UNI

The Ministerial committee constituted by the Odisha government will take a decision on the three point demands ’of the farmers after considering the suggestions given by experts and Farmers leaders,Odisha Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera said here today

The Pioneer

After series of landmark achievements in the field of minerals, industry and non-farm sector, the State has broken the jinx. Taking a turn from the traditional sectors the Government organised first ever Global Agriculture and Food Summit that paved way for series of measures and initiatives to be taken for the 28 lakh odd farmers in the State.

UNI

Director Agriculture Kashmir Altaf Aijaz Andrabi on Thursday directed the officials to act against the defaulters holding fertilizer license and take steps to end the illegal trading of fertilizers in Kashmir valley

The Pioneer

With a view to provide better facility for the farmers of Jharkhand agriculture department is running single window system informed Ramesh Gholap during the technical session of ‘Global Agriculture and Food Summit’ on the inaugural day on Thursday

The Pioneer

Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said that in the development of the nation the contribution of the villagers, farmers and workers is a must. Addressing the Global Agriculture and Food Summit at the Khelgaon here on Thursday he said that agriculture was the soul of the nation and base of the culture and traditions. He said that all our festivals are also directly and indirectly related to the agriculture.

The Wire

The smoke from stubble burning in fields being cleared for the wheat crop arrived punctually in Delhi a few days before Diwali, as it has every year since the 1980s. Regular satellite surveillance by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute had detected 65,408 burning events in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh between September 30 and November 15.

The Telegraph

Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday expressed concern over the state capital’s dirty air, but said that the location of the air quality monitoring station in the city was not suitable for proper assessment of pollution levels.

The Times of India

The agriculture ministry has withdrawn from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance its report that suggested the government’s shock decision to demonetise old Rs 500/1,000 notes in November 2016 affected farmers’ community, according to some committee members.

The Pioneer

With farm fires in Delhi’s neighbouring States causing severe air pollution in the Capital, the Centre has set up a high-level committee to suggest specific varieties of crops other than paddy in areas where crop burning is higher. Additional Secretary Nagesh Singh of the Ministry of Rural Development will head the committee.

The Indian Express

In a dramatic turn of events, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to shelve its bid to bring about major changes in the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (Development and Regulation) Act, 1963.

The Economic Times

The government has attributed the stark change in economic growth rate during the era of the previous Congress-led administration under the backseries GDP released on Wednesday to multiple factors impacting primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.

The Hans India

The upcoming agri export policy this week by the Union Cabinet is likely to take the poultry industry to the next level, says industry insiders. Speaking to the ...

News Central

Ashok Gulati, renowned agricultural economist reportedly said that Indian farmers have struggled massively in the four years of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, citing that the average agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate was around 2.5 per cent in these last four years as compared to the 5.2 per cent during the last four years of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

First Post

The agrarian crisis did not happen overnight. As a Niti Aayog report shows, the problem started after 1991-92 — until then, both farm and non-farm sectors grew at the same level. After 1991-92, the non-farm sectors took off to a higher growth trajectory (following economic liberalisation) to more than 8 percent while the farm sector remained stuck, with the long-term growth trend of a mere 2.8 percent.

The Week

Farmers in India did not have a great time in the last four years. “In the last four years, agriculture GDP growth was 2.5 per cent on an average, compared to 5.2 per cent in the four years of the UPA (UPA-II). And if you take the 10 years of UPA, it would average to around 3.7 per cent,” said farm economist Ashok Gulati, who was the Commissioner of Agriculture Costs and Prices during the UPA era.

Business Standard

A book detailing how Modi government’s policies have led to a drop in farmers’ income and caused rural distress across the country was launched in the capital on Monday.

KrishiJagran.com

Government of India is giving more priority for welfare of the farmers. In this regard it is implementing several farmers welfare schemes to revitalize agriculture sector and to improve their economic conditions. Therefore, the government has rolled out new initiatives, schemes, programmes and plans to benefit all the farmers.

Krishi Jagran

The Cabinet is likely to take up agriculture export policy this week. The proposed agriculture export policy aims at doubling outbound shipments of farm products and increasing their share in the world market.

Krishi Jagran.com

Precision farming is the way of farming which makes the use of satellite data to make soil work better by informing about the condition of soil, its moisture level and other aspects. They use research about weather patterns, soil temperature and humidity, growth, and other factors. They rotate crops to improve diversity, and monitor irrigation rates so that salts do not accumulate.

The Economic Times

The Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday made a U-turn on its earlier assessment on the adverse impact of demonetisation on the farm sector by giving a revised note to a parliamentary panel.

India Today

India Today TV has accessed the draft of the report which the ministry will present before the standing committee. The note titled “Background Note for Examination of the Subject ‘Demonetisation of Indian Currency Notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 and Ramifications thereof'”, in its conclusion, says: “There has been an encouraging growth witnessed inflow of agriculture credit, distribution of quality/certified seeds, coverage of major Rabi crops and crop production in comparison to previous years. This indicates that the measures taken by the government ensured no adverse impact [of demonetisation] on the agriculture sector.”

The Times of India

State agriculture minister Prem Kumar on Monday said agriculture in Bihar would be developed like that in Sikkim. “My dream is to make Bihar an organic state like Sikkim,” he said. Inaugurating the organic rice harvesting festival organised by Tarumitra on its premises at Digha in Patna, Prem expressed concern over the frequent use of pesticides and insecticides by farmers and its adverse effects on the land. “Pesticides are also a health hazard for the farmers as well as the people who consume the farm produce,” he said.

