ET Auto – Online

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday said the government is focusing on farm mechanisation and asked the industry to provide small machines and equipment to farmers with less landholding to boost their income. The minister was speaking at the annual general meeting of Tractor and Mechanization Association on Monday.

Tomar talked about the government’s target to double farm mechanization per hectare in 10 years and said it was only possible with the support from industry, CII said in a statement.

The government’s emphasis is on providing large advanced agricultural equipment to farmers for their field, the minister said.

He urged the members of the association to provide small utility machines to small acreage farmers so that 86 percent of these farmers ...

Russian News Agency – Online

Expansion of cooperation in agriculture and development of transport corridors remain on the agenda of the Russia-Indian cooperation, Russian Ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev said in an interview with Russian reporters on Monday.

“The food problem solution is one of the areas of the Russian-Indian cooperation, which is why upgrading of the agriculture cooperation agreement is relevant now,” he said.

Transport corridors are necessary for connecting production and economic potential of the two countries, the ambassador noted, adding that transport agreements on the North-South international transport corridor, as well as on sea links between India’s Chennai and Russia’s Vladivostok that will connect India and Russia’s Far East, the Coast, are on the agenda.

The Times of India – Online

An exploration programme was conducted in Hailakandi where seeds of rajma, paddy, mustard and cucumber were collected for conservation. The programme was undertaken by a team of scientists from ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi.

The team visited all the five developmental blocks of Hailakandi district and other parts of Barak Valley from December 17 to 20 and collected different local types of rajma, paddy and other underutilised crop seeds, like local kalai (urd bean), cucumber and mustard for their conservation in the National Gene Bank located at ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi. Barak Valley is known for cultivation of rajma (locally known as phorse) in Assam. There are more than 15 landraces being ...

News Click – Online

The unprecedented struggle in India to save agriculture and food security of the country from the claws of big corporates involved in agribusiness has turned into a mass movement. One of the reasons for the involvement of masses and growing support for the farmers’ movement is the sympathy of the public for the farmers. Apart from the peasants, a large section of the workers, including tenant farmers, other cultivators and landless labourers, depended directly and indirectly on agriculture, are part of the struggle.

Agricultural workers, since the beginning, have been involved in the movement. It may be a surprise for many as it is a general perception that several contradictions exist among farmers and the agricultural ...

Aljazeera – Online

‘Women work harder than the men’

While men dominate the public image of the farmers protesting in India, women are very much there as well. In fact, female farmers will be among some of the worst affected by the new laws.

According to Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM), an Indian forum that campaigns for the rights of female farmers, 75 percent of all farm work is conducted by women yet they own only 12 percent of the land.

Kavitha Kuruganti of MAKAAM says the lack of land ownership makes female farmers “invisible”. Without land, they are not recognised as farmers despite their large contributions to the sector and this marginalisation means they are especially vulnerable to exploitation ...