The New Indian Express

Gopi, a farmer hailing from Wayanad district, was expecting a bumper crop from his paddy fields, but unfortunately things went awry and he suffered heavy losses at the end of the harvest. Blame it on the deficient monsoon rains, which resulted in low yield. Like Gopi, there are several farmers across the state who have suffered monetary losses after crop failures.

The New Indian Express

Farmers of Sundargarh district are resorting to distress sale of paddy with the local administration deciding to procure a maximum of 1.32 lakh tonnes of paddy at the minimum support price (MSP). Apparently, farmers are left with the surplus stock of 2.88 lakh tonnes, which they would be forced to sell below the MSP of over Rs 1400 per quintal.

 

Deccan Chronicle

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday once again targeted the Centre over demonetisation, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes has questioned the honesty of the Indian farmers. “A farmer needs money for seeds and fertilizers. India’s farmer is the most honest. He does not have any black money. He only puts in his sweat and blood in his work. Narendra Modi ji’s demonetisation has inflicted a major injury on farmers. A farmer’s honesty has been questioned,” he said.

Business Standard

The recent decision to remove the import duty on wheat could be temporary, with restoration likely once the new crop comes into the market from April 1. “The decision was taken to stabilise the price, rising due to low stocks in government godowns,” said a senior official. Once stocks reach comfortable levels, he said, the duty could be restored.

The New Indian Express

The Odisha Government, which is in the midst of bringing a tenancy reforms law, has little clue about the exact status of its farmer population. If information furnished by Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department is any indication, the number of farmers could be 46 lakh, 41 lakh or even 32 lakh. The Agricultural Census of the State Government shows that the total number of cultivators in the State stood at 32.79 lakh in 2010-11 while population of farm labourers was 24.20 lakh.

The Economic Times

Demonetisation will lead to availability of more funds for new projects, farm mechanisation, new small and medium enterprises at a lower interest rate, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said. In an interview with ET , she also said misuse of black money in elections will reduce. The minister is also hopeful the government may include some items such as soaps and shampoos in the 100 per cent foreign direct investment in food retail, which ..

India Blooms

In a report issued last week, the UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific warned that if investment in agricultural research is not increased, particularly in Asia, home to 60 percent of the world’s hungry people, global efforts to achieve the zero hunger target by 2030 – Goal 2 SDGs – could fall short.

Business World

Agri-tech is a short form for “agricultural technology.” It involves using environmentally sound and sustainable farming methods in agriculture to increase yield, efficiency and profitability. This could include equipment like water filters and water pumps or digital services like apps that connect buyers to sellers in the rural markets or heirloom seeds, chemical-free fertilizers, and smart agriculture techniques.