The Hindu Business Line

Providing income security to farmers and boosting investment in agriculture are the two things that are needed to help Indian farmers in distress, said noted agricultural economist Ashok Gulati on Monday.

The Free Press Journal

A concerted effort is being made by various farmers and peasant organisations to float a new movement, different in character and dynamics from the one in seventies, when the peasants agitation and farmers movement were two different streams. While the peasants movement symbolised the aspirations and needs of the poor and middle peasantry, the farmers’ movement reflected the demands of the rich and well off farmers represented by organisations like Shetkari Sanghathana.

The Hans India

State government’s initiative of Agriculture Extension Officers (AEOs) using tabs and technology in delivering investment support and group insurance claim settlements in a time-bound manner with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been appreciated by the strategic teams of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Rome in Italy.

India Today

Exactly one week ago, the ministry, according to sources, had blamed the demonetisation announced by Prime Narendra Minister Modi for millions of farmers in India failing to buy seeds and fertilisers for their winter crops in a report submitted to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.

The Pioneer

Sharing the information, the state Agriculture Secretary and nodal officer for campaign against stubble burning KS Pannu on Monday said that a special campaign will be taken up in these eight districts next year in collaboration with PAU and NGOs to take farmers on board not to burn paddy straw.

The Tribune

A section of farmers has responded positively to the appeal of the state government to not burn paddy residue, reveals data from Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, Ludhiana.

DNA

The Backward Class Commission headed by retired justice MG Gaikwad received total 1.95 lakh applications in its ten months of commission duration. Out of it, only 85 applications asked the commission not to extend any reservations to Maratha community while 1,724 application asked to give reservations to Maratha but not to disturb the existing communities reservations in OBC. In Maratha community, most of the students and professionals and people who are in government services batted for reservations in large number.

The Economic Times

Exporters from the world’s biggest rice exporting nation have been given a breather by the Indian government who will extend a 5% benefit to non-basmati exporters under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) as relief from firm domestic prices that made exports less profitable.

Financial Express

It is the season of promising freebies to lure voters. Congress leads in these promises. It has promised a loan waiver in Chhattisgarh within 10 days of coming to power; and the hiking of minimum support price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 2,500/quintal, up from Rs 1,750/quintal, a 43% raise over the already increased MSP of paddy. In Madhya Pradesh, it has promised a loan waiver of up to Rs 2 lakh, MSPs as per MS Swaminathan formula cost C2 + 50%; a pension of Rs 1,000/per month to marginal farmers above the age of 60 years, and Rs 51,000 for the marriage of daughters of small holders. And so on. It is clear that when a political ...

The New Indian Express

A comprehensive agricultural package to help the farmers of Choornikkara, who are yet to recover from the aftermath of the floods that hit them hard in August, was launched here on Saturday. The modernised agriculture package will focus on helping the coconut, paddy and vegetable farmers, besides those growing other crops.

The Pioneer

As many as ten foreign countries delegates have confirmed to attend ‘Global Agriculture and Food Summit’ to be organised at Khel Gaon in Ranchi on November 29-30, informed Ramesh Gholap, Director, Department of Agriculture.

The Hindu Business Line

India is facing increased heat at the World Trade Organization for continuing with its quantitative restrictions (QRs) on import of certain pulses to check falling prices in the domestic market.

Financial Express

The Union Cabinet is expected to consider this week the proposed agriculture export policy, which aims at doubling outbound shipments of farm products and increasing their share in the world market, an official said. The commerce ministry has finalised the policy and has forwarded it for the consideration of the Cabinet. The proposed policy would focus on all aspects of agricultural exports including modernising infrastructure, standardisation of products, streamlining regulations, curtailing knee-jerk decisions, focusing on research and development activities, setting up of an agency in line with the European Food Safety Authority for framing, regulating and implementing rules related to both production and trade.

BW Businessworld

Agriculture has remained as a centrepiece of Indian economy. Though it is a main source of livelihood for a majority of Indian population, it still stands as a technologically backward sector. Despite its importance to the economy, little has been done to revive the sector. From production challenges to financing inefficiencies, Indian agriculture is plagued by several issues. Inadequate farm equipments, lack of access to fairly priced credit, distribution challenges due to intermediaries between farm to fork are some of the challenges facing the Indian farmer. Farmers are the sole risk bearers of all these challenges that arise in the farming cycle. Be it lack of quality tools, erratic monsoons or pest outbreaks, farmers have to face ...

The New Indian Express

The Tamil Nadu government aims to attract at least Rs 1,500-crore investment in the agriculture sector during the global investors meet (GIM) scheduled for January next year. According to official sources, the government has chalked out a blueprint to urge corporate firms to invest in setting up food parks, food processing units and micro-irrigation systems in the state.

Down To Earth

The total number of operational holdings in the country increased from 138 million in 2010-11 to 146 million in 2015-16, which is a 5.33 per cent growth. But the average of size of these holdings went down to 1.08 hectares (ha) from 1.15 ha in 2010-11. Also, the area of operational Indian farmlands, the holdings which are partially or wholly used for agriculture, reduced from 159.59 million ha in 2010-11 to 157.14 million ha in 2015-16, which is a decrease of 1.53%.

