DNA India

Organic farmers in the state need to come together to tap markets for their products if they are to succeed was what experts and farmers said at a function organised by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme to recognise such farmers in the state. Experts pointed out how the push so far has been on the production of organic produce but not much has been done to create better markets for such products. Many farmers rued that despite their products being organic and free of chemicals, they ended up getting the same rate as non-organic produce.

 

The New Indian Express

With Maize cultivation expected to start in a few days, the agriculture department along with Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) organised an awareness program to educate farmers on the steps they need to take to prevent fall armyworm (FAW) attack. Last season, 16,000 farmers cultivated maize on 15,000 hectares of land. Of this more than 12,000 hectares were lost to fall army worm attack.

 

CNBC TV

Food inflation has been remarkably subdued for the past few years. In the last three years, food inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food and beverages has averaged just 2 percent, well below the average since 2012 of 6 percent. For the economy, sustained low food inflation is a mixed blessing. On one hand, it allows overall inflation to remain low enabling monetary policy to be accommodative. But on the other hand, by depressing rural incomes, it impacts rural consumption. That said, food inflation has been on an upswing in the last few months.

ANI News

Pushing forward his agenda for crop diversification to end the vicious wheat-paddy cycle and save the depleting groundwater in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday asked the State Planning Board (SPB) to chalk out a comprehensive crop diversification model. According to an official statement, the SPB has also been directed to undertake a detailed review of the various schemes of the Agriculture Department to bring in the much-needed reforms in the sector.

The Hans India

Deccan Development Society wants the agricultural scientists and researchers to study and understand the knowledge and culture of the farmers for finding solutions to the agrarian crisis. Addressing a press conference here, Society director P V Satheesh said the society had taken up a study ‘Interfacing Farmers’ Science with Formal Science’ which concluded that the way out r the food and farming crisis can be found in farmers’ knowledge and culture which are a product of their ecological understanding of agriculture and the world around it. He said the interrelation between farmers’ knowledge and culture should be clearly studied and understood by agricultural scientists and researchers.

ED Times

Women’s participation in agriculture as cultivators, labours and entrepreneurs is constantly increasing since 1970s (Duwury, 1989; and Venkateshwarlu, 1999). The main reason behind feminisation of agriculture is- the migration of men from rural areas to urban areas in search of better economic opportunities. The government in its report said that it will provide 30% of the budget for the women beneficiaries “in all ongoing schemes/programmes and development activities.”

Krishi Jagran

Better prices generated by crops like cotton and maize last year and the new strategy of crop diversification adopted by Punjab and Haryana governments have bound the farmers of these two States to plant less rice this Kharif season as compared to the previous.

E – Gov

IBM Watson Decision Platform for Agriculture can help growers and enterprises in India reap the benefits of technology and innovation. This IBM solution combines advanced capabilities of cloud, AI, analytics and Internet of Things (IoT) with accurate weather forecasts and data collected from an abundance of farm equipment, remote sensors and environmental information to help farmers make faster, more informed decisions.

The Times of India

Kharif sowing in Nashik region has picked up pace in the past few days following good rainfall. As per data available with the agriculture department, around 80.13% of sowing has been completed in Nashik region, comprising four districts. Nandurbar district tops the chart with 88.75% sowing followed by Jalgaon (88.23%), Dhule (73.10%) and Nashik (70.84%).

Down to Earth

The Bonda tribe practises a unique form of shifting cultivation that enables the growth of many crop varieties while ensuring that the climate and forest are not harmed. Communities that practice such agriculture also nurture the plant species found in forest areas, which harbour a mosaic of habitats, attracting local fauna as varieties of birds, insects, butterflies, small mammals among others

The Free Press Journal

The Telangana government is in favour of the Centre’s plan to make crop insurance voluntary to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) citing delayed payment of claim and farmers’ reluctance to give premium among other reasons, sources said. In order to make the PMFBY more effective, the Centre is planning to make certain changes like making crop insurance voluntary to all farmers, removal of high premium crops and giving flexibility to states to provide customised add-on products.

E – Gov

The portal, e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), is facilitating the farmers to get better price discovery for their agriculture produce. As many as 79 APMCs across the state are integrated with e-NAM, with computer hardware, net connectivity and manpower. Assaying laboratories are being installed to get quality parameters of the produce. Weighbridges and weighing scales are also being integrated with the portal.

Down to Earth

Among senior officials in the Union government and members of the Niti Aayog, conversations now start and end with one subject: “doubling farmers’ income by 2022”. There would be no more new programme to be declared for farmers in the near future. In rural areas, farming engages 64 per cent of the total workforce that contribute 39 per cent of the total rural net domestic product. This points to overdependence on agriculture and underemployment. The Government’s strategy is to shift out this underemployed population to non-farm sector. It is already happening.

Krishi Jagran

The ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture had organized the “State Level Interface Meeting on Enhancing the Preparedness for Agriculture Contingencies during Kharif - 2019 for Maharashtra” at Pune. The Meeting was jointly organized by the Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra.

The New Indian Express

Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) has been providing uninterrupted power supply to the general consumers and for nine hours to the farmers through 33kV, 11kV, LT and other transformers in Guntur district as per the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, said Home minister Mekathoti Sucharitha.

The Indian Express

A WEEK after heavy rains and Ghaggar breach hit crops spread over 90,000 acres in five districts of Punjab, re-sowing is slowly picking up in many areas. The re-sowing activity is mainly focused at Sangrur, Patiala and parts of Muktsar. While Department of Agriculture claimed that they were helping farmers in getting Basmati 1121 or 1509 varieties for re-sowing, farmers said that seedlings were in short supply forcing them to sowing paddy varieties yet again.

Newsd

Japanese companies are ready to invest in dedicated automobile, electronics and pharmaceutical manufacturing clusters and in creating infrastructure for ports in Andhra Pradesh, a Japanese diplomat said on Monday. Japan’s Consul General in Chennai, Kojiro Uchiyama conveyed this during his separate meetings with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chief Secretary L. V. Subrahmanyam here. Jagan Reddy said his government was ready to allot lands to the interested Japanese firms.

The New Indian Express

Odisha Millets Mission (OMM), a programme aimed at enhancing the production of nutritious millet, has entered its second year in four blocks of Sundargarh district in this Kharif season. The Agriculture department hopes to include the rest 13 blocks of the district in the programme soon. In a bid to revive cultivation of millet and increase its consumption, Kutra, Rajgangpur, Nuagaon and Kuanrmunda blocks were included in the ‘Special Programme for Promotion of Millets in Tribal Areas’ under OMM.

The New Indian Express

In a bid to make Regional Rural Banks (RRB) leaner and more efficient, the Central government is planning to bring down their number from 45 to 35 this financial year. It has also identified three RRBs for public listing. “The consolidation drive for RRBs will continue. This year, the target is to bring down the number from 45 to 35. We are already working with state governments to complete the consolidation,” a senior official from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) told this publication.

 

The Hans India

Minister for Energy Balineni Srinivas Reddy said the nine hours day time free power supply would benefit 18.15 lakh farmers for which the government allocated Rs 4,525 crore. The Minister held a review meeting with officials on Sunday. He said Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had directed the Energy Department to implement the free power supply strictly.

The New Indian Express

Farmers of Mayurbhanj district have a reason to cheer as the prolonged dry spell seems to have finally ended. Canals, dams and water reservoirs like Suno, Kalo, Deo and Sulei now have adequate water for meeting the irrigation needs of farmers in the district. Incessant rains for the last three days has changed the agriculture scenario in the area with farmers taking up agriculture activities with enthusiasm using both modern and traditional equipment.

The Millennium Post

A high-level meeting may be conducted at Nabanna on Tuesday to assess the condition of farmers in the districts and to roll-out an alternative policy if the deficiency in rainfall continues to prevail in South Bengal for the next couple of days. It was learnt that the state government may adopt an alternative agricultural method for the farmers if the situation continues. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already expressed her concern about it. The state Secretariat has sought report from the Agriculture department officials of every district to take a stock of the situation at the ground level.

The Economic Times (ET Auto)

Rural distress continues. After passenger vehicles and two-wheeler, tractor sales have also lost the force with which the consumption was growing till December last year. After forging ahead with boost by government subsidies and good monsoon for almost three years, Indian tractor market crashed by 14.3 per cent to 191,305 units in the first quarter of financial year 2019-2020, as per the data revealed by Tractors Manufacturers Association (TMA). The industry witnessed a healthy 20 per cent growth during Q1 of FY 2018-2019. A sharp 13.6 per cent year-on-year sales drop to 75,859 units in June 2019 marked fifth consecutive month of decline in tractor sales.

The Times of India

In 2010, Kunal Prasad, who previously worked at Tata Motors, observed that technologydriven solutions were not being implemented in the agriculture sector. There were inefficiencies in production and supply chain, and businesses didn’t have real-time data on status of farms and condition of farmers. “Sheer passion about the sector got us into the space and CropIn was started in August 2010,” he said. CropIn began as a B2C startup, directly working with farmers.

The Telegraph

The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to bring all 72-lakh-odd farmers in Bengal under the crop insurance scheme in the current kharif (monsoon) season, but the initiative could hit a roadblock as the agriculture department faces problems at the ground level to authenticate the land ownership of most farmers. The government has launched the new state-funded crop insurance scheme — Bangla Sashya Bima Yojana — to help those farmers who don’t get loans from banks as they do not possess land ownership documents or till others land.

Newsd

A Japanese-funded crop diversification project in Himachal Pradesh had led a significant increase in average net farm income as a fourfold increase in income of participating farmers, as per a study, officials said on Sunday. Funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Rs 321 crore Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project is being implemented in the hill state’s Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi and Una districts. The project, with the targeted outcome to improve the socio-economic status of the farmers, also aims to develop infrastructure such as irrigation facilities and farm access roads while providing technical training to the farmers on vegetable cultivation, food grain cultivation and post-harvesting technology.

The Times of India

In a major push to boost investment and production as well as setting up of solar power projects in the state ahead of the ground breaking ceremony on Sunday, the UP government has made it possible to lease out agricultural land, so far prohibited, for agricultural purpose or for setting up solar plants.

 

E – Gov

Himachal Pradesh is also well known as the ‘Horticulture State of India’. Himachal Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board and department of agriculture regulate marketing of agricultural produce of the state. The objective of the board is to improve and provide better facilities for sale, purchase, storage and processing of Agricultural and Horticulture Produce of Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board and department of agriculture regulate marketing of agricultural produce of the state. It plays an important role in development of efficient marketing system, promotion of agri processing, establishment and proper administration of markets for agricultural produce in the State of Himachal Pradesh.

Business Today  The Financial Express

Minister of State for Agriculture Purshottam Rupala said the raising of farm income was not possible with growth in only one sector, but the government was making efforts to promote allied sectors of agriculture and that will aid in helping double the farm income. Rupala also informed the house that the government was making efforts to increase the clusters under organic farming and was giving them various incentives. “We are running 20 centres for promotion of organic farming…. We have set a target of setting up 1 lakh clusters of organic farming in this Plan,” he said.

