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.