The Hindu

Farmers affiliated to the Tamizhaga Vivasayeegal Sangam (a non-partisan farmers’ association) observed a fast here on Wednesday in support of farmers protesting in New Delhi. A few student-members of ‘Matrathai Nokki’ organisation supported the farmers. Led by State general secretary P. Kandasamy, president ‘Vazhukkuparai’ Balu

Business World

Indian banks are increasingly looking at expanding their agri-tech solutions even as the Prime Minister has stressed on using technology in agriculture and talked about doubling farmers’ income by 2022. Several banks have lined up agri-tech initiatives to provide information on crop patterns, sowing patterns, and prices of various farm produce.

Business Standard

After last year’s slippage, the central government has some cheer on wheat procurement, with its purchase this year till April 12 being six per cent more than in 2016-17 at this date, at 3.8 million tonnes (mt). If the trend stays, the Centre might reach its target of 33 mt in wheat procurement well on time.

PTI News

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today batted for more budgetary allocation for the farm sector. “It is high time for the country to have a thorough review of the farm sector….the distress faced by farmers of the country,” he said, speaking to reporters here.

Daily Pioneer

The potential of the state in agriculture and other sectors has not been harnessed properly so far. If places like the Auli ski slope are developed with proper facilities, people will arrive here instead of travelling to Switzerland. Considering the large size of unskilled population, ASSOCHAM which has 10 skilling centres across the nation, has proposed to work in Uttarakhand towards skill development.

Money Control

Farm credit worth Rs 7.57 lakh crore was disbursed by during the first nine months (Apr-Dec) of the 2016-17 fiscal which is likely to surpass the target, Parliament was informed. The agri-credit target for 2016-17 fiscal is Rs 9 lakh crore, while for the current year it is Rs 10 lakh crore.

Telangana Today

Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy has expressed happiness and thanked the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, for fulfilling poll promise to clear Rs 17,000 crore loan wavier within a short span of time. The TRS government is ready to mount pressure against the Centre if it extends helping hand to Uttar Pradesh in clearing loan waiver, Reddy told Pradeep Mandhumula of Telangana Today.

Financial Express

For addressing anomalies in the existing Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and to boost farmers’ income, the Niti Aayog has called a wmeeting of state agriculture ministers later this month where the new model APMC Act would be unveiled.

The Times of India

Within a week or so, the national capital region will see a spike in air pollution levels as farmers across north India are likely to start burning wheat stubble following harvest of the rabi crop. Agricultural experts are recommending a major overhaul in policies to address this “deep-rooted” problem.

India Today

When the fields of Punjab and Haryana are set afire every harvest season, soil nutrients worth hundreds of crores of rupees, nearly equal to the amount spent on subsidising chemical fertilisers and pesticides, go up in smoke. This assumes importance as, by next month, the agricultural landscape of Punjab and Haryana will be dotted with fires billowing out pollutant-laden smoke as farmers will set fire to the residues of the Rabi crop and usher in the Kharif season.

The Asian Age

In post-Independence India, farmer-friendly schemes are nothing new. In 1989, the Janata Dal government floated an agricultural loan write-off plan that waived loans upto Rs 10,000. By 1992, it had benefited 44 million farmers at a cost of Rs 6,000 crores. In 2008, the Agricultural Debt-Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme benefited over 36.9 million small/marginal farmers, along with 5.97 million large farmers, for Rs 71,600 crores.