Mint – Online

About eight crore eligible farmers will now get the 13th installment of Prime Minister Modi’s flagship PM-KISAN programme, worth Rs. 16,800 crore, effective on Monday. Prior to Holi and rabi harvesting, the national government announced that the payment will be released for direct transfer into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The 11th and 12th instalments of the PM-KISAN plan were issued in May and October 2022. Each eligible beneficiary receives ₹6,000 yearly in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Program. “Hon’ble Prime Minister will release the 13th instalment of the PM KISAN scheme on 27th Feb. 2023 at 03:00 PM,” stated PM Kisan portal.

The New Indian Express – Online

The Ayush Arogya Camp, organised by the NGO GoPals on Sunday, aims to encourage farmers to build gaushalas near their agricultural lands. Training and educating farmers will help ensure that all resources are used efficiently making farmers completely self-sufficient, NGO volunteers said. Keshav Modi, a volunteer, explained that they aim to promote rearing of native cattle breeds beyond just as a milch animal. Cow urine and dung can even be used as manure or processed for making biogas and ayurvedic medicines as well, he added. The use of fertilisers in producing more yield is a misconception which needs to be changed. It is only with the increased use of urea and fertilisers, which ...

The Economic Times – Online

Parwinder Singh, a farmer from Punjab’s Kapurthala district, like many wheat growers in the state, is fearing loss of crops due to above-normal temperature in the past few days. Singh, a farmer from Talwandi Mehma, said at this time of the year, “the crop does not need very warm days. If temperatures continue to remain above normal for several days, it can adversely impact the wheat crop”. While the maximum temperatures in Punjab and Haryana have been hovering above normal limits for several days, minimum temperatures too had registered an increase. But for the past two-three days, the minimum temperatures have been hovering close to normal range.

Down To Earth – Online

Agricultural scientists have recommended additional irrigation for Rabi crops to farmers to save crops from the unprecedented heat in February. The recommendation has raised concerns about groundwater levels in areas with no irrigation facilities. Down To Earth spoke to some farmers from Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, who are worried about the maximum temperatures spiked over the last two days. Farmers who had sown wheat in November say the grains have started forming, but the heat damage is not visible yet. However, if the temperatures keep spiking, then crop damage is certain, said farmers.

Krishi Jagran – Online

“Federal officials say they plan to continue their push to open small countries to U.S. foods, with a motto that no market is too small. It is victory by inches sometimes in trade,” said Alexis Taylor, USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. She spoke at USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum on February 23 in Arlington, Virginia. Trade diversification is intended to assist the United States in developing markets in countries with a growing middle class, implying that they offer good growth prospects. Diversification can also reduce the risk of becoming overly reliant on a single trading partner. Because of the Trump administration’s trade disputes, China has temporarily withdrawn from US farm exports.

Hindustan Times – Online

India is expected to be the third largest economy by the turn of the decade, but some people have projected a different picture of the country, the VP said taking a dig at foreign experts while speaking at the 61st convocation of the Indian Agriculture Research Institute. Noting that India’s rise is “unstoppable” and it is amongst the most “favourite destinations of opportunities and investment”, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Friday said, adding “we must not let anyone taint, tarnish and diminish the achievements of those who toil for the country.”

Business Standard – Online

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) said that wheat procurement in the season that starts from the middle of March will be normal at around 30-40 million tonnes (mt) and that crop condition is normal, notwithstanding threat from rising temperatures, its Chairman and Managing Director Ashok K K Meena said on Thursday at a press conference. “Area sown to wheat is higher than last year. The current condition of the wheat crop is very good. Our procurement should be normal at 30-40 mt in 2023-24,” said Meena. Wheat procurement had declined last year due to a fall in domestic production and higher exports, he clarified. Asked whether there would be any impact on wheat crop ...

