First Post – Online

In recent years, farming of traditionally grown crops like corn and rice in Bihar, has been hit by weather uncertainties and recurring floods. Some farmers, however, have turned the crisis into an opportunity by taking up the cultivation of foxnut as their primary produce. Popularly known as makhana, foxnut comes from the plant prickly water lily (Euryale ferox) which grows in the stagnant water of wetlands or ponds.

Bihar is currently the world’s biggest producer of makhana with a 90 percent share.

“Makhana made me a happy farmer. I used to cultivate corn and rice, but they were not profitable. I also tried wheat farming but could not turn farming into a profitable business. But, now makhana ...

Telangana Today -Online

It’s been over three months since the farmers’ began their protest demanding the repeal of the three farm laws, namely Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act (FPAFSA), 2020, Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act (FPTCA), 2020, and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act (ECA), 2020. Among these, the FPAFSA is critical as it sets out to provide “price assurance” to farmers leading to an increase in their net income. The provision looks promising and theoretically, no one would like to disagree with this proposition. However, the details lie in the implications of the provisions and their implementation on the ground.

Against this backdrop, it is necessary to explore some ...

Financial Express – Online

On World Water Day (March 22), PM Narendra Modi launched a campaign, ‘Catch the rain’, under the Centre’s flagship Jal Shakti Abhiyan. He emphasised that every penny being spent under MGNREGA must be used to conserve water. This is a laudable objective. But, what needs close attention is where do we stand on the water front, and how can we ensure that everyone has access to safe drinking water, while industry and agriculture also get sufficient water to produce what is demanded.

As per the Central Water Commission’s assessment of water availability using space inputs (2019), India receives mean annual precipitation of about 3,880 billion cubic metres (bcm) but it utilizes only 699 ...

The Hans India -Online

With resurge of corona cases in the State, the Telangana government has decided to procure paddy during the summer season in all the villages across the State through 6,408 procurement centres. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao took this decision during a high-level meeting on Agriculture, Marketing and Civil Supplies department on Monday. The Chief Minister directed Finance Principal Secretary Ramakrishna Rao to make all arrangements to give Rs 20,000 crore bank guarantee by Tuesday evening.

The Chief Minister also asked Chief secretary Somesh Kumar to conduct an emergency video conference with the Collectors for setting up of procurement centres. He also asked Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy to be in Hyderabad and monitor the setting ...