Page 5 - Farming

Share of crop income dips for agriculture households, shows data

The Central government's three-member panel of senior ministers have offered them a proposal of guaranteed purchase of five crops at the MSP to break the imbroglio

Farmers to stage dharnas in four states on Feb 21, says Rakesh Tikait

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday announced that farmers will stage dharnas in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Uttarakhand on February 21 to press their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP. Speaking to reporters after attending a panchayat in Sisauli here, Tikait said a resolution was passed during the meeting asking the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) to launch a tractor march to Delhi in the last week of February if the government does not accept farmers' demands. The panchayat was held as farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march, called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, to press the government to accept their demands entered the fifth day on Saturday. The farmers from Punjab began their march to Delhi on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana. The protesters have stayed put at the two border points since then. Besides a legal guarantee of minimum

Protesting farmers fighting for nation, just like soldiers do: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday asserted that the protesting farmers are fighting for the country, just like soldiers do on the borders. Gandhi was referring to the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march by farmers to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on minimum support price for crops and loan waivers. The protesting farmers are fighting for our nation, just like the soldiers do on the borders, Gandhi said, addressing a rally in Aurangabad district. The Congress MP also alleged the RSS and BJP have set Manipur on fire and that they pit one community against another. The northeastern state has been rocked by ethnic strife since May last year. Criticising the Narendra Modi-led central government, Gandhi claimed that it waived loans of the super rich worth Rs 14 lakh crore, while the expenditure on MGNREGA is only Rs 70,000 crore. He also took a dig at the Union government for the presence of a large number of celebrities at the consecration ceremony of ...

Farmers protest: Ready for talks with Centre, says Jagjit Singh Dallewal

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Wednesday said they are ready for holding talks with the Centre over their demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price. Citing media reports, Dallewal said Union Minister Anurag Thakur has, in his statement, said that the Centre was ready for holding talks and was also ready to resolve the issues of the farmers. "We do not want to give any room to the Centre for saying that it was inviting us, but they did not accept it. That we have accepted and we are ready for talks," he told reporters at the Shambhu border. Dallewal said the farmer leaders have taken the consent of fellow farmers for holding talks. "After taking their consent, we will hold talks," he said. "Our priority is that the talks should take place in Chandigarh," asserted Dallewal, who is the president of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur). "If they (the Centre) have given an invitation after seeing all this and said they are ready to resolve their issues then w

En route Delhi, farmers face off with police at Punjab-Haryana border

Congress promises MSP law based on Swaminathan formula once voted to power

Farmers' march: HC sends notices to Haryana, Punjab, Centre on 2 petitions

The petitions came up for hearing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji

Sulphur-coated urea will improve fertiliser efficiency but needs efforts

Farmers will have to be educated and factories will require capital expenditure

India, Israel discuss agro-tech collaboration; grape, date farming in focus

The meeting, held at the ministry building, included the Chief Secretary of Agriculture and Horticulture, Vaibhav Galaria, and Horticulture Commissioner Laxman Singh Kudi

2.33 million farmers enrolled under PMKMY since launch, says Govt

Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday said in Parliament that 23.38 lakh farmers have been enrolled under the farmers' pension scheme PMKMY so far. Launched in September 2019, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PMKMY) is meant for old age protection and social security of Small and Marginal Farmers (SMFs). It's a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for the entry age group of 18 to 40 years with a provision of Rs 3000 monthly pension on attaining the age of 60 years. "As on date, a total of 23,38,720 farmers have been enrolled across the country...," Munda said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. In Karnataka, total of 41,683 farmers have been enrolled under the PMKMY since the inception of the scheme, he added. As per the operational guidelines of the scheme, the central government matches the contribution made by the beneficiary farmer. As on January 31, this year, an amount of Rs 10,78,51,700 has been collected from farmers of Karnataka under PMKMY and the same

Interim Budget 2024-25: For agri and rural, it's continuation of the past

Since it is an Interim Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not make any big announcements nor did she increase allocations for welfare schemes in an election year

