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 ...