New Delhi: Production of rain-fed kharif foodgrains in 2017-18 is likely to match the record high achieved the previous year despite deficit rains and floods in parts of the country, a top agriculture ministry official said on Tuesday. New Delhi: Production of rain-fed kharif foodgrains in 2017-18 is likely to match the record high achieved the previous year despite deficit rains and floods in parts of the country, a top agriculture ministry official said on Tuesday.

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said, "We need to encourage farmers to diversify in fields like horticulture, fisheries, fruit-bearing plants, trees and livestock farming, which can easily multiply farmers' income."

NEW DELHI: Outlining his priority, new Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu today said the ministry will work on promoting agri exports and will ensure global market for farmers.

Agriculture Department will be playing a crucial role in the constitution of Farmers’ Coordination Committees in every revenue village, mandal, district and State level, as a first step to organise and unite farmers across the State to get a better deal for their toil and produce and turn agriculture into a profitable vocation.

NEW DELHI: Australia is looking to increase its agriculture trade with India largely of pulses and grains, given the rising demand in the domestic market, says Gregory Harvey, trade commissioner at the Australian High Commission.

In the Union Budget of 1998-99, the then Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha announced the issuance of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to farmers, with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development being asked to formulate a “model scheme” for uniform adoption by Indian banks. The product was introduced in August 1998 and turned out to be an instant hit with farmers. The KCC mode of financing not only helped accelerate farm credit flows, but also resulted in significant changes in their compositi

NEW DELHI: Premier think-tank NITI Aayog has pitched for completely removing agriculture commodities from the Essential Commodities Act, and a shift towards organised trading wherein lower number of traders with enough capital will dominate the market. This will reduce handling costs, bring economies of scale, reduce prices and increase returns for farmers.

In his address on the golden jubilee celebrations of Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation in Pune today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held forth on some of the most important tasks that the NDA government has on its table and this had to do with one of the biggest promises made by him during the general elections in 2014

MUMBAI: The country's agricultural sector has potential to double farmer income and grow exports to $100 billion by 2022 from the present $36 billion, according to industry experts.

The United States (US) has asked India to open up a larger share of the agriculture market by reducing tariffs, dismantling import bans, and speedily adopting greater biotechnological advances, such as genetically modified (GM) crops.

Addressing the annual general meeting (AGM) of ITC Ltd last month, chairman Y.C. Deveshwar signalled to shareholders of the company that future fortunes lay in exploiting the opportunities that would be thrown up by the impending fundamental transformation of Indian agriculture.

India’s agricultural exports have risen to $25 billion to take a share of 9% of its total exports—from 7.1% in 2010-11. Today, a marginal farmer from Heran, a village in Punjab, finds markets in the UK for his produce of baby corn. India ranks second in fruits and vegetables production in the world. Its exports of cereals, spices, fruits and vegetables in 2016 stood at $11.4 billion, accounting for 3.5% of global exports. India enjoys the second-largest arable land size after the US and is home

India’s agricultural exports have risen to $25 billion to take a share of 9% of its total exports—from 7.1% in 2010-11. Today, a marginal farmer from Heran, a village in Punjab, finds markets in the UK for his produce of baby corn. India ranks second in fruits and vegetables production in the world. Its exports of cereals, spices, fruits and vegetables in 2016 stood at $11.4 billion, accounting for 3.5% of global exports. India enjoys the second-largest arable land size after the US and is home

The current month is turning out to be the driest August in eight years. The country as a whole has received 25.6 per cent less area-weighted rainfall during August 1-16 than the historical long-period average (normal) for this period. The last time August recorded comparable levels of rain deficiency was in 2009.The consolation this time, though, is the surplus showers during June and July. It has resulted in the cumulative rainfall for the four-month southwest monsoon season (June-September) b

It's been a slow simmering, the sound of which went unheard over decades. Farmers in India, particularly marginal farmers, suffered in silence - closeness to the earth and its soil and to nature is imparts a certain strength of character that allows for enduring harsh circumstances, they say. Occasionally, however, these sons of our soil would vent their frustration by resorting to suicide. And over the years, the suicides grew in number, commensurate with the general suicide rate. Any suicide

NEW DELHI: Foodgrain output in the ongoing 2017-18 kharif season is likely to surpass last year's record of 138.04 million tonnes due to higher acreage and good monsoon for the second straight year, Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak said today.