The New Indian Express

The state government will provide Rs 190 crore loan to Fani-affected farmers of the district through cooperative banks. It was decided at a district agriculture meeting here on Thursday. banks have sanctioned Rs 125 crore to the needy farmers. The loanee farmers will also be included in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and efforts are on to provide alternative farming to them in the cyclone ravaged areas. Under the integrated farming, a farmer could go for paddy, vegetable, pisciculture and poultry farmin

The Indian Express

In order to create more jobs through the mechanisation of agriculture, the Gujarat government on Friday increased the subsidies provided for purchase of agricultural implements from six per cent to as much as 567 per cent. Announcing the increased subsidies under Rule 44 of the Gujarat Assembly, state Agriculture Minister R C Faldu said that subsidies were increased for power tillers, ploughs, cultivators, rotavators, seed-cum-fertilizer drills, Groundnut diggers and threshers, among others.

The Economic Times

Revival of monsoon rains this month after a dry June has helped farmers accelerate sowing, taking crop planting in the country closer to last year’s mid-rainy season level, government data shows. Crop planting in the beginning of July was 26% lower than that a year ago, but the gap has now reduced to 6.4%. With continued heavy showers forecast for the next two weeks, total planting of crops is likely to reach the level in the corresponding period last year.

The Print

Paddy stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, which in recent years have been a major source of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, holds the potential to transform village economy, meet local energy demands and also provide alternative sources of income for farmers in northern India, says a study conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). Scientists at the New Delhi-based institute have proposed using paddy straw as fuel for running decentralised cold storage units at the village level.

Krishi Jagran

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) envisages use of improved technology to reduce time gap for settlement of claims of farmers. Accordingly, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, through Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC), involved 8 agencies/ organizations to carry out pilot studies for Optimization of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) in various States under PMFBY. The studies used various technologies, including Satellite data, Artificial Intelligence, Modeling tools etc. for reducing the number of CCEs required for insurance unit level for yield estimation. The studies were taken upto address a major issue of the need to carry out large number of CCEs for calculation of yield data vis-à-vis claims at Gram Panchayat level. The results ...

The Hindu Business Line

The government recommends natural farming, to reduce chemical usage and to conserve natural resources. The Survey reports that 1.6 lakh farmers follow zero-budget natural farming. In the Budget, the government advised the farmers to adopt zero-budget farming to double their income. Enough data needs to be generated to conclusively prove that zero-budget farming is a potential solution and is scalable. It is being used in a few States.

The Economic Times (ETech)

Startups and technology firms are trying to break into India’s agricultural landscape using newer business models. These firms are tapping governments, insurers, banks, farming co-operatives, development agencies and even corporate social responsibility programs to create a viable business and help farmers. Agri-tech companies such as CropIn are also finding a market in banks and non-banking financial companies that give agricultural loans. The lenders are seeking CropIn’s expertise to help manage risk.

The New Indian Express

The Tamil Nadu agriculture department has recently decided to incentivise farmers in the Cauvery Delta region to use the indigenously-developed Surabhi cotton seeds, instead of the Bt variety, by subsidising the former by almost 50%. The need of the hour is to pump more money into agricultural research to enable scientists here to test and introduce more varieties of food crops too. This will not only help farmers save money, but also make agriculture more sustainable.

Krishi Jagran

Agriculture in India is facing a lot of challenges and crop failure is one of them. It’s a common story for almost every farmer across India and the government is trying to help them come out of this problem through crop insurance schemes. However, the research found that these crop insurance schemes implemented by the government may not be that effective as it sounds.  

Down to Earth

Public investment in agriculture has been consistently receding for the last 17 years, showed an analysis of central governments’ investments in agriculture across the world. The agriculture sector’s share in government expenditure globally stagnated around 1.6 per cent during 2001-2017, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) latest assessment. Agriculture’s contribution to the world GDP has increased to 6.15 per cent in 2017 from 4.13 per cent in 2001. It means government spending is around one-third of the sector’s overall contribution to global economy.

ANI News

Punjab Agriculture University has developed a kitchen garden without soil in which all-season vegetables can be grown. The model is not heavy so people can take it anywhere. The water used in the system is recycled in it so it also saves water. It is also leak-proof so the water does not spill anywhere.

The News Minute

Situated just 53 kms from Munnar, Marayoor and Kanthalloor regions in Kerala’s Idukki district are fast emerging as major destinations for agritourism. Winter vegetable and fruit farms, sugarcane farms and jaggery production units are some of the main attractions, which have been drawing tourists to these regions. As a result, small-scale farmers in Idukki are receiving rich dividends. Agritourism is the future of farming. It will eliminate the middlemen and will assure ready money for their products, an extra margin of 30-40% surplus price for the farmers. Farmers can also exclusively brand their products to tourists, who, in turn, can buy natural products from them

Ommcom News

Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo on Wednesday in a written reply to queries of opposition members in the Odisha Assembly listed out the steps taken by the department for the welfare of farmers in Odisha.The State has formed a separate ‘Agriculture Cabinet’ as a Committee of the Cabinet with an objective to consider various issues pertaining to agriculture and allied sectors and to bring about faster growth and development in these sectors.

 

Down to Earth

A usual sight in the countryside is farmers busy tendering the world’s most exclusive job — producing food. But, if you probe a bit more and if you happen to be one of those who regularly interact with farmers, the missing youth in farms will strike you. The youth among the farming communities are hardly interested in agriculture — so much that a majority of students graduating from agricultural universities switch to other professions. As it emerges, those who work in family farms or are in some other way involved in farming are also doing so with compulsion.

The Hindu Business Line

The coconut farming sector in Kerala is set to get much needed impetus, thanks to the Rs.24.732 crore project bagged by Kerala Agricultural University (KAU). The mega project, sanctioned by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) under the Centres of Advanced Agricultural Science and Technology (CAAST) component of National Agricultural Higher Education Programme, will be operational for three years from the current fiscal.

News Click

What are some of the challenges faced by women in agriculture in India? What are the possible ways out of the agrarian crisis, that is hurting women farmers and agricultural workers the hardest? A panel discussion was organised by Focus on the Global South, Economic Research Foundation in collaboration with Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung –South Asia. This video provides a glimpse of the discussion.

Krishi Jagran

The government of West Bengal has stopped implementing the central scheme on crop insurance i.e. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) from Kharif 2019 and instead has brought its own scheme, the Parliament was told on 23rd July 2019 –  ‘Bangla Fasal Bima Yojana”.

Millennium Post

Concerned over the dearth of rainfall in the districts of South Bengal, the state Agriculture department is working on alternative agricultural methods to ensure that the farmers can carry out cultivation without much difficulty.The minister said that the department is working on procedures of river lift irrigation and usage of submersible pumps at a number of places to facilitate sowing of Kharif crops.

Down to Earth

India is an agrarian country and is the second-largest producer of cereal crops like rice and wheat, fibre crops like cotton, sugar crops like sugarcane and fruits, vegetables and tea at the global level. It also devotes the largest area for rice, wheat and cotton to grow. Remote sensing has provided data at desired spatial and temporal resolution to understand the behavior of soil moisture. Amount of sufficient water required for a crop (from sowing to harvesting) at root depths, termed as crop water requirement is derived using the surface soil moisture data.

 

The CSR Journal

The role of agriculture in the scope of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India is an important area needing further impetus if India is to achieve its $5 trillion economic goal, said Shri. Narendra Singh Tomar, Hon’ble Union Cabinet Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. As a nation, Tomar said, India Inc. needs to explore areas such as agriculture, considering the high labour force participation of the sector. He insisted on exploring partnership opportunities in agriculture, and its importance in achieving the $5 trillion economy mark.

The Times of India

Young farmers are racking up lakhs of views through their videos that share gyan on everything from fertilisers to farm equipment repair. For Indian farmers, these videos are not only a rich source of information and helpful hacks, they also help in building a community of farmers. More than 50% of India’s workforce is employed in agriculture but most of them are illiterate. So we have each other to fall back on, to educate.

 

The Economic Times  Millennium Post

Land usage is very high in West Bengal and the state contributes to around 5% of global rice production, higher than the US, Latin America and Africa taken together. In a surplus situation like this, it is important to look at commercially gainful disposal methods of rice, so as to maximise the benefits for paddy growers, said P K Majumdar, advisor to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on agriculture & allied sector at Bengal Rice Conclave 2019 organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. West Bengal encourages crop diversification i.e. the cultivation of crops other than paddy such as oilseeds, pulses, maize etc.

Down To Earth

The total area of sowing has been reduced by 63 per cent compared to the national average, according to data published by the Union Ministry of Agriculture. Rainfall was 20 per cent below average for the week ending July 17, 2019. And the total deficit since June 1 has been 16 per cent. This took water levels of the main reservoirs to 24 per cent below their storage capacity. The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare keeps updating the provisional sowing figures as it gathers more information from the state governments.

The Times of India

Rainfall in the first and second weeks of July blossomed hope among farmers and they started to prepare for sowing. However, the sudden disappearance of rainfall from the third week created panic in the agrarian community. Sources say Athani, Bailhongal, Belagavi, Ramdurg and Raibag taluks got less-than-normal rainfall from June 1 to July 18 while there was good rain in Chikkodi, Gokak, Hukkeri, Khanapur and Raibag taluks.

The Indian Express

Crops like paddy, cotton, maize, basmati and vegetables were damaged in Bathinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Muktsar and Sangrur. In total paddy/basmati crop over 57,320 acres was damaged alongwith 21,362 acres of cotton crop and 12,000 acres of vegetables, fodder, maize in a single day.

Times Now News

A total of 35.95 lakh women farmers have been covered under the centrally-sponsored Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) in 24 states, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday. Tomar also said in Lok Sabha that a total number of 84 MKSP projects have so far been sanctioned for implementation with a target of coverage of 33.81 lakhs women farmers.

The Times of India

Farmers from the district busy with kuruvai paddy cultivation have expressed confidence that the recent rain in the district will be helpful for their standing crops. Agriculture officials also said that the rain would be good for kuruvai paddy as well as cotton, where farmers are preparing their land for raising the crop. A considerable number of farmers in Lalgudi usually take up kuruvai paddy cultivation with the help of bore wells. According to officials from the agriculture department, kuruvai paddy would be cultivated on 6,000 acres in the district.

The New Indian Express

The joint farming initiative of  Kudumbashree Mission which is aimed at increasing  vegetable production in the state was officially launched in Ernakulam district on Monday. Minister for Agriculture V S Sunil Kumar inaugurated the programme at a function held in Aluva. In his inaugural address, the minister said people should come forward to undertake the rich farming tradition of the state. “Here, we do not have vast lands for taking up cultivation. What we have is only small plots. That is why group farming or joint farming is gaining importance.

The Indian Express

Sales have consistently fallen by over 14 per cent since March 2019, amidst weak farm sentiments and overall weakness in the rural economy. With volumes representing a double-digit fall over the past three months, the industry recorded an over 32 per cent decline in production in June 2019 while sales, including exports, too were down 15 per cent.