The Indian Express – Online

With both maximum and minimum temperatures at 3-5 degrees Celsius above normal in most of the country’s wheat-growing areas, there is concern over the crop currently in farmers’ fields and due for harvesting only in April. That is understandable, given last year’s mercury spike after mid-March that singed the crop when it was in the final stages of grain formation and filling. This time, heat conditions — or at least the winter’s abrupt curtailing — are prevailing from mid-February itself, when the wheat has hardly entered the flowering and heading period, which precedes kernel development. If temperatures continue to soar, the grains will not have the time to accumulate sufficient starch and proteins. Forced ...

Mint – Online

The Centre on Tuesday announced that it will offload an additional 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market to bring down the prices of wheat and wheat flour. On 25 January, the government had announced sale of 30 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market from its buffer stock to check rise in prices of wheat and wheat flour (atta). According to Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the government has decided that state-owned Food Corporation of India (FCI) will offload an additional quantity of 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in open market under the Open Market ...

The Times of India – Online

Amidst the Carnival revelry at Margao on Sunday, one tableau stood out. Even as this tableau produced by the state’s agriculture department grabbed eyeballs on account of its novel theme, the senior-level agriculture officers who accompanied the float, dancing down the parade route, drew loud cheers and applause. Leading from the front was the department’s director, Nevil Alphonso, attired in Carnival costume. He held a placard proclaiming the nutritional value of millets. “Eat nachnea bhakri (millet pancakes) to stay fit,” the placard read, and the message at once seemed to have found resonance among the spectators.

Down to Earth – Online

The month of February has been abnormally warm. For agriculture, it is a reminder of last year’s unusual temperatures in March and its impact on the critical Rabi crop — wheat. Scientists have already started issuing warnings. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research — Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (ICAR-IIWBR) issued an advisory on February 17, 2023, asking farmers to inspect their crops for yellow rust disease, which is a result of high temperatures. India Meteorological Department (IMD) late February 20 issued another advisory on the impact of higher day temperatures on wheat and other standing crops in the north Indian states.

Business Standard – Online

The All-India Consumer Price Index Number for Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers (Base: 1986-87=100) for the month of January, 2023 increased by 3 and 2 points to stand at 1170 (One thousand one hundred and seventy) and 1181 (One thousand one hundred and eighty one) points respectively. The maximum upward pressure on general index of Agricultural Labourers and Rural Labourers came from miscellaneous group to the extent of 0.68 & 0.63 points respectively mainly due to increase in prices of medicine, barber charges, bus fare, washing shop, etc. Point to point rate of inflation based on the CPI-AL and CPI-RL stood at 6.85% & 6.88% in January, 2023 compared to 6.38% & 6.60% respectively in ...

Hindustan Times – Online

Former Bihar agriculture minister Sudhakar Singh on Saturday once again hit out at chief minister Nitish Kumar for not taking the farmers’ issue seriously even after he raised the matter consistently. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA also dared the CM to select any constituency of his choice to get a feel of the public mood and opinion about his leadership. When asked about Singh’s charges that farmers were suffering in Bihar, the chief minister had on Friday said he (Sudhakar) did not know much and there was no need to take notice of such people.

The Indian Express – Online

India is today a $3.5 trillion economy. If the current growth trend continues, the country is likely to be a $5.4 trillion economy by 2027 (as per IMF forecast). The Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have thrown the global economy into a spin and India’s ambitious target of becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2025 could be somewhat delayed, but it is definitely not out of reach. India seems to be on the right path and is doing pretty well — especially when compared to its progress in the first six decades after 1947. As per IMF, it took India almost 59 years since Independence to become a $0.95 trillion economy in 2006. ...

The Times of India – Online

With one and a half months left for the end of the financial year, a total sum of Rs 12,010 crore has been disbursed as loan to 15.59 lakh farmers from various cooperative banks such as primary agriculture credit cooperative societies (PACCS) and apex cooperative banks, principal secretary for cooperation, food and consumer protection J Radhakrishnan said. Talking to reporters at the collectorate on Saturday, he said, “For the first time in the history of Tamil Nadu civil service corporation (TNCSC), a total of 51,307 tonnes of paddy was procured in single day from 2,277 direct procurement centres functioning across the state.

