The Times of India

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found that agricultural income of nearly Rs 500 crore was allowed as exempt by the income-tax authorities without adequate verification. The auditor’s report on direct taxes for the year ended March 2018 focused on exempt income – both agricultural and that which is earned by charitable trusts. CAG has recommended that the I-T department reexamine all cases where agricultural income exceeds a certain threshold – say Rs 10 lakh – to ensure that exemption is allowed only to genuine taxpayers.

The Indian Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in early 2016, called for doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022. Meeting that goal requires improving farm productivity and price realisations, especially of smallholders, through dissemination of information relating to agronomic practices as well as marketing. Swayam Farmer Foundation is a non-profit organisation that provides end-to-end training and agri-input financing to smallholders, to enable crop diversification and sustainable cultivation practices, resulting in higher incomes. Our approach has been to get farmers to grow horticultural crops, by training them on proper sowing, irrigation, nutrient management, plant protection and harvesting methods — including through weekly visits and monitoring by field officers — and making available quality inputs on credit.

Business Standard

Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for the maximum number of 23.8 million beneficiaries under PM Kisan, has so far covered 45% of farmers under the flagship minimum farm income guarantee scheme. It entitles beneficiaries to a payment of Rs 6,000 annually, payable in equal installment of Rs 2,000 every four months (Dec-Mar, Apr-July and Aug-Nov cycles). Earlier, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana (PM Kisan) was targetted to benefit 120 million small and marginal farmers, of which UP had topped with 21.5 million or 18% of beneficiaries.

The New Indian Express

Even as the State Government is trying to increase the insurance coverage in the non-loanee segment under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), collection of more premiums and misleading advertisements have confused the farmers, affecting its proper implementation in the district. Launched in 2016, PMFBY provides comprehensive crop insurance from pre-sowing to post-harvest period against natural calamities at a low premium rate for Kharif, rabi and commercial crops. While PMFBY is in the seventh season of implementation, farmers are still unaware of the details of the Central-sponsored scheme.

The New Indian Express

In the wake of the agriculture sector suffering extensive loss, the Cabinet convened on March 5 decided to extend the moratorium till December 31. Sunil Kumar said the state government along with banks would promote Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to provide collateral free loans to farmers. He said the number of farmers using KCC would be improved through a promotion drive supported by SLBC.  The state had demanded increasing the limit for collateral free loans from Rs 1.67 lakh to Rs 3.25 lakh.

OMM Com News

Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari presented the Odisha Appropriation Bill 2019 before the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. Pujari said that the Government has stressed on agriculture, workers, SC and ST, women, children, youth, senior citizens’ empowerment. Besides, the focus of the Government is on farmers’ welfare, poverty allevation, food security and skill development. For the financial year 2019-20, Rs 70,600 crore has been earmarked for programme implementation which is more than 50 percent of the budget. The Agriculture Budget is of Rs 20,714 crore out of which Rs 9,713 crore has been allocated for development of irrigation infrastructure, Pujari added.

The Motung Express

A one day State Level Training organized by the Department of Agriculture under “Women in Agriculture” (RKVY) was held on July 30 at the Conference Hall, Directorate of Agriculture, Nagaland, Kohima. Representatives from 11 districts participated in the programme which consisted of farmwomen from 30 Self Help Groups (SHGs) comprising of 450 farmwomen under the ongoing RKVY scheme. The programme was chaired by Khrieseno Kikhi, SMS, Directorate of Agriculture who welcomed all and highlighted the purpose, strategies and inputs given by the Department under this scheme.

Down to Earth

In agriculture, big data is often viewed as a combination of technology and analytics that can collect and compile novel data and process it in a more useful and timely way to assist decision making. Data mining is the computing process of discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning statistics and database system. Precision agriculture’s main objective is to ensure profitability, efficiency, and sustainability using the big data gathered to guide both immediate and future decision-making. This could cover everything — from when it is best to apply fertilizers, chemical and seeds, to from where in the field it is best to apply a rate.

Pragativadi

The state government will introduce a new agriculture policy for farmers, minister for agriculture and farmers’ empowerment Dr Arun Kumar Sahoo said today. Replying to the question of BJD MLA Moushadhi Bag and supplementary of Bhupinder Singh, Nityananda Sahu, Pradip Dishari, Suresh Routray, Tara Prasad Bahinipati and Mahidhar Rana, the minister said the assembly on Wednesday that the focus will be on production of highly valued crop.