Farmers

Govt to set fresh target of 30% ethanol blending in petrol by 2030

Target of 20% blending already achieved in March this year

Tariff pause eases farm worries, Andhra govt forms panel on shrimp exports

Sources said one of the mandates of the committee is to study India and Ecuador's shrimp production patterns and exports

Farmer leaders to attend May 4 talks with Centre: Jagjit Dallewal

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal Monday said the farmers' agitation will continue till the government accepts their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops. He said farmer leaders would take part in the proposed May 4 talks with representatives of the Centre as they did not want to allow the government to make the excuse that the farmers did not attend the meeting. "We will attend the meeting and we will strongly put forth our demands." Dallewal, who ended his indefinite hunger strike on Sunday after 130 days, said their next course of action will be decided by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) in a meeting. He is a senior leader of a joint forum of these two outfits. SKM (Non-Political) and KMM had led a farmers' agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana for over a year after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press for their demands. The protest site

Modi govt taking several steps to increase farm income: Shivraj Chouhan

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the Modi government is taking several steps to increase farm income and has insulated farmers from high fertiliser prices in the international markets. "Our vision is to increase farm income and we will leave no stone unturned to achieve that vision. Farmer welfare is Modi government's guarantee," Chouhan said during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. He said the Modi government is giving Rs 6,000 per month to farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. To a question by SP member Anand Bhadauria on whether the government will waive farm loans, Chouhan said "several steps are being taken by the Modi government to increase farm income, as well as to increase production, to reduce the cost of production and helping them to sell their produce. Farm loans are increasing, and under Modi (government), income of farmers is continuously increasing." Chouhan further said that fertiliser prices have been increasing in the ...

After nearly 4 decades, govt to revise farm and rural inflation gauges

The Labour Bureau has constituted an expert committee, chaired by National Statistical Commission member Asit Kumar Sadhu, to shift the base year from 1986-87 to the 2024-25 agricultural year

Don't think govt is in a great hurry to sign BTA with US: Ashwani Mahajan

Since the US has announced the imposition of reciprocal tariffs, their markets are down, and there are fears that inflation will increase

More than 5.1 million farmers registered for Agri Stack in Rajasthan

Under the Agri Stack scheme, Kisan Registry Camps are being organised in all villages of all the districts

Farmers' movement will continue, says leader Pandher after jail release

Pandher strongly condemned the AAP-led Punjab government for destroying farmers' front

Removal of 20% onion export duty to boost farmers' income: Shivraj Chouhan

The government's decision to withdraw 20 per cent customs duty on onion exports effective April 1 will boost farmers' income, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday. "There will be no duty on onion export so that onion grown by our farmers with hard work reaches the global markets, and they can get better price and remunerative price," Chouhan said in a video statement. The minister said the export duty was earlier fixed at 40 per cent, but was reduced to 20 per cent when onion prices started falling and farmers began getting lower returns. "Now, the government has decided that 20 per cent export duty should also be removed completely," he added. According to a notification issued last week by the Finance Ministry, the export duty withdrawal will come into effect from April 1. Chouhan said the Narendra Modi government is "farmer-friendly" and ensuring remunerative prices for farmers is its "priority and commitment". The export duty removal aims to protect domes

Centre with farmers without any discrimination, says Shivraj Chouhan

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the Centre will not discriminate against farmers from any state, be it from Kerala or Karnataka, if a natural disaster strikes. Replying to supplementaries in the Lok Sabha, Chouhan said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government will leave no stone unturned to ensure the welfare of farmers. "A farmer is a farmer, be it from Kerala, Karnataka or any other part of the country. We all are children of Mother India and there is no scope for any discrimination against anyone," Chouhan said in response to a question from Congress member Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Vadra had sought an update on the implementation of the Vidarbha package, under which Kerala's Wayanad, Palakkad and Kasargod districts were also included, for farmers. Chouhan said the Centre had stepped in to purchase red chilli for more than Rs 11,000 per quintal when its prices had declined in the wholesale markets. The Centre had approved a ..