The Economic Times – Online

India has globally relaunched an old and failed brand — the millet. Called mota anaj (big grain), millet has been looked down upon as a coarse grain while wheat and rice have occupied pride of place as fine grains. New Delhi’s campaign to make millet a global brand has got a push with the United Nations accepting India’s proposal to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets. The cereal has been gaining traction among the health-conscious in India and abroad who go for millet pancakes and cookies.

The Times of India – Online

The March-like highs in maximum temperatures as early as mid-February are likely to impact the late-sown wheat yield in Maharashtra, state agriculture department officials said on Saturday. “This kind of weather is unfavourable for late-sown wheat. Its impact on the yield per acre will be known during threshing after the harvest. In general too, the tropical weather in Maharashtra is not favourable for the wheat crop,” an agriculture department official told TOI.

Business Standard – Online

Total Operating Income rise 10.59% to Rs 9939.25 crore Net profit of National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development declined 12.38% to Rs 1169.97 crore in the quarter ended December 2022 as against Rs 1335.21 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2021. Total Operating Income rose 10.59% to Rs 9939.25 crore in the quarter ended December 2022 as against Rs 8987.30 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2021.

The Print – Online

India’s post-harvest infrastructure including storage facilities should be improved for strengthening the plantation sector, said experts here on Friday. They were speaking at a seminar held on the sidelines of ‘Plantation Expo’, organised by the newly set up Plantation Directorate, Government of Kerala, here. According to a recent survey, the country’s available storage facility is sufficient to keep only 10 per cent of India’s plantation products. And this in turn results in 6-18 per cent wastage of fruits during the post-harvest period, an official release said.

Down to Earth – Online

The central government has claimed the country’s wheat production is likely to set a new record in the crop year 2022-23. Farmers, however, seem to have less faith in these claims, with many worried about the temperature rise reported early in February. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has claimed wheat production in the current crop season is estimated to be 112 million tonnes — 4.44 million tonnes more than last year. Farmer Sandeep Singroha of Assandh area of Karnal district of Haryana has planted wheat on 12 acres. “It was unusually hot in the first week of February. I checked my crops; the wheat grains have already started forming and wilting ...

The Times of India – Online

Even as the millet’s stature rises in the realm of superfoods, Goa’s agriculture department is all set to reclaim the state’s forgotten millets — finger tail (nachni) and foxtail (vari). While cultivation of these millets was around 100 hectares three decades ago, it’s now just around 20 hectares. While the millet was never widely grown in Goa, the tiny grain gradually lost ground to paddy, as the support price and comparatively bigger yields made farmers choose the latter. “Though millets have a higher nutritive value, most farmers shifted to paddy cultivation with the government giving more weightage and support for paddy,” said director of agriculture Nevil Alphonso.

Krishi Jagran – Online

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in India has released its second advance estimate of the production of major crops, predicting a record foodgrain production of 3235.54 Lakh Tonnes in the 2022-24 period. This production includes rice, wheat, and maize, as well as pulses such as gram, moong, and winter crop mustard and sugarcane. The predicted increase in production is attributed to the hard work of farmers and scientists, as well as concerted government policies. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has credited the government’s efforts towards increasing agricultural productivity and supporting farmers for the expected record production.

The Economic Times – Online

The G-20 members stressed on the need to increase climate finance to help farmers take up adaptation measures in order to mitigate the climate change impact on the farm sector, agriculture secretary Manoj Ahuja said on Wednesday. Addressing media on the concluding day of the G20 first Agriculture Deputies’ Meeting here, Ahuja said: “Climate finance was one of the issues which was discussed. The members felt that there was a need for an environment for increasing climate financing in terms of financing farmers for adaptation measures.” The member countries also suggested that farmers can be incentivised if they are adopting climate friendly farming or green agriculture. One of the ways was carbon credit, he ...

The Print – Online

India’s foodgrain production is estimated to rise by 2.5 per cent at an all-time high of 323.55 million tonnes in the current crop year ending June, mainly on expectations of a record output of rice, wheat and pulses. Oilseeds production, too, is expected to increase by 2 million tonnes to record 40 million tonnes in 2022-23 crop year (July-June), as per the second advance estimates of production of foodgrains released by the agriculture ministry on Tuesday. Bumper production of foodgrains (comprising of wheat, rice, pulses and coarse cereals) and oilseeds will boost domestic supplies and help in containing food inflation.

