural productivity, diversifying production towards high value agriculture, and shifting major portion of farm employment to non-farm activities.

The Economic Times

Ratings agency Moody’s has said demonetisation is beneficial for the Indian government and banks but implementation challenges of this “unprecedented move” will disrupt economic activity and weigh on GDP growth for a few quarters. The move will have credit implications for every sector of the economy as the decline in economic activity will depress corporate sales cash flows. Moody’s expect implementation difficulty to disrupt economic activity with sectors having a more direct exposure to retail sales like telecom and auto, or with large exposure to sales in rural areas such as farm equipment manufacturers being impacted the most.

The Times of India

With the state government now making it mandatory for the farmers, who have registered online, to sell paddy via their respective PACS (primary agricultural credit societies), most of Nawada district’s farmers are a disappointed lot. According to Pravin Kumar Dipak of the State Food Corporation office at Nawada, only 700 of the 40,000-odd paddy farmers of the district had registered themselves online till four days back. The number will increase by thousands by December 30, he hoped.

The Times of India

Despite bumper paddy production in Bengal this year, the process of procurement of paddy by the government hangs in balance because of the current liquidity crunch. Bengal is the biggest paddy-producing state in the country. The government is still undecided on holding 330 procurement camps at different blocks for the Rabi season. “Demonetisation has dealt a body blow to the state’s agrarian economy . If this uncertainty continues, there will be disaster,” said state food minister Jyotipriya Mullick. He has convened an emergency meeting on November 26 to decide whether the camps should be cancelled.

The Hindu Business Line

For wheat farmers, who are already grappling with the currency shortage triggered by the demonetisation of high value notes in the ongoing rabi season, there’s more to worry about in the coming days. The India Met Department, in its seasonal outlook for South Asia, has said that most parts of India are likely to witness a mild winter this year with higher-than-normal average temperatures in November, December and January.

WebIndia123

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Home Nimmakayala Chinarajappa today said that as many as 250 paddy purchase centers were opened all over the East Godavari district to ensure minimum support price to the farmers, avoiding distress sale. Addressing a function after declaring open a paddy purchase center at Vetlapalem village near here, he said the purpose in opening the purchase centers was to eliminate middlemen and to benefit the small and marginal farmers. He said Rs38 Crores was released for purchase of the paddy . Joint Collector Satyanarayana while advising the farmers to make best use of the paddy purchase centers to secure minimum support price for their produce has asked them to open bank ...

The Indian Express

West Bengal’s agriculture department has estimated that 35 per cent of the monsoon paddy might go waste if not harvested in time, an exercise that has been badly hit with farmers lacking the cash to pay for labour. The estimate is part of an agriculture department report, commissioned to assess the impact of demonetisation on monsoon paddy.

The Indian Express

Haryana government Tuesday said that it has decided to open an agro business school to skill farmers and help them understand market trends with the changing scenario as well as sell their produce directly to consumers. Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Om Prakash Dhankar made the announcement while speaking as chief guest at ‘Kisan Sangoshthi’ organised on the concluding day of 12th CII Agrotech-2016, here. He said that keeping in view the demands of the market, farmers should adopt the crop cycle and crop management practices.

NDTV

Expressing concern over lower crop yields, renowned farm scientist M S Swaminathan today emphasised the role of “agronomist” in realising higher farm productivity through better agronomic management practice. He also called upon farm scientists to recommend real time solutions to the farming community. “Indian scientists are keeping the flag of green revolution high… It is agronomists who can realise potential yield of any variety through better agronomic management practice,” Swaminathan said at the 4th International Agronomy

The Financial Express

The cash crunch in the rural areas is likely to hit productivity of wheat, the principal rabi (winter) crop, as farmers in Punjab and Haryana have been forced to use seeds saved from last year. According to an official estimate, of 3 million tonne (MT) of seeds annually required for wheat sowing, roughly half are old seeds. The share of seeds from the previous year is expected to substantially go up this year. “This year especially in Punjab and Haryana, a large number of farmers have been unable to buy seeds because of cash crunch. Though the government allowed farmers to buy seeds from state-owned agencies using old R500 notes, this came a bit late,” Bhagwan ...

The Hindu Business Line

Farmers as well as farm labour in villages are facing hardships due to demonetisation and unless urgent steps are taken to improve cash flow the sector may suffer a huge blow. Kharif crops are being harvested in many parts of the State and the farmers have to prepare for the rabi season. Demonetisation could not have come at a worse time.

IANS Live

The government on Wednesday sanctioned Rs 21,000 crore from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) to district cooperatives, which will be used towards crop loans for farmers with some cash component for payment of wages and agri-inputs. Briefing reporters, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das said the money sanctioned will be routed through District Central Cooperative Banks to the primary agricultural societies, in a bid to ensure a smooth Rabi sowing season ahead.

The Financial Express

Trading in almost all of Karnataka’s commodity mandis has gone online after the state adopted pioneering root-and-branch reforms in early 2014. But if progress in making payments directly into the bank accounts of farmers were as swift, the decline in business after the demonetisation of high value currency notes might have been arrested. The value of trades between November 8-16 fell by 35% to R414 crore in 152 of the state’s 158 mandis that have gone electronic. Their turnover between November 1-8, before demonetisation was announced, was R633 crore. Moreover, an analysis shows that the number of lots traded fell 34% from 74,619 to 48,892, and traded volumes declined 38% from 137 lakh quintals to 85.1 ...

The Times of India

“Ab hum apne gaon vapas jaa rahe hai,” says Ram Avtar as his eyes wander over swathes of barren land in front of him. The 45-year-old who hails from Shahjahanpur in UP has spent the past eight years in Udham Singh Nagar working as an agricultural labourer. But now, with barely any work following the demonetisation declaration, he says he has had enough. His wife has already packed their clothes and a handful of their belongings into a small bundle. The few notes of Rs 100 he has managed to borrow from his employer in Jafarpur village will buy him the tickets home.

NDTV

India’s crop yields are lower than those in the US, Europe and China and the government is implementing several schemes to address this issue, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today. He however noted that the low crop yields cannot be attributed to “non-availability” of improved technologies but several factors including short growing season, varied agro-climatic conditions and weather extremities. “The productivity of various crops and legumes in the country is less as compared to that of some countries in Europe, the US and China,” Mr Singh said during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha.

The Economic Times

Sowing of rabi crops like wheat, pulses and oilseeds has not been affected due to banning of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today said, ruing that politics is being played in the name of farmers. “The decision to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was taken to curb blackmoney and corruption. This is going to directly benefit farmers and poor people. This decision is being opposed saying it is affecting farmers and would impact rabi sowing. But the truth is the move is being opposed for personal interest,” Singh said in a statement.

Business Standard

Wheat prices drifted lower by Rs 20 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on ample stocks position against easing demand from flour mills at prevailing levels. However, other grains remained flat in thin trade. Traders said besides easing demand from flour mills at existing levels, adequate stocks position on improved supplies amid government’s measures to check rising prices mainly led to decline in wheat prices.

Morung Express

Crop rotation is one of the oldest and most effective cultural control strategies. It means the planned order of specific crops planted on the same field, it also means that the succeeding crop belongs to different family than the previous crop. The rotation may vary from 2 or 3 year or longer period. The main objective is to get maximum profit from least investment without impairing the soil fertility. Soil is the base for crop plant growth and development. Successful crop husbandry depends on the choice of right crop in the right soil. In deciding sequence of crops in a rotation, soil types, fertility and its health, crop rooting habit, inputs availability and their prices, agro-climatic and ...

Business Standard

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today announced abolition of land ceiling for purchase of tractors by farmers under subsidised scheme. Launching the State level Welfare Scheme for Women, registered with Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board at function at Khad village in Una district, Chief Minister also announced another scheme of paying one- time tax for purchase of tractor for agricultural purpose by the farmers.

Millennium Post

Rejecting opposition’s charges that demonetisation has hit rabi sowing, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said that there was no impact of note ban decision on sowing of crops of rabi season. Putting in defence the latest sowing data collected from states till November 18, Singh said, “Post demonetisation, the sowing acreage of wheat, a key crop of rabi season, has increased to 79.40 lakh hectare, which was 78.83 lakh hectare in 2015.

Business Standard

Expressing concern over lower crop yields, renowned farm scientist M S Swaminathan today emphasised the role of “agronomist” in realising higher farm productivity through better agronomic management practice. He also called upon farm scientists to recommend real time solutions to the farming community.

The Assam Tribune

Participating at the 76th annual conference of the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics (ISAE) at the Assam Agricultural University (AAU) campus here on Monday, member of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Ayog Dr Ramesh Chand said that the country requires an annual growth rate of 10.4 percent in agriculture to double the income of farmers by the year 2022, as per the directive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Hindu

The Agriculture Department will select 18 productive farming clusters from the district this month and give them financial aid of up to Rs.3 lakh each to explore newer marketing opportunities. Under the new promotional programme, the Agriculture Department also has plans to offer free trips for farmers to various model farming destinations. Increasing the number of current clusters too is under consideration. Those not familiar with latest roof-top farming techniques, effective irrigation and fertilisation methods will be given an opportunity to learn directly from expert farmers and scientists.

