Swarajya

One of the major economic issues that hogged the national limelight in the last five years of the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance-II (NDA-II) government is agrarian distress. The Opposition political parties and farmer organisations allege that the development of the farm sector has been ignored under the NDA-II regime.

The Week

Deepening rural crises across the world is slowing down progress in hunger and poverty reduction, achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and could even become a prime reason responsible for missing the global climate targets, a recent report of the United Nations held.

Financial Express

The revival of private investment and exports is a must to achieve and sustain over 8% growth. The recent performance of India’s exports—which expanded 11% (year-on-year) in March 2019, taking the figure to $32.5 billion in the month of March, vis-à-vis 2.4% in the previous month—is good news. Various categories of intermediate exports—engineering goods, organic and inorganic chemicals, ready-made garments of all textiles, and drugs and pharmaceuticals—contributed to this revival. The question, however, is whether this recovery is sustainable or not?

The Indian Express

DAYS after the Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) issued a circular instructing its branches in six drought-hit districts of Maharashtra not to issue fresh farm loans on account of the large number of bad loans in these regions, farmer leaders and unionists called it unacceptable for a state-run lender to discourage credit to farmers in areas facing extensive agrarian distress.

The New Indian Express

The record paddy harvest made by the state in the current season is an eye-opener for the entire state as it netted the bumper yield, which is around 50-60 per cent higher than the fertiliser-induced farming system, by riding high on the nature-imposed environmental-friendly farming system. The record harvest has not only enlivened the organic farming system in the state, but also reduced the dependence of the state Food and Civil Supplies Department on the Central allotment of the pubic distribution rice quota.

The Hans India

State Agriculture, Marketing and Civil Supplies Minister S Niranjan Reddy said the custom milling (CMR) rice stocks with the rice millers will be purchased by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Allying the fears of rice millers in the State, the Minister clarified here on Tuesday that the State government is sympathetic to the problems being faced by the rice millers, he asked them not to resort to any hasty decision.

The New Indian Express

Even as the State Government is gearing up for procurement of rabi paddy from May 1, many farmers of coastal districts have not been able to dispose of their stocks due to closure of mandis (market yards) after announcement of elections on March 10.

According to reports received from Cuttack, Puri and Kalahandi, farmers still hold marketable surplus paddy. This is despite the fact that the State Government is yet to meet the procurement target of 55.65 lakh tonnes of paddy in the 2018-19 kharif marketing season.

Krishijagran.com

In the fast-paced world with evolving basic humanitarian needs agriculture which is the most basic entity of industries, is also going through a lot of reforms with the rising of technologies.  Now due to a shortage of labor and increasing need to feed the large population around the globe, Agriculture Robots have entered into the picture. Interestingly, they are becoming a common yet useful assistant of farmers in various different works.

The Hans India

The 2-day National Workshop on ‘Academic Excellence through Building Partnerships and Resources Generation’ at NAARM (National Academy of Agricultural Research Management) concluded on Wednesday.