The Hindustan Times

he Narendra Modi government will count on a much wider measure of earnings of a farming household than is captured by agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) while calculating the income of cultivators in 2022-23, the year by which the government has promised to double farmers’ incomes. In 2016, Prime Minister Modi first declared his government would double farm incomes — in other words, raise them by 100% — in six years by 2022-23, a politically significant goal in a country where nearly half the population depends on a farm-based livelihood.

 

The Hindu Business Line

According to official data available with the government, the total number of farmers in the country is around 14.5 crore. If that is the case, how can 16.6 crore farmers register for the NDA government’s flagship crop insurance scheme — Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). As per the official records, only 30 per cent of farmers in the country have opted for PMFBY.

The Tribune

During harvesting of paddy, the Agriculture Department would provide Rs 11.65 crore subsidy to farmers of the district to purchase 1,890 type advanced agriculture tools for stubble management. Besides, the Cooperative Department would offer 82 tools to curb stubble menace to farmers.

 

The Times of India

Dr Shekhar C Mande, secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India and Director General, CSIR visited Centre of Excellence in Farm Machinery (CoEFM), an extension centre of Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) on Sunday. Various farm technologies in the field of agricultural machinery, residue management, precision agriculture, renewable energy, and oil expeller were demonstrated live in the field.

The Times of India

Aimed to promote value addition and primary processing ventures in agriculture sector, the state agriculture department will be launching a project – ‘Promotion of micro, small and medium agro processing units’, through Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) during the financial year 2019-20. The state government has accorded administrative sanction for the project’s implementation expending Rs 5.75 crore and the department will soon be signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the implementing agency.

The Hans India

Minister for Backward Classes M Shankara Narayana has asked agriculture officers to distribute seeds of alternate crops including pulses and millets free of cost. Addressing at the meeting of agriculture officials here on Sunday, Shankara Narayana said that farmers can go for sowing of millets and pulses crops in view of the recent rains as sowing can be carried up to September 15.

The Financial Express

mid growing fears that some agricultural loans may have been diverted to non-farm use, the finance ministry has asked state-owned lenders to review their agri portfolios. The government wants to ensure that the priority-sector credit is utilised for intended purposes and not exploited by unscrupulous elements; the drive is also aimed at correcting a big regional disparity in the flow of farm credit, mostly disbursed at a heavily-subsidised interest rate of 4% and comes after finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced on Friday, the government would upfront a capital infusion of Rs 70,000 crore to help banks step up lending

Telangana Today

Farmers have completed sowing operations in about 37.09 lakh hectare against the normal area of 43.34 lakh hectare for the ongoing Kharif season in the State. Officials are optimistic of reaching their targets in crop production as agricultural activities are on an upswing due to improved irrigation facilities and pro-agriculture measures initiated by the State government.

The Indian Express

At a time when large parts of the state have received excessive rainfall causing floods even as other areas continue to reel under drought, there will be a session titled ‘Moving Towards Sustainable Agriculture’. The day-long conclave will have three sessions on Maharashtra’s agriculture, infrastructure and industry and will see the participation of senior bureaucrats and industry experts from the three fields. The conclave will also include a fireside chat with Anand Mahindra, leading industrialist and founder of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group.