The Times of India

With paddy harvesting season almost over, data shows that Haryana has managed around 17% reduction in the incidents of paddy straw burning this year as compare to 2017. While the state had detected a total of 16,032 incidents related to burning of paddy in 2017, the number has come down to 13,371 this year. The authorities have collected around 31.82 lakh as environmental compensation from those found guilty of burning paddy straw in the state till November 21.

The Times of India

Despite the state government launching a crackdown on stubble burning, cases of farm fires have gone up in the district. According to the data collected by the Haryana Space Application Centre (HARSAC), while 905 cases were reported last year in Jind, this year already saw 955 cases being reported and the season is yet to be completed.

Deccan Herald

Though the National Thermal Power Corporation, a state-run generating company, has already started the process of procuring crop residue on a large scale, same may have to be followed by other coal-fired thermal power stations across the country, sai…

Krishijagran.com

New Holland Agriculture, one of the leading agriculture equipment brands, has re-launched its Straw Management campaign in the Kallar Majri village in Patiala district of Punjab. The campaign was launched at an event in the village, in presence of officials of Department of Agriculture of Punjab, senior official from New Holland Agriculture and farmers from Kallar Majri and nearby villages.

The Northeast Today

Thomas A. Sangma, who accepted the award on behalf of the State and the Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, said, “It is an honour for the people of Meghalaya who are dependent on agriculture and the Department of Agriculture that has been working tirelessly to ensure that the agriculture scenario improves in Meghalaya.”

The New Indian Express

In order to encourage farmers and self-help groups to actively launch post-flood cultivation of crops, the Agriculture Department has come up with an array of schemes. Considering the financial loss the farmers suffered, it has asked them to insure the crops.

The New Indian Express

With an aim to give the much-needed boost to the agriculture sector and to generate employment, the Tamil Nadu government had signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) worth Rs 800 crore during the Global Investors Meet in 2015, but even after three years both the projects are yet to see the light of the day.

Krishi Jagran.com

CropIn Technology Solutions, a Bengaluru-based Agritech startup has recently raised 8 Million dollar in a ‘Series B’ funding round led by Chiratae Ventures and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The startup that is presently active in 29 countries has taken a less-explored path of bringing a data-driven approach to the agriculture sector in India through its platform.

Down To Earth

A day after the Union agriculture ministry reportedly admitted that demonetisation had affected agriculture, the government issued a denial. Citing a jump in the production of wheat to 98.5 million tonnes (mt) in 2016-17 from 92.29 mt the previous year, the government claimed in a press note Wednesday that there was no adverse effect on the 2016-17 rabi season.

Zee News

Diwali was celebrated this year. Surely with a Supreme Court’s order for bursting of crackers between 8-10 PM. Indeed agitated and concerned was Honorable Supreme Court with the growing levels of pollution in the country overall and particularly in Delhi. It is a matter of concern which is not just agitating everyone but also affecting everyone’s health. Especially the children growing up in Delhi are most vulnerable. I do not want to pass on any comment on Supreme Court’s order. They adjudicated on whatever was the issue arraigned before them. We should respect the order.

Rural Marketing

New Holland Agriculture, one of the leading agriculture equipment manufacturer, has relaunched its straw management campaign to combat crop-residue burning in the Kallar Majri village in Patiala district of Punjab recently. The campaign was launched in the village, in the presence of officials of Department of Agriculture, Government of Punjab, senior official from New Holland Agriculture and farmers from Kallar Majri and nearby villages.

Business Today

Absence of adequate and well trained human resources at the grass root level is impacting the quality of India’s official agriculture statistics, National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has found.

The Tribune

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has fined 1,182 farmers for burning paddy stubble this season. Last year, the count was 998 during the same session.

The Tribune

Under a special campaign of the Punjab Government, the Department of Agriculture, Mansa, has provided subsidy worth Rs 5.24 crore to farmers of the district to purchase machinery for crop residue management and direct sowing.

Pragativadi

It is engulfed by the thick layer of smog and dust on Wednesday. System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) said the major pollutant PM (Particulate Matter) is of very poor category.

Mint

Even though the agrarian crisis has taken a political turn with every party trying to portray itself as the saviour of the farming community, there is no serious thought from any of them on how to revive the agrarian economy. All of them have been parroting the usual prescriptions of farm loan waiver and a more generous and better implemented minimum support price (MSP). Most of these are time-tested schemes that have been offered for decades. The irony is also that most political activists and farmers’ organizations have also bought these ideas as the only ways of saving the farmer and agriculture.

State Times

Civil Society for Development of J&K State (CSD J&K), while expressing concern over fast commercialisation of agriculture land, asked farmers to discourage change of land use of their green fields that produce best quality paddy and other crops. The society members also observed that change of land use is shrinking agriculture land and thus yield is also decreasing.

Mumbai Mirror

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s son and IT Minister KT Rama Rao declared to the Election Commission that agriculture is his main occupation. Rama Rao filed his nomination papers for election from Siricilla in Karimnagar district on the last day of nominations on Monday.

UNI

The sowing of wheat has been completed in an area of 26.20 lakh hectares in Punjab which was 77 per cent of the total area to be sown under wheat. Stating this here on Tuesday, Director Agriculture Jasbir Singh Bains pointed out that area sown under wheat is three per cent more than previous year. Last year, wheat was sown in 25.12 lakh hectares till date achieving 74 per cent sowing. According to information received by the department, 97 per cent sowing had been completed in Patiala district, while 98 per cent in Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib districts.

