The Hindu

Holding withered crops, scores of farmers from various villages of Kovilpatti, Ettayapuram and Vilathikulam taluks laid siege to the Collectorate here on Thursday ahead of grievances redressal meeting and demanded the State government to declare Thoothukudi as a ‘drought-hit’ district.

The Times of India

For the ongoing rabi season, four crops will be covered under crop insurance scheme in Kurukshetra district. The district agriculture department has stated that farmers would be provided insurance cover for wheat, mustard, barley and chana (chickpea).

The Economic Times

Wheat imports by flour mills are likely to continue as a lower-than-expected rabi crop is insufficient to meet India’s demand for wheat flour and maida. Agriculturists feel the drop in rate of wheat seed replacement due to cash crunch would affect yield this season. This coupled with foggy conditions are likely to raise India’s reliance on imports.

Assam Tribune

Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan said today agriculture should be made an attractive career option for the vast majority of youth looking for jobs. Inaugurating the conference on “Linking Prospective Food Entrepreneurs with Government Schemes and Markets,” at Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR), Umiam, Shanmuganathan said the Government, industries and scientists should work closely and formulate policies to make the agriculture sector attractive for the youths. “Unemployment is very high in Meghalaya and agriculture and food processing can play a vital role in developing the State.”

The Economic Times

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh today pitched for increased use of cutting-edge technologies including transgenics to address challenges of unknown biotic stress in crops/animals due to climate change. He called for development of biotic stress resilient crops and breeding of animals using indigenous as well as wild resources, while emphasising the need to strengthen domestic and global quarantines to prevent movement of infected products to pest-free areas and countries.

The Indian Express

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal inaugurated the new building of Punjab Kisan Vikas Chamber (PKVC), a farmers’ advisory body, near the international airport on Thursday. The chief minister said the chamber, on the pattern of industrial organisations like Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), PHD Chamber of Commerce, Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (ASSOCHAM) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), would provide an affirmative say on behalf of the farmers in the policies and programmes related to agricultural and allied activities.

Business Standard

A Parliamentary panel today pulled up the Agriculture Ministry for not taking adequate measures to address the problem of fodder shortage, which is estimated to increase to over 100 million tonnes by 2025. It also observed that the area under fodder cultivation is only about four per cent of the cropping area, and it has remained static for a long period of time.