Page 5 - Farmers

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

PM to deposit over Rs 22,700 cr into farmers' accounts on Monday: Chouhan

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is a boon for small farmers, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said

Fixing India's soil crisis: Farmer awareness, tech can arrest degradation

Excessive nitrogen application at the cost of micronutrients and manure not only reduces soil productivity over time but also contributes to nutrient runoffs and groundwater contamination

Meeting was centred around legal guarantee of MSP: Punjab minister Cheema

This meeting was the second between the central ministers and the farmers, following a previous session held on February 14 in Chandigarh

US Department of Agriculture to release $20 mn of frozen farmer funds

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the released funds will go to honour contracts that were already made directly with farmers, according to a statement on the USDA's website

Punjab approves disbursal of Rs 14,000 cr arrears for employees, pensioners

The Punjab Cabinet on Thursday accorded consent to disburse pending arrears of government employees and pensioners worth Rs 14,000 crore. A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the Council of Ministers held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, said an official release. A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said the Cabinet gave the approval to release arrears of revised pay and pensions and leave encashment from the period of January 1, 2016, to June 30, 202,2 and that dearness allowance from July 1, 2021, to March 31, 2024, for pensioners and employees. This sum worth Rs 14,000 crore will be released in stages and will give much-needed relief to the employees and pensioners. There are three lakh government employees and three lakh pensioners who will directly benefit from this move, said the release. To provide houses to the economically weaker section, the Cabinet gave a nod to a policy for 'Optimum utilisation of land reserved for

New setting, old demands: Centre, farmers to revive stalled discussions

With MSP talks set to resume this week, the Centre prepares to pitch assured pulses procurement - aligning with Budget policies - to protesting farmers

Budget FY26: Govt increases KCC loan limit to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 3 lakh

Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) facilitate short-term loans for 7.7 crore farmers, fishermen, and dairy farmers

Budget 2025: 10 million farmers to benefit from new 'Dhan Dhanya' scheme

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the 'Dhan Dhyan Krishi Yojana' in Budget 2025, aiming to boost crop yields, credit access, and benefit over 10 million farmers nationwide

Budget 2025: Will govt accept farmer demands for assured procurement?

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will resume talks with protesting farmers next month to resolved procurement and Minimum Support Price issues