FnBNews.com

At a summit titled International Food Innovation 2016: Doubling Farmers Income Through Science, Technology and Innovation (organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce), Ajit Kumar, vice-chancellor, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), pitched for the corporatisation of the farming sector to integrate agriculture and farmers with prosperity and well-being, as that could be the single mantra to double their income as is being intended by the Narendra Modi government.

The Times of India

A large section of agriculture farmers and labourers in the north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam have been severely affected for the worse by the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. November is the end of Kharif season and beginning of Rabi season. General secretary of AP Tenant Farmers’ Welfare Association, M Balaram said, “The demonetisation drive has hampered agriculture activity across the state. Farmers use hard cash to buy seeds, fertiliser, farm equipment and other agricultural products apart from paying the labourers and traders. The commission agents too pay the farmers in cash.”

The New Indian Express

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and it cannot function effectively and efficiently without a fairly steady agricultural development. The same resonated at this year’s CII Agro Tech 2016 where latest technologies were displayed and launched in a bid to boost the agriculture sector in the country. The young farmers invested in technological innovations, seeking solace from the mundane agricultural processes at the fest. Succha Dyal, a farmer from Gurdaspur said, “CII Agro Tech 2016 provides a platform for farmers to pick and choose from a wide array of farm equipment related to the health of the soil, choice of crops to be grown and dairy farm management in the advent of latest ...

The New Indian Express

Stepping in to address the severe cash crunch due to demonetisation that has crippled farming in Tamil Nadu during this crucial Samba crop season, the State government directed the district central cooperative banks (DCCBs) to disburse agriculture loans to farmers attached to the primacy agricultural cooperative credit societies (PACCS) under each of them. For this, a new KYC compliant account will be opened at the DCCBs for each loanee farmer.

PTI News

Accusing the Siddaramaiah government of showing apathy towards the issues faced by farmers, Opposition BJP today demanded in the Legislative Assembly that their loans be waived. Stating that the government should be working on a war footing when the state has been witnessing successive years of drought, Leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar said the administration seems to have “collapsed”

The Times of India

There was “significant” level of stubble burning this year in Punjab and Haryana, however, there is no “conclusive” study to suggest that it “always” impacts quality of air in Delhi, Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday. The statement was made in a written reply given by MoS for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Anil Madhav Dave to a query.

Business Standard

Cash shortage among farmers due to demonetisation in India has badly affected Rabi crops’ seed demand which has almost come to a halt. According to National Seeds Association of India (NSAI), while there is sufficient stock of seeds available in the market, farmers are unable to pay for the same due to the cash shortage, thereby bringing seed demand to halt.

The Hindu

The currency crunch resulting from denomination has hit trading in Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) markets across Karnataka, bringing down the volume of trade by a sharp 38 per cent. While the volume of commodities transacted fell from 137 lakh quintals during November 1-8 to 85.1 lakh quintals from November 9-16, the value of the total trade went down from Rs. 633 crore to Rs. 414 crore during the same period.

Business Standard

Wheat prices have risen over 15% in one month due to a spurt in stockists’ demand ahead of rabi sowing. Stockists do not rule out a further price rise of up to 25% till the next harvest arrives in mandis in April. The fair average quality wheat in the Delhi mandi is now quoted at Rs 2,250 a quintal, up 16.2% from a month ago. Wheat in the Kanpur and Kota markets is sold at Rs 2,033 a quintal and Rs 2,048 a quintal, up 16.6% and 15% from their respective prices a month ago.

The Pioneer

When youthful energy come together, innovative ideas and a fresh perspective is a natural bi-product. This was the theme behind the teams that competed to identify specific problems related to agriculture and framed mobile and web application solutions for the benefit of farmers at AgHack, held as part of CII Agro Tech 2016 here. Organised as part of the four-day agricultural expo, CII Agro Tech 2016, AgHack saw new ideas take wings and much brainstorming happening.

Morung Express

MK Mero, Commissioner and Secretary, Veterinary and Animal Husbandary, Government of Nagaland inaugurated the stakeholder meet on agriculture development and agromet advisory services in Nagaland on November 21. Dr. SV Ngachan, Director, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya, Dr. K Ghosh, Deputy Director General (Meteorology), Indian Meteorological Department, Government of India, Guwahati, Assam, Professor RC Gupta, Dean, NU-SASRD, Nagaland, Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Director, NRC on Mithun, Nagaland, Dr. G. Dhananjaya Rao, Dean, College of Veterinary, CAU, IP Khalla, Director, Department of Veterinary and Animal husbandry other dignitaries and farmers attended the event.

India.com

Government today asked banks to provide resources to cooperative institutions with which they are associated to meet cash requirements of the farm sector during the ongoing rabi season. “We had a discussion with RBI, Nabard and all public sector banks and the only item for discussion was with regard to transfer of resources to rural areas so that they will reach the farmers since the sowing season for rabi is on and a lot of this will happen through the cooperative itself,” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. “Nabard (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) has given details of immediate requirements on a weekly basis and it’s been decided that banks with whom the cooperatives are associated will ...

The Indian Express

A conference on Making Indian Agriculture Sustainable was held as part of CII Agro Tech 2016 in Chandigarh on Monday. Three major elements – natural resource management, climate smart agriculture and renewable energy – were discussed at separate sessions. “A holistic view needs to be taken of the issue based on our agriculture system, where animals are also important. I have been driving my own car with biogas at IIT-Delhi for five years now. An experiment is on for use in two-wheelers as well. We are working towards a day when tractors will run on biogas,” said professor VK Vijay, CRDT, IIT Delhi.

Hindustan Times

Rice farming is supposed to have arrived from China in 2000 BC, but new research by British and Indian experts shows it existed in India centuries earlier, and suggests systems of seasonal crop variation that would have provided a rich and diverse diet for the Bronze Age residents of the Indus valley.

The Financial Express

Acceding to their demand, the Centre on Monday allowed cash-strapped farmers to pay for seeds using old R500 notes to mitigate risks to the rabi crop due to demonetisation of high-value notes. “In order to further support farmers for the current rabi crop, the government has decided to allow farmers to purchase seeds with the old high-denomination banknotes of R500 from the centres, units or outlets belonging to the central or state governments, public sector undertakings, national or state seeds corporations, central or state agricultural universities and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, on production of proof of identity,” the government said. The new measure was in addition to last week’s decision to allow farmers to ...

Siasat Daily

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday called for focus on higher agriculture productivity through use of the latest technology and high-yielding crop varieties to help double farmers’ income by 2022. He also said there is a need to revisit the incentive structure of farming, besides focusing on reducing wastage and improving marketing of farm produce.

The Hindustan Times

Diverting country’s attention towards limited water resources, President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said India needed to learn a lot from Israel, particularly in the field of agriculture about optimum use of resources. Addressing the inaugural session of Agro Tech—a four-day fair with focus on agriculture and allied sectors, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries—the President said Israel managed to yield more harvest per drop of water, and has optimised its agricultural productions.

The Hindu Business Line

Demonetisation has jeopardised trading in agricultural markets across the country. In Karnataka, considered a pioneer in agri-marketing reforms — most APMC [Agricultural Produce Market Committee] market yards in the State are already automated — it was no different.

The Hindu Business Line

The majority of Indian farmers have a holding of less than an acre. With no bargaining power, left to the mercy of middlemen, they struggle to make ends meet. While on the one hand input costs are high, on the other, they don’t get the right price for their produce. The futures market can play an effective role in mitigating such risks. The Indian commodity derivative exchanges have been in existence for over a decade, but not many farmers know about them. Today, some farmer producer companies are using this platform to help out farmer members. We take a look at how this is done.

The Hindu

With paucity of cash to pay labourers for harvesting work and the decline in the price of agriculture produce, farmers in rural areas of Malnad region are grappling with the after effects of demonetisation of Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 500 notes. It may be mentioned here that immediately after the announcement of demonetisation, the prices of arecanut registered a slump by around 10 percent in the Shivamogga market. Arecanut trading had come to a standstill from November 10 to 17. Though the trading of arecanut has resumed, no improvement in the price can be seen.

The Hindu

The withdrawal of high denomination notes has severely affected cash flow in the district, leaving the farming community in dire straits. Farmers, who already marketed their kharif harvest, cannot spend the cash they have earned to prepare the ground for rabi cultivation, while the rest are not finding traders to purchase their produce. Many ginger growers have left their produce on the farmland, waiting to sell at a suitable price. Similarly, maize growers have delayed the harvest hoping that the situation will get better soon.

Greater Kashmir

Minister of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Choudhary Zulfkar Ali Sunday inaugurated the maiden Maize Procurement Mandi at Siot in district Rajouri. It is the first Mandi of its kind in the entire North India. Felicitating the people of the area for getting the Mandi, the Minister said setting up of Maize Procurement Mandi at Siot would not only save the people of the area from the exploitation they faced through middlemen but it will also help transform the socio-economic profile of the area.

The Indian Express

Management of paddy stubble was among the much discussed topics on Sunday, the first day of CII Agrotech 2016. Experts from across the country and beyond emphasised that farmers should not be burning paddy stubble as it causes “serious problems”. On the inaugural day of the CII Agrotech – a biennial event – experts also elaborated on the options available with farmers apart from stubble burning. The theme of Sunday’s session was Challenges and Solutions for Comprehensive Straw Management.

Millennium Post

The shortage of cash after demonetisation of high value currency notes might have crippled normal life, but it seemingly has had very little impact on sowing of Rabi crops. Though the sowing has been delayed a little due to shortage of cash with farmers, the latest report of the Union Agriculture Ministry indicates that sowing acreage of wheat, pulses and oil seeds have increased from the previous Rabi season’s figures.