The New Indian Express

Around 30 per cent of the development plan fund of the city Corporation will be for the agriculture working group projects. This was announced at the development seminar on plan formulation for 2019-20 held at St Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Pattom, on Sunday. The BJP councillors tried to disrupt the function in protest over the Sabarimala issue when Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran was called for inaugurating the Corporation’s third-year plan formulation for 2019-20.

India Today

Two years after demonetisation, the Union agriculture ministry has admitted that the farmers were badly hit by the note ban. Demonetisation had made 86 per cent of existing currency (in denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) illegal tender. The farmers, particularly the smaller ones, depend on cash for the purchase of seeds and fertilisers.

World Observer 24

Global Grain Combine Harvester Market income was xx.xx Million USD in 2013, developed to xx.xx Million USD in 2018, and will reach xx.xx Million USD in 2023, with CAGR of x.x% amid 2018-2023. In focus of the Grain Combine Harvester mechanical chain, this report, for the most part, expounds the definition, types, applications and real players of Global Grain Combine Harvester market in subtle elements.

The Hindu Business Line

Pune-based Sonalika Tractors has partnered with Italy’s farm machinery & Baler manufacturer, Cicoria to offer crop residue management in India. Sonlika Tractors will address growing concerns of crop residue management in the country in association with Cicoria by offering customized balers for efficient and quality solutions to farmers, the company said in a statement.

The Hindu

The Delhi Congress on Monday said pollution in the Capital was not a seasonal problem and attacked the Aam Aadmi Party government for not doing enough to reduce emissions, but instead putting the blame on farmers from neighbouring States.

The Tribune

Motivated by the anti-stubble burning campaign of the Punjab Government, Lakhwinder Singh Brar, a farmer from Jai Singh Wala village, has shunned the practice from this season onwards.

First Post

Monday’s rather provocative headline in a national daily declaring that the “Air is back to very poor and stubble-burning has got nothing to do with it” should not come as a surprise to those who are aware that stubble-burning contributes only marginally to air pollution, but receives disproportionate attention because policymakers look for easy targets to escape accountability and responsibility to improve the air quality.

The Times of India

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari will be organizing 10th AgroVision, an agricultural mega event, from November 23 to 26 at Reshimbagh ground. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh and Union minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir will inaugurate it.

The Times of India

A team of scientists at National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has successfully used a group of select microbes that can decompose crop residue and get rid of the environmental hazard of stubble burning which has become a leading cause of turning the air quality ‘severe’ in the national capital and various districts of neighbouring states. After a research spanning around five years, the team developed a solution for stubble burning which increases air pollution to alarming levels and even successfully tested at at Banthara research station.

Business Standard

As the National Capital Region (NCR) battles poor air quality during winter, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has started a research project to study the effects of air pollution on public health.

The Tribune

The University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Rayat Bahra University organised a rally to create awareness about the ill-effects of burning paddy here on Sunday.

The New Indian Express

Around 30 per cent of the development plan fund of the city Corporation will be for the agriculture working group projects. This was announced at the development seminar on plan formulation for 2019-20 held at St Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Pattom, on Sunday. The BJP councillors tried to disrupt the function in protest over the Sabarimala issue when Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran was called for inaugurating the Corporation’s third-year plan formulation for 2019-20.

Business World

My former college economics professor, Dr. Bernie “Dr. Boom” Villegas, was once quoted chanting the mantra of “agriculture, agriculture, agriculture” when asked about the development direction of the country. Indeed, while the political Left were enamored with “nationalist industrialization,” and rent-seekers with “import-substituting industrialization,” Bernie was an outlier. After all, agriculture was unsexy, while industrialization, with its image of mighty steel mills and factory sinews, represented progress and modernization.

Krishi Jagran

If you think that farmers have endless suffering in their lives due to drought, loans, and ultimate rains then we have found a way out. Now even small-scale farmers can generate more revenue out of their farming.

The Times of India

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari will be organizing 10th AgroVision, an agricultural mega event, from November 23 to 26 at Reshimbagh ground. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh and Union minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir will inaugurate it.

The Pioneer

In view of the speculations spreading in a few places regarding availability of fertilizers in Rabi season in the State, the Agriculture Department has made the situation of fertilizer availability clear. A rakewise programme was issued to all fertilizer suppliers for the next 7 days in the State.

FirstPost

The premier biennial four-day agro-technology and business fair, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), will be held from 1 to 4 December at the Sector 17 Parade Ground, Ajay S Shriram, Chairman, CII Agro Tech 2018, said here on 16 November.

India Times

In a report that would put nearly one-fifth of the country’s farmers in the worrying situation, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has said that nearly 151 district which accounts to 20 per cent of the total districts in India are susceptible to the impact of climate change.

The New Indian Express

Telangana State government’s two innovative farmer welfare schemes – Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima – would be presented to international audience at a seminar being organised by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) from November 21 to 23 at its headquarters in Rome.

Business Standard

Senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatraya Sunday said the party would present a separate budget for Agriculture, if it comes to power in Telangana after the coming assembly elections.

Telangana Today

The Agriculture department officials in Nalgonda are expecting huge increase in the cultivation area this Rabi season in the district and are taking all measures to ensure that the seed and fertilizer demand is met accordingly.

