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.