Millennium Post

Farmer associations on Saturday demanded that the Government should allow use of the banned 500 and 1,000 rupee notes to buy seeds and fertiliser till December 30, saying that peasants are short of cash and have no takers for their crop. The Government has allowed use of the old notes for certain utility payments till November 24 but has so far not agreed to the same for purchase of agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.

The Hindu

Wheat sowing in Punjab was impacted because of the demonetisation of old currency with growers claiming they were unable to buy seeds and other inputs due to “cash crunch.” The Punjab Agriculture Department has also acknowledged that the wheat sowing trailed by five per cent because of scrapping of old denomination notes.

The New Indian Express

The National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack on Friday observed 5th Agriculture Education Day on its premises. Secretary of Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi Dr Trilochan Mohapatra inaugurated an agricultural science exhibition showcasing the projects on ‘Sustainable Agriculture Technology for Accelerating Farm Production’ developed by school students.

The Indian Express

President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the international agriculture fair ‘CII Agro Tech 2016’ in Chandigarh on Sunday. After the inauguration at the Parade Ground, President Mukherjee will address another function to mark the 15th anniversary of Indian School of Business (ISB) at Mohali.

The Times of India

Digital technology is going to be next game changer in this field of agriculture, said Salil Singhal, co-chair, CII, national council on agriculture, chairman and managing director, PI Industries, India. Singhal was addressing participants at a conference on “Digital Pathways in Agriculture, Integrating Advanced Technologies in Indian Agriculture” organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) at Hotel Taj here on Saturday.

The Hindu

Former Rajya Sabha member Yalamanchili Sivaji suggested during a pre-budget consultation with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi on Saturday that the government think of a mechanism for rescuing farmers from the stranglehold of debts. He wondered why could not the government, which bails out industrialists through different schemes tackling their non-performing schemes, find a way to rescue debt-laden farmers.

Odisha TV

Odisha government is in the process of finalising eight new policies which would be unveiled during the Make in Odisha conclave scheduled to be held here between November 30 and December 2. The new policies would be on MSMEs, tourism, textile and apparel industries, agriculture, food processing and petroleum industries, an official said. He expressed hope that over 500 industries from across the country and abroad would take part in the conclave.

IANS Live

President Pranab Mukherjee and his visiting Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin inaugurated the 12th edition of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) biennial agro-technology and business fair, Agro Tech 2016, here on Sunday. Both Presidents went round a section of the fair, which showcases technological innovations which can be beneficial for the agriculture sector, at the Parade Ground here.

Domain B

The severe cash crunch over the past week following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of demonetisation of high-denomination notes has hampered the sowing of rabi crops and threatens to thwart an increase in crop acreage this rabi season. In fact, the area under rabi crop has declined marginally from last year, with the last one week witnessing major retardation, in the case of wheat, the principal rabi crop.

The Financial Express

Farmers took out a protest rally here today against the Reserve Bank’s decision not to allow exchange or deposit of defunct notes at the district central co-operative banks and warned of stopping supply to Amul Milk co-operative if the restriction is not lifted in a week. Protesters on around 150 tractors and 100-odd trucks loaded with grain and sugarcane covered the 10-km stretch from Jehangirpura to the collector’s office here.

YourStory

The northern region of India is facing drought for the second consecutive year. The rainfall deficit is hovering around 35 percent in Punjab and Haryana, and data shows that the two states have consistently registered below normal rainfall since 1998, which has put a severe strain on their groundwater resource. Last year, the rainfall deficit was over 50 percent and Punjab had asked for assistance from the Centre to the tune of Rs 2,350 crore due to a 15-percent rise in irrigation costs; deepening of dried up borewells also added to this. While the state bought extra power, farmers bought extra diesel to extract groundwater. Thus, the input cost of cultivation went up leading to farm distress and ...

The Indian Express

Wheat sowing in Punjab was impacted because of the demonetisation of old currency with growers claiming they were unable to buy seeds and other inputs due to “cash crunch”. Punjab agriculture department has also acknowledged that the wheat sowing trailed by five percent because of scrapping of old denomination notes. Problems for farmers also compounded as they were unable to get finance from cooperative banks in the wake of non-acceptance of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes by these banks.

Live Mint

Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday called for focus on higher agriculture productivity through use of the latest technology and high-yielding crop varieties to help double farmers’ income by 2022. He also said there is a need to revisit the incentive structure of farming, besides focusing on reducing wastage and improving marketing of farm produce. Jaitley was speaking at his first pre-budget consultative meeting with representatives of agriculture groups.

The Hindu

Several agricultural groups requested Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, during their pre-Budget consultative meeting on Saturday, to provide sufficient funds to district co-operative banks in the light of demonetisation since most farmers had their accounts in such banks. The agricultural representatives also called for new schemes in the upcoming Budget to bail out farmers from debt and a system where banks offer differential rates of interest for the agricultural sector, according to an official release.

The Times of India

Kuttanad farmers are likely to put on hold Puncha farming (3rd paddy crop) on account of the cash crunch caused by the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes by the Union government. The government’s move had come even as about 3,200 farmers were gearing up for cultivation at around 27,000 hectares in the region. Some had completed sowing in around 5,000 hectares. But all the preparations will come to a grinding halt as none of the farmers have enough money with them to begin farming. According to estimates each farmer needs at least about Rs 23,000 per acre to meet the expenses.

The Huffington Post

India’s ₹17 lakh-crore agricultural and food markets, from the mandi to the neighbourhood grocer, are at a standstill. Demonetisation has vacuumed liquidity from this virtually cash-only economy that provides livelihood to half the population. Prices have crashed and fresh produce lies rotting. The situation indeed appears dire. Business is forecast to revive only after people in 7,500-plus mandis and 600,000 villages are re-stocked with new currency. Yet, those with the courage to look beyond this doomsday scenario can spot the proverbial rainbow.

The Times of India

On a day the government increased the cash withdrawal limit for farmers to Rs 25,000 per week, crop growers in Gautam Budh Nagar warned the measure might not be adequate because the sowing season is already under way and farmers have not been able to procure enough seeds because of the cash crunch. The effect, they feared, would be felt six months later in the form of a shortage of wheat in the market since farmers across the country are facing the same plight.

The Economic Times

For farmer Buddha Singh, who works a small plot of land in the village of Bajna south of New Delhi, the government’s decision to abolish 500 and 1,000 rupee bank notes to crush the shadow economy could hardly have come at a worse time.

The Times of India

Demonetization is affecting sowing of wheat crop which started from November 10 onwards. Due to cash crunch, farmers are facing problems in purchasing seeds and fertilizers, leading to a delay in sowing of the crop. Wheat production in Agra region takes place over than five lakh hectare land. Farmers are reaching government and private stores to purchase seeds and fertilizers. But they are disappointed as even seed and fertilizer centers are not accepting old currency notes.

The Indian Express

Sowing has been going on smoothly and the area covered is higher than last season despite a double jeopardy situation for farmers in the peak wheat sowing season. Although farmers were still awaiting payment for their crop when the government pulled out the Rs 500/1,000 notes, it does not appear to have affected sowing despite concerns expressed by some farmers last week.

Orissa Diary

After completing successful roadshows at Hyderabad & Kolkata, today the final leg of Make in Odisha Conclave roadshows culminated in the capital city, New Delhi. The primary focus sectors of the State Government include agro and sea food processing, electronics manufacturing, chemicals and petrochemicals, textiles, ancillary and downstream industries and tourism. The state govt is focusing at developing Odisha as the Manufacturing Hub of Eastern India.

The Times of India

The 91 major agriculture produce marketing committees (AMPCs) or market yards in Gujarat are seen an unrelenting inertia and are now reluctantly conducting business. APMCs are reporting turnover barely 10% or 15% of regular days. As many restart normal operations in the days to come, traders expect pricing pressure on foodgrain.

The Indian Express

Expressing satisfaction over the NSSO report that said Odisha is the only state in the country to have doubled the income of farmers, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday admitted that irrigation facilities in the state could not be improved to the desired level. “I am extremely happy that as per the Government of India’s NSSO report, Odisha is the only state to have doubled the income of farmers in real terms in the country between 2003 to 2013,” Patnaik said while addressing the third meeting of the Agriculture cabinet here.

The Hindu

An interaction meeting on “Attracting and retaining youth in Agriculture (ARYA)”, a project sanctioned by the Indian Council of Agriculture (ICAR) is being implemented at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Thirupathisagaram in Kanniyakumari district. A release issued by KVK here on Wednesday, said that the main objective of the project was to provide complete knowledge and skill on processing, value addition and marketing of coconut and banana products through capacity building programmes involving research and development organizations.

The Indian Express

While allowing farmers to draw up to Rs 25,000 per week against crop loans, the Finance Ministry has turned down the request of the Agriculture Ministry to permit farmers to purchase seeds using demonetised currencies of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. At a meeting on Tuesday, the Department of Economic Affairs cited the surge of deposits in Jan Dhan accounts to counter Agriculture’s request for allowing demonetised currencies for seed purchase. It argued that this may become a conduit to offload black money.

