Sify

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y.S. Chowdary on Thursday called for finding ways and means to help farmers increase their income levels and reduce the cost of living. He was speaking here at the inauguration of India’s first “Rural Innovators Startup Conclave 2017” (RISC).

Hindustan Times

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today ruled out farm loan waivers by the Centre but said states can utilise their own resources in this regard. He clarified that the Centre will not adopt a selective approach by helping one state and not the others. “This issue (loan waiver) has cropped up in several states. The Centre has its policies for agriculture sector under which we provide interest subvention and other support. We will continue to give all that.

Money Control

Government is considering bringing back import duty on wheat to protect farmers’ interest after a bumper domestic crop, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said today. Responding to concerns expressed by the opposition on farmers being forced to sell wheat below the minimum price set by the government, Paswan said import duty on wheat was zero between 2006 and 2015.

The Hindu Business Line

The Reserve Bank of India is concerned around blanket farm-loan waivers, as they undermine credit discipline among borrowers, said SS Mundra, a Deputy Governor of the apex bank. This observation comes in the context of the poll promise of the BJP to waive farm loans in Uttar Pradesh if it won, the opposition in Maharashtra piling pressure on the BJP-Sena government to forgive farm loans, and the newly-elected Congress government in Punjab seeking a loan waiver from the Centre.

Live Mint

Sticking to its electoral promise, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh (UP) under chief minister Yogi Adityanath is giving top priority to farm loan waivers. Once implemented, loan waivers would mitigate the debt woes of the farmer, but pose a fiscal burden on the state government.

Kashmir Reader

Financial Commissioner emphasized upon the officers to gear up extension agency to reach the farmers fields for transferring technology and providing quality inputs to increase the production. He also laid emphasis on integrated farming to raise the economic standards of farmers. Jain urged upon the officers to cover the remaining farmers under KCC scheme upto ending April 2017, so that they are benefitted well by the scheme.