The Times of India

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Monday issued guidelines for rollout of the Rs 34,422-crore PM-KUSUM scheme, which would encourage farmers to generate solar power in their farms and use the clean energy to replace their diesel water pumps. The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme entails setting up of 25,750-MW solar capacity by 2022 with the total central financial support of Rs 34,422 crore.

The New Indian Express

Government is planning to market farm tourism in the state in a big way by linking various organic farms across the state. Under the project, farms are to be turned into farming training centres to preserve Kerala’s traditional rice varieties. The farms will be transformed into ‘agro-ecological zones’ . “Under these zones, we will form agro-ecological units to create rapid changes in the state’s farm sector,” the minister said.

 

Orissa Post

Agriculture production has been badly hit in this locality of Bhadrak district with the monsoons playing truant. There has not been sufficient rainfall in many parts of Bhadrak district during May, June and July. Although it is already the third week of July monsoon is yet to set in properly and farming has been badly affected. Farmers of Bhandaripokhari block have so far not been able to sow paddy seeds because of the lack of water. Many plantation fields already have a parched look and at many places weeds have started growing. However, the farmers have no other option but wait, hoping that rains will arrive soon.

Krishi Jagran

The fear of fall armyworm (FAW) spread all across the country that has already started impacting the Kharif maize crop for which entities involved in creating awareness among the farmers have urged that the pesticides and safety kits used in containing the pest be exempted from GST. The infestation by FAW has been turned severe this year and all private and public sector entities are being engaged in creating awareness among the farmers early in the crop cycle to contain the impact.

The New Indian Express

With Odisha harvesting bumper paddy crops year after year due to improved seed replacement rate and use of modern methodology, the paddy procurement target set by the state government is not commensurate with the yield per acre. Farmers who have registered their names under the paddy procurement automation system (P-PAS) for selling their surplus paddy to government agencies under the price support system are unable to dispose of their stock due to such restriction.

The Times of India

Early season drought has once again hit Jharkhand, like the previous year. This time the distribution of rainfall has been scarce as a result of which 23 out of 24 districts have recorded a deficit in rainfall. Barring Sahebganj, which recorded 15% surplus rain, most of the districts have received 50% less than normal rainfall. The worst-affected districts are Pakur and Khunti with 63% and 66% deficit rain. Next in queue is Godda with 62% deficit rainfall.

Swarajya

he Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) report is a pointer to the change that Indian agriculture is witnessing with farmers looking to grow crops that provide them with higher yield and returns. Can the centre encourage or lure farmers to grow crops of its choice, particularly those crops that are in short supply? For example, this year India is facing supply shortage in maize that is in demand for exporting. On the other hand, the country still depends on importing cooking oil to meet the burgeoning demand thus spending valuable foreign exchange.

The Sentinel Assam

Farmers of the State have suffered the worst in the current wave of floods in the State. According to State Agriculture Department, around six lakh families have been badly affected involving 1.62 lakh hectares of arable land. The moot question remains that – will the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) come to the rescue of these affected farmers who have insured their crop? Such a question arises as earlier experiences of crop insurance in Assam show that such schemes benefit only the insurance companies in the State, not the farmers.

The New Indian Express

Looking at the mushrooming skyscrapers, plush eateries, malls and other state-of-the-art landmarks across the national capital, it is hard to imagine that the famed Green Revolution took root in Delhi before making a countrywide sweep and ushering in an era of bountiful harvest. With the relentless march of urbanization and the ever-extending footprint of modern infrastructure leading to an increase in demand for vacant land, farmers across the national capital are being pushed to the margins.

The Times of India

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has appointed veteran bureaucrat Umesh Chandra Sarangi as his agriculture advisor after he realised all is not well in the agriculture department and that stringent measures are needed to tackle the drought and agrarian crisis. Fadnavis has realized though his government has drafted ambitious plans in the past five years to double farmers’ income, halt suicides and use lab-to-land technology to improve the quality of life of farmers, the results are not visible.

The Times of India

Many farmers in Raikot and Khanna are setting a good example by using direct seeded rice (DSR) technology. This method involves less use of groundwater. Experts at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) said since groundwater level in Ludhiana was dipping every year, farmers using the DSR technique was a welcome step.

The Tribune

‘Zero budget’ is a system of agro-ecological farming that relies on locally available inputs, including urine and dung from local cow breeds, with emphasis on mulching and multiple cropping, thereby reducing the cost of production. Travelling through Andhra Pradesh, where Subhash Palekar’s Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is being practised, I see healthy soil, healthy crop and healthy people. There has been no farm suicide reported so far from areas where agro-ecological farming practices are being followed. The productivity of crops in the areas that have already been converted to ZBNF has not gone down, it remains more or less the same and the yields of many crops have increased. 

The Times of India

Chemical farming will certainly continue. However what happened in Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh is indeed a miracle. I got full support from Chandrababu Naidu. Today, five lakh farmers are cultivating by the SPNF method in Andhra. In Himachal, the authorities have decided to convert every inch of land into SPNF. I have got acceptance in Uttarakhand too. Three new states, Karnataka, Kerala and Chhattisgarh, have shown willingness.

The Hindustan Times

The water ministry, a part of the CoS on agriculture and rural development, has pitched for less water for crops as a high priority issue. It has suggested production of alternative crops, a better irrigation system and financial incentives to farmers for optimal water usage. A committee of secretaries (CoS), formed under directions of the PM, to look into agriculture and related matters, is set to emphasise on the need to cut down on water usage on crops, especially paddy and sugar-cane, in its report to the cabinet secretary. Soon after coming to power for the second term, Modi formed around 10 committees of secretaries (CoS) to look into major issues and vet schemes before the ...

The Times of India 

Impact investments, a pathway to achieve the seemingly divergent goals of financial returns and social good, are moving towards agriculture and healthcare in the country, according to the latest report of research organisation Brookings India. It’s a marked shift in trends from two years ago. Until 2017, these sectors saw muted interest from impact funds, receiving smaller infusions. Energy and microfinance, however, continue to command the attention of funders the world over, as per the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN).

The Sentinel

The current wave of floods has dealt a blow to Agriculture activities. And to meet the exigencies, the State Agriculture department needs Rs 35 crore. This assessment has been made by the department itself. Now the department is preparing its proposals for restoration of flood damage. As asked by State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the department is going to submit its proposals before the July 26 Assembly Session so that the proposals can be passed as supplementary demands.

The Times of India

As many as 21 districts in Odisha have received lower than normal rainfall during the current monsoon season while there were 26.3% deficit rainfall recorded between June 1 and July 19. Revenue and disaster management minister Sudam Marndi informed it to the state assembly while making a statement on possible drought-like situation in some districts due to deficit rainfall. Speaker Surya Narayan Patro had directed the minister to make a statement on the situation on Friday.

The Times of India

As per estimates by the United Nations, by 2050 approximately 10 billion people will inhabit the world. How can all these people be fed, given that the amount of farmland available per capita is decreasing and approximately 800 million people are already affected by hunger today? To address this pressing issue, agriculture requires new approaches, which can not only increase productivity but also ensure environmental protection and conservation of limited natural resources. If we were to take a look at the future, there are already a few trends that are transforming agriculture globally.

Business Today

Indian farmers planted an array of summer-sown crops on 56.7 million hectares, down 6.9% year on year, agriculture ministry data showed on Friday, narrowing the sowing gap estimate from the previous week. Farmers start planting rice, corn, cotton, soybeans, sugarcane and peanuts among other crops from June 1, when monsoon rains are expected to reach India. Nearly half of India’s farmland lacks irrigation and planting usually lasts until July.

Scroll

Although income mobility improved country-wide in the seven years to 2012, the progress was unequal between states, while the likelihood of children pursuing the same occupation as their fathers declined for those employed in the low productivity agricultural sector, noted a January 2019 study on economic mobility.

Analytic Insight

Agriculture is considered to be as foundation of the economy while being a significant industry generating revenue and products. The emergence of technology worldwide has ventured in to this sector as well, for efficient outcomes. The application of AI, automation and robotics provide farmers with better understanding of crops production. More and more established and state of the art companies are gambling around with latest technologies to avail sustainable options to farmers. Therefore, we present you with top 10 companies employing artificial intelligence, robotics and automation technology to yield better crops and business outcomes.

The Times of India  Pune Mirror

State government will initiate the exercise in first week of August, in the hope that farmers will not have to sow again once their fields are washed by artificial rains. With the monsoon getting off to a weak start this year, the state government is turning to cloud seeding to come to the rescue of farmers with the help of artificial rains. The process will be kicked off for Ahmednagar and Solapur districts that come under the Pune division, alongside Marathwada and Nagpur in other parts of the state. “The experiments will be carried out in the first week of August. The decision has been prompted by the shortfall in rainfall ...

United News of India

Empowerment of the farmers is the topmost priority of this Government, Minister of state for Agriculture Purushottam Rupala said on Friday. Responding to debate on a private members Bill moved in the Rajya sabha by the BJP lawmaker Vjiay Pal Singh Tomar to improve and strengthen the farmer’s condition in the country, the Minister said,’empowering the farmers is the first priority of the er Narendra Modi led Government.’ He said this Government has initiated a multi pronged strategy to strengthen the condition of farmers.

Krishi Jagran

The Indian government has approved a sum of Rs 206.8 crore for a Central Sector Scheme named ‘Implementation of Agriculture Export Policy’ that aims to double farmers’ income by the year 2022. The government through a notification informed that “It has approved a Central Sector Scheme ‘Implementation of Agriculture Export Policy’”. Of the total amount, Rs 134.50 crore has been allotted to setup dedicated clusters for bananas, mangoes, pomegranate, grapes, turmeric, tea, coffee and marine products, along with pre & post-harvest management of the production, upgrading the supply chain to achieve much higher levels of export from those clusters.

The Times of India  The Asian Age

The Delhi government should cooperate in implementing the newly launched central scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) under which Rs 6,000 is paid in three equal installments annually to each farmer who owns land, minister of state for agriculture Parshottam Rupala said in the Rajya Sabha. The Centre had launched the PM-KISAN scheme just before the Lok Sabha elections. Most states are implementing the scheme barring few states especially Delhi and West Bengal.

Millennium Post

In a move aimed at effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY), the government has invited suggestions from all the members of the parliament on the matter. While divulging the information, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the government is working on making crop insurance more effective same.

The Deccan Chronicle

The Telangana Assembly on Thursday passed the Telangana State Commission for Debt Relief (Small Farmers, Agricultural Labour and Rural Artisans) Amendment Ordinance, 2019. While introducing the Ordinance 2019, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said that the amendment was brought to appoint an eminent person or farmer well versed in the field of agriculture and the issues of farmers, to head the Commission instead of a retired judge of the High Court as per the earlier provision under the Act.

The Indian Express

Even as the state government claimed to have provided assistance to over 51 lakh farmers under its flagship Kalia scheme, it has sent a list of around 30 lakh farmers to the Centre for assistance under PM Kisan scheme. Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said though 57.11 lakh small and marginal farmers and 39.3 lakh landless farmers had applied for assistance under Kalia scheme, 51,05,290 farmers have received the aid so far.

