The papers have been authored by eminent agriculture economists and researchers including former Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices chairman Ashok Gulati
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said addressing seemingly minor issues faced by farmers could increase their income by up to 20 per cent. Meeting members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Independent) as part of his 'direct dialogue' (seedha samvad) initiative launched on September 24, Chouhan discussed various challenges affecting the agricultural sector. Asserting that the service of farmers is the worship of God, Chouhan said: "....These problems may seem small, but solving them can increase farmers' income by 10 to 20 per cent." In the meeting, BKU representatives raised concerns about contaminated factory water and ways to replace burnt transformers in short time, an official statement said. Discussion covered reducing crop costs, ensuring fair prices, and preventing waterlogging. Besides, use of excessive pesticide, its impact on health, and access to government schemes like PM Fasal Bima Yojana were discussed. Quality seeds and pesticides were provid
Congress released its second manifesto for the Haryana Assembly elections which outlines promises aimed at youth, women, farmers, and social welfare
He said the Centre also hiked customs duties on the import of edible oils, to benefit farmers
Global agriculture company Corteva Agriscience on Tuesday unveiled a programme aimed at empowering two million women farmers across India's agri-value chain by 2030. The initiative seeks to bolster the role of women as farmers, researchers, and entrepreneurs through targeted support and resources. Subroto Geed, President of Corteva Agriscience South Asia, emphasised on the critical role of women in agriculture, stating, "Women are the backbone of rural life and agriculture. We hope this focus will accelerate India's path to becoming a developed nation." The programme's key components include promoting climate-smart practices through women-only farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and cooperatives; capacity-building and mentorship for female STEM students; and prioritising health, wellness, and financial literacy for women farmers. At a roundtable discussion following the launch, Subha Thakur, Additional Secretary in the Union Agriculture Ministry, called for increased public-privat
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared proposals in areas ranging from agriculture to moon and venus with a total outlay of more than Rs 60,000 crore
Schemes under PM-AASHA aim to regulate price fluctuations to ensure fair prices for farmers. The Centre has also updated the policies under this scheme and added new components. Details here
Farmers' body FAIFA on Wednesday said the government's initiatives for digital revolution in agriculture will go a long way in arresting the exodus of youth from agriculture. Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA), which claims to represent farmers and farm workers of commercial crops across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat, said the recently announced seven schemes totalling Rs 14,000 crore will play a key role in stopping the movement of the youth from rural to urban and from farming to other professions. "These new schemes are not just about technological integration. This will help in relieving agrarian distress caused by climate variations and market uncertainties that have made agriculture unlucrative for our youth," FAIFA President Javare Gowda said in a statement. These schemes are likely to create new jobs, and the demand and creation of different skill sets will open more opportunities for the youth of rural India in the times to come, FAIFA ..
He highlighted that institutional credit to agriculture reached an all-time high of Rs 25.10 trillion during FY24
In the Kisan Mahapanchayat held at Uchana in Haryana's Jind district on Sunday, it was decided not to support or oppose any party in the elections, a farmer leader said. A large number of farmers from Haryana, Punjab and other states attended the Mahapanchayat held under the aegis of the Bharatiya Kisan Naujawan Union. Farmer leaders like Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Shravan Singh Pandher, and Abhimanyu Kohad participated in it. Providing information about the decision taken in the Mahapanchayat, Dallewal said, We (farmers movement) have nothing to do with the elections. Our aim is to strengthen the movement. We will neither help anyone nor oppose anyone in the elections. To strengthen our movement, we will make people aware of the failures of the government and the decisions taken against the farmers.' He said, 'The next Mahapanchayat will be held on September 22 in Pipli, Kurukshetra. The demands for which we are protesting are not only of Punjab, Haryana, but of the farmers of the whol
The government's decision to hike customs duty on crude palm and refined sunflower oil to 20 per cent and 32.5 per cent, respectively will "hugely" benefit farmers as it will increase their income, a senior official said on Saturday. The government official also said that the decision to remove minimum export price and slashing of export duty on onion too would help farmers of the country. According to a finance ministry notification, the basic customs duty on crude palm, soybean and sunflower seed oil has been increased from nil to 20 per cent. Basic customs duty on refined palm, soybean and sunflower oil has been hiked from 12.5 per cent to 32.5 per cent. The effective duty on these crude and refined oils will increase from 5.5 per cent to 27.5 per cent and from 13.75 per cent to 35.75 per cent, respectively. "These are big support for soya and oilseed farmers. Farmers from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will get hugely benefited as they account for significant production of the
The government on Friday scrapped a minimum price threshold that it had set previously for exports of onion as it looked to pass on the benefit of international glut to Indian farmers. The government had previously fixed a USD 550 per tonne as the minimum export price (MEP), which essentially meant farmers could not sell their produce overseas at lower than this rate. A DGFT notification issued on Friday removed the MEP with immediate effect. The move comes ahead of assembly elections in Maharashtra, a key onion producing state. The move would help promote exports of the commodity. "The Minimum Export Price (MEP) condition on Export of onions is removed with immediate effect and until further orders," the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification.
The agriculture and allied sectors contribute 27 per cent to Rajasthan's gross domestic state product
In a major push towards digitising the agriculture sector, the government will soon begin registration of farmers across the country to provide them with a unique ID similar to Aadhaar, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said on Monday. Chaturvedi, speaking to PTI on the sidelines of an Outlook Agri-Tech Summit and Swaraj Awards, said the guidelines for the registration process will be issued soon, with the implementation set to begin in the first week of October. "Our target is to register five crore farmers by March next year," the secretary said, noting that the initiative is part of the government's Rs 2,817-crore Digital Agriculture Mission approved by the Cabinet recently. A pilot project was earlier conducted in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and 19 states have already onboarded the project, he said. Once the farmers' registry is created, an "Aadhaar-like unique ID" will be provided to each registered farmer. Chaturvedi said the unique ID will help farmers access vario
Seven new schemes aim to leverage technology, crop science in agri sector
Cabinet approves seven agricultural projects worth Rs 13,966 crore
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday urged farmers to switch to organic fertilisers to save the soil from turning infertile and also for the betterment of human health. The Union minister for agriculture and farmers welfare was interacting virtually with farmers and 'Swayampurna Mitras' (officials assigned to deliver government schemes) of Goa. Chief minister Pramod Sawant joined the interaction from here. It was aired across panchayats, municipalities and zonal agricultural offices in the coastal state. "Gradually, we have to switch towards organic farming. The use of chemical fertilisers is affecting the soil. If there is uninterrupted use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the soil will turn infertile. It is also bad for human health," Chouhan said while hailing the state government for providing thrust on organic farming by giving various subsidies. The 'Swayampurna (self sufficient) Goa' initiative is an example of how the government can use available ...
Notably, farmers are protesting at the Shambhu border near Ambala and have been camping there since February 13
The state government plans to leverage the Centre's Rs 1,800 crore Clean Plant Programme to enhance the quality of horticultural exports
Kangana Ranaut is neither permitted nor authorised to make statements on the party's policy - BJP issues a statement in response to the Mandi MP's controversial comments.