The Economic Times

A group of paddy farmers in Kerala has taken the initiative to form an association linking with compatriots in other southern states to provide marketing support and ensure fair price for their produce by eliminating middlemen. The multi-state paddy farmers association proposes to add 500 core paddy farmers and thousands of associate members. “Paddy farmers in Kerala are not getting a fair price for their produce as the cost of labour and other expenses have gone up.

The Times of India

Pre-monsoon rainfall from March to April has shown a 27% deficiency. Separately, data put out by government shows that water levels in India’s major reservoirs and river basins have fallen to 21% of its average of the last decade. These signs of water stress are not one-off. They represent growing evidence that one of the biggest long-term challenges we face as a society is to reverse the steadily declining availability of water. India is in the midst of a water crisis. Close to half the country, about 600 million people, faces high to extreme water stress.

BW Businessworld

Green products not only reduce the carbon footprint, they come in alluring cachets and command a higher price. India is uniquely positioned to exploit this opportunity as 60 per cent of  the population is dependent on traditional agriculture and is naturally and historically conversant with organic techniques.

BW Businessworld

Ghana’s inspirational speaker, Israelmore Ayivor, has some quirky advice for farmers. “It’s not a surprising news that manna should fall from heaven in these days,” says the author of The Great Handbook of Quotes, “But this manna will fall for those who cultivated manna farms on the clouds above!” In India, though, manna from heaven has sustained farmers for decades, irrespective of what they have sowed, since the days of the “loan melas” of the 1970s.

The Times of India

Against a backdrop of heightened awareness about the ill-effects of excessive use of chemicals in farming among consumers, Mahadeva Sangappa Manturu, a celebrated farmer from Bagalkot district, on Monday advised his fellow ryots to switch to organic modes of agriculture to preserve the health and quality of soil. A progressive farmer who has been promoting organic cultivation across the state, Manturu, who participated in a workshop organised by the Banuli Krishi Belagu at K Basavanahalli in Periyapatna taluk, pointed to the extensive damage wrought by the indiscriminate use of fertilisers on the quality of soil.

Cogencies

In a bid to duplicate the success of seed hubs for pulses, the government plans to create similar hubs for oilseeds to ramp up output and achieve self-sufficiency, a senior government official said today.”Following success from the pulses’ seed hubs, the government is going to set up seed hubs for oilseeds too to develop drought, flood, and pest-resistant seed varieties,” the official said.

Deccan Chronicle

Structural and functional re-organisation of the state agricultural department is in the pipeline, director of agriculture Dr P.K. Jayasree has said. Speaking at the orientation programme for new academic staff of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) at Vellanikkara here on Monday, she said that the restructuring was being initiated to ensure fruitful convergence of different extension systems, the involvement of multiple stakeholders, enhancement of income, promotion of community partnerships and establishment of agri-business incubators.

The Hans India

Jayarajan, a farmer from Tanjavurin Tamil Nadu and Thimappa from Chintamani in Karnataka are among the 100 master trainers in agriculture who are delighted at the opportunity to learn at one of the prestigious Central Training Institute in Agriculture located in the Garladinnemandal in Anantapur district.

Mint

The Delhi High Court in its April 25 order has set aside the Centre’s decision to restrain production of Basmati rice only to the Indo-Gangetic plains in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, part of Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Jammu and Kashmir (J &K) on the pretence of maintaining the quality and purity of seeds.

Top 360 news

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture Market 2019 report contains a focused socio-economic, political, and environmental analysis of the factors affecting the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture industry. The report contains an analysis of the technologies involved in production, application and much more.

Down To Earth

PepsiCo sued potato farmers in Gujarat for Rs 1.05 crore each over patent infringement. The corporate giant has claimed that the farmers are cultivating their proprietary FC5 potatoes without permission.