The Hindu Business Line

The agriculture sector will be at the centre-stage of innovation and will lead India towards overall social and economic transformation by 2020, R Chandra Babu, Vice-Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University, has said. Agri-tech start-ups are the true Make in India for the world, with more than 25 Indian agri-tech start-ups having a global presence. More than half of the estimated 450 agri-tech start-ups work to provide better access to inputs to farmers and facilitate water supply solutions. The agri-tech system in the country is maturing as an emerging business opportunity in market linkage, digitalisation of agriculture, better access to inputs, farm services and finance, he said.

The New Indian Express

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday assured additional assistance for cyclone Fani affected coconut farmers of the State apart from the support of Rs 29.65 crore given by the Coconut Development Board (CDB).“We are pretty much aware of the plight of coconut farmers in the State. The Centre is eager to extend more help to them. The State Government should follow the due process so that we can grant more funds from CDB and the Agriculture Ministry,” Tomar said.

The Economic Times

The government is planning to wield complete control over fixing prices of pesticides to ensure farm chemicals remain affordable and are easily available to farmers. For this, it is likely to introduce the long-pending Pesticide Management Bill in Parliament, replacing the Insecticides Act, 1968, whose rules have become obsolete and lack deterrence against violations of law.

Krishi Jagran The Indian Express

Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana Chief Minister today announced a package worth Rs. 4,750 crores for the farmers. The minister waived off penalty as well as interest on crop loans in 3 schemes giving relief to farmers. He said, “In total, we have announced a package of around Rs. 5,000 crore for the farmers. It will be a big relief to them. 10 lakh farmers will get its benefits”. Khattar also waived fine or penalty on loans taken from the Primary Cooperative Agriculture Societies or PACS saying that around 8.25 lakh cultivators have defaulted in reimbursement of loans.

The Financial Express

Agriculture sector, that puts food on the table of almost 60 per cent Indians, has been losing its share in the country’s economic growth. The sector grew just 2 per cent in Q1 FY20, slowing from 5.1 per cent growth in the same quarter previous year. However, the tailspin in agriculture is not new. The latest RBI annual report shows that the contribution of agriculture in the last five years has halved, compared to the preceding five years. The sector’s contribution to the economic growth during 2011-14 was 14.6 per cent, whereas it fell to a mere 6.1 per cent during 2014-19.

The Indian Express

The Pune International Centre (PIC) recently released a policy paper on “Institutional and Policy Reforms to Accelerate Agriculture Growth in Maharashtra”. Speaking at the launch, Pratap Pawar, chairman, PIC at MCCIA, said, “Many institutions are working hard to reform agricultural policies in India. It is very crucial to receive and impart knowledge through such policies and it should be imparted to farmers as well.”