The Hindu

Harjinder Kaur Talwar, national president of FLO, told The Hindu on Wednesday that “FLO Agriculture Initiative” was launched in April this year in association with the Union Ministry of Agriculture. Of the total women population in the country, 71 % is associated with agriculture. They need to be trained and empowered. At the policy-level, the Organisation is trying to talking to two States for amendments in the laws concerned so that women who take up agriculture can be classified as farmers and can avail of all the benefits. It also tied up with a non-governmental organisation to train women hailing from Telangana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh in extracting and preserving custard apple pulp. “We will talk to ice cream ...

India today

Private investment in agriculture sector is the need of the hour and the government is looking at abetting it to elevate farmers from their current distress. The government aims to increase the investment which presently stands at 13 per cent to help farmers across the country to around 30 per cent.

The Economic Times

The government has approved an outlay of Rs 206.8 crore for 2019-19 for a central sector scheme titled ‘Implementation of Agriculture Export Policy’ aimed at doubling farmers’ income by 2022. “The Central Government has approved a Central Sector Scheme titled ‘Implementation of Agriculture Export Policy’,” the government said in a notification. Of this, Rs 134.50 crore are allocated to setup dedicated clusters for mangoes, pomegranate, bananas, grapes, tea, coffee, turmeric, and marine products, among others along with pre and post-harvest management of the production, upgrading the supply chain to attain much higher levels of export from those clusters.

Udaipur Kiran

The meeting held at NITI Aayog, discussed measures for transformation of agriculture and raising farmers’ income, modalities for adoption and time bound implementation of agriculture sector reforms. Addressing media after the meeting, convener of the committee, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that discussion was held on ways to boost growth in agriculture. He said that private sector investment can play a key role in agricultural growth. He also added that there was a need to amend the APMC act.

The Daily Pioneer

Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said that new schemes for Peri Urban Agriculture and diversification of crops will be prepared in the direction of doubling the income of farmers. Khattar said that in view of the diversification of crops, discussion was also held to prepare new schemes by forming the basis of Peri Urban Agriculture to economically reorganize the agricultural areas around the urban areas alongwith crop diversification. “Peri urban agriculture is highly important for Haryana in view of the large agricultural area of Haryana being located in the NCR area and with the preparation of new schemes for Peri Urban Agriculture, the agricultural sector will be economically strong and people in cities ...

The Times of India

Researchers of IIT Hyderabad have found that agriculture accounts for 70 per cent water consumption in Telangana but interestingly, urban areas consumed 20 times more virtual water. This is through various consumption of items than physical water, which contributes to the “red footprint”. The agricultural water consumption has been described as “green water footprint”. IIT Hyderabad embarked on the study of the water footprint in the city under the Hyderabad Metro Development Authority (HMDA) limits as assessment studies are vital to develop strategies for sustainable water preservation. Understanding the pattern of usage of water is important to formulate plans.

The Financial Express  All India Radio (News on air) The Indian Express

The central government should link grants and allocations made by the Finance Commission to states with reforms in the agriculture sector, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. A proposal to this effect was discussed at the first meeting of a ‘High-Powered Committee of Chief Ministers for Transformation of Indian Agriculture’ on Thursday.

The Morung Express

Nagaland State Minister for Soil & Water Conservation, Geology & Mining and Chairman NSMDC, V Kashiho Sangtam along with Commissioner and Secretary for Soil & Water Conservation, Vikeyie Kenya called upon Union Minister of State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kailash Choudhary at New Delhi last July 10. They apprised the minister that even though the State Government is making attempts to boost the economy by developing the infrastructure and also by setting up new agri-allied programmes the economic grown is not at the rate that has been expected. In this connection, they urged the Union Minister to develop the agriculture sector in State through various schemes and programme under his ministry to enhance economic growth especially ...

ANI News

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the states which adopted contract farming are getting private investments. “Other states need to be encouraged to adopt contract farming with the application of new technologies like in developed countries to increase the output,” he said at the first meeting of a high-powered committee of Chief Ministers constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fadnavis said small farmers need to group together and increase their investment capacities.

DNA India

Maharashtra government has appointed a former chairman of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and former bureaucrat Umesh Chandra Sarangi as an expert to guide and advise the state on a slew of steps urgently required to spur growth in the ailing agriculture sector. His mandate will be to suggest measures to double the farmers’ income by 2022.

The Times of India

The state government has released a fund of Rs 2.15 crore to compensate the farmers who lost their maize crops to the menace of fall armyworm in the district. An invasive pest that originates from North and South America, fall armyworm is one of the most feared pests along with bollworm and white fly in the district. A survey conducted by the agriculture department in February-March had found that half of more than 2,000 hectares of plantations was destroyed by fall armyworm.

The Indian Express

As against the normal area of 43,34,487 hectares in the State, only 22,65,624 hectares of land i.e, 52 per cent has been cultivated so far. However, paddy was sown in 12 per cent of the normal area. As per the latest report, Komuram Bheem-Asifabad, Mahbubnagar and Narayanpet districts received normal rainfall.  Nalgonda and Khammam districts received scanty rainfall. The remaining 28 districts received deficit rainfall till date.

Business Standard  India Spend

For the first time since Independence, India saw a shift of surplus labour from agriculture to the non-agricultural sectors. Farmers’ children were 21.1 percentage points less likely to take up farming in 2012 than in 2005, their likelihood down to 32.4%, while the children of agricultural and other labourers were 4.1 percentage points less likely to pursue the same occupation as their fathers, the likelihood, 58.6%, the study noted.

Yahoo

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday approved the demands for grants for ministers of rural development, agriculture and farmers welfare for 2019-20. The demands were approved by a voice vote after a reply by Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar who said that PM-Kisan initiative was a significant step to help small and marginal farmers.

 

The Hindu Business Line

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the government is working on making Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna more effective and invited suggestions from members on the same.

The Economic Times

The issue of planting unapproved herbicide tolerant Bt (HTBt) cotton has split cotton farmers into two groups. While those favouring sowing of HTBt have approached the government for lifting the ban on the variety, the opposing group has urged the government to take strict action against farmers propagating the banned variety.

Business Standard

Although income mobility improved country-wide in the seven years to 2012, the progress was unequal between states, while the likelihood of children pursuing the same occupation as their fathers declined for those employed in the low productivity agricultural sector, noted a January 2019 study on economic mobility.

Hindustan Times

India is an agriculture-based country and is considered as an important sector of Indian Economy as it accounts 18% of the nation’s GDP. Being the first employer and a primary source of livelihood of 58% of the population, the gross value of a combination of agriculture, fishing and forestry is of about US$ 271.00 billion for FY18. With a share of 32% of the country’s total food market, the Indian Food processing industry ranks fifth in production, consumption, export and expected growth. Also, its contribution of 8.80 and 8.39 per cent of Gross Value Added in Manufacturing and Agriculture respectively made it one of the promising sectors for employment (as per www.ibef.org reports).

The Economic Times

The high-powered committee of chief ministers on transformation of agriculture will deliberate upon ways to incentivise states to fully implement the major reforms in agriculture introduced in the past including some key legislations to attract private investments in the sector. A senior government official told ET that the government has already introduced enough reforms in agriculture through model legislations. However, all states will have to adopt these and fully implement them if we want to transform agriculture for doubling farmers’ income.

News18

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Saturday expressed hopes to increase the per capita income of the state with an aim to make it the highest in the country. His government is also focusing on agriculture and forest based economy to resolve the issue of unemployment in the state, he said. Mizoram has a land area of nearly 22,000 square km and most of the area is fertile. The present government feels that a huge number of fertile land is enough to feed the people of Mizoram and make them economically self-sufficient.

Devdiscourse

Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar Wednesday told the Lok Sabha that the government is working on making Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna more useful and beneficial and invited suggestions from members on the same. “Earlier also there was PM Fasal Bima…Today there is focus on PM Fasal Bima. But my Prime Minister and I do not consider this PM Fasal Bima Yojna complete scheme.

Ommcomm News

At least 38 farmers have committed suicide in different parts of the state between 2016-17 and 2018-19, Agriculture Minister Arun Sahoo told the Odisha Assembly Wednesday. However, he dismissed allegations of crop loss and debt burden as the reasons behind the issue. Replying to a written question of Congress MLA Suresh Routray, Sahoo said that not even a single farmer had committed suicide due to crop failure or inability to repay loans in the last three years.

The Morung Express

The District Agromet Unit DAMU, KVK Kiphire conducted a farmers’ awareness programme on Agro Advisory Services at Singrep Village on July 11. During the programme, a DIPR report stated that the farmers were made aware on the impact of climate change on agriculture and allied sectors and various adaptation strategies to counter its impact on climate change and also Agro meteorology of weather and the use of weather and the climate to enhance and expand the farmers’ agricultural crops and increase the villagers’ crop production.

 

The Economic Times

The issue of planting unapproved herbicide tolerant Bt (HTBt) cotton has split cotton farmers into two groups. While those favouring sowing of HTBt have approached the government for lifting the ban on the variety, the opposing group has urged the government to take strict action against farmers propagating the banned variety.

Krishi Jagran

“Being agriculture-centric, the farmers are the assets of our country. The farmers play a pivotal role in society as they are the real lifelines of the country. Now it’s time to implement smart agriculture with smart farming and smart farmer”, said Shri Narendra Singh Tomar while addressing the event as the chief guest. He stressed that while everybody is talking about smart city and smart project, hardly anyone talks about smart farming and smart farmer.

The Citizen

Seemanchal farmers, who switched from wheat and jute to water-friendly maize, are earning less despite high demand and good yield, and look to the government to intervene. Rajeshwar Mandal, a marginal farmer in Baisi of Purnea district who is growing maize crop twice a year, was happy with a bumper harvest again this year. But his happiness did not last long as he got low price for his maize.

The Indian Wire, ANI NEWS

The Lower House of the Parliament on Wednesday gave its nod to the demands for grants for ministers of rural development, agriculture and farmers welfare for 2019-20. The demands for the grant was cleared by the voice vote. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, earlier in the day, Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar hailed PM-Kisan Scheme. Talking about the scheme, Union Minister said, the initiative was a significant step to help small and marginal farmers.

United News of India

Mr Tomar said the government is making the effort so that ‘Kisan ke chehre par lali and Bharat mein khushhali aaye (Farmers become healthy and the nation is happy)’. For infertile land owners, the Minister said ‘annadata ko urjadata ‘ (food giver to energy producer) was not just a slogan given by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, but solar energy generated on the land by the farmer or with the help of developer, will be bought by the government. Water conservation campaign is picking up in the country and the MGNREGA scheme will be utilised in this direction, he said, and stressed on Zero Budget farming and Organic farming.

The Statesman

Ever since Oxfam published its sensational report half a decade ago about women doing 80 per cent of India’s farm work though owning only 13 per cent of the land, there has been considerable discourse on feminisation of Indian agriculture, rebutted by others insisting that there has actually been a defeminisation.

