The Kashmir Monitor

Women are indispensable part of India’s dairy sector and agriculture, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.Prime Minister Modi was interacting with women associated with Self Help Groups through video conferencing on the Narendra Modi (NaMo) app.

Business Standard

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today suggested that farm labourers should be given wages as per the provisions of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MNREGA).

The Indian Express

A chief ministers’ panel and NITI Aayog on Thursday deliberated on using MGNREGA funds for rehabilitation of agricultural land impacted by natural calamities as well as supplementing farm labour costs.

The first meeting of the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on coordination between the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and agriculture also discussed reducing the cost of cultivation and enhancing productivity through efficient use of water. The meeting, held at the NITI Aayog, was chaired by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. According to an official statement, five critical areas in which MGNREGA could positively help came to the fore in the meeting.

Hindustan Times

In a turn of events that would cause embarrassment to the state local bodies department, environment minister OP Soni has directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) staff to take samples of discharge from Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), get them tested prepare a record and seek monthly compliance report from the local bodies department.

The Times of India

Fragmentation of land holdings and disorganization of small and marginal farmers create roadblocks for adoption of latest technology and use of high yielding varieties of inputs such as seeds and fertilizers, said agricultural economist V S Vyas, also a former member of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council

The Pioneer

If the Prime Minister really wants improvement of agriculture sector, he must form an Indian Agriculture Service or a Central Agriculture Service immediately, the All India Agricultural Students’ Association has demanded.

The New Indian Express

Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday lauded the role of Nabard for its consistent support to the State in the field of agriculture and rural development. Addressing the 37th foundation day function of the national bank here, Pradhan applauded the bank for significantly increasing the developmental financial assistance to the State in the last two financial years. Drawing the attention of banks to the huge gap between crop loan and agricultural term loan, the Union Minister was critical about the vicious circle of compounding of crop loan at bank level without adding much to the fresh agricultural short-term loan.

The New Indian Express

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has written a letter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is heading the chief ministerial panel that has been tasked with drawing up a strategy to link MGNREGS with the farm sector, stressing the need for taking up more activities of agriculture/horticulture and allied sectors under the rural job scheme in addition to the already permitted activities to reduce cost of cultivation.

The New Indian Express

The state government is planning to expand paddy farming to 3 lakh hectares within a year, said Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar here on Thursday. Through sustained efforts, the government has expanded paddy cultivation to 2 lakh hectares during the past two years. There is no need to be concerned about amendments introduced in the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act. Those who are criticising the amendments have not read them properly, he said while inaugurating the Kalady Krishi Bhavan office at the mini civil station.

The Economic Times 

A number of states have waived off farm loans since the general elections in 2014, but while the burden on farmers and their families have reduced, there may be no visible benefits to the overall economy through higher investments in agriculture and improved productivity, a report from the Reserve Bank of India has said.

The Hindu Business Line

Union Minister Arun Jaitley today suggested a uniform set of policies for the agriculture sector across the country so that farmers benefit the most and their income doubles.The agriculture sector is an area that bothers both the Centre and the states with both the governments making policies for the sector, Jaitley said while addressing the 37th ...

Zee Business

The sub-group also held discussions on interventions of MGNREGA to facilitate reduction of agrarian distress including work availability, wage rates, seasonality etc. They also had a discussion on ways to end the problem of stubble burning that is a major concern in northern India during the harvesting season.

The Navhind Times 

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