The Times of India

Burning of crop stubble left after harvesting a crop in Punjab and Haryana, if stopped, can transform rural economy, take care of local energy needs and even provide alternative sources of income for farmers, a study conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has said. Stubble burning is a major source of air pollution in Delhi-NCR, especially around Diwali. Titled “Scoping study on bio-waste and non-ozone depleting substance-non-HFC alternatives in India”, the report points out that additional policies are needed in Punjab and Haryana on crop residues collection and aggregation.

The Times of India

Increasing smartphone penetration and availability of low cost data and resulting inclusion of farmers in the information economy has made agriculture-tech startups a darling of investors. Data from research firm Tracxn shows agri-tech sector has already crossed $100 million worth investments in just the first seven months of 2019 compared to $163 million in full year 2018. Further, investments in agri-tech startups grew almost six times (6x) from 2016 to 2018.

The Times of India

As farmers are preparing their lands to begin samba cultivation following the release of water in Cauvery for irrigation, the agriculture department has asked the farmers to use certified quality seeds provided by the department for achieving high yield. In order to avoid low yield in paddy production agriculture department has taken steps to provide good quality of seeds to the farmers, officials said.