The Hindu

In a bid to curb stubble burning, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday directed States to adopt a multi-method approach through in situ and ex situ management of crop residue.

The Tribune

In order to curb the menace of stubble burning and environment pollution, HMEL has formed 10 women self-help groups (SHGs) in villages around Guru Gobind Singh Refinery. It will provide them happy seeders along with high-powered tractors. The SHGs will provide crop sowing services through happy seeders to farmers, which would mulch the crop residue and help restrict stubble burning.

IndiaSpend

Baloda Bazar, Kabirdham (Kawardha), Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund, Kanker (Chhattisgarh): “I’ll ask them to give me a job first and then think about giving my vote,” said 28-year-old Kekti Verma, holding back her tears. “I have three girls, the eldest one is 10 and youngest four. I haven’t got any help till date from the government.” Kekti is the widow of Dhal Singh Verma, a two-acre paddy farmer in Sararidih in Baloda Bazar constituency, 50 km northeast of Chhattisgarh’s capital, Raipur.

Business Standard

Australia said on Friday that it was taking legal action against India at the WTO over sugar subsidies, alleging that it caused a “significant downturn” in world prices and hurt Australian producers.

Hindustan Times

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday slapped a fine of Rs 50 crore on the Punjab government for polluting Sutlej and Beas rivers due to uncontrolled industrial discharge.

The Hindu Business Line

With reference to ‘Delhi’s smog, Punjab’s water table’ (November 14), one tends to agree with the writer’s views which links the smog issue with the depleting water table in Punjab and the State’s response to it. It may be quite significant to note that prior to the enactment of this law, farmers would begin the sowing cycle in April for the crop which can typically take up to 120 days to maturity. Haryana too implemented a similar law in 2009, following the foot-steps of Punjab, making the situation worse.

NDTV Stubble Burning Accounted For 3% Of Delhi’s Air Pollution Today: SAFAR The Centre-run SAFAR said the national capital’s air quality “improved significantly” today as overnight rains washed away bigger pollutants.

UNI

President Ram Nath Kovind today expressed his deep concern over global warming, saying it was a ‘warning bell’ which demands collective efforts from all stake holders to face the challenge and agriculture sector should also respond it by adopting innovative approach to increase productivity in changing climate. Mr Kovind, while addressing the first convocation of Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, Pusa, here said that global warming had reached at alarming level and its devastating

Swarajya Magazine

World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Centre For Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) will work on the agriculture sector as it starts operations later this year, Business Standard has reported. C4IR’s projects will be implemented in collaboration with state governments.

The Hans India

Assuring that agriculture will be given top priority if Congress voted to power, Kamareddy Congress candidate Shabbir Ali reminded that Congress manifesto announced writing off agriculture loans up to Rs w lakhs.

Krishi jagran

Increasing consumption and rising requirement of better yield of vegetation are estimated to be one of the essential elements calling for robots in agriculture. Increasing intake motivates farmers to increase farming operations and provide an upward push to the requirement of automating farming operations.

Moneycontrol

Terming farm loan waiver and free power supply as mere “temporary and populist” steps, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday made a pitch for long-term solutions like infrastructure support and cheap credit to improve the agriculture sector.

The Pioneer

To increase agricultural produce trade in Asia and the Pacific countries, India hosted a two-day meet of the general assembly of Network for Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia and Pacific (NEDAC) to chalk out a strategy for regional trade. NEDAC also adopted a new constitution on Thursday.

World Observer 24

Global Grain Combine Harvester Market Report gives the definite Study of the major Grain Combine Harvester industry driving professionals alongside the organization profiles and systems embraced by them. An alternate segment with Grain Combine Harvester industry enter makes is incorporated into the report, which gives shipment, value, income, net benefit, talk with the record, business circulation CAGR etc..This empowers the purchaser of the answer to pick up an adaptive perspective of the aggressive scene and plan the methodologies in a required manner.

Financial Express

While the government has reason to be pleased about the fact that the claims paid to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) have risen by around 50%, to Rs 15,181 crore in Kharif 2017 as compared to Rs 10,425 crore in Kharif 2016, what is worrying is the dip in both the number of farmers as well as land area covered by the scheme. More so since, in this scheme, farmers pay just around a fifth of the insurance costs while the Centre and the state governments pay the rest in equal amounts. Since, during this period, the premium paid rose to Rs 19,258 crore in Kharif 2017 as compared to Rs 16,276 ...

The Economic Times

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Wednesday launched a Rs 1000 crore start-up scheme to encourage youth to join cooperative business ventures in agriculture and allied sectors.

The New Indian Express

The State Government on Tuesday launched ‘Agriculture Entrepreneurship Promotion Scheme 2018’ to groom at least 1,000 rural Agriculture Entrepreneurs (AEs) in the next three years and set up enterprises to catalyse the revival of rural economy in Odisha.

Hindustan Times

Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh was ignorant about agriculture and farmers’ issues.

Kashmir Reader

The relationship between farm size and productivity has always caught the attention of educated and well-read agriculturists, in general, and researchers, in particular. There is a good amount of literature on farm size and productivity in smallholder agriculture as well as big holder agriculture in India, especially post-green revolution period. The research findings and the results from a linear programming farm-household model together with the series of farm survey data provide confirmation for a positive relationship between farm size and productivity in both land-scarce smallholder and labour-scarce smallholder farming in many countries during the 1980’s.

