Krishi Jagran – Online

The move aligns with the Indian government’s higher agriculture credit target for FY24 of Rs 20 lakh crore. Fasal, an Agri-tech business, established a partnership with State Bank of India (SBI) on Thursday, with the goal of providing farmers with easier access to finance. The collaboration will assist in resolving cash-flow problems in farming during important cycles by delivering quick, convenient, and collateral-free loans at very reasonable rates. This fits into Fasal’s greater goal of resolving the myriad difficulties that exist throughout the horticulture value chain, clearing the path for India’s horticultural transformation.

The Times of India – Online

Ending global hunger is an ‘affordable goal’ despite the ongoing food crisis but it requires a rethink of development aid and finance, according to a new report by Economist Impact with global agri foods-focused research partnership Consultative Group on international agricultural research (CGIAR). CGIAR is the largest agriculture innovation network while Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank. The report ‘Ending hunger: the role of agri-food financing’, showed that increases in development funding alone have been insufficient to bring down food insecurity, with almost 670 million people projected to face hunger by 2030.

Krishi Jagran – Online

Agrifood systems employ more than one-third of the world’s working women, and encompass the production of food and non-food agricultural goods, as well as related activities ranging from food storage, transportation, and processing through distribution. However, according to a new FAO analysis, gender disadvantages such as fewer access for women to knowledge and resources, as well as a higher unpaid care burden, explain for a 24% difference in productivity between women and men farmers on farms of same size.

Hindustan Times – Online

The Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) in G20, which is scheduled in Varanasi from April 17 to 19, will provide new opportunities of collaboration in research and education in the field of agriculture, said Himanshu Pathak, secretary- Department of Agriculture Research (DARE). The meet will also strengthen the G20 forum in terms of international economic cooperation, he added. The 12th MACS conference under India’s Presidency has identified “sustainable agriculture and food systems for healthy people and the planet” as its theme. There are four priority areas on which focused discussions will take place: food security and nutrition, sustainable agriculture through approaches of climate resilient agriculture, digitisation for agricultural transformation and public-private partnerships for research ...