The Economic Times

A spell of rain is expected to lash the northern and northwestern regions over the next 24 hours, which agriculture experts say would help boost planting of wheat, chickpea and mustard.

India Today

The Centre has chalked out a strategy to impart farm-related knowledge and develop agri skill sets among 6.33 lakh farmers by 2022 and about Rs 3.5 crore fund has been set aside for 2016-17. Developing farmers skill sets is part of the governments national skill development policy launched in 2015. The Agriculture and Skill Development Ministries will together provide farmers skill development training from this month onwards.

Counter Currents

Emerging evidence indicates that demonetisation was not done to curb corruption, ‘black money’ or terrorism, the reasons originally given. That was a smokescreen. Modi was acting on behalf of powerful Wall Street financial interests. Demonetisation has caused massive hardship, inconvenience and chaos. It has affected everyone and has impacted the poor and those who reside in rural areas (i.e. most of the population) significantly.

The Assam Tribune

Stressing the importance of augmenting the income of farmers, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora has said that the government has undertaken a slew of initiatives for the welfare of farmers, which will further give an impetus to the economy of the State.

Business Standard

The government may announce increase in agri-credit target to Rs 10-12 lakh crore in the 2017-18 Budget and even reduce the interest rates considering excessive cash flow in banks after demonetisation, consulting and accounting firm PwC India said today. For the current 2016-17 fiscal, the government has set a target to disburse agri credit of Rs 9 lakh crore, of which, Rs 7.56 lakh crore credit has been disbursed to farmers till September this year, as per the government data.