Business Today

Narendra Modi government has substantially increased allocation of resources for the agriculture sector as compared to the previous regime and is well on its way to achieve its targets in a mission mode, says Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh. In a response to Business Today, Singh said greater emphasis is being given to agricultural education, research and extension activities and extension of the facilities for irrigation, low-cost organic farming, crop insurance, national agricultural market, horticulture development and agro forestry remain focus areas.

The Pioneer

Punjab was the only state that was talking about an integrated solutions-based approach to the problems relating to water, agriculture and power, said the World Bank Country Director India Junaid Ahmad who met Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh along with a delegation.

The Pioneer

The National Farmers Commission was constituted in February 2004. After that, the national policy for farmers was approved on the basis of the Commission’s recommendations in the country, which aimed at improving the economic condition of the agricultural sector as well as the net income of the farmers.Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act, 2016 issued to states, which is a very important step in terms of agricultural reforms through which not only the needs of landlords but the needs of the lease holders are also taken care of. Through this act, land holders can legally lease the land with mutual consent for agriculture and allied sectors.

The Pioneer

The last four years have seen a number of announcements towards strengthening the foundations for accelerated agriculture growth and the Government’s pledge of “doubling farmers’ income by 2022.” What is required now is to unleash the full potential of agriculture with a paradigm shift in public-private partnership and the spirit of cooperative federalism.

The Hindu

On Wednesday, Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said, “The plastic ban was essential to save the rivers, the seashore and the sea. While it is affecting biodiversity, it also has serious impacts such as a rise in temperature. At the same time, unregulated use of chemical fertilisers in agriculture leads to poisonous traces in foodgrains. This affects consumers’ health. As a result, my department is seriously considering the option to ban chemical fertilisers on the lines of the plastic ban.”

Financial Express

It is ironical. The richer we become, the more resources we command; the longer we live, the more pessimistic we become about the present and future and start panicking. From a food importing nation in the 1960s to a food exporting one now, India has made significant strides in the field of agriculture. Science and technology has successfully tackled food shortage, a problem till the 1980s. It, therefore, exited our minds. Its space has since been occupied by imaginary fears like poison in our plate, impending cancer epidemic, etc.

Business Standard

The Punjab government today directed the agriculture department to intensify the efforts to make farmers aware about the judicious use of fertilisers.Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Viswajeet Khanna said that instructions have been issued to officials of agriculture and farmers welfare department to ensure disseminating requisite information regarding use of fertilisers judiciously at the grassroots level so that the input cost of farmers could be reduced.

Down To Earth

Plasticulture, or the use of plastics in agriculture, is evident in the form of lining of farm ponds, greenhouse cultivation, micro-irrigation (drips and sprinklers) and plastic mulching. Plastic mulch, in particular, should be of concern to us as it is a potential source of entry into our food system.

Moneycontrol

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the government is taking several steps to promote young entrepreneurs in the country, adding that startups are no longer confined to big cities.Smaller towns and villages too are emerging as vibrant startup centres, the Prime Minister said while interacting with young entrepreneurs from across the country, including cities like Dehradun, Guwahati and Raipur.

The Arunachal Times

Informing about the union government’s schemes and flagship programmes to boost the agriculture sector, the Bhartiya Janata Kishan Morcha’s (BJKM) state president Dunggoli Libang on Thursday urged the agriculture department to ensure that the benefits of the schemes reach “only the genuine farmers of the state.” Addressing media persons at the press club, Libang said the Centre has launched several schemes, “from irrigation to soil health management, organic farming to crop insurance,” under various schemes and flagship programmes to improve productivity and double the farmers’ income by 2022.

The Print

Mandava Prabhakar Rao is a man on a mission. And how his mission ends could largely determine the future of India’s hybrid farm seeds, cotton and textile industries.Rao is the chairman and managing director of Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd (NSL), a 45-year-old Telangana-based seeds company which claims to be India’s largest hybrid seeds firm.

The Hans India

Special Commissioner of Agriculture Muralidhar Reddy informed that if any trader sells seeds in the black market, he will take stern action.