The Economic Times – Online

India on Tuesday called on G20 nations to adopt ‘3S’ strategy – Smart, Sustainable and Serve – for the agriculture ecosystem in order to address the global food security concerns. Addressing media on the sidelines of the first G20 Agriculture Deputies’ Meeting, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said agriculture for India has always been a priority and for the world it has fully come to the fore now. “Our thinking is we have to adopt 3S strategy for the agriculture ecosystem to make a mark on the world food system,” Scindia said.

The Print – Online

Daily-use and household products prepared from agro-based waste have drawn the attention of people at an exhibition organised at the G20 Agriculture Deputies’ Meeting being held in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district. The first Agriculture Deputies Meeting, a three-day event, under India’s G20 Presidency started in the city on Monday (February 13). The products include everything from paper bags to furniture which is prepared from agro-based waste materials. A Pune-based company ‘CRASTE’ has brought these products to the exhibition. Besides, the pilot project of the company is going to start in the Morena district in the state.

Krishi Jagran – Online

Mann stated at the meeting that the urgent need is to bail farmers out of the ongoing agrarian crisis. Agriculture, he said, is no longer a profitable venture due to rising input costs and diminishing returns. As a result of this, the state’s farmers are at a crossroads.” Mann stated that the sole purpose of the interaction is to bridge the gap between decision-makers and stakeholders so that policies are tailored to the needs of farmers. He urged farmers to abandon traditional farming methods in favour of cutting-edge technology in order to maximise profits.

Business World – Online

Puducherry is likely to handle the future flood setback unlike, 2021’s northeast monsoon influence as the city develops a new rice variety to tolerate floods, according to a media report on Sunday. The agriculture institute in Karaikal has reported developing the rice variety in support of the Department of Biotechnology, the central government. The rice variety, KKL (R)2 was developed by a team of researchers under Dr S Thirumeni, head of the department of plant breeding and genetics, at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute. The late August and September-October rains affect the paddy crop and cause its destruction due to submergence. The institute thus ...

The New Indian Express – Online

Over half of Karnataka’s total installed capacity is through Renewable sources and the State is attracting a lot of investments in the green energy sector. The State has the right mix of thermal, hydel, Solar & wind energy and the mixed source of energy generation is an advantage for the state to tide over any crisis, though the emphasis is on moving on to green energy in the long term, G Kumar Naik, senior IAS officer who was Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department, told TNSE editors and staff during an interaction.

Krishi Jagran – Online

The transition from “agricultural” to “agribusiness” can offer practical answers to issues faced by contemporary agriculture. Farmers must discover ways to connect to the market to grow beyond only agricultural activities. The idea of farmer-producer organizations (FPO) has come to light as a promising solution that can help farmers in moving to the next level. “Agribusiness includes a wide range of activities, including the acquisition of agri-inputs, production, processing, and marketing to consumers of completed goods. An agripreneur nowadays must compete not only with other farmers but also with large businesses and multinational enterprises.

Krishi Jagran – Online

Basmati rice sales are expected to fall by 5-7% next fiscal year as basmati rice realisation softens due to an increase in paddy acreage, resulting in increased supply. Volume demand is expected to remain consistent at 6.8 million tonne, as per CRISIL. Higher realization will improve operating profitability by 100-125 basis points (bps) this fiscal year, while the absence of capex and increased cash accrual will keep credit risk profiles stable. Exports, which account for 64% of basmati sales by volume, are expected to grow 11% year on year to 4.4 million tonne this fiscal, owing to strong demand from key markets such as the Middle East and the United States. In the first nine ...

Fortune India – Online

Historic flooding in Pakistan. Droughts across the American West. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The global food system and the supply chains that have long allowed us to move food from where it is grown to where it is needed have rarely been stretched so thin, or so far. The consequences can be seen in the cost and availability of food in most parts of the world, including in the United States. Americans’ growing demand for fresh produce will only accelerate our reliance on an increasingly fragile food system.

