Business Today

Indian hybrid cotton seed producers feel work is cut out for any new government that comes to power. “The hybrid seed industry has seen subdued growth over the past five years largely in cotton, which contributes around 30 per cent to the hybrid seed market,” says G V Bhaskar Rao, chairman and managing director of Kaveri Seeds.

The Better India

Born into a family of farmers in Chhapra district, Bihar, Shashank Kumar, didn’t know if he would ever come back home. Studying in a local school until Class 3, he was eventually compelled to leave the state for better academic and professional opportunities.

Moneycontrol

An average voter may not read or be influenced by manifestos of political parties but such documents are carefully examined by investors having a stake in stock markets. Political party leaders themselves may not take their manifestos seriously but their possible impact on the Indian economy is a valid concern.

Yourstory

Historically, India has been an agrarian country. But it was only after we attained independence that the future of the sector brightened. One of the brightest spots in the history of Indian agriculture was between the 1950 and the late 1960s – the Green Revolution resulted in incremental increase in production of food grains, especially wheat and paddy.

The Wire

As Rahul Gandhi announced his candidature from the Wayanad constituency for the upcoming general elections, Down to Earth spoke to Wayanad’s people about their hopes regarding this development. They report that while the Congress’s chances of winning are good, “tribal leaders, farmers and environmentalists in Wayanad are not impressed with the prime ministerial candidate, contesting from their constituency.”

The Times of India

Agriculture experts say there is a need to constantly develop more high-yielding varieties of crops or hybrid crops until the increase in temperatures, which usually results in fall in crop yield, is controlled. There has seen a delay in blooming of many summer fruits, including mangoes and jackfruits, this year. Farmers across the fruit cultivating blocks such as Anamalai said mangoes were late by almost a month to bloom because of the harsh summer. The heat and lack of summer rain reportedly slowed down the metabolism, they said.

The Times of India

The role of scientists and experts is limited to proposing plans and regulating research programmes. The government needs to step in and give credence to those proposals so that they are materialized for the benefit of farmers, said SK Chaudhari, assistant director general of soil and water management at Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, on Sunday

Business Standard

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, won with a brute majority in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. As Modi seeks re-election five years on, a look at selected 50 pledges from the BJP’s 2014 manifesto, based on their importance and the promise of concrete action.

The New Indian Express

Plethora of  poll promises mark the fight for Perambalur Lok Sabha seat. Assurances of employment, providing better education, regular water supply and supporting agriculture are galore. Amongst the candidates, AIADMK nominee NR Sivapathi and IJK’s TR Parivendar in DMK alliance are at close quarters. AMMK candidate M Rajasekaran, a long time Congress-man, contesting from here is unlikely to make an impact, it is pointed out.

Opinion | Will ‘nation’ trump ‘kisan’ again this election season?edit