The Tribune

At present, eight cluster officers have been deployed to persuade cultivators through nodal officers and 45 violators have been challaned, including 30 farmers and 15 combine harvester’s owners. The coordinated movement has been launched under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Magistrate Dr Himanshu Gupta.

The New Indian Express

Expressing concern over extraction of groundwater, the National Green Tribunal has suggested use of treated sewage water by farmers for agricultural purposes instead of potable water.

NDTV

The National Green Tribunal Monday said there was a need to find out a long-lasting solution to the problems of stubble burning and directed the chief secretaries of four states to appear before it to explain ways to prevent it

The Hindu Business Line

“It will not be an exaggeration to place MS Swaminathan on par with Indian agriculture,” said Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh here on Monday. He was addressing a function to felicitate Prof M S Swaminathan for receiving the first World Agriculture Prize, in October, in New Delhi. The event was organised by Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore.

The Economic Times

Burning of paddy residue that had spiked around Diwali across Punjab and Haryana is likely to continue this week as well, as farmers are hurriedly preparing fields for the wheat crop after rains and late maturing of paddy narrowed the window for that.

Mumbai Mirror

Maharashtra Changemakers’ key objective is to get city folk on board to pressure govt to frame new policies for farmers.A collective of Mumbai-based activists has started a campaign to reduce chemical content in our meals by triggering conversations about organic farming on dinner tables and in fields. One of the main objectives of ‘Maharashtra Changemakers’ is to make city residents aware of farmers’ problems and secure their support to pressure the government for framing new policies that support natural agriculture practices.

Financial Express

Maharashtra’s chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, has announced that Maharashtra state has suffered a drought in 2018 and that the state is seeking drought relief of Rs 7000 crore from the Centre. This raises several questions: Firstly, what happened to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which was supposed to compensate farmers in case of a drought year? Why does the state have to knock at the doors of the Centre for drought relief as if there was no crop insurance? Secondly, what happened to massive irrigation investments that the state had been making over the last fifteen years or so in drought-proofing its agriculture? That obviously seems to have failed.

The Economic Times

Niti Aayog has argued against any abrupt restrictions on agriculture exports to meet domestic demand, suggesting instead that these should be resorted to in exceptional situations and producers should know well in advance of impending restrictions.

Daily Excelsior

As we are well concerned about that Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and about 70% of Indian people depends on agriculture. Brenda Schoepp (a farmer) said, “My grandfather used to say that once in your life, you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman and a preacher, but every day, three times a day, you need a farmer.” This quote directly explains us that we cannot live without agriculture as agriculture is the only sector which is meeting the food, fibre and fuel demands of the increasing population. This practice has protected the country from starvation due to its production in a commercial scale. But many problems appear in the management of the wastes ...

Northeast Now

“Now agriculture is not simply an age old phenomenon of procuring rice, vegetables or other food items for us. There is a remarkable change in this sector with the application of new modern technologies. It has turned out to an industry,” observed Dr Jayanta Deka, dean of science, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat.

The Economic Times

Saddled with surplus stock, sugar mills in India — the world’s second largest producer, have contracted to export about 8,00,000 tonnes of the sweetener so far to countries like Middle East and Sri Lanka, a government official said.

The New Indian Express

Farmers in the district are setting their paddy crops on fire to prevent Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) pest, locally known as Chadaka, from spreading even as the Agriculture Department seems unprepared to deal with the situation.

Business Standard

Barely two years after NITI Aayog launched the first index to rank states on the basis of marketing and farmer-friendly reforms, the ministry of agriculture is planning to come out with its own index to rank states on ‘ease of doing agri-business’.

Scroll

As winter sets in, North India’s air is yet again severely contaminated by a combination of factors: crop stubble burning, garbage incineration, industrial pollutants, vehicular exhaust and dust from construction sites.

India Today

Thanks to the promotion of farm machinery backed by financial assistance by government and awareness programmes, there is a visible reduction in the volume of post-harvest stubble-burning in Punjab and Haryana this year. But still, a significant chunk of farmers continue to burn the stubble, even after they understand how it contributes to Delhi’s air pollution.

UNI

He apprised the Finance Minister that State Cooperative Banks have not been made member lending institutions under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) and Small Farmers

The Wire

Sangrur (Punjab)/Kaithal (Haryana): While the farmers of Punjab and Haryana face opprobrium for burning crop stubble that leads to severe air pollution in Delhi and other parts of north India, there is very little ...

Pune Mirror

After suffering from damages and heavy losses over the years, farmers in Maharashtra are learning to practise climate-resilient agriculture techniques. About 5,000 farmers, who come from areas vulnerable to climate change, have been identified by the department of agriculture for a project undertaken by the World Bank. Approved in 2017, the work started a year later in July 2018.

The Tribune

Despite stern warning by the administration against stubble-burning many farmers are still burning paddy straw without any fear of the authorities in Khanna and Samrala area.

India Today

Thanks to the promotion of farm machinery backed by financial assistance by government and awareness programmes, there is a visible reduction in the volume of post-harvest stubble-burning in Punjab and Haryana this year. But still, a significant chunk of farmers continue to burn the stubble, even after they understand how it contributes to Delhi’s air pollution.

