Media Monitor
Agriculture Industry
Two and half years of Narendra Modi Govt: Centre’s Rs 16,000 cr spend on PM Fasal Bima Yojana may hit some hurdles; here’s whyedit
As is well known, the Modi government was hit by back-to-back droughts in the first two years of its term, and agri-GDP growth collapsed to just 0.5%. Some regions like Marathwada experienced acute distress. But sometimes, bad times are good for policy. The Modi government launched a new crop insurance scheme, the PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in February 2016, with a view to de-risk agriculture of vagaries of nature. Kharif 2016 was when the scheme was piloted, and government seems to have incurred a spending of more than R16,000 crore. It would be good to evaluate its performance with a view to improvise it further.
PWD body seeks compensation for farmers, agriculture labourersedit
Similar resolutions were also adopted at the meeting held in Tiruvarur, organized by various farmers’ bodies on Friday. During the seminar, jointly organized with the association of TNEB Engineers, A Veerappan, state secretary of senior PWD engineers’ association, said the Centre should constitute Cauvery Management Board (CMB), without passing a resolution in Parliament, as it did in the case of Narmada, Gothavari and Krishna river disputes. The ruling AIADMK government should pressurize the Centre in this regard.
No takers for agriculture among youthedit
As per recent reports of agricultural department, Government of India, many of the rural youth are moving away from agriculture or its related professions in rural areas. The average age of farmers and agri-wage workers in the country was found to be 52 years, while majority are around 40-65 years of age. Only around 3.5 per cent of agriculturists are in the age group of 20-30 years, while the average strength of this group in rural India is found to be around 27 per cent.
Demonetisation renders crops un‘bankable’ for farmersedit
When Sony Koithara, a farmer from Thiruvarpp panchayat in Upper Kuttanad region of Kottayam district sowed seeds on his 10acre paddy field at Thiruvaykkarai on November 10, the banks across the country had just reopened after the demonetisation of Rs 500/Rs 1,000 notes. Since he had made preparations for the Puncha cultivation prior to the Centre’s decision to discontinue the high value denomination notes, it didn’t affect him initially stage. But he started feeling the heat within two weeks, when pesticides had to be used.
De-Mon casts shadow over agri sectoredit
Farmers, who are dependent on three-tier cooperative structure in Sundargarh district, are reeling under the impact of demonetisation during the ongoing rabi season. About 60 per cent agriculture loans are disbursed by 16 rural branches of Sundargarh District Central Cooperative Bank Ltd (SDCCBL) through 44 LAMPSs (Large And Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies). However, cash supply to the SDCCBL has been curbed drastically, while the LMAPSs are banned from rendering banking services, adding to the woes of the farmers.
What to expect from Budget 2017edit
It is important to recognize the kind of budget India needs at this point in time. There are times when a country needs a budget that can spur growth. There are other times when a country needs a budget that can cut expenditure. There are still other times when a country can get by with a middle-of-the-road budget that maintains the status quo. Then, there are times when a budget has to focus on a specific sector—agriculture, for instance. The budget which finance minister Arun Jaitley will present on 1 February needs to have a different and singular objective.
Agriculture a fertile ground for digitizationedit
The numbers around India’s agriculture sector are staggering. It accounts for nearly 15% of India’s gross domestic product. It constitutes 10% of the overall exports. Over 58% of rural households depend on the sector as their principal means of livelihood. Most importantly, it feeds more than 1.2 billion people.