Mint

In the last four years, Indian agriculture has clocked an average annual growth rate of a mere 2.5% against the economy’s growth rate of 7.2%. India’s agri-trade surplus has almost halved. The profitability of various crops has gone down by a third and real wages of farmers have fallen. Gross value added of agriculture has slumped, mirroring a massive drop in agriculture prices. The deflation has continued into 2018.

Outlook

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today urged a group of chief ministers, set up by the Centre, to consider the need to waive institutional loans of farmers and the formation of adequate budgetary provision for it by the union government.

The Pioneer

The Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, during the Crop Insurance Amount Distribution Programme held at Kalapipal of Shajapur district on Wednesday has said that he understands farmers’ pain. Farmers work hard in agriculture fields by bearing the brunt of different climate. He further mentioned that full value of farmers’ hard labour will be paid and he will not let go farmers’ labour in vain.

The Telegraph

The Bengal chief minister on Wednesday wrote to the Centre with suggestions on agriculture policies that needed to be pursued and measures that could increase effectiveness of 100 days’ job scheme.The trigger behind the letter is Thursday’s NITI Aayog meeting, which she cannot attend as she is visiting north Bengal.

The New Indian Express

With the monsoon continuing to wreak havoc after a short interval, the agriculture sector has suffered a loss of Rs 11 crore. As per the latest figures with the Agriculture Department, the rain has affected 3,288 farmers in the district while heavy rain left crops in more than 729 hectares damaged.

The Pioneer

Erratic and uneven distribution of rainfall this monsoon has left the farmers a worried lot in the State. Though monsoon arrived early this year, it got delayed at many places in the State.As a result, crop sowing too got delayed and the Government asked farmers to use short term paddy which actually will give better yield despite monsoon vagaries.

The Times of India

Expressing concern over the problem of stubble burning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that the central government was working seriously to ensure that farmers were not compelled to burn agricultural residue.

The Indian Express

In 2016, the Punjab government sought Central assistance of Rs 1,109 crore to enable farmers in the state purchase subsidised machinery for managing left-over paddy stubble from combine harvesting, without resorting to burning it in their fields.