Shah launches Rs 225 cr projects to computerise ARDBs in cooperative sector

Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched computerisation programmes for agriculture and rural development banks and Registrar of Cooperative Societies at an estimated cost of Rs 225 crore and said the digitisation efforts will help improve efficiency, transparency and accountability in their working. The launch of computerisation projects for Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) and Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCSs) of states and Union Territories was organised by Ministry of Cooperation in collaboration with National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). Shah said the projects will modernise and enhance the efficiency of the cooperative sector by bringing the entire cooperative ecosystem on a digital platform. "This will help in improving transparency and accountability in the cooperative sector," the minister said. Shah said the total cost of computerisation will be Rs 225 crore, of which Rs 95 crore would be spent on computerisation of ..

Best of BS Opinion: Reconfiguration of global trade and FDI & more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Survival and growth of FPOs

The advantages of the FPOs have been borne out and quantified by a study conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) in 2020-21 and 2021-22

Farmers made huge contributions to make India 5th largest economy: VP

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said farmers have made an immense contribution to make India the fifth largest economy in the world. Addressing the 38th Foundation Day programme of the Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya in Raipur, he said farming is not just a means of livelihood but also a driving factor for economy and social development. "By implementing modern technologies in agriculture, the goal of ensuring food security and making India a developed nation by 2047 can be achieved," the Vice President said. He said India is developing rapidly and the contribution of youths will further accelerate the pace. Dhankhar stressed the need to use modern technology in farming. He urged students and scientists to share their knowledge with farmers and encourage them to utilise available resources. "Chhattisgarh has a rich agricultural heritage. The state is witnessing an exciting era of innovation in the field of agri technology," Dhankhar said. During the program, he .

1,500 farmers, spouses invited as special guests for Republic Day parade

In a first, about 1,500 farmers and their spouses have been invited as special guests for this year's Republic Day parade in the national capital. "This is for the first time, farmers have been invited as special guests for the Republic Day parade. About 1,500 farmers and their spouses have been selected from across the country, a senior agriculture ministry official told PTI. Farmer representatives of Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs), beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) and micro irrigation schemes have been invited, the official added. Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda will host lunch for the farmers after the parade. Around 500 farmers were invited as special guests during last year's Independence Day.

Bengal's Malda district, known for its mangoes, grows oranges in a first

A farmer in West Bengal's Malda district, which is known for its mangoes, has set a record this year by growing oranges. Dipak Rajbanshi has grown around 1.5 quintal of orange in his garden. He claimed that the oranges that he grew were tastier than the ones grown in Maharashtra's Nagpur. He said these oranges are smaller than the Darjeeling variety, and he is still researching whether bigger oranges can be grown on Malda's soil, and only then, he will make efforts for commercial production. "I have sold some of the oranges to fruit sellers at Rs 30-35 per kg," said Rajbanshi, a resident of Goalpara in Old Malda. He said he bought around 10 orange plants from a nursery in Nadia district's Ranaghat four years back. "One of the plants died, but the others grew. The height of the plants at present is around 7 feet. This year, first the flowers started appearing on the trees, and then came the fruits. The oranges began to ripen around mid-November. About 20-25 kg of oranges have grow

Crop insurance scheme PMFBY makes comeback, enrollments jump

Number of farmers availing of the scheme reaches all-time high of 25 mn

Amid supply crunch, price of Kashmir apples zooms 50% to a decadal high

The prices of Grade-A apples have doubled in the past year in Sopore, Asia's second-largest fruit market

Wheat sowing continues to remain below par, might pick up pace after Diwali

Some traders also felt that sowing will pick up pace after Diwali and in the final analysis, the total acreage across India might be around the normal wheat acreage of around 31 million hectares

Why income support schemes tend to elude tenant farmers: Grassroots studies

PM-Kisan is a central government scheme of 2018 that gives Rs 6,000 a year as minimum income support to small and marginal farmers