The Economic Times – Online

A combination of high realisation and healthy demand will help the basmati rice sector log strong sales growth of over 30% on-year to more than Rs 50,000 crore in fiscal 2023, its highest ever, said Crisil in a media release. It added: “Next fiscal, however, sales will decline by 5-7% as basmati rice realisation is expected to soften with anticipated increase in paddy acreage, leading to higher supply. The volume demand is expected to remain stable at ~6.8 million tonne.

Mint – Online

India’s agricultural and processed food products exports rose to $19.69 billion in April-December 2022 from $17.5 billion over the same period of the last fiscal, as per the provisional data released by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S). The exports of agricultural and processed food products rose by 13% in the first nine months of the current Financial Year 2022-23 (April-December) in comparison to the corresponding period of FY 2021-22.

Krishi Jagran – Online

India’s basmati rice exports increased by 17% in volume during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year, with exporters earning at least 20% more on average in overseas markets, where Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates purchased half of India’s total shipments of the aromatic rice. In terms of value, however, the increase was 40% to $3.34 billion from $2.38 billion. Because of the depreciating rupee, the growth in Indian currency is even higher – 50.5 percent – at 26,591 crore versus 17,664 crore. In fact, basmati rice export realisation increased to $1,044 per tonne this fiscal year from $868 per tonne the previous year.

Hindustan Times – Online

Exports of agricultural produce through the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority in first the three quarters of the ongoing financial year touched a record $20 billion, registering a 12.6% rise on-year, latest figures show, with their growth propelled by higher global commodity prices and resilience of the farm sector. Overseas shipments were boosted by basmati rice, which registered a 16% increase in value terms, a surprising 92% jump in exports of pulses and 25% in fresh vegetables, mainly to demand from the US, UAE and China, latest data from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority show.

Mint Lounge – Online

Transforming how countries produce and finance food in ways that protect both nature and poor farmers will be one of the biggest challenges of a landmark global deal to halt biodiversity loss agreed late last year, said U.N. officials who led the process. At the COP15 biodiversity summit in Montreal in December, about 195 countries adopted ambitious targets to halt and reverse harm to plants, animals and ecosystems, while respecting the rights of indigenous peoples. The “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” – delayed two years by the pandemic and slow-paced talks – has been welcomed by environmentalists, who have urged governments now to develop national plans and policies to meet the pledges.

The Economic Times – Online

The government’s efforts to double the income of farmers have yielded “very positive” results, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in Parliament on Tuesday. The government had set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee in April 2016 to examine issues relating to “Doubling of Farmers’ Income (DFI)” and recommended strategies to achieve the same. The panel had submitted its final report to the government in September 2018. It contained the strategy for doubling farmers’ income through various policies, reforms and programmes.

Telangana Today – Online

The Gross State Value Added (GSVA) by the agriculture and allied sectors has increased by a staggering 186 percent from 2014-15 to 2022-23 in Telangana. According to the Socio Economic Outlook 2023, released by Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Monday, the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Fisheries sectors’ Gross Value Added (Current Prices) to the State economy has also seen a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.05 percent from Rs 76,123 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 2,17,877 crore in 2022-23.

The Print – Online

India’s wheat plantings remained steady despite a rally in price of the staple to a record as farmers in a key producing central state shifted to rapeseed to take advantage of even higher prices for the oilseed, farm ministry data showed on Monday. A lower-than-expected planting area in the world’s second biggest wheat producer may cap an expected rise in production, after output fell last year because of a heatwave that forced New Delhi to ban exports amid limited supplies from Black Sea region because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A rise in rapeseed output could help the world’s biggest edible oil importer reduce overseas purchases of palm oil, soyoil and sunflower oil.

The Economic Times – Online

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed the Parliament that the export of agricultural and allied products witnessed a significant increase during the last few years. During 2019-20, the export of agricultural and allied products was valued at Rs 2,52,400 crore which increased to Rs 3,10,130 crore in 2020-21 and showed an increase of 22.87 per cent. Exports of agricultural and allied products touched an all-time peak of Rs 3,74,611 crore during the last one year i.e. 2021-22, an increase of 20.79 per cent, according to a statement released by the ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare on Friday evening.