10,000 FPOs is not too many, but implementation challenges persist

FPOs cannot raise equity to any significant extent because of the limited paying capacity of their members, who are usually smallholders or landless people

Delhi CM holds Budget discussion with farmers, assures them of all help

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta Saturday received feedback from Delhi farmers ahead of the tabling of her government's budget on March 25 and assured them of solving all their problems. In an interaction held at the Delhi Secretariat, the farmers raised their demands for the immediate implementation of a land pooling policy, subsidy on fertilisers and seeds, and saving standing crops from inundation due to overflowing drains during the rainy season. The farmers also informed the chief minister that their diesel-run tractors were seized after those completed 10 years. They demanded that the government allow them to use tractors for farming purposes for up to 20 years. Besides the chief minister, PWD minister Parvesh Verma was also present during the interaction. CM Gupta said that the previous governments "did nothing for farmers and neglected their needs" but the "double-engine" government of the BJP would address their every issue. "Each suggestion received from the farmers will be loo

Farmers vs RCF: CCI complaint alleges unfair fertiliser trade practices

Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd has been accused of using coercive tactics such as 'product tying' or 'tagging' to force farmers to purchase higher-than-necessary quantities of fertilisers

State govts boost farmer incentives amid concerns over fiscal strain

States are topping up PM-KISAN disbursement with own allocation to keep their poll promises. But can a rise in direct benefit transfer and bonus over MSP go hand in hand? Sanjeeb Mukherjee writes

SKM protest: Punjab police stops farmers from heading to Chandigarh

Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha were stopped from going to Chandigarh for their week-long dharna beginning Wednesday in support of their various demands, with multiple barricades and checkpoints set up across Punjab and security stepped up at all entry points of the Union Territory. The Morcha, which is a conglomerate of more than 30 farmer bodies, had given a call for the dharna in Chandigarh starting March 5 in support of their various demands. Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General of Police H S Bhullar said the protesting farmers will not be allowed to reach Chandigarh at any cost. "Wherever any farmer came out (on roads), police of that area stopped them," Bhullar said. Farmers, who left for Chandigarh in tractor-trolleys and other vehicles on Wednesday morning, were stopped by the Punjab Police at many places. In Moga, Krantikari Kisan Union district Moga president Jatinder Singh said they were stopped at Ajitwal in Moga district by the police when the

Bihar to provide electricity to 285K farmers for agri activities by June

Around 2.85 lakh more farmers in Bihar are set to get electricity connections for agricultural activities by June this year, officials said. So far, 5.55 lakh farmers in the state have already received electricity connections through agricultural feeders, they said. By June 2025... around 2.85 lakh more farmers, who have already applied for agricultural electricity connections, will be provided connections, a statement issued by the state's Information and Public Public Relations Department (IPRD) said. Upon the direction of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the state's energy department is working to ensure the remaining farmers receive agricultural electricity connections at the earliest, it said. The CM has consistently emphasised the significance of renewable energy, referring to it as real energy'. As part of the Jal Jeevan Hariyali scheme launched in 2019, he has called for comprehensive efforts to expand solar energy adoption. The energy department has begun implementing measure

Women farmers in Bihar turn to solar pumps, overcoming patriarchy, woes

Indu Devi, a 35-year-old widow from Suryahi village, knows the weight of despair all too well. When her husband was hanged over a land dispute, she was left with little more than a small patch of land and debts. But then, she heard about the concept of using solar pumps in fields for business. Despite her initial fears of how would she, a woman with no technical knowledge, operate a pump? She took the leap of faith. Today, she earns a steady income by supplying water to neighbouring fields. "It's just a switch on and off. But it has given me a way to survive," she said. In this area, Indu's story is inspirational but not unique. A number of women, as part of self-help groups (SHGs), have invested in solar pumps on their land for irrigation, transforming their lives and livelihoods. For decades, irrigation has been a major challenge in Bihar. With erratic rainfall, extreme summers amid climate change and unreliable electricity, farmers have struggled to grow crops. Diesel pumps we

Govt achieves goal of setting up of 10,000 farmer producer organisations

The government on Friday said it has achieved the target of establishing 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) under a flagship central scheme. The 10,000th FPO, registered in Khagaria district in Bihar, focuses on maize, banana and paddy and was launched recently by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The central scheme for Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs" was launched on February 29th 2020 with a budget outlay of Rs 6,865 crore till 2027-28. According to the agriculture ministry, the successful formation of 10,000 FPOs marks a "transformative milestone for the agriculture sector." This achievement not only boosts agricultural productivity and income but also contributes to rural job creation and economic resilience. "As India moves forward, the continued support and expansion of FPOs will be instrumental in shaping a self-reliant, efficient, and prosperous agricultural ecosystem," the ministry said in a statement. Since the launch, Rs 254.4 crore in equity grants has bee

Business worth Rs 6,800 cr hit as Rajasthan mandi traders go on strike

Commodity traders and mill owners are demanding the government abolish the Krishak Kalyan Fee and the mandi tax of 1.60 per cent on agricultural commodities

Cultivation shift helps Chhattisgarh farmers earn Rs 2,641-cr profit

Parastarai village in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district, once grappling with severe water shortage, is now a beacon of agricultural transformation