Business Standard

NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand on Tuesday said public perception of growing harmful effects of chemicals in food cannot be addressed by organic farming or zero budget farming alone. Chand said the plant protection industry should play an active role in assuring consumers that all chemicals aren’t harmful and must educate farmers to adopt good farm practices and stop excessive use of chemicals.

The Hindu

The Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) of all major crops for the Kharif season FY2020 have been set at 50% above the cost of production, according to an answer given in Parliament by the Agriculture Ministry. MSPs have been steadily rising, but there seems to be a variation in what is considered production cost.

Daily Excelsior

Processing of seeds for agricultural purposes will ensure not only a fillip in crop production but its comparative better quality. It is well known that there are more than one physical characters of seeds like its size,shape, texture, length, colour and weight as also its affinity to liquid and electrical conductivity and the processing could be done on one or more attributes.

The Hindu

Measures include loans and investments in infrastructure and machinery. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday made announcements in the Assembly to boost the agriculture and horticulture sectors in the State

The Times of India

Foodgrain production in the ongoing kharif (summer sown) season is expected to be same as last year’s despite deficient monsoon rains so far as there is still time to sow paddy and other crops, a senior government official said Tuesday. He said the farm sector is facing many challenges in form of water scarcity, providing right prices to farmers for their produce, market linkage and achieving sharp jump in agri-exports.

Krishi Jagran

A senior government official on 15th July 2019 said that the government is planning to make some changes to the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The key changes will include making crop insurance voluntary to all farmers, giving flexibility to states to provide customised add on products,  removal of high premium crops, etc.

Odisha TV

The farming community has alleged that, though it is monsoon, the peak time for agriculture, they are yet to begin the agrarian works as there is no water in their fields. Hundreds of farmers in Dengsarangi and Gandamunda areas of the district have claimed that peasants residing in the low-lying areas are deprived of water for farming as adequate water has not been released from the Hirakud Dam.

Krishi Jagran

Representatives of the agrochemical industry expressed their views on making agricultural practices in India more Climate resilient and profitable for farmers. Topics discussed at the conference included reduction in timelines for registration for new molecules (first time to country), protection of regulatory data (PRD) & implementation of international best practices. Ways to help bring new technologies to Indian farmers, reduction of GST on crop protection chemicals, and to curb the proliferation of spurious agro chemicals were also discussed.

The Hans India

Initiating the debate on demands for grants of the ministries of Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Uttam Kumar Reddy accused the BJP Government of paying ‘lip service’ to the cause of farmers and not taking any concrete measure to resolve the agrarian crisis. “Indian farmer is today in the midst of a serious agrarian crisis with more than 30 farmers committing suicide each day,” he said.

Orissa Post

On a normal year with good rainfall, agricultural activities in this district often pick up pace by mid July. However, that is not the case this year owing to the dry spell that is affecting plantation of saplings leaving the farmers a worried lot. Mahapatra confirmed that the district has received less rainfall than the normal. “I hope the agricultural activities won’t get affected as some parts of the district are getting good rains. While sowing has been completed, transplantation is affected,” he said.

The Kashmir Times

In the last five years, our government has succeeded only in explaining in 14 volumes as to how farmers’ income will be doubled by 2022. The last volume contains only recommendations. In the meantime agriculture sector went from bad to worse, farmers’ income went further down with no sign of improvement in near future, and their distress aggravated further. Does it not also speak volumes about the dismal performance of the government? We cannot feed on mere ‘dreams’ and ‘optimism’ as our prime ministers want us to. We need real food and real income through real growth in Agriculture.

Krishi Jagran

 

The new India has ensured different agricultural policies which are working for the well-being of both farmers and consumers. Around 80% of India’s poor and farmers are living in rural areas. Hence, addressing widespread poverty and ensuring domestic food security are key objectives.

The New Indian Express

The World Bank has evinced interest in becoming a development partner of the state government in building a disaster-resilient Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. Strengthening of rural markets; sustainable agriculture development project for Attapadi; Athirappilly Tribal Valley Agriculture project; and projects to check flooding in the Kole fields of Kuttanad.

The New Indian Express

With water stress increasing in many parts of the country, the agriculture ministry and NITI Aayog are planning to carry out an extensive study on agricultural use of water which, in future, will help farmers opt for cultivation based on water consumption levels.

Swarajya Mag

A month and a half since the south-west monsoon arrived in the country, it is time to look at the scenario that is unfolding in Indian agriculture. There are more than one reason why the monsoon is being closely monitored this year.

FNB News

The foundation of the Indian food sector lies in the hands of farmers, who form the backbone of the Indian economy. The country’s agricultural system is in dire need for agro-marketing reforms, and the Union Budget for 2019-20 clearly outlined its priority, giving due recognition to gaon, garib aur kisan as the drivers of development and growth in rural areas.

Turned News

Agriculture robots has different tasks to perform which includes image capturing, seeding, water spraying, harvesting, milking and many others to name. The growing demand for food and scarcity of manpower has boosted the agriculture robots market’s growing trend. The increase in precision agriculture and increase in demand for real time analysis which in turn helps in making a better decision and in turn driving the global market for agriculture robots. In fact, global marketing of agricultural robots is experiencing a growth as a result to increased corporate farming and increase in demand for food producing.

The Times of India

Subhash Palekar, the proponent of natural farming whose method has been lately endorsed by government, said he has turned down a request by the state’s agriculture minister Dr Anil Bonde for getting his appointment. Palekar said he would prefer to meet only the chief minister for a discussion as natural farming does not deal with the department of agriculture alone.

Financial Express

Twelve years after retiring as Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief, PK Hormis Tharakan has a new assignment for himself, this time in agriculture field. Tharakan who is a resident of Kerala is nowadays busy in ensuring the crows don’t prey on shrimp and fish in his agriculture fields in Alappuzha district, thanks to his decision to take up paddy-cum-shrimp farming.

Mint

On 17 June, Amitabh Kant, chief executive officer (CEO) of India’s policy think tank, NITI Aayog, took to the social media platform Twitter to join the ongoing debate over water scarcity. “Water is the biggest challenge India faces. India has 16% of d world’s popln but only 4% of the world’s water resources. Ground water accounts for 63% of our irrigation needs. We need to do sustainable ground water usage, recharge aquifers, restore water bodies and reuse waste water. (sic)”

Tribune

Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres believes that climate change, which is pervasive across the globe and is caused by global warming, is progressing faster than we are and if we do not take appropriate action by 2020, disastrous consequences await people and all natural systems that sustain us. Climate change impacts all facets of human civilisation — health, family income, livelihood, security, agricultural production (crops, livestock, fisheries) and international trade.

Business Today

Providing legal and social protection to the informal or unorganised sector workers — one of the key objectives of the labour law reforms being planned may be easier said than done. The challenges are many and the government seems least prepared.

The Financial Express

India has emerged as a major exporter of several agricultural commodities, and has also been diversifying production towards high value pulses, fruits, vegetables, and livestock products.

The New Indian Express

mobilisation of 50 women for a government programme on organic farming and a selfhelp group is leading economic reforms in the village. From 2013 to 2017, a group led by Lakshmi, toiled extensively on spreading awareness on organic farming and dairy farming at ground level. This is presently yielding results in Yelekudligi village in Sindhanur taluk. Over 40 women are cultivating paddy using vermicompost, and practising dairy farming.

The Times of India

The CM said after the separation of Jharkhand from Bihar in November 2000, the state was left with a hugely depleted green cover of around only 8%. “In the last 15 years, 22 crore saplings were planted in various parts of the state. Today, the state’s green cover is 15%, but it has to be increased to 17%, which is the desired national standard for any region,” the CM said.

Krishi Jagran

Kharif sowing improved drastically with the increase of monsoon rainfall since last week. The sowing shortfall is down to 8.61 percent, covering 413.34 lakh hectares (LH), compared to 452.3 LH covered in the corresponding week of last year. Improvement in rainfall helped the farmers in speed up the sowing, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry.

Krishi Jagran

National bank for agriculture and rural development (NABARD) felicitated five Agritech startups for their promising role in agriculture on the occasion of the 38th Foundation Day of the government-backed National bank. These promising five Agritech startups included dairy startup Stellapps Technologies, biotech startup Sea6 Energy, aqua-farming startup Eruvaka Technologies, rural e-commerce platform InThree (BoonBox) and packaged foods startup Kottaram Agro foods (Soulful).

Millennium Post

Minister of Agriculture has recently urged the states in a meeting to ensure enumeration and listing of all eligible farmers for direct transfer of cash benefits. Obviously, the planners have little knowledge of the ground reality. There are many landowners who are not farmers, and there are real farmers who do not have any piece of land. Moreover, there are numerous real farmers with very small land holding. That is why this money can give benefit to a large number of persons, but is not going to help agriculture in a big way, because it may not be invested fully in this sector. All the real farmers are not eligible and therefore they are to get anything ...

Business Today

State-owned National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has reportedly said it is planning to raise about Rs 55,000 crore from the domestic market in the current financial year to fund its organisation’s growth and also support various agricultural and rural development schemes of the government.

 

News Click

According to the agriculture department officials, heavy rains have compensated rainfall deficiency of last month. The state recorded 41% less rainfall in June and 43% less rainfall by July first week. However, till July 11, the state has recorded 21% more than the normal rainfall. Usually the state receives 110 mm rains during this period of July, but it has  recorded 135.7 mm rains this time.

 

The Economic Times

The monsoon has surged to deliver 28% more rainfall than average in the past week, in the first burst of heavy showers over most part of the country this season. The vital weather system arrived late and has remained weak for a month. Revival of the monsoon gives a much-needed shot in the arm to agriculture as farmers had slowed down planting of crops because of relatively dry conditions.

The New Indian Express

Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy said that the government is in the process of finalising the modalities for implementation of farm loan waiver.

Pune Mirror

Countering their criticism, BJP’s Prabhat Jha said it is a “pro-poor and pro-farmer” budget and allocation for the agriculture sector has been substantially increased that will help boost the growth. He also said the Congress won five states recently with the promise to waive of farm loans within 10 days of government formation. “But farm loans are yet to be waived even till date and people have realised the true colours of the Congress, the result of which was seen in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

 

Rising Kashmir

The status of Kharief crops like paddy, maize and vegetable is satisfactory and all the schemes are being implemented as per the desired targets. Besides, review of Soil heath card scheme, KCC scheme, Action Plan for Mushroom Development Scheme was approved wherein the interested beneficiaries would get a subsidy of Rs. 15000 per unit of hundred trays/bags of Mushroom for equipment and related activities.

Financial Express

Three essential pillars of economic reforms are liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation. Liberalisation means removal of state restrictions on private individual activities; privatisation encompasses transfer of business, industry or service from public to private ownership and control; and globalisation is the transborder spread of products, technology and information through international trade and transfer. It is believed that though a large number of reforms have been introduced in the agriculture sector in the last few years, they have met with limited success in liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation of agriculture. Importantly, policy reforms in the sector have not yielded the anticipated benefits to farmers and consumers.