Hindustan Times – Online

The agriculture department Punjab has decided not to allow commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard (sarson) in the state. Also, the department is not responding to the proposals for permission mooted by the private companies for its commercial cultivation. However, the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) is conducting field trials of the GM seeds, initiated by the Indian council for agricultural research (ICAR) – India’s top agricultural research body. The biotechnology department of the Delhi University has produced the GM-mustard.

The Economic Times – Online

The government on Friday said wheat prices have fallen more than 10 per cent in the past one week following its decision to sell the grain in open market to check rising prices. State-run Food Corporation of India has so far sold 9.2 lakh tonnes of wheat to bulk users at an average rate of Rs 2,474 per quintal on the first two-days of e-auction held this week. Recently, the Centre decided to offload 30 lakh tonnes of wheat from the buffer stock in the open market under the open market sale scheme (OMSS).

Mint – Online

Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Friday said that 22.71 lakh hectares of additional area was under cultivation during the current Rabi season. “Final figures on 3 February, 2023 show that momentum gained in sowing rabi crops continued till end of the season. In a comparison made with the area sown last year (2021-22) and normal sown area (average area of last five years), total area sown under rabi crops has increased by 3.25% from 697.98 lakh hectares in 2021-22 to 720.68 lakh hectares in 2022-23,” it added.

The Economic Times – Online

Initiatives to support agri starups through the creation of agriculture accelerator fund, increasing the agri credit target to $24.9 billion and promoting agri-tech will help increase productivity and create more jobs in the sector, said UK-based research firm GlobalData. According to GlobalData estimates, the agriculture and allied sector contributed 18.4% to the gross value added (GVA) and employed 44.8% of the total labour force in 2022. With the agricultural sector being a key contributor and employer, it received the much-needed push in the Union Budget. India’s agricultural and allied sector GVA could rise by 10.2% during 2023-25, it said.

The Economic Times – Online

Flour mills that make atta and maida have picked up 42% of the wheat the government sold in the open market through its first tender last week, according to the chairman ofFood Corporation of India (FCI), the government agency that purchases grains from farmers at the minimum support price. Domestic wheat prices, which had crashed by more than 6% last week after the FCI’s announcement that it would be selling the grain in the open market, are expected to decline further after the movement of wheat from the FCI warehouses starts, said wheat processors.

Business Standard – Online

India’s agriculture sector has been witnessing robust growth with an average annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent over the last six years. This has enabled agriculture and allied activities sector to contribute significantly towards country’s overall growth, development and food security, says the Economic Survey 2022-23. Further in recent years the country has emerged as the net exporter of agricultural products, with exports in 2021-22 touching a record US $ 50.2 billion. The Government has been increasing the MSP for all 22 Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops with a margin of at least 50 per cent over the all-India weighted average cost of production since the agricultural year 2018-19, says the Survey.

India Today – Online

As extreme weather and human activity degrade the world’s arable land, scientists and developers are looking at new and largely unproven methods to save soil for agriculture. One company is injecting liquid clay into California desert to trap moisture and help fruit to grow, while another in Malaysia boosts soil with droppings from fly larvae. In a Nova Scotia greenhouse, Canadian scientist Vicky Levesque is adding biochar – the burnt residue of plants and wood waste – to soil to help apples grow better. Long-established soil preservation techniques, such as tilling less and sowing crops during off-seasons, are proving no match for more frequent droughts, floods and temperature extremes.

The Indian Express – Online

Observing that the Indian agriculture sector has been growing, the Economic Survey 2022-23 said Tuesday it needs “re-orientation” in view of challenges like adverse impacts of climate change, fragmented landholdings, and rising input costs. The Survey, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha, noted, “The Indian agriculture sector has been growing at an average annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent during the last six years. It grew by 3.0 per cent in 2021-22 compared to 3.3 per cent in 2020-21.”