Although autarky on Indian farms is a distant dream, as the 71st year of Independence dawns, penury-ridden farmers are still committing suicide by the thousands— a consequence of decades of short-sightedness, while economists and scientists are still equating food sufficiency to farmer sustainability.The occasion merits introspection on the core issues of farmers’ distress. We must begin at the apex. The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) mandate is agriculture education, research and

Climate change may have contributed to the suicides of nearly 60,000 Indian farmers and farm workers over the past three decades, according to new research that examines the toll rising temperatures are already taking on vulnerable societies.Illustrating the extreme sensitivity of the Indian agricultural industry to spikes in temperature, the study from the University of California, Berkeley, found an increase of just 1C on an average day during the growing season was associated with 67 more sui

Tomato prices, which have skyrocketed up to Rs 100/kg, are more likely to decline over the next fortnight as supplies from southern and other growing states are expected to improve, said a senior ICAR official. Retail tomato prices have gone through the roof for more than a month now in most parts of the country and are still ruling high up to 100 per kg, as per the data maintained by the consumer affairs ministry. Tomato prices in metros were ruling at Rs 95/kg in Kolkata, Rs 92/kg in Delhi,

India’s trade policy in agriculture has a pro-consumer bias which implicitly taxes farmers by placing export restrictions on different crops, said a joint study released by The World Bank and Delhi-based Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) on Tuesday.

Agricultural drone technology has been improving in the last few years, and the benefits of drones in agriculture are becoming more apparent to farmers. Drone applications in agriculture range from mapping and surveying to crop dusting and spraying.

India’s foodgrain production rose five times over six decades, according to 2016 government data, the latest available. But with the average Indian farm half as large as it used to be 50 years ago and yields among the lowest in developing economies, the agriculture sector and farmers have been driven to the brink, shows an IndiaSpend analysis. Output of foodgrains in India increased from 50.82 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 252.22 million tonnes in 2015-16, according to the Agriculture Statistics

Amidst the predictable tidal wave of opinion pieces to mark the Narendra Modi government’s third anniversary, one little event last week squeezed its way into the inside pages of a few newspapers. This was a call for a “farm strike” in Maharashtra from June 1, entailing, among other things, cutting off vegetable and milk supplies to Mumbai and Pune. Those behind the proposed stir have demanded a comprehensive loan waiver for farmers, fixing minimum support prices for produce at 50 per cent above

The IMD forecast of a near normal monsoon brings some cheer. However, effects of the El Nino may have an adverse effect towards the tail end of the rain-bearing season. The normal monsoon in 2016 helped India, reeling from two consecutive droughts, come back from the brink and also helped take food-grain output to a new high.

One of the most radical decisions taken at last week’s Srinagar meeting of the Union and state finance ministers to approve rates applicable to various commodities under the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime was to fix these at zero per cent for most primary farm produce.

CHANDIGARH: Already struggling with shortage of staff, Haryana government's elementary education, secondary education, police and irrigation departments would be witnessing maximum number of retirements this year.

JEYPORE: Resentment is brewing among farmers of Jeypore over the decision of Upper Kolab project authorities to stop irrigation to ayecut areas at a time when rabi paddy crop is in flowering stage. The Upper Kolab irrigation project authorities had released irrigation water to Borrigumma, Kundra, Jeypore and Kotpad command areas, spread over 27,000 hectares, on January 1 and it was decided to stop the supply in the third week of May.

Pavittar Pal Singh Pangli, president of the Borlaug Farmers’ Association for South Asia, Chairman of the United Farmer Empowerment Initiative and the president emeritus of Punjab Agricultural University Kisan Club, has been chosen as a member of the working group of eco-agriculture and bio-products.

GANDHINAGAR: With agriculture playing a critical role in their economies, India and Africa both see a lot of scope for partnership and knowledge sharing. "This (agriculture) is an area where India and the bank can fruitfully join hands," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while formally opening the 52nd African Development Bank's (AfDB) annual event on Tuesday.

New Delhi: Genetically modified (GM) mustard plants are as safe and nutritious as regular mustard, the environment ministry said, even as the country await its final word on commercial production.

With the Narendra Modi-led government completing three years in office, it is high time to assess its performance in various sectors. We focus here on agriculture. Without robust growth of agriculture, “sabka saath, sabka vikas” will remain an empty slogan.

Could Maharashtra government and the Centre have mitigated Maharashtra’s tur (pigeon pea) crisis by facilitating and encouraging pledge loans? Yes, say farm sector experts, bankers, warehouse industry officials and former government officials.

NEW DELHI: Amid demands for farm loan waiver from different states in the wake of relief to small and marginal farmers in Uttar Pradesh, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh on Sunday said the UP's decision was its own and the Centre did not have such a proposal at the national level.

PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar shot off a letter to the Union ministry of environment and forests on Wednesday, expressing afresh his reservation on the commercial cultivation of genetically-modified (GM) mustard.

India is poised to allow the commercial introduction of its first GM food crop, a genetically modified mustard variety developed in India, in the face of opposition from farmer and environmentalists.

ITANAGAR: A day after the Centre gave a green signal to an agriculture research institute in Assam, chief minister Pema Khandu sought the Centre's support for a full-fledged agriculture university and a Centre of Excellence for horticulture in the state.

KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee's much hyped sabji mandis and sufal markets are running much behind