UNI

Jul 11 (UNI) Odisha government today approved 24 projects worth Rs.250 crore under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) for the development of agriculture and increasing the income of the farmers. The projects were approved and sanctioned at a meeting of the state-level approval committee of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana held here under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary A P Padhi. After the meeting Agriculture Secretary Sourabh Garg said the projects are related to agriculture, dairy farming , fisheries, pesticide management and strengthening of green revolution in the state.

Financial Express

Bridging the digital gap that rural India witnesses, and alleviating the lack of awareness in farming, the Uttar Pradesh government killed two birds with one stone by launching another campaign under its The Million Farmers’ School (TMFS) programme. The programme brought thousands of farmers in touch with agriculture scientists by using digital media as a platform, The Indian Express reported. Called ‘Vaigyanikon ki Baat, Kisaano ke Saath’ (scientists-talking-to-farmers), the programme was carried out early in June and was conducted by scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre), state agricultural universities and the department itself.

The Hans India

Ninth Agriculture Leadership Conclave 2019 kicked off in New Delhi today. Agriculture Today Group President Dr M J Khan addressing the 9th Agriculture Leadership Conclave 2019 said ‘Agriculture Today’, a premier agriculture monthly led by Agriculture Today Group, has been the voice of farmers for the last many years. The Group also was instrumental in organising such events where all the stakeholders could be brought to one platform to deliberate upon.

Business Standard

India may receive below-average rainfall in the next two weeks with a large deficit in the soybean and cotton growing central and western regions, a weather department official said on Thursday, raising concerns over the output of summer-sown crops.

Down To Earth

In a last-ditch attempt to arrest the fall in its water table, Haryana is incentivising farmers to quit growing water-intensive paddy and shift to crops like maize and pulses. Launched on May 27, Jal Hi Jeevan Hai, the crop diversification scheme, is being implemented on a pilot basis in seven blocks, each in a different district.

The Wire

Land and labour are two basic factors needed by rural people for income generation. While women have always played a key role in agricultural production, their importance both as workers and as farm managers has been growing in the last two decades as more men move to non-farm jobs – leading to an increased feminisation of agriculture.

The Week

India’s only B-school to offer a curriculum integrated with Harvard Business School Online courses, today announced a two-year full-time Rural and Agribusiness Management course affiliated to Savitribai Phule University and approved by AICTE. The AICTE approved PGDM course and MBA course will be offered at ASM IIBR and ASM IBMR respectively. The course will also be offered in the executive education format at the ASM Executive Education Centre. The courses will have specializations in Finance, Operations and Marketing along with practical training and guidance from leading names in agribusiness. Prakash Bakshi, ex-chairman of NABARD, has designed the curriculum with leading industry stalwarts likely as advisors. The course is probably the only one of its kind in Maharashtra ...

Quint

According to a study published by the renowned journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, the practice of raising animals for meat, eggs, and dairy sucks up one-third of the world’s freshwater resources, which we simply cannot afford to lose at this critical stage. The number of Indians lacking access to safe water is 163 million, and according to a World Bank report, 40 percent of our country’s population will not have access to safe drinking water by 2030.

Swarajya

India’s growth trajectory has surprised many because of its direct transition from an agriculture-based economy to a service-driven economy. A consequence of this transition is the lack of expansion in low-skilled employment opportunities in the manufacturing sector, which has restricted the surplus labour in the agriculture sector from moving towards more productive sectors.

The Hans India

Mandal Agriculture Officer Usha on Wednesday advised farmers to take up sowing as suggested by the department officials and not to opt for spurious seeds. She was speaking after inspecting farm lands in Pachigudem and outskirts of Patancheru along with the department officials. Usha, who saw the paddy sowings in the field of former ZPTC Jaipal, stated that faulty

The Times of India

Despite lower yields due to scanty rain last year, Gujarat’s farmers seem to be banking on groundnut and cotton this kharif season. The acreage sown with groundnut this season has reached 11.85 lakh hectares, almost double the 5.17 lakh hectares sown with the crop last year. Some 18.76 lakh hectares has been sown with cotton as on July 8, as compared to 11.44 lakh hectares for the same period in 2018, data from the state agriculture department shows.

The Indian Express

Good rates for their spring season (March to June) maize crop has encouraged several farmers in Punjab to diversify from paddy to maize in the kharif (June to October) season. The area under maize has already increased by 16% as compared to last kharif season, at a time when sowing is still underway.

The Times of India

The government will pay Rs 7 lakh ex-gratia to families of farmers who committed suicide in the past five years due to agriculture crisis or debt. Chief minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy in a video conference on Wednesday directed district collectors to identify families who lost breadwinners. He told collectors that 1,513 farmers committed suicide from 2014 to 2019 as per district crime records bureau. The previous government paid ex-gratia to 391 farmers only, he said.

The Telegraph

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday told the Assembly that farming was on the decline on the Singur land that had been reclaimed from the aborted Tata Nano project and returned to farmers, and those who did not want to continue cultivating it could not be forced to do so.

The Economic Times

Government is soon going to make changes to make insurance companies more accountable in settling of crop insurance claims, said Ashish Bhutani, CEO, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the flagship scheme started in Modi governments’s first term. The government is concerned about ‘lack of satisfaction among farmers’ despite spending of Rs 15,000 crore annually on the scheme by the central government and an equal amount by the state governments.

SME Times

To promote the agricultural exports, the Government has introduced a comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy with the vision, “Harness export potential of Indian agriculture, through suitable policy instruments, to make India a global power in agriculture, and raise farmers’ income”, said Goyal in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Business Today

If you go by pure numbers, the Narendra Modi government has increased the allocation for agriculture in Union Budget 2019/20. This is true even if one excludes the Rs 75,000 crore provided for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan). The Fasal Bhima Yojana has been allocated Rs 14,000 crore instead of Rs 12,975 crore last year and interest subsidy for short-term credit to farmers has gone up from last year’s Rs 14,987 crore to Rs 18,000 crore. Such measures are good but mean absolutely nothing if structural reforms are what we have been hoping for.

The Week

Kerala agriculture minister V.S. Sunil Kumar met Reserve Bank governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday pressing to extend the moratorium on Rs 80,800-crore plus farm loans to end December and also to reschedule the borrowings through kisan credit cards.

Business Today

Finance Minister stated that the Union Budget 2019 made sure that agriculture sector gets prominence while responding to the general discussion on Union Budget 2019 in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Telangana Today

The scanty rainfall this monsoon season has affected agriculture operations in the district with farmers taking up the cultivation in just six per cent of the total cultivable land for this kharif season. The impact is likely to be reflected in the crop yield too.

Odisha TV

As many as 50 lakh farmers have received financial assistance under the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme till date, and verification is on to include the left-out farmers, informed Odisha Agriculture Minister Arun Sahoo today.

Business Standard

Though the Budget proposes building rural infrastructure to woo private investment in farm and allied activities such as dairy, fisheries and agro-processing, there is hardly any fresh proposal directed to tackle distress.

Swarajya

In the previous episode in our series on Indian agriculture, we looked at what is perhaps one of the biggest factors influencing agriculture output – the monsoons. We sought to understand why they were so critical.

The Times of India

After announcing loan waiver in December last year, chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday announced the setting up of a Rs 1000-crore Krushak Kalyan Kosh (farmers welfare fund) to help them to get remunerative prices for their produce. He said the government’s endeavour was to introduce the concept of ‘ease of doing farming’ on the lines of ‘ease of doing business’.

The Times of India

After announcing loan waiver in December last year, chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday announced the setting up of a Rs 1000-crore Krushak Kalyan Kosh (farmers welfare fund) to help them to get remunerative prices for their produce. He said the government’s endeavour was to introduce the concept of ‘ease of doing farming’ on the lines of ‘ease of doing business’

The Print

In a new venture with scientists at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) has developed an aquaculture system that allows farming of fish with limited use of water and also enables reuse of the wastewater for irrigation purposes. Officials at the NIRDPR believe mechanisation will drive the country’s youth to take up agriculture.

Mint

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to implement a programme to provide assured and protected irrigation in 251 rain-fed talukas hit by chronic drought, farmers’ suicides, and Left-wing extremism.

Krishijagran.com

All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) together with All India Agriculture Workers Union (AIAWU) will organize a national conference on ‘Agrarian Crisis & Alternative Policies’ on 11 and 12 July, 2019 in Hyderabad.

Quint

Rice is the second important crop of Maharashtra and is grown over an area of 14.99 lakh hectares with an annual rice production of about 32.37 lakh tons. The state’s average productivity is 2.01 t/ha, ranking it 13th in rice production in the country.

The Economic Times

A laboratory report has confirmed that farmers in Maharashtra’s Akola district indeed sowed banned herbicide-tolerant Bt (HTBT) cotton by way of protest last month, a state government official said Tuesday.

DNA

Suicides by farmers increased after a loan waiver of Rs 70,000 crore was announced by the previous UPA government in 2008, Union minister Parshottam Rupala said on Tuesday.

Rupala, union minister of state for agriculture, also said an audit conducted after the announcement of the mega loan waiver scheme had found that people who were not farmers were also given the loan waiver.”There was an increase in farmers suicides after the Rs 70,000 crore loan waiver scheme was announced,” he said during Question Hour.

CNBC TV 18

It all really started with an innocuous Instagram post by Hollywood actor Leonardo Dicaprio, wherein he highlighted the water issue in Chennai. The narrative till then was of a local Tamil Nadu government caught napping, unable to grapple with the scarcity of water. Sadly, Chennai has been no stranger to water shortages, there were even times when potable water was transported via railways to the city. So, there was not much attention given to the story, beyond the political play. But, Dicaprio’s post transmuted the water scarcity issue into a climate-change one. Almost overnight, experts and novices alike woke up to calamity of water scarcity in India.

The Times of India

The political turmoil has upset the drought-mitigation programmes such as cloud seeding and contingent crop plan in the state. “I was scheduled to convene a meeting on Monday to assess the sowing and programmes planned to tackle drought. But it didn’t happen as I was among the ministers who resigned, as part of the plan to save the government,” said agriculture minister NH Shivashankar Reddy. “I hope officials will handle the situation efficiently,” he added.

Business Standard

Suicides by farmers increased after a loan waiver of Rs 70,000 crore was announced by the previous UPA government in 2008, Union minister Parshottam Rupala said on Tuesday.

The Indian Express

AAP’s Punjab president and MP Bhagwant Mann on Monday said that the Centre had done “gross injustice” to Punjab by keeping it out of a national-level committee constituted to promote agriculture and double the income of farmers in the next three years.

Business Standard

Global demand for agricultural products is projected to grow by 15% over the coming decade, while agricultural productivity growth is expected to increase slightly faster, causing inflation-adjusted prices of the major agricultural commodities to remain at or below their current levels, according to an annual report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

The Times of India

With water becoming a precious commodity, the state agriculture department has taken up an initiative to increase the cultivation of minor millets, which require less water and are also nutritious. Under the ‘Nutri Cereal Scheme’ of the Centre’s National Food Security Mission, the department will promote minor millets by setting up demonstration farms and providing subsidies to the farmers.

