The Economic Times

India’s rice output is likely to fall by 1.9 million tonnes (MT) to 94.48 MT in kharif season this year on account of poor rain as well as floods, official sources said. The production of pulses and coarse cereals is estimated to have fallen, dragging the overall foodgrain output in kharif (summers own) season to 134.67 MT from record 138.52 MT in last kharif, according to sources.

The Times of India

Farmers in Karnataka are sowing the rabi crop early this season to make up for losses likely due to the poor kharif crop output. As per state government estimates, kharif crop production in the state will suffer an overall damage of around 10% to 20%. While major kharif crops like ragi, paddy and jowar have borne the brunt of the prolonged dry spell in June-July, the deluge in August-September has hit standing crops in several parts of the state.

The Statesman

Electronic bidding through the e-NAM (e-National Agriculture Market) system is bringing a major change in agriculture mandis (markets) and dealing a blow to the age-old “nexus” between commission agents of such mandis and their traders, feel the farmers of Nizamabad.

The Hindu

Farmers had to buy required machinery on their own Though allocations were made in the budget, the government seems to have stopped the process of farm mechanisation. The allocation has remained on paper and the money is yet to be transferred to the district offices from the State Government

The Indian Express

Last Month, The NITI Aayog released the Three Year Action Agenda (TYAA) for the government, a roadmap for reforming the various sectors of the economy. Here we look at its agenda for the agriculture sector, and how best it can rescue the sector whose growth has plunged to just 1.8 per cent annually in the first three years of the NDA government.

The Hindu

Harish Rao asks farmers to sell produce via procurement centres and not farms Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao said that as many as 100 maize procurement centres will be established in the State for the benefit of farmers, to oversee that they got the right price for their produce. Addressing a gathering after formally inaugurating the maize procurement centre established by Markfed at Siddipet market yard on Sunday, Mr. Harish Rao said that already 20 centre had been established and the remaining.

The Times of India

Even as the government remains firm on not allowing paddy to be grown in Karnataka’s rice bowl Mandya fearing over-utilization of water from the Cauvery basin, a lesser-known variety of rice which doesn’t consume much water seems to be struggling to create a market. Aerobic rice needs only half the water used for conventional rice cultivation. In the trial phase for the past 10 years, it has seen little exposure. So much so, a mela was held in Mandya on Saturday to attract farmers towards the variety.