The Times of India

Rabi crops which are usually planted post Gurupurab may be affected because of the ongoing currency crunch. Farmers of Greater Noida reported on Thursday that post the cash ban on November 8, farmers have not been able to transact to procure seeds or other essentials as most of them have notes of high denomination. “These two weeks of November are crucial for farmers who plant wheat in the winter. So many are not being able to plant the winter crops. The effect of this will be felt in six months’ time. Also with there being no cash in the market the buy and sell of agro-products and milk, have suffered as people have stopped picking ...

The Hans India

India lives in villages and agriculture is the soul of Indian economy Mahatma Gandhi Most of the world’s poor people earn their living from agriculture, so if we knew the economics of agriculture, we would know much of the economics of being poor Theodore Schultz, Nobel laureate. Agriculture is the mainstay for Indian economy, as 60 per cent of rural population still depends upon agriculture and its allied activities. As per NSS data average annual income of the median farmer net of production costs from cultivation is less than Rs 20,000 (average per capita income at current prices is about 98000 per annum in India)Post independence agricultural success Chronic food shortages of 1960s, have given way to ...

The Hindu Business Line

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation scheme has hit the farmer doubly hard in this fertile Doab region, coinciding as it does with the harvest and impending sowing season. The Centre has increased the limit for cash withdrawal by farmers up to ₹25,000 per week. This calculation is meaningless for the farmers, who mostly deal with cash borrowed from moneylenders.

Business Standard

Demonetisation of high denomination currency notes has badly hit agricultural activities across Assam, as cash-starved farmers are finding it hard to pay agricultural labourers, demanding wages in advance, that too in Rs 100 denomination. After the announcement of the demonetisation of currency by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chaos has gripped the nation.

The Hindu Business Line

The long overdue increase in minimum support prices (MSP) announced for the rabi crops, the highest since 2011-12, is a welcome measure to transfer higher incomes to farmers. Better prices, after a good monsoon, should encourage farmers to bring more acreage under cultivation of winter crops such as wheat, certain pulses and oilseeds. The MSP for pulses and oilseeds have been increased between 10 and 16 per cent, while that for wheat has been raised by 6.6 per cent on the recommendation of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.

The Hindu

Severe crop loss has been estimated in 1.98 lakh hectares of land in Ballari district for the kharif season in view of the deficient rainfall. Crops had been sown in 3.69 lakh hectares in the district. In a report submitted to the Central drought assessment team when it visited here recently, the district administration has said that the district recorded deficient rainfall during August, September and October, resulting in loss of standing crop in rainfed areas.

Business Standard

Maize prices weakened during the last week after the government’s demonetisation move, which also resulted in slowdown in arrivals as large value notes were not available for cash transactions at the market yards across the country, according to the US Grains Council (USGC). “In India, post November 8 demonetisation move, the maize arrivals seem to have come down, but at the same time, prices have also come down and large denomination currency was not available for cash transactions at the market yards across the country,” USGC Representative for India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Amit Sachdev said.

The Times of India

Farmers trying to sell produce at the city’s Mahatma Phule market, popularly known as Cotton Market, are facing tough times. The cash crunch induced by the demonetization has led to sales nose diving, and farmers are being forced to offload farm produce at half the expected value.

The Times of India

The cash-driven agriculture sector in the state has been hit badly by the demonetisation of Rs1000 and Rs500 notes because 5,291 out of the 8,471 panchayats in the state have no banking facility. The cash crisis has hit the agriculture sector when it was expecting bumper crop after receiving the highest rainfall in monsoon season this year as compared to the past five years. This sector employs about 70% of the state’s population and contributes around 18% to the state GDP.

The Times of India

The Modi-government’s demonetisation drive is threatening to disrupt sowing of wheat crop in the Terai region. The announcement made on November 8 has left farmers in the region high and dry with adequate but invalid currency notes in the form of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

The Times of India

Sowing rabi crops gram and wheat has taken a hit because of the ongoing cash crunch in several parts of the country, including Maharashtra. A senior official of the state agriculture department told TOI that farmers were unable to buy seeds and fertilizers because of cash crunch, leading to drop in sowing area of rabi crops. “The rabi sown area till November this year is less than that in last year due to a combination of late kharif harvesting and the recent demonetization issue,” the official said.

The Indian Express

Bangladesh will cancel an international tender to import 50,000 tonnes of wheat, citing higher prices, two officials from the state grains procurement agency said on Wednesday. Singapore-based Agrocorp made the lowest offer of $248.26 a tonne, including CIF liner out, in the tender, which was the first for the current fiscal year that began in July.

The Times of India

The demonetisation, which has also effected the farming practices, may result in a hike in wheat prices in future. Farmers are unable to purchase seeds, necessary fertilizers and other important things in absence of lower denomination currency notes, delaying the sowing of wheat crop. And the delay may bring a rise in wheat rates ultimately increasing the prices of various food items.

 

The Times of India

To boost farmers and agriculture, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has developed 46 Kisan Seva Kendras (KSKs)—petrol/diesel pumps with outlet for agriculture production and awareness in remote location of Vidarbha. The KSKs have been developed as IOCL’s social gesture towards rural public.

Business Standard

The agriculture sector has immense opportunities for plasticulture (ie use of plastics in agricultural activity) in terms of efficient usage of water. If reused and recycled properly, plastics can play a pivotal role in water handling, storage, conservation as well as transportation, said Neelkamal Darbari, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Government of Rajasthan, at Ficci’s event on plasticulture in Jaipur last week.

The Financial Express

More than a week after demonetisation of R500 and R1,000 banknotes, which led to a drop in arrivals of fruits and vegetables (F&V) and transactions at the Azadpur mandi in Delhi, the prices have not seen a sharp spike in the retail markets so far. Experts say due to the cash crunch, supplies of essential commodities like F&Vs and milk have not disrupted to a large extent as a major chunk of transactions between wholesale dealers and retailers is being done through credit.

The Hindu

Antrix Corporation Limited, marketing arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has adopted the Brahmasandra village in the Sira taluk of Tumakuru district in an effort to improve the quality of life of farmers and prevent suicides caused by acute financial distress. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, Antrix will implement the endeavour with help from the Bharatia Agro-Industries Foundation, for which it has earmarked Rs. 3.81 crore over a period of five years.

Business Standard

Although the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) on the hike were accepted, the cabinet added bonus of Rs 200 per quintal for gram, Rs 150 per quintal for masur, Rs 100 per quintal for oilseeds to send strong signal to farmers to increase cultivation area and invest more for increase in productivity of these crops to decrease the reliance on their import.

Scroll.in

The government of Kerala last month declared all 14 districts in the state drought-hit. The situation will worsen if Wayanad, which faced 59% deficit rainfall during the Southwest monsoon (June to September), does not make up for this in the ongoing Northwest monsoon.

The Economic Times

West Bengal food and supplies department has decided to transfer money for procurement of paddy directly to the bank account of farmers. The step has been taken so that farmers do not get unnecessarily harassed while collecting cheques and again while depositing them in the branch where they have their accounts.

NDTV India

The government on Tuesday increased the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat by Rs. 100 to Rs. 1,625 a quintal and pulses by up to Rs. 550 per quintal to boost output of these rabi crops and check prices. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all rabi (winter- sown) crops of 2016-17.

The Hans India

Agriculture has become a negative economic proposition forcing the farming community into perennial debt-trap. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are the leading states in terms of peasant indebtedness. It’s unbecoming of these progressive states to have this dubious distinction. Reviving the agrarian economy has been the focus of many commissions.

Millennium Post

Hailing the efforts of government, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Tuesday said that hard work extended by people engaged in diary sector and unabated efforts of the Centre, has achieved 4.2 per cent average growth in milk production.

India Times

Vipin isn’t the only farmer facing this crisis as this is the story of all farmers across Punjab, Haryana, Western UP, Outer Delhi and other parts of north India where wheat is the prime Rabbi crop. Punjab and Haryana are among the top three wheat producing states in the country. According to farmers, as far as agriculture is concerned, the timing of the decision is awful.

Live Mint

Sharad Pawar breached an unwritten rule of Maharashtra politics. Recently, he spoke about the woes of small farmers, albeit those in the irrigated belt. He regretted that a sugarcane farmer of barely two acres of land is often viewed as a rich farmer and that too, rather contemptuously. The statement implied the defence of state support for small farmers, a rare occurrence in the state-level political discourse.

The New Indian Express

The District Agricultural Strategy Committee (DASC) has set a target to increase productivity of different crops during the ensuing rabi season. As per reports, DASC has planned to grow paddy, pulses, oilseeds, vegetable and condiments in 66,800 hectares of land during the rabi season in 2016-2017. The area to be covered is nearly 1700 ha more than the 2015-2016 rabi season when crops were grown on 65,093 ha.

Money Control

Telangana Government sought a loan of Rs 7,900 crore from NABARD for completion of 11 pending irrigation projects in the state. State Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao made the request during a meeting with officials of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), a government statement said.

Business Standard

India has achieved 4.2 per cent average growth in milk production, against the world average of 2.2 per cent, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Tuesday said. Milk production in India grew by 6.7 per cent in 2015-16, he added. Based on available statistics, the minister said the per capita availability of milk is likely to go up from the existing level of 337 gram to 500 gram daily by the year 2021-22.

The Times of India

Since the ordeal of people in rural areas, particularly those from the farming community, is continuing with the ongoing process of demonetisation, farmers have appealed to the RBI to utilise the service of primary agriculture cooperative credit societies (PACCS), which are well equipped with the required infrastructure for rupee exchange.