Krishijagran.com

“Annadana”, a seed bank of indigenous seeds founded by Sangeeta Sharma, a former communication professional offered 800 varieties of native seeds that are cheaper and more productive than the hybrid seeds.  Sharma had established “Annadana” as a startup in 2001 with 20 varieties of indigenous seeds on her five-acre farm in Bengaluru.

Business Standard

Prices of global farm commodities may stay flat or even drop for the next 10 years as production outpaces demand, said a report on Monday as Indian farmers look to boost their income by increasing exports.

The Indian Express

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Monday expressed concern over the delay in sowing due to deficient rains but said there is still time for planting of Kharif (summer-sown) crops.

Financial Express

Allaying apprehension of a drop in crops output, the government has expressed confidence that the deficit in kharif sowing will be covered by the end of the month after rains rebounded in many parts in the past few days. Many of the major producing states are also banking on the current spell of monsoon to make up the sowing area losses in June that received a five-year low monsoon rainfall.

The Indian Express

A one-week delay in the monsoon’s arrival has laid bare the precariousness of India’s water situation. The images of thousands of Chennai residents running after water tankers were telecast by BBC and CNN. Several people had to walk for miles to get drinking water in parched lands. If this was the condition of humans, one can imagine the condition of cattle. These images clearly exposed that the Indian lion, the symbol of Make in India, has feet of clay.

Business Standard

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making rapid inroads into the Indian farm sector. The ease with which farmers are adopting it indicates that it would soon become a major professional guide for the farmers.

The Hindu Business Line

All India Kisan Sabha by joining hands with All India Agriculture Workers Union (AIAWU) will host a national conference on ‘Agrarian Crisis and Alternative Policies’ here on July 11 and 12.

The Hindu Business Line

The season of election promises is over, arguments have been won and lost on the hustings, but the problems are waiting to be solved.

Agrarian distress is real and persisting, water is growing into an ever bigger human crisis, state power sector has once again managed to bring itself on the edge of the precipice, and the human and fiscal cost of the downward-spiralling nexus between energy, water, and agriculture is staggering.

The Tribune

With this exercise of the agriculture department, the arrival of maize in the market will get enhanced from 4,14,000 tonnes last year to 7,60,000 tonnes during 2019-20. Maize suits the state given the fact that its groundwater is depleting at a fast pace. It requires less water in contrast to paddy. For production of 1 kg of rice, an average of 3,700 litres of water is required. On the other hand, same quantity of winter maize or corn production needs just about 1,222 litres.

The Times of India

Chief minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday said the state government, on the eve of the birth anniversary of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, has decided to focus on core sectors like power and agriculture. He said YSR was the pioneer of free power (to agriculture) in the country and the state government would follow in his footsteps. He wanted officials to strive to make the nine-hour free power during day as a role model for other states.

Financial Express

A one-week delay in Indian monsoon showed how precarious our situation is on the water front. The images that BBC and CNN telecasted across the world showed thousands of Chennai residents running after water tankers to get a bucket of water for drinking. In parched lands, several people had to walk for miles to get drinking water. If this was the condition of humans, one can only imagine in what condition cattle and crops would have been. These images clearly expose that the Indian Lion, symbol of Make in India, has feet of clay.

The New Indian Express

With farmers no more keen on commercial production of tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops in absence of institutional price stabilisation measures, the State Government has planned to incentivise farmers growing the three vegetables.

Swarajaya

In 2016, after India had witnessed two back-to-back drought years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set an ambitious target of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022, the 75th year of the country’s Independence. Ambitious, because doubling incomes in seven years (2015-16 to 2022-23) meant the agriculture sector growing at 10.4 per cent per annum when the sector grew at only 4.3 per cent during 2009-14 and previously it had taken India 22 years (1993-1994 to 2015-16) to double farmers’ incomes in real terms.

 

The Economic Times

The Centre Monday asked the States for faster implementation of the Rs 87,000 crore PM-KISAN scheme to boost farmers’ income and urged them to send the list of beneficiaries at the earliest.

The Statesman

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday asked states to make efforts to increase crop remuneration by helping farmers in reducing input cost, increasing production and promoting exports.

The Wire

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget speech, announced that her government will promote Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) to reduce farmers’ cost of production and double their income.

The Times of India

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Monday expressed concern over delay in sowing due to deficient rains but said there is still time for planting of Kharif (summer-sown) crops. The Centre is in touch with the states to jointly tackle the situation if there is any drought like situation. “Delay in sowing of Kharif crops is a cause of concern. There is still time for farmers to complete sowing operations,” Tomar told reporters on the sidelines of State Agriculture Ministers conference’ held here

The Navhind Times

The unimaginable success of the ‘cuddttari’ red kernel rice from Curtorim in Salcete and the directly retained rice of the Ilha Verde Farmers’ Club in Santo Estevao island have brought cheer to the farmers who dared to bring fallow paddy fields under the plough last year and are all set to expand operations this year. The ‘Juemkars’ have begun mechanical transplanting in Santo Estevao and are ready for growing rice in the khazans, both within the village and in other island villages like Corjuem-Aldona. The good news is that rice cultivation has proved to be profitable if done collectively, either as community farming or as contract farming. There is the benefit of scale.

The Times of India

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president and MP Bhagwant Mann has criticized the Narendra Modi government for keeping Punjab out of the national level committee constituted to promote agriculture and doubling agriculture income of farmers in the country in the next three years. Bhagwant Mann has claimed that the NDA government(by not including Punjab) has meted out injustice with agrarian state and has betrayed the interests of the state, which had been feeding the country for the last many decades.

CNBC TV18

Indian farmers have planted 2.34 crore hectares with summer crops, down 27 percent from this time a year ago, according to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, buffeted by patchy monsoon rains that slowed down sowing in the country.

Devdicourse

There are new challenges in agriculture, small farmers need to be helped with technology at the ground level so that input costs can be reduced. The farmershould test his soil regularly and there is a need to speed up the pace of organic farming. Stating this at the State Agriculture Ministers’ Conference in New Delhi today, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri. Narendra Singh Tomarfurther added that the farmersshould be given a proper price for their produce, agricultural marketing through e-NAM should be strengthened and agricultural exports should be increased.

Telangana Today

Coming to the aid of farmers seeking to expedite farming operations, the State government on Sunday released Rs 150.17 crore pending towards payment of arrears for procurement of various crops from farmers.

News Nation

India’s Met Department has projected less rains in some region which could affect the crop production in those areas, the Economic Survey said, and called for framing new policies to improve water use efficiency in the agriculture sector. Expressing concern that India will be in the global hot spot for ‘water insecurity’ by 2050, it said the focus in agriculture should shift from ‘land productivity’ to ‘irrigation water productivity’.

Economic & Political Weekly

Crop insurance is a vital component of agriculture, especially in a country such as India, where the majority of farmers are small and marginal with low savings that reduces their ability to weather agricultural risks and fluctuations. Programmes extending insurance cover for crops in India have long been in operation, but have not been able to include the majority of the agricultural sector within their ambit. Analysing the 70th Round Situation Assessment Survey data, collected by the National Sample Survey Office, the performance of crop insurance at the household level is examined and factors that determine its adoption are identified using an econometric analysis. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is then analysed by looking ...

Economic & Political Weekly

Rural and agrarian issues are being discussed widely in policy circles, newspapers and the electronic media. Still, the diverse solutions proposed by policymakers do not seem to be addressing the deep structural malaise that has set in at the core of India’s agrarian economy. The major growth episodes of Indian agriculture are closely associated with the initiation and spread of the green revolution paradigm and technology. But, it is increasingly becoming clear that this path of high external input agriculture is unsustainable and has placed enormous strain on the natural resource base of the economy (FAO 2017). Satellite-based assessments by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) showed that in northwestern India, the core green revolution ...

UNI

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister O.P. Dhankar called upon the farmers of the state to increase their agricultural and horticultural production besides doing marketing and branding of their products. The farmers can get the right price of their produce only by mastering marketing and branding of their products. He was addressing the gathering on the concluding day of 28th Mango Mela held at Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore at Panchkula near here on Sunday.

Business Standard

This refers to “Saving India’s groundwater” (July 5). Historically, agriculture has been the traditional activity for generations when the population problem was non-existent and land was available in plenty. However, today a much larger population, more cultivation and rampant extraction have led to groundwater depletion.

Odisha TV

Farmers in Rajkanika block of Kendrapara district smell a rat in crop loan disbursal at the Deuli Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS). Aggrieved farmers have demanded a probe into the matter.

Business Standard

India’s Met Department has projected less rains in some region which could affect the crop production in those areas, the Economic Survey said, and called for framing new policies to improve water use efficiency in the agriculture sector.

The Asian Age

India’s Met Department has projected less rains in some region which could affect the crop production in those areas, the Economic Survey said, and called for framing new policies to improve water use efficiency in the agriculture sector.

Quint

With the focus of the government squarely on reviving agriculture and increasing farm incomes as highlighted in the Interim Budget presented in February, there is widespread expectation of more sops for the distressed sector. On the eve of the full Union Budget 2019-20, IANS publishes an interview with Niti Aayog Member Ramesh Chand on reforms needed in the agriculture sector. He has been responsible for most of the inputs from the NITI Aayog towards government policies relating to agriculture. He is also the driving force behind the government’s target of doubling of farmers’ income

Business Standard

Adolescents exposed to high levels of pesticides are at an increased risk of depression, recent findings suggest.

As part of the latest study, a team of researchers tracked the development of children living near agriculture in the Ecuadorian Andes since 2008.

The Times of India

India’s Met Department has projected less rains in some region which could affect the crop production in those areas, the Economic Survey said, and called for framing new policies to improve water use efficiency in the agriculture sector.

The Economic Times 

The Cabinet has approved higher support prices for kharif, or summer-sown crops, a new labour code that will allow minimum wages to be paid by cheque or bank transfers to workers of both organised and unorganised sectors, and leasing out of Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Mangaluru airports to Adani Enterprises.

Udaipur Kiran

Agro Tech Foods is currently trading at Rs. 538.00, up by 36.25 points or 7.22% from its previous closing of Rs. 501.75 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs. 538.00 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 538.00 and Rs. 538.00 respectively.

The Times of India

In a first, the state government will set up five centres of excellence in the agricultural sector to spur farm produce, particularly foodgrains and pulses.

The New Indian Express

Demanding cancellation of e-NAM trading system at agriculture market yard at Tenali in the district, farmers dumped freshly harvested lemons on the Guntur-Tenali and staged a protest for nearly two hours on Wednesday.

The Times of India

With agriculture in distress owing to poor monsoon, the AIADMK government, in a rare move, has set a target to disburse Rs 10,000 crop loan this fiscal year, anticipating good northeast monsoon and revival of the agriculture sector in the state. The agriculture department is unlikely to announce a kuruvai special package for farmers in the wake of a poor southwest monsoon.

Geospatial World

“In the 1970’s the U.S. realized that drought impacts on global agriculture were severely affecting trade and food aid decisions, while ground based information and forecasting of drought was very limited,” said Brad Doorn, water resources program manager in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters, Washington. “Earth observations from space provide the persistent, global information needed to detect precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, and vegetation conditions that give us a more complete picture of conditions that lead to drought, as well as its impacts.”