Scroll

Contrary to popular perception in urban India, residue burning is not an age-old practice. The practice – at this magnitude, frequency and scale – can trace its origins to only a few decades ago and is the result of the evolution of farming operations, government policy, and changing labour markets, which were triggered by the Green Revolution of the late 1960s and 1970s and the agricultural policies that followed. Prior to the Green Revolution, Punjab and Haryana were not producers or consumers of rice and did not have the RWCS [rice-wheat cropping system] in place, and therefore there was no large-scale instance of crop residue burning. While it is hard to pinpoint the exact year when stubble burning ...

The Economic Times

World Bank has signed an agreement with the government of India and government of Andhra Pradesh to extend a loan of $172.2 million (Rs 1,257 crore) to help turn farming in Andhra a financially viable activity.

Pune Mirror

After suffering from damages and heavy losses over the years, farmers in Maharashtra are learning to practise climate-resilient agriculture techniques. About 5,000 farmers, who come from areas vulnerable to climate change, have been identified by the department of agriculture for a project undertaken by the World Bank. Approved in 2017, the work started a year later in July 2018.

The Times of India

If you were wondering why the pollution situation had again become grim after two days of relative calm, here’s part of your answer: a change in wind direction has resulted in the capital bearing the brunt of crop fires in north Indian states.

The Hindu Business Line

Indian agriculture is at a crossroads. While rising incomes and demographic pressure combine to expand demand for a whole range of food crops, farm sector growth continues to be stymied by antiquated agronomic practices resulting in low productivity as well as newer challenges including land constraints, water shortage and climate change.

The Indian Express

In his book Liberal Hours, the late John Kenneth Galbraith argued that all kinds of promises would be made months before the presidential elections in the US, not necessarily always very practical. When I was in Canada on a teaching assignment, my friend John English — a minister himself, but better known as the biographer of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the present prime minister’s father — took me to an election meeting of the Liberal Party. The noise, sloganeering and the excitement seemed like that of an Indian election rally. But the crowd was just about a thousand — not thousands, like in India. This time in India, we seem to have entered the silly season ...

The Economic Times

The agriculture ministry will, in the next two months, run a pilot project for interstate mandi trade through the electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM). This will enable a trader with a unified licence from one state to bid online for and procure commodities from another state, government officials said.

The New Indian Express

Around 150 farmers will be organised into one producer group (PG), who will be facilitated to practice synchronised market-linked production of identified crops especially horticulture crops covering around 40 acres in a contiguous manner.

Hindustan Times 

On Sunday, Delhi breathed the cleanest air in November in the last three years and within 24 hours, the pollution levels had peaked to the season’s worst. To find out the reasons for this unprecedented fluctuation, HT spoke to scientists monitoring weather and pollution. Here is how they explained it:

Hindustan Times

Delhi’s roller coaster experience with air quality continued as a day after the city encountered the season’s worst pollution on Monday. The Union government’s pollution forecasting agencies have, however, forecasted that crackers or no-crackers, air quality could again turn bad from Diwali night.

The Sentinel

Sangrur (Punjab: Stubble burning in the northern states of Punjab and Haryana can be completely stopped if the benefits of the Happy Seeder machine are driven home and farmers are incentivized to use it, says the not-for-profit India Paryavaran Sahayak (IPS) Foundation. It has started with ‘ChangeBuddy’ programme in five districts of Punjab to persuade the farmers indulging in stubble burning to use Happy Seeder, which clears the loose straw that creates problems in sowing and thus rules out the possibility of stubble burning.

The New Indian Express

Vaikom was among the places which were affected the worst in the mid-August floods. The agriculture sector had taken a severe hit in the disaster. However, thanks to the efforts of the Kottayam District Agriculture Department, things are returning to normal. The department has formed a ‘Karshaka Punarjani Samiti’ as part of reviving agriculture in the district.

The Economic Times

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy issued a warning to banks about using coercive methods to recover agricultural loans amid statewide protests against Axis Bank, which has filed cheque-bounce cases against farmers.

Mint

Six months back, government policy think tank NITI Aayog signed a deal with IBM India Pvt. Ltd to develop a prediction model for crop yields using artificial intelligence (AI).

Mumbai Mirror

Andhra Pradesh got around Rs 1,255 crore World Bank loan assistance for a project aiming at enhancing agricultural productivity.

The Times of India

High wind speeds and traces of rain cleaned up the national capital region’s air over the weekend but there’s bad news lurking in the neighbourhood. Farm fires in Punjab and Haryana have doubled over the past seven days as compared to the preceding week, Nasa satellite data reveals, indicating that stubble-burning is peaking just ahead of Diwali and could foul up the region’s air in coming days. Track the pollution level in your city

India Today

Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Monday (November 5) to fall in the severe category for the second time within a week due to a change in wind direction and rampant stubble burning in neighbouring states, according to the authorities.

DNA

Delhi’s pollution level sharply spiked Monday as a thick haze engulfed the national capital ahead of Diwali due to high impact of stubble burning and pushed the air quality in the ‘very poor’ category, authorities said.

The Hindu

Days after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blamed Punjab for the rise in air pollution in the national capital, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday dismissed his claim that stubble burning in the State was solely responsible for the high levels of pollution in Delhi.

The Hans India

Special Commissioner for Agriculture Department, Muralidhar Reddy said though natural farming management’s procedures are available. Fall Army Worm Management (Kattera purugu) is affecting the jowar and maize crops.

The Pioneer

Delhi’s air has yet again turned poisonous and, once again, Haryana and Punjab farmers are being blamed for that as they are burning stubble. Few bother to ask why these farmers dispose of their crop residue in such ...

Millennium Post

The state Agriculture minister Asish Banerjee and Pradip Majumdar, the agriculture advisor to the Chief Minister, held a meeting at Suri in Birbhum recently in this connection with senior representatives from Zilla Parishad, MLAs and the officials of the state Irrigation and Power department.

Business Standard

Unlike in 2017, the open market wholesale rates for soybean and maize, two crops incorporated into the scheme, haven’t seen a big decline from their current level, which is below the centrally-set minimum support price (MSP), so far this year. The BBY was begun last year when there were allegations of traders cornering it for their own benefit.

The Hindu Business Line

The State government brought in a new amendment to the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Marketing Act of 1963, to provide additional avenues to the farmers for selling produce without any hindrances from the local markets.

The New Indian Express

Manarcadu Social Service Society (MASS), a collective of more than 5,000 organic farmers, have come up with a novel initiative to revive the farming sector of Idukki district, which was severly damaged by the mid-August deluge.

The New Indian Express

The government is making efforts with an integrated approach and has initiated “multiple reforms” in order to achieve the target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022, Additional Principal Secretary to the prime minister, P K Mishra has said.

The Indian Express

Hazy Skies and burning fields greeted The Sunday Express team that travelled from Bathinda to Ludhiana — a 145-km stretch. The situation in fields along the state highway was largely unchanged even a day after nine vehicles had piled up due to smoke from the field a farmer who had burnt stubble, leaving five persons injured. Although the farmer was booked, by Saturday it was the same old story.

The Hindu Business Line

The threat of lower soil moisture levels and delays in kharif harvests across States seem to be having an adverse impact on rabi sowing. Most crops barring one or two saw lower acreage under planting till the end of the week, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday.

The Statesman

Amongst the most disturbing divides in Indian agriculture are the sharply alienated perspectives of those who suffer a problem and those who drive solutions. At one end of the value chain are shrinking farm holdings and the shriveled, small and marginal farmer and at the other are the almost glamorous, technology-driven, artificial intelligence-guided food companies, whose success depends on upscaling.

The Economic Times

The government is considering paying a part of the agriculture power subsidy directly to farmers, instead of free or cheap electricity, as part of a move to rationalise farm sector subsidies.

Indiatimes

Delhi pollution is making noise all around the globe. There is a mass exodus of people to other countries. People are paying dollars not only for a better education but even for cleaner air. Indeed, the capital has turned into a ‘Gas chamber’.

The Nation

During a media talk, he said that this restriction would badly affect the wheat sowing and its output would also be affected badly. He also expressed his resentment over increase in the prices of DAP and urea fertilizers by Rs500 per bag which, what he said, was beyond the reach of cultivators and would badly affect the wheat production. He further said

The Tribune

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has served notice on 40 industrial units, asking their owners to instal the Online Air Emission Monitoring System (OAEMS), as mandated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

Zee News

Recent image released by the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) points at widespread stubble burning across north India.The space agency points out that stubble burnings are fewer this year so far but will go up in the comings weeks due to the extended rainy season in September that forced a late harvest.

Down To Earth

With increase in awareness of health and food quality, A2 milk is gaining popularity worldwide, and its demand is on the rise in Indian market as well. Pure A2 type milk and milk products can provide better health benefits to consumers and also increase income of livestock farmers.

Krishi Jagran

The South Korean multinational electronics company, Samsung Electronics on 30 October exhibited how its solutions can enable a range of 5G-powered business models and scenarios for smart agriculture, home broadband services as well as smart cities in India.

Business Standard

Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh Thursday stressed on the need to converge the existing programmes to address concerns of climate change at the village level.

The New Indian Express

A farmer, Kailash Nahak, allegedly committed suicide by consuming pesticide at his agriculture shed over repayment of hand loan and failure of crops at Talaborekote village on Monday.

He was rushed to Athagarh hospital where the doctor referred him to Cuttack SCB Medical College and Hospital.

Financial Express

Recently, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan cautioned the government that Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) can be a potential credit risk for the economy. Rajan’s caution be that as it may, one thing is certain that today KCC has become a tool in the hands of several unscrupulous elements and that needs to be immediately brought under check.

The Indian Express

India’s policy focus recently changed from increasing farmers’ output to their incomes. This is much needed, as farm profitability in India is among the lowest in emerging Asian economies. The strategies proposed for doubling farmers’ income include planting better seed varieties/hybrids, improved production practices, diversification towards high-value crops, development of infrastructure and market linkages, and providing access to institutional credit. However, a major impediment to the success of these strategies is small farm sizes. NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand, in a 2017 policy paper, advocated collective action for minimising the scale disadvantages faced by small and marginal farmers. The Farmer Producer Organisation/ Company approach is one way to enable them to improve their bargaining power, by ...

The Times of India

Delhi’s air quality fell to “severe” for the first time this season on Tuesday. While stubble burning is a factor — last Friday, it contributed 36% to the pollution, according to air quality forecaster SAFAR — localised sources, including the huge clouds of dust generated at construction sites, are aggravating the situation. Despite being fined by the Delhi environment minister and the Supreme Court-appointed EPCA, building sites are still lax about implementing the anti-dust measures, as TOI’s visit to different parts of the capital on Wednesday showed. In fact, projects were rushing to get the work done before a ban on construction comes into effect from Thursday.