The Economic Times

The government has announced a big increase in support prices for most rabi crops and given a strong signal to plant more oilseeds and pulses for which official agencies will pay 10- 16% higher rates than last year, a move officials said would boost farm incomes significantly.

ET Auto

Bosch Rexroth India expects considerable growth potential in the country’s agriculture market as the nation is the biggest tractor market by numbers in the world. With the export of tractors from India increasing significantly, the company is well equipped to offer locally developed technology that would improve productivity and increase efficiency of farming activities.

Business Standard

Twelve countries, including partner country Israel, will feature their technology and agricultural innovations at CII’s biennial agro-technology and business fair, Agro Tech 2016, which begins here on Saturday. The four-day event will be officially inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee along with his Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin on Sunday.

The Times of India

Farmer community in Uttar Pradesh is feeling the pinch of Centre’s demonetisation move. From east UP to the western region and when rabi (winter crop) season has set in, limited availability of cash is threatening to hit sowing of wheat, the key rabi crop. While actual sowing figures will only be available by the end of November, experts are already anticipating a sharp decline.

The Indian Express

An RBI circular banning District Central Co-operative banks from accepting old currency has hit Kharif farmers in Maharashtra, who were looking to pay off their crop loan dues with the now-defunct notes, thus affecting recovery worth Rs 12,000 crore across the state. The farmers who have started selling their Kharif produce are mostly paid in cash by wholesale traders. Now, the amount with farmers (mostly in denominations of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500) is rendered useless for crop loan payments.

The Hindu

The three-day Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM-2016) ended here on Friday with a call for connecting farmers with technology and creating gainful avenues for them in the allied sectors such as agri-tourism, animal husbandry, fisheries and horticulture.In the presence of Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, agricultural researchers, policy makers, farmers and industry stakeholders lauded the event for having achieved its primary objective of sharing knowledge with farmers.

The Indian Express

The currency crunch resulted by the Centre’s demonetisation move is set to hit farmers, agriculture produce market committees (APMCs) and farm produce transporters ahead of a bright Rabi season, forcing the government to plan measures to tackle the impending crisis

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Hindustan Times

With cash flow coming down to a trickle due to the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, Punjab farmers are finding it difficult to sow wheat, and their worries are piling up with every passing day. They have no money in hand to meet input costs such as seeds, fertilisers, diesel, and experts say delay of every single day will affect the harvest.

The New Indian Express

According to petitioner, a member of the Gingee Primary Agricultural Co-operative Society, more than 26 villages were under the purview of the society, which has 19,000 agriculturists as members. It has been transacting business to the tune of Rs 25 lakh per day and all the farmers were depending on it for payment and withdrawals, to meet their day-to-day expenses.

The Times of India

Having failed to control pollution caused by burning of crop residue after harvest of paddy and wheat in Punjab, the state agriculture department and Punjab Pollution Control Board have pinned hopes on the public and experts to suggest ways and means to contain the hazardous practice. The department of agriculture has come out with a public notice asking people to suggest measures regarding the same and to attract their fancy it has also announced to recognize the three best suggestions with cash awards from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

Indian Cooperative

Union Agriculture Minister, Radha Mohan Singh said Rajasthan with its fast-paced policy decisions over the last 2 years is likely to succeed in doubling the farmers income by 2022. The Agriculture Minister said Niti Aayog has given Rajasthan the third place in terms of indices of agriculture marketing and farmers oriented development for the year 2016. The agriculture processing and Agriculture Marketing Policy 2015 of the state ensures value addition to agricultural products.

State Times

A lot of attention is being paid to the agricultural sector since the new government has been formed at the centre. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started many programmes for the welfare of farm and farming community. One such of his measure aims at doubling the income of farmers by the year 2022. Remembering that the year 2022 will be the year when the country will complete 75 years of independence. Prime Minister has clearly set the time limit and he referred to a doubling of farmer income of the agricultural year 2015-16 by the agricultural year 2022-23.

IANS Live

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said technology will very soon play an important role in developing agricultural pattern in the country. He was addressing the inaugural session of an international conference on sugarcane value chain in Pune.

The Times of India

Though the Modi government’s decision to demonetize high denomination currencies have been lauded as a decisive step towards tackling black money, it has come at a wrong time for the farmers. Since it’s time for selling their kharif crop, the Union government move has left farmers high and dry as many agri markets are not fully functional after the announcement came due to cash crunch.

Business Standard

Trade in mandis or Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMC) in many parts of the country has come to a standstill because of spiralling effects of demonetisation move. Farmers, who’re used to accepting money only in the form of cash, resist money in any other form and traders don’t have cash with them to buy farm products. It is only in those mandis that are computerised and where payment is made electronically, is trade going on smoothly.

The Economic Times

Prem covers his face as he sets the line of paddy stubble on fire. While half the field is ready for sowing, it is his turn to get the other half ready. His brother has travelled from their Hansi village to Hissar to stand in queue at the Corporation Bank to withdraw money. The brothers do not have enough to sow their next crop of wheat.

Hindustan Times 

With cash flow coming down to a trickle due to the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, Punjab farmers are finding it difficult to sow wheat, and their worries are piling up with every passing day. They have no money in hand to meet input costs such as seeds, fertilisers, diesel, and experts say delay of every single day will affect the harvest.

Business Standard

As many as 12 countries will participate in biennial agro-technology and business fair, CII Agro Tech 2016, starting from November 19. The 12th edition of CII Agro Tech 2016 to be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee along with Israel President Reuven Rivlin as the Guest of Honour on November 20 will showcase latest advancements in the farming technology for both businesses and visiting farmers, said a CII release.

The Times of India

Battered by the vagaries of nature in the kharif season which saw poor agricultural production, the farmers do not seem to have any letup from adverse conditions during rabi either. Already four weeks into the rabi season, the farmers could take up cultivation only in 55 per cent of the normal crop area across 13 districts of the state.

The Times of India

The government on has ruled out providing any bonus to farmers during paddy procurement in the state. The announcement was made by food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Das Burma. He, however, said the government has decided to provide special monetary assistance of Rs 100 per quintal of paddy to farmers affected by drought in 2015. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has already launched a scheme to provide special assistance to such farmers in western Odisha. The government will adhere to the minimum support price of Rs 1510 per quintal of Grade-A paddy and Rs 1470 per quintal for fair average quality variety, Das Burma said.

The New Indian Express

The state government will start procurement of the kharif paddy from November 15. Paddy procurement of the kharif marketing season 2016 will begin at Atabira, Godabhaga and Kolapani blocks of Bargarh district. At least 16 rice millers have been registered to procure paddy from the district, said Minister of state for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Sanjay Dasbarma here.

State Times

Agricultural policies involve the government, different organizations and the farmers. The government aims in maximization of agricultural outputs on sustainable basis. The agricultural universities and research institutions give policy inputs and the government departments prepare the action plans on the basis of programmes and make efforts to achieve the objectives of the government.

The Indian Express

The demonetisation drive has hit farmers of Punjab. Even as the wheat sowing season is upon them, farmers are yet to be paid for their paddy procured last month. Arhtiyas (commission agents) who were to pay them cite the lack of enough currencies for the delay.

The Hitavada

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani inaugurates workshop for farmers during 8th Agrovision, shares success of ‘From Farms to Foreign’ policy adopted by Gujarat government. “EXPORT of agriculture products in Gujarat has seen a big increase primarily because of the development of Agriculture Export Centre near airport,” said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani as he inaugurated the workshop for farmers at the 8th edition of Agrovision at Reshimbagh ground, on Saturday.

Your Story

With a combination of law enforcement and financial incentives, equipment hiring companies should emerge. Sangrur district under the leadership of collector Arshdeep Singh Thind has set an example. Through seminars and field camps farmers have been sensitised to the harm large-scale straw burning can cause.

Hindustan Times

Union agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Friday that the Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM), 2016, will prove to be a milestone in connecting farmers with technology. Addressing the valedictory session of the meet, Singh said while other states were organizing investors’ meets, Rajasthan has taken the unique to organise the first of its kind initiative at an international level.

The Times of India

Chief minister insisted that agriculture should shift to new technologies, try new things and start venturing into different systems. Asserting that such events will bring transformation in the way agriculture is being practiced. I was asked by farmers to provide water and electricity for groundnut crop. But groundnut is very bad as it takes so much of water. Why can’t we go for other crops? It could be horticulture,” said Raje.

The Times of India

The Rajasthan government has signed 38 MoUs for investment in agriculture and allied sectors worth Rs 4,400.89 crore on the second day of the Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) 2016 on Thursday. Chief vinister Vasundhara Raje, Union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu and Rajasthan agriculture minister Prabhulal Saini were among those who were present on the occasion.

The Times of India

Demonetization of currency notes if Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations has led to difficult situation for people living in rural parts of the country. TOI tried to explore the problems being faced by people in a small village of Chauri Chura tehsil of Gorakhpur district, here on Wednesday.

The Times of India

The Rajasthan government has decided to promote agri-tourism vigorously. The convergence of tourism and agriculture will not only support the farmers with additional revenue and better sustainability, but also create multiplier effect on employment generation, says a report on agri-tourism in Rajasthan prepared by the FICCI and Yes Bank.

The Times of India

After a decade, paddy farming will restart in Methran Kayal on Thursday. Agricultural minister V S Sunil Kumar will launch sowing operations at 4pm. The function which will be held at the premises of the fields will be presided by the local MLA Suresh Kurup. Agriculture production commissioner Raju Narayana Swamy will explain the project to the gathering. MP Jose K Mani will be the chief guest. This year farming will be launched in 25 acres of land belonging to five farmers.

 

Money Control

The realty, agriculture and banking sector will greatly benefit from the surprise demonetisation carried out by the government on Tuesday, says Rashesh Shah, Chairman & CEO, Edelweiss Financial Services. Land prices will come down because we have seen that a lot of cash is to be used to be parked in land especially agriculture land and that is why India is one of the highest cost of agriculture land in this part of the world. So, all that should come down which should be overall good for the economy because you should not be using land as a way of storing black money. So, it will be overall good but there will be some short term pain. ...

Millennium Post

The three-day Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) 2016 began in the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur on Wednesday. GRAM 2016 exposed the farming communities to the technological advancements and global best practices and showcase investment opportunities in the state to agri-business communities across the world.

Business Standard

Preparations are nearing completion for the Central India’s biggest agriculture expo- ‘Agrovison’, commencing from November 11 to 14 here. The annual summit, which come with more diversification in farming with new techniques and advance technology will be held at Reshimbagh ground. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will inaugurate the summit at 4 pm while Agrovision Chief Patron and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will preside the function, a release from organisers said.

Assam Tribune

Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Thursday said the Centre is focusing exclusively on the development of agricultural sector in the Northeastern region and implementing a number of agriculture related programmes considering its unlimited potentialities.

Counter Currents

Despite being the country with the second largest agricultural land in the world, hardly two fifth or forty percent of the agricultural land is irrigated. Also, even though the country boasts of being the highest producer of many major agro commodities in the world, it suffers from low productivity. The naked and cruel truth is  that agriculture remains its Achilles’ heel, the source of livelihood for hundreds of millions of people but a fraction of the nation’s total economy and a symbol of its abiding difficulties.

The Financial Express

The Rajasthan government on Thursday signed 38 MoUs with private companies with an estimated investment potential of R4,400 crore in the areas of agriculture and allied sectors like animal husbandry, fisheries, cold chains and agro-tourism. “We would ensure that these MoUs are implemented on the ground within one year which would eventually boost farmers’ income,” Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje said, after signing the MoUs at the first Global Rajasthan Agri-Tech Meet (GRAM) 2016, organised jointly by the state government and Ficci here.

Orissa Post

The government has issued notification for implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) during Rabi 2016-17 season. The notification issued by the cooperation department said all farmers growing the six notified crops – paddy, groundnut, mustard, potato, blackgram and greengram – under notified areas for them will be included in the scheme. Besides, farmers availing seasonal agricultural operations (SAO) loans from financial institutions for the notified crops will come under the scheme compulsorily.

India Infoline

A meeting under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh was held in New Delhi to discuss various issues regarding crop residue management. In the meeting, the Minister of State for Agriculture, S.S. Ahluwalia was also present. Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, Deputy Director General, ICAR and representatives of the State Agriculture Departments of Punjab, Haryana and UP were also present.

The Avenue Mail

Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said that all necessary procedures should be completed in time to purchase and store paddy. He said the mobile ‘daal bhat’ scheme will be started from December this year. He directed the officials concerned to supply food grain to the beneficiaries and get the cost deducted from their bank accounts.

The Pioneer

More than 56.80 lakh metric tonnes (MTs) of paddy has so far arrived in the mandis of Haryana whereas 51.05 lakh MTs of paddy had arrived during the corresponding period last year. Out of the total arrival, about 52.15 lakh MTs is leviable paddy. The Government procurement agencies have procured more than 51.85 lakh MTs of paddy and over 4.94 lakh MTs has been procured by millers and dealers, said  a spokesman of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.

The Hindu

It is often pointed out that paddy stubble burning in neighbouring Haryana and Punjab is a major reason for affecting air quality in Delhi during the onset of winter. Stubble burning is a common practice followed by farmers in these States to prepare the field for sowing of wheat in November as there is little time left between the harvesting of paddy and sowing of wheat. Since this practice is followed every year despite some efforts by the State governments to prevent it, the problem of air quality getting affected in Delhi during October-November will recur. Therefore, it is important to diagnose and address the fundamental problems that force the farmers to burn the paddy straw on ...

NDTV

As the last of the paddy harvests  continue to burn across Punjab, despite assurances by the state government that firm steps, including fines, are being levied to discourage farmers from indulging in a practice that results in a thick pollution blanket in much of north India, NDTV travelled to Mukhtsar, a district in south Punjab for a reality check.

The Times of India

In an effort to promote innovation, Madhya Pradesh government has offered its farmers subsidised overseas study tour to Israel and the Netherlands to learn innovative agricultural techniques that they can adopt to boost the productivity of their farms back home.

Business Standard

The 25th Meeting of ICAR Regional Committee meeting of Zone VIII, to be held here from November 11, will analyze, discuss and draw a road map on agricultural research and educational issue specific to the region. Puducherry Agriculture minister R.Kamalakannan will inaugurate the two-day meeting which will be presided over by Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, Department of Agriculture Research and Education, Government of India and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Delhi.

Sify News

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today categorically stated that Rajasthan stood committed to transform its agricultural landscape by actively promoting global best practices. “With surplus production of food grains, milk and pulses, the state is geared up to adopt multiple innovations such as digital soil mapping, use of drones for effective input management, employing innovative protected cultivation methods, zero budget natural farming or technology enabled traceability systems. The end objective of these interventions in farming will be increasing efficiency, reducing costs and ensuring sustainability,” she said while speaking at the inaugural session of the ‘Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet’ 2016 (GRAM 2016) today in Jaipur.

The Hindu

The district administration has been served guidelines by the State government on preparations to be made in the district to meet acute drought situation in the backdrop of the government’s declaration of the State as drought-hit. The guideline contained instructions and priorities in the measures to be taken by districts declared drought-affected. An official press release announcing this here on Wednesday says restriction in the use of water is the most important instruction in the guideline. In the priority order, use of water for drinking should be accorded the top priority, followed by household uses, domestic animals, wild animals, agriculture.

Hindustan Times

President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the CII Agro Tech 2016, a four-day agro technology and business fair, on November 20 at the Sector-17 Parade Ground. Reuven Rivlin, President of Israel, will join as the guest of honour on the occasion. The fair organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is being held from November 19 to 22. The theme for this year is ‘Building Global Competitiveness’. More than 130 exhibitors will showcase the latest technology and state-of-the-art equipment in the agriculture sector.

Directions Magazine

Agricultural drones market size was valued over USD 135 million in 2015 and is anticipated to achieve over USD 555 million at a CAGR of 21% from 2016 to 2023.The potential benefits associated with these machines include improve yields and save water.In addition, drones may even assist the government to manage farming more effectively and efficiently by monitoring the usage of pesticides.

Live Mint

As Delhi chokes on smog, the spotlight has once again been put on the farmers of the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana and their practice of burning farm stubble during the post-harvest season. Faced with the prospect of employing scarce and costly labour to dispose the stubble, or purchasing an expensive machine to do the same job, or the unpleasant but effective alternative of burning what is left in their fields after the harvest, farmers seem to be preferring the last option for a quick and dirty end to the agricultural season. While Delhi’s residents seethe in anger at such a practice, it is worth considering the intense margin pressures that have led farmers to adopt ...

Money Control

Expecting the bumper paddy crop this kharif season, the Odisha government has decided to procure a record quantity of paddy from farmers this year in order to widen the rural economy. Reviewing the arrangements of the procurement in all the 10 districts of Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhunj, Bhadrak, Khurda, Puri and Nayagarh, the State food and civil supplies minister Sanjay Dasburma said the state government has decided to procure paddy worth Rs 7,500 crore from farmers this year.

The Times of India

Maize crops raised in 1.20 lakh acres in and around Kunnam and Veppanthattai taluks in Perambalur district have failed to yield for want of sufficient water, forcing farmers to cut down the crops to use as fodder for their cattle. Various farmers’ bodies have appealed to the state government to announce Rs 20,000 per acre compensation for crop loss.

The Times of India

Had the Delhi’s neighbouring states adhered to the guidelines of the two-year-old national policy for management of crop residue (NPMCR), the Capital and other cities in the NCR would have been spared of current alarming situation of air pollution due to stubble burning.

Bloomberg Quint

There is a neat alternative to the burning of paddy straw in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, which is exacerbating Delhi’s air pollution, already burdened by vehicle emissions and construction dust. It is called conservation agriculture. Sadly, the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), which has been demonstrating it at its station in Ludhiana for the past four years has done little to advertise it. Paytm’s Chief Executive Officer Vijay Shekhar Sharma has pledged Rs 10 crore to startups that can sustainably scrub clean the air of Indian cities. Perhaps, he should devote a slice of it to amplify BISA’s experience.

PTI

Jharkhand is expecting 4 lakh tonnes of paddy following a good monsoon. This was informed in a review meeting of the Agriculture Department chaired by Chief Minister Raghubar Das today, an official release said here.

The Shillong Times

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Tuesday repudiated the allegation that the State has utilised only Rs 34 crore out of Rs 244 crore sanctioned under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). Sangma said the total fund received over the years after RKVY was implemented in the State was Rs 244.56 crore and that the utilisation certificates were also furnished. He also said the funding pattern is determined by how much the State is investing in agriculture and allied sectors.

The Indian Express

Even while Punjab attempted to wash its hands of the air pollution that is plaguing Delhi, the state has not been able to set its own house in order either. Apart from sitting over the subsidy applications for agriculture machines, which can help curb the practice of burning paddy stubble, the state has not been able to add even a single biomass power plant in the last three years.

The New Indian Express

Slamming the State Agriculture Department, Kerala Congress (M) vice chairperson and MP Jose K Mani alleged on Tuesday that the department has shown culpable negligence towards the issues of farmers. He was speaking after inaugurating the state-level dharnas to be held in front of district Collectorates in protest against the government’s apathy towards farmers’ woes. According to Jose, the disregard of the Agriculture Department towards farmers has drawn flak even from the ruling coalition members.

The Economic Times

Process solutions company Praj Industries says that manufacturing second generation ethanol from the agricultural waste can reduce smog formation in the national capital. One of it’s plants is expected to come up in Haryana, while the company is in advanced stage of discussion for setting up a plant in Punjab.

The Indian Express

A three-day international event of ‘Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM)’ for farmers will begin here tomorrow which will showcase best global practices and technologies suitable to farmers. Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh will inaugurate the event, a platform for farmers, investors, manufacturers and the academicians and researchers, on Wednesday at Sitapura, an official said.

Business Today

The Economic Survey of India data from 2001-2012 shows that although 50 per cent of employment was in agriculture sector, the per income capita rise was minuscule compared to manufacturing and services sector. Projection shows that the disparity will grow dramatically across sectors by 2022 where agriculture per capita income ratio would be 5.4X when compared to manufacturing which would be at 7.7 X and services at 15.7X. It is imperative that we shift employment from agriculture in rural areas to manufacturing and services. In this respect we must follow what China has done in terms of developing new urban centers across the country. This will help in arresting migration from rural areas to already choked metros.

The Hindu

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to improve the use of satellite data for agricultural crop forecasting and crop health management. ISRO chairman A.S.Kiran Kumar said here on Tuesday that plans were afoot to bring more crops and some minor crops also into the forecasting network, which currently covers eight major crops. Addressing a function held here to mark the inauguration of the Kerala portal of the Bhuvan GIS platform, he said the application of space technology would be extended to the development of horticulture, pest and nutrient management, post-harvest infrastructure planning and bringing cultivable wastelands and fallow land under cultivation.

The Economic Times

Amid concerns over rising pollution in the national capital due to stubble burning in neighbouring states, the Centre today directed Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to promote use of agri-equipment for crop residue management in a big way. Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today held a meeting in this regard with representatives of Punjab, Haryana and UP governments as well as senior officials from Environment Ministry and Central Pollution Control Board and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The Times of India

President Pranab Mukherjee will be in Chandigarh on November 20 to throw open a biennial four-day agriculture technology and business exposition, the industry grouping Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) said in a statement issued here on Tuesday. The expo, CII Agro Tech 2016, will start at the Parade Ground in Sector 17, Chandigarh, from November 19. At the inauguration on the expo’s second day, Israel president Reuven Rivlin will be the guest of honour, said CII Agro Tech 2016 chairperson Rumjhum Chatterjee in the statement.

Hindustan Times

Sukhwant Singh, a farmer in Haryana’s Kurukshetra, had most of his 12 acres of agricultural land under paddy. After harvesting his crop, he set the paddy stubble on fire, burning it to the ground within a few hours. Singh and most other paddy growers in Punjab and Haryana, who are facing financial constraints due to falling productivity and dwindling returns, do not care about the ban on stubble burning put in place by the state governments in 2003-04.

The Times of India

With around 1 lakh farmers, majorly grape growers, yet to receive crop loan from the Nashik District Central Co-operative (NDCC) Bank, a delegation of farmers met state agriculture minister Pandurang Fundkar during his visit to Nashik on Saturday and urged him to provide crop loan to the farmers at the earliest. Fundkar assured the farmers to look into the issue personally. The delegation, including office-bearers of Nashik District Vividh Karyakari Seva Sahakari Society Sanghatana, presented Fundkar a memorandum, seeking loan for 1 lakh farmers. The delegation was led by Vishnupant Gayakhe and Raju Desle of the Sanghatana.

PrameyaNews7

With stubble burning in farms of neighbouring states aggravating air pollution in the capital and other cities in the NCR, noted agriculture scientist and father of the green revolution M S Swaminathan said on Sunday that he had suggested to PM Modi ways to get rid of the straw in an eco-friendly manner that could be economically beneficial for farmers.

The Hindu

Farmers in the tail-end areas of Lower Bhavani Project Canal are either clearing the fields or letting the crops wither away by themselves due to dry conditions. Release of water from Bhavani Sagar reservoir into LBP canal for special wetting has meant precious little for farmers in Kodumudi-Sivagiri belt towards the tail-end of LBP canal.

The New Indian Express

Going ahead with his farming and paddy cultivation initiatives, Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar will launch paddy cultivation in the controversial Methran Kayal area. Paddy cultivation in an area of about 400 acres would begin on Thursday at 4 pm, said the Minister.

Business Standard

The Union Budget for 2017-18, the fourth by the Narendra Modi government, is expected to broadly continue the pro-poor and pro-farmer credentials laid down in the previous Budgets with enhanced allocations for marquee schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), and Krishi Vikas Yojana (KVY).

 

The New Indian Express

M K Karunakaran, a 94-year-old farmer hailing from Chengalam in Kottayam, can heave a huge sigh of relief since his cherished dream of resuming farming on the five acre of land in Methran Kayal paddy fields in Kumarakom, is going to turn a reality in just a few hours from now. Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar will inaugurate the sowing of seeds on Karunakaran’s land as part of the official resumption of paddy farming in Methran Kayal fields on Thursday.

The Hindu

Krishi Mela, a four-day annual demonstrative event of farm technologies organised by University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, attracted a good number of farmers on Sunday. People, who arrived from different parts of Hyderabad Karnataka region, particularly from Raichur district, were found enthusiastically visiting various stalls and collecting information about advanced farm equipment, technologies and crop varieties put on display.

The New Indian Express

While a majority of traditional paddy farmers in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district are yet to take up crop cutting, a progressive farmer Bijay Xalxo in Lathikata block has completed cutting of scented Basmati paddy on 16 acres. Even as Xalxo waits for the paddy stocks to dry before being processed, he has started sowing mustard seeds on 30 acres, including the 16 acres, and sowing is underway.  Xalxo has set an example for other traditional farmers with his gradual shifting to mechanised farming.

 

The Indian Express

Odisha is one of the rare states that has enjoyed a long period of political stability and continuity in economic policies since March 2000, when Naveen Patnaik took over as chief minister for the first time. The state is also blessed with abundant natural resources, especially minerals, forests and groundwater. Given all this, Odisha should have been one of the richer states of India. But Odisha’s per capita income is the fifth lowest in the country and poverty the sixth highest amongst various states of India.

The Indian Express

THE Maharashtra government has drawn plans to bring additional 40 lakh hectares of land under irrigation, availing 83.3 per cent of the water storage in 3,037 dams across the state. The ambitious target aims to enhance the state’s irrigation potential, which has remained stagnant at 18 per cent for the last 15 years. The target for 2016-17 is being backed with the Vision Document and policy reforms in water management and changes in the crop pattern. Highly placed sources in the Ministry of Water Resources said the highest record of maximum land under irrigation in one year was 32 lakh hectares in the year 2005. “We can easily bring additional 40 lakh hectares under the command ...

The Hindu

Bali Ram, a 39-year-old farmer from Kaimla village in Karnal, around 120 km from Delhi, did not burn the paddy stubble in his fields this year for fear of being penalised. Despite the extra cost, he decided to plough his land with a tractor to get rid of the plant stalks. However, he conceded that most of the villagers in the area still preferred to burn the crop waste. “Burning the stubble seems to be the most convenient, cheap and pragmatic solution to get rid of it. Most of the farmers prefer to cut their crops using combine harvesters which do not cut crops close to the ground and leave the plant stalk, usually up to ...

The Hindu

Krishi Mela, a four-day annual demonstrative event of farm technologies organised by University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, attracted a good number of farmers on Sunday. People, who arrived from different parts of Hyderabad Karnataka region, particularly from Raichur district, were found enthusiastically visiting various stalls and collecting information about advanced farm equipment, technologies and crop varieties put on display.

The New Indian Express

Paddy procurement for the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) will begin in the district from November 23. The decision was taken at the District Level Procurement Committee (DLPC) meeting held here on Saturday. The meeting, chaired by Collector Samarth Verma, resolved that the procurement process in Sadar Sub-division will begin from November 23 while at Kuchinda and Rairakhol sub-divisions, it will start from November 28.

The Times of India

State cooperative minister Alok Mehta on Saturday launched the department’s specially developed software to facilitate online registration of farmers so that they could sell their kharif season paddy to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies(PACS) at the minimum support price (MSP) rate of Rs 1,470 per quintal to comply with the state’s paddy procurement drive for the current fiscal.

The Financial Express

The Digital India initiative might be a game-changer in many aspects, but when it comes to agri marketing, the e-platform of the National Agriculture Market (NAM), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April this year, has seen only tepid response. NAM is yet to provide farmers’ choice of buyers within states, let alone allowing inter-state trade, which would have boosted agricultural income. Sources told FE that only 250 regulated wholesale markets (the country has 585 such mandis) spread across 12 states under the respective agricultural produce marketing committees (APMCs) have so far been integrated with the NAM platform. However, trading is being carried out at present only in 220 mandis.

The Indian Express

Laws on conservation of agro-biodiversity should not hamper growth of agriculture in developing nations like India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said, while asserting that use of technologies for crop enhancement must not be at the cost of sustainable development. Addressing the first ever International Agro-biodiversity Congress in the national capital, Modi cautioned against growing threat to plant and animal species and said there is a need to adopt a “shared vision” for conserving them through focused research and proper management of genetic resources.

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A paradox is playing out in Indian agriculture. Even though more than 58% of rural households in Asia’s third-largest economy depend on farming, investors – especially private equity funds –aren’t really chasing businesses in this sector. So far this year, private equity investment in the Indian food and agriculture industry has been at a five-year low, according to data from News Corp VCCircle, an information and news provider focused on startups and investments.

The Hindu

A comprehensive report on drought situation in the State would be submitted to Union Government on Nov. 14, said Minister for Agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda, during a press conference at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, on Sunday. As per the preliminary survey conducted by State government, standing crops worth over Rs. 12,000 crore had been destroyed due the dry spell, he added.

The Financial Express

The electronic -national agricultural market (e-NAM), which was launched with huge fanfare, has raised expectations about giving farmers better rates and linking Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) across the country. Alongside, another player that has been on operation for around five years, NCDEX e-Markets, has silently been making waves. Maharashtra has been working with the World Bank to automate some of its APMCs.

The Hindu

Rural prosperity is bound to increase because of the bountiful monsoon. With the likelihood of a good harvest, one can expect rural demand to pick up significantly. Several new models have been launched. If we put all of these together, the prospect for the passenger car segment seems upbeat. The other segment that is doing really well is the tractor segment. After two years of downturn, tractors seem to have recovered and there is a significant upsurge. Similarly, the construction equipment segment has been on the upswing as a result of the real action on the ground on the infrastructure front. Infra-related projects are moving apace now. Even in the CV segment, a good chunk of the ...

The Times of India

Due to fodder shortage, farmers in many villages, especially Kellahalli of Mysuru taluk, have started selling oxen and cows at throwaway prices. If they had bo ught one for Rs 50,000, they’re now selling it for Rs 20,000 or even less. This came to light during the central team’s visit to drought-affected villages in Mysuru district on Friday.

ET Auto

The three-day Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) 2016 gets under way in Jaipur on November 9, 2016. GRAM 2016 will expose the farming communities to the technological advancements and global best practices and showcase investment opportunities in the state to agri-business communities across the world. ‘GRAM’ is jointly organized by the Government of Rajasthan and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Israel is the partner country for the event. The mega event is expected to witness the participation of around 50,000 farmers.

The Hans India

The new system of online cash transfer to farmers within two days introduced by the Civil Supplies Corporation has helped it procure 4,500 metric tonnes of paddy for the Kharif season; and, that too, in just a week after the procurement centres opened. The Corporation, which has already opened 400 centres, most of them in places like Nalgonda and Karimnagar districts, has plans to open more than 2,000 centres throughout the State for the first time during the season.

The Telegraph

The Bihar government has decided to do away with the paddy procurement target for the current season (2016-17) ostensibly on the ground that harvest was expected to be bumper this year and hence it was not setting any limit for the farmers. The government had failed to meet paddy procurement targets of 30 lakh metric tonnes per annum for the past two years. Paddy production estimates in the two preceding kharif seasons ranged between 90 and 93 lakh metric tonnes, as both were drought years with the state getting less than normal rainfall. Bihar government agencies could procure only around 20 lakh metric tonnes in 2014-15 and around 19 lakh metric tonnes in 2015-16.

The Times of India

India will keep its wheat import tax unchanged at 10 percent and state-run traders will not import the grain for now, as the private trade is expected to buy up to 3 million tonnes this year, the highest in a decade, a senior government source said. India, the world’s second-biggest wheat producer, lowered the import tax on the grain to 10 percent from 25 percent in September, helping private traders such as Cargill, Louis Dreyfus and Glencore to import large quantities to combat a looming shortage.

Hindustan Times

Whether it’s wheat or paddy, smog engulfs the region at the end of the harvesting. Thanks to the practice of stubble burning, which farmers opt for to get rid of the unwanted plant residue, before preparing the land for the next crop. Most farmers say this is the only viable option with them as managing stubble in a scientific manner using machines is too costly. Still, there are farmers who have realised the seriousness of the ill-effects of stubble burning and are supporting people of their ilk in collecting and supplying the residue to the biomass plants. Better still, this earns them profit too. HT meets two such progressive farmers.

BW Disrupt

The company leverages cutting edge technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud, mobility, and data analytics to improve the agri-supply chain, including milk production, milk procurement, animal insurance and farmer payments. Their SmartMoo™ cloud is built to support massive sets of data from “tens of millions of litres of milk….across millions of farmers.” Some of their leading clients are dairy service providers like Hatsun, Lactalis, Heritage and Prabhat.

The Times of India

Gujarat ranks down there at the bottom with less than 15% share of agriculture and allied sector in (Gross State Domestic Product) GSDP. The state is ranked at the bottom with states Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu.

 

The Hindu

Krishi Mela, a four-day annual demonstration farming technologies, is scheduled to begin on Saturday on the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Raichur, campus. Addressing a media conference on the campus, P.M. Salimath, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said that in view of the United Nation General Assembly’s declaration to observe 2016 as International Year of Pulses, Krishi Mela 2016 was designed around the central theme of “The Role of Pulses in Food and Nutrition Security”.

The Indian Express

To tackle the regional imbalance in development in the state, the Maharashtra government has sanctioned projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore in the backward regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada in the last two years. The sectors were policy corrections were taken include agriculture infrastructure and industries, which have remained in a state of neglect in the two drought-affected regions, which have also seen a large number of farmer suicides.

The Times of India

“Middlemen have always been a bane for farmers in the agriculture markets as they shortchanged the small and marginal farmers by quoting the lowest prices. But with the successful launch of UMP, their role is increasingly getting eliminated as farmers get a far better price in the market,” said Manoj Rajan, managing director and CEO, Rashtriya e-Market Services, the brain behind the venture.

India Today

Punjab has pleaded helplessness on the farm fire menace clearly citing the impending Assembly elections in March-April 2017. Members of the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) told Mail Today that at two recent meetings, Punjab agriculture department officials prayed they may be excused from fining farmers for burning paddy straw.

Business Standard

Nearly 52.75 lakh tonnes of paddy has arrived in the grain markets in Haryana this season, food and supplies officials said on Wednesday. This is much higher than the paddy arrival of 44.73 lakh tonnes during the same period last year. Procurement of paddy in Haryana started almost a week ahead of the official procurement commencement date of October 1.

The Financial Express

When top-ranking agricultural states like Uttar Pradesh or West Bengal don’t even figure in the list of the top five states, or 10 for that matter, in an index on farm-friendly states, it is obvious there is serious problem when it comes to agriculture reform. NITI Aayog’s index of states ranked by ‘agri marketing and farmer-friendly reforms’ is a start, and it is obvious why Maharashtra tops the list—it has just removed fruits and vegetables from the APMC list for Vashi, the country’s second-largest mandi, and the state even has a few privately-owned mandis that are doing well. But starting reforms under the APMC Act and joining the eNAM initiative—this is one of the three areas ...

The Indian Express

Gujarat’s groundnut farmers aren’t the only ones facing the heat from crashing realisations. Soyabean growers in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh — also BJP-ruled — are facing a similar situation, with prices in mandis currently at Rs 2,700-2,900 per quintal. Not only are these below last year’s Rs 3,400-3,500 levels at this time, but perilously near the minimum support price of Rs 2,775/quintal — a rare phenomenon in soyabean where open market rates have tended to rule much higher.

Live Mint

Indian agriculture is approaching an important crossroad. Based on the sector’s current trajectory, the demand-supply mismatch in crops is likely to hit more than 15% by 2020, with the gap worsening to 20-25% by 2025 if unaddressed. The underlying trends (input variables if you will) are equally distressing. Agricultural productivity levels have been stagnant for the past 10 to 15 years, with our crops requiring around two to four times the average global water intensity. Wastage levels in our agricultural supply chain hover between 30% and 40%. More than a third of farmer households today live below the poverty line. These distressing trends highlight the enormity of the challenges lying ahead for the Indian agricultural industry.

The Indian Express

For over a year, there have been news reports of Niti Aayog, the erstwhile Planning Commission’s new avatar, working on a wide-ranging reform package for India’s farm sector. In recent months, teasers have appeared hinting at the Centre’s plans of liberalising rules governing tenancy, contract farming, agri-marketing or even forestry. But given the past glacial pace of reform in agriculture, one can only hope for, rather than expect, anything dramatic soon.

Eastern Mirror

Development planning in Nagaland since the state’s inception has always revolved around economic development in the form of building infrastructures, roads and bridges and small scale industries. However, local legislator Dr. Benjongliba Aier has observed, little effort has been made to determine how agriculture production, with emphasis on food production, can be increased through advanced input.