Quint

The Union Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with IBM India to provide weather forecasts and soil moisture information to farmers.

The Kashmir Monitor

India still continues to be the fastest growing economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Rajya Sabha . The minister, while responding to supplementaries during the Question Hour, said the manufacturing sector has had a certain fall, but it is not attributable to demonetisation.

Telangana Today

Eeffective water management will provide solutions for many problems faced in agriculture and ensure profitability to the farmers, said HP Singh, former Deputy Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

The Siasat Daily

Agriculture and cooperative Minister S Niranjan Reddy today directed officials concerned to shift Gaddi Annaram market to Koheda market yard and take steps to procure farm produce on time. He held a review meeting with officials and said that awareness should be created among farmers on marketing and e-nam. Make timely payments to the farmers by procuring their farm produce he said.

Telangana Today

There is again a lot of debate on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation (KLI) project, mainly on its costs and benefits, apart from its complex technical aspects. Many pundits think that it can perhaps irrigate about 20 lakh acres, not the scheduled 38 lakh acres. Spending Rs 80,000 crore on it, needing to run it with over 4,000 Mw power and other operation and maintenance (O&M) costs can be more than the increased agricultural production. They opine that the increased yield and its value will not be sufficient to make the project economically viable.

News Services Division

In a major boost to the farmers’ income, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices, MSP for all Kharif crops for 2019-20 Season.

Financial Express

The current discourse on economy from demand side largely revolves around the analysis of gross domestic product (GDP) and its components, namely consumption, government expenditure and investment. Similarly, from supply side, it revolves around gross value added (GVA) and its components, namely agriculture, industry and services. However, much less attention has been paid to the analysis of national income as it accrues and gets distributed across labour and capital. An analysis of national income on these lines can provide an insight into the evolving wage and wealth income, and its concomitant impact on income inequality. An IMF working paper shows that the share of labour in the national income in advanced economies is trending down since 1975. ...

Mint

With the National Democratic Alliance government promising about ₹90,000 crore toward an income support scheme for small farmers and another ₹25 trillion to increase farm productivity, besides spending on programmes such asrural jobs, the question is how will the government fund all these big-ticket programmes.

Business Standard

For the Kharif crops, the MSP of paddy (common) has been increased from Rs 1,750 in 2018-19 to Rs 1,815 per quintal in the current fiscal, paddy (Grade A) form Rs 1,770 to Rs 1,835.

Mint

In one of its first decisions after taking office on 30 May, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government extended its income support scheme for all farmers, regardless of the size of their landholding. Fulfilling this election promise will cost an estimated ₹90,000 crore every year.

Millennium Post

In a major boost to farmers’ income, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has on Wednesday approved an increase in minimum support prices (MSPs) for all Kharif crops for 2019-20 season, a move that will lead to increased investment

The Economic Times

Smallholder farmers are struggling across India because the combination of prices below breakeven, limited financial fallback and negligible bargaining power have forced them to sell under duress.

One India

In a written reply, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar told Lok Sabha that Bt. (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton is the only GM crop approved in 2002 by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for commercial cultivation in the Country and, therefore, cultivation of other unapproved GM crops are banned in India.

UNI

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave ex-post-facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Maldives on cooperation in the field of Health signed on June 8, 2019.

Daily Excelsior

In the era of globalisation and trade, the issues of farmers and agriculture have assumed the centre stage of global economy. There is no denying the fact that negotiations in the multi-lateral forum, World Trade Organisation (WTO) have been stalled primarily due to agriculture. The developed countries continue subsidising their farmers and agriculture, directly or indirectly, in a big way to the disadvantage of the farmers in the Third World. While the developing countries are asking for a level playing field and disciplining the subsidies, the rich countries are not yielding to give up their illegitimate sway over the global economy. They have become more protectionist in trade instead liberalising global trade in an effective manner.

India Today

The Gujarat Budget was announced on Tuesday by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel for the remaining eight months of 2019 – 2020. Here are the highlights of the budget presented in the assembly

Khabar India

The high-powered committee will have CMs of Karnataka, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, UP, MP & Union ministers for agriculture, rural development & panchayati raj as members. Fadnavis is the convenor of the committee while NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand is its the member-secretary. The committee would suggest modalities for adoption and time bound implementation of agriculture sector reforms in two months, the government said in a statement.

Rising Kashmir

While taking stock of the Soil Health Card Scheme in Kashmir Division, Director Agriculture Kashmir Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi Tuesday said that the scheme is progressing well despite various challenges. The soil health card scheme is among the flagship programmes of the Prime Minister.

ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday constituted a high-powered committee of chief ministers for the transformation of agriculture and raising farmers’ income.

The Times of India

The state government has constituted an agriculture mission to address the issues of the farmers and farming sector. Chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy will be the chairman and will be assisted by former member of Indian Council for Agriculture Research and YSRC farmers’ wing president M V S Nagi Reddy. The chief minister has appointed ministers and secretaries of agriculture, cooperatives, revenue, irrigation, power, animal husbandry, fisheries and marketing departments as members. Besides, the chief minister has also included former vicechancellor of Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University, Professor P Raghava Reddy, agriculture economist, Chandrasekhar Reddy, farmers’ representatives, Boya Narendra, Jinnuri Rama Rao and Gontu Raghuram, nominee of Ananthapur-based Rural Development Turst, nominee of Dr ...

The Times of India

The cash-strapped Madhya Pradesh’s budget for the financial year 2019-2020 is likely to be worth Rs 2,30,000 crore. Though the seven-month-old Congress government cannot afford to spend lavishly, it aims to give respite to the agriculture sector and not levy any new direct tax that would hit the common man. After agriculture, youth and employment generation is the second area that is in focus for the state government. The budget will be presented during the state assembly’s monsoon session which will commence from July 8. In 2018-19, the budget presented by the then BJP government was of Rs 2,04,642.44 crore. It is expected to be increased by over 12 per cent this time.

DNA

Amidst dismal performance of agriculture, the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) has castigated the state government for pitfalls in distribution of agricultural inputs to farmers for the period 2013-18. Even though several cases of misappropriation of money collected as farmers’ contribution by officials from beneficiaries were reported, the state agriculture department did not take stringent action against erring officials resulting in huge pendency of amount payable to suppliers.

Swarajaya

On 28 June, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, told the Rajya Sabha that the government has no plans to fix a minimum support price (MSP) for milk. The statement should put to rest speculations over the government coming up with an MSP for milk.

The Times of India

With the BJP government at Centre set to present the maiden budget of its new term on July 5, Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal tells Sanjeev Verma that the exercise should give direction to the country and strengthen agriculture, MSME and defence sectors. What are your expectations from the first budget of PM Narendra Modi government’s second term?

The Indian Express

The nine-member panel also includes chief ministers of Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, in addition to Niti Aayog’s Ramesh Chand serving as the member secretary. Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar will also be part of the committee.

DNA

The Budget is likely to see the government infusing investments into the agriculture sector for doubling farmers’ income, “ease-of-doing-farming” and putting in place an integrated logistic, transportation and marketing system.

Financial Express

Key notables in May ’19 were: (i) Primary sales of fertilisers declined due to monsoon delay and unfavourable base, (ii) reservoir levels in Western India are at a low level of 10% (10-year average: 17%), (iii) spread between rural wage growth and inflation remains above 2% indicating higher ‘real income growth,’ (iv) tractor sales declined 15.7% y-o-y due to limited capex by farmers owing to agri stress and (v) 12.5% sowing deficit in kharif 2019 season.

Financial Express

Key notables in May ’19 were: (i) Primary sales of fertilisers declined due to monsoon delay and unfavourable base, (ii) reservoir levels in Western India are at a low level of 10% (10-year average: 17%), (iii) spread between rural wage growth and inflation remains above 2% indicating higher ‘real income growth,’ (iv) tractor sales declined 15.7% y-o-y due to limited capex by farmers owing to agri stress and (v) 12.5% sowing deficit in kharif 2019 season.

Business Standard

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday constituted a high-powered committee of chief ministers for the transformation of agriculture and raising farmers’ income.

The Times of India

Delayed arrival of monsoon in the region has slowed down sowing of kharif crops raising concerns over yield and quality of crop. Delay in onset of monsoon in the region and water shortage in producing areas have pushed back plantings of summer sown crops by over a fortnight, said farmers and experts. The sowing rate continued to be below than same period last year

Mint

The new model of economic reforms, commonly known as the LPG or Liberalization, Privatization, Globalization model, is believed to have had limited influence on Indian agriculture. More significantly, policy reforms in the farm sector have not yielded the anticipated outcomes. Agriculture being a state subject, the central government formulates policy guidelines, advises, and allocates funds. However, the onus of proper implementation of farm and market reforms lies with state governments.

The Economic Times

Government has set up a high-powered committee of chief ministers to deliberate and suggests ways to transform agriculture and raising of farmers’ income following a directive from PM Narendra Modi at the governing council meeting of NITI Aayog last month.

The Indian Express

Against the country-wide trend of 25 per cent less kharif sowing due to dry June month, Punjab state has shown opposite trend and has already completed the 52 per cent sowing of Kharif season crops, which is 20 per cent more compared to the last season. Thanks to over 15 lakh tubewells in Punjab and availability of canal water mainly in Malwa region.

Down To Earth

Monsoon 2019 completed a quarter of its four-month season with a deficit of 33 per cent. But the most critical month of this season is July, accounting for the highest rainfall — a third of the total — in the season. A deficit in July rainfall has historically been associated with an overall deficit monsoon and severe droughts.

Down To Earth

Monsoon 2019 completed a quarter of its four-month season with a deficit of 33 per cent. But the most critical month of this season is July, accounting for the highest rainfall — a third of the total — in the season. A deficit in July rainfall has historically been associated with an overall deficit monsoon and severe droughts.

The Indian Express

Agriculture has been in focus for both positive and negative reasons. “The sector provides livelihood to close to half of India’s population and it is very important for inclusive growth, which also matters for this government’s agenda of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. Sometime back, I did a study on how much decline in poverty was witnessed when there was 1% growth in agriculture and 1% growth in non-agriculture. I found that agriculture growth had much more significant impact than non-agriculture growth. We should recognise some of the positive changes that have taken place in the agricultural sector. In the 1970s, we were producing 1 kg of food per person per day — and food here includes ...

DD News

Inaugurating National Labour and Employment Conference 2019 in Kathmandu on Sunday, he said Nepal has fertile agriculture land and there is a need to modernize and commercialize agriculture to create new jobs.

The Times of India

Lamenting the prevailing situation of the farmers across the country, writer Naresh Hegde on Sunday said that Indian peasants had, at the time of Independence been free to choose those methods that they deemed best for agriculture. “The situation, however, is very different today. Farmers are constantly relying on external factors. It is our education system that has plunged those engaged in agriculture in darkness,” Hegde said.

The Times of India

In what is being seen as a major victory for India and other developing countries, three harmful provisions concerning pharmaceuticals and agriculture — which were part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement — have been withdrawn.