The Assam Tribune – Online

Helping poor farmers by providing them free ration and cash under different government schemes is appreciable but there is a need to set up an organised market and cold storage facilities in every panchayat area to fetch long-term benefits, observed a section of farmers while talking to The Assam Tribune.

During the conversation, a progressive farmer from Darrang district Dhrubajyoti Saikia said, “Our State governments have always formulated different agriculture schemes that have already been implemented by states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, etc. However, unlike these States, farmers in Assam have limited agricultural land, due to which they cannot reap the same benefits under such schemes, which are tailor made for well-off farmers in northern ...

The Better India – Online

In 1988, Raj Seelam, an agriculture graduate from Hyderabad, joined a chemical fertiliser and pesticide manufacturing company. Over the next 12 years, he worked closely with farmers, guiding them with seed purchase and the use of chemicals.

But in the process, Raj realised the harmful impact of these chemicals on agricultural land, as well as the ecosystem at large. “These insecticides and pesticides were designed to kill. They terminated microbes and other living organisms that were vital to maintaining the health of the soil,” the 56-year-old says.

Raj also found that the need for these chemicals had increased over the years. “Massive amounts of chemicals were being sprayed on vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, capsicum, ...

OpIndia – Online

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in one of his speeches explained the dire need for Farm laws. He explained how the division of land or low landholding, lack of modern technology, lack of investment, and high-interest loans have plagued the agricultural sector of India. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to remove barriers for our farmers, create an open market for them, and encouraged investment in the agricultural sector by enhancing logistics and technology.

However, the Indian Agriculture sector is now witnessing an increased interest from the startups who are working on multiple fronts to enhance the sector. From developing the farm to fork model, to offering advanced logistics to consulting the farmers on various fronts, Indian agri-startups are ...

The Kathmandu post – Online

It has now been many months that Indian farmers from the surrounding states of Punjab and Haryana have camped outside the capital New Delhi to force the government’s hand on the farm bills. Multiple rounds of talks between farm leaders and the government have proven inconclusive. While the government has gone so far as to postpone the implementation of the laws by 18 months, farm leaders have been adamant on repealing them.

The three laws in question were hurried through Parliament by the government in what has now become the norm. There was little prior discussion, no scrutiny by parliamentary committees, and little effort at building consensus with other stakeholders. The job of manufacturing opinion ...