The Statesman

Acting on the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the Punjab agriculture department has so far delivered 7337 subsidized agro-machines to farmers for the effective scientific management of paddy residue.

Business Standard

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday made a case for blending subsidy with investment to augment farm sector growth and make it sustainable. He also said formalisation of the economy has started showing visible result in terms of higher resource mobilisation, leaving more in the hands of the government for the capital formation in various sectors.

Financial Express

Finance minister Arun Jaitley has expressed concern over a declining share of public investment in agriculture while subsidies to the sector are on the rise. “I do see a point in blending the subsidy support with investment because a model which sustains indefinitely only on subsidy will not be sustainable.

The Pioneer

The Centre on Monday effected a major bureaucratic reshuffle. Sanjay Agarawal will be the new Agriculture Secretary while Sanjeev Ranjan will be the new chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Tarun Kapoor the new Vice Chairman, Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

UNI

Officials of the Union Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday expressed serious concern about maize, cotton and wheat cultivation being afflicted with diseases caused by Fall Army Worm, Pink Ball Worm and, Wheat Blast, Yellow Rust and Karnal Bunt respectively. States were asked to strengthen disease surveillance system and advise farmers to plant certified seeds only. The invasion of Fall Army Worm from Africa in maize cultivation in Karnataka with risks to the crop in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu is a serious worry officials told the UN

Down To Earth

As farmers and agricultural labourers, women contribute significantly to food security of the country, but they are paid 22 per cent less than their male counterparts, shows a report on agricultural statistics  released by the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. While wages of both male and female farmers increased in the last decade (2006-17), the wage disparity continues and the women farmers continue to earn less.

UNI

The Economic Times

Despite monsoon being deficient by eight per cent so far this year, the Centre on Tuesday announced a foodgrains production target of 285.2 million tonnes for the next year (2018-19) with 141.2 million tonnes to be achieved in kharif and 144 million tonnes in the Rabi season. The total foodgrains output achieved in 2017- 18 was 284.8 million tonnes as declared recently by the Union Agriculture Ministry in its 4th Advance Estimates.

The Times of India

We have successfully managed to bring down the cases of stubble burning by around 60% and so the pollution levels too have come down accordingly. We have set up district-level committees across the state, which work in coordination with the Punjab Pollution Control Board, state agriculture department and other agencies. The committees visit villages to create awareness among the farmers and educate them about the ill effects of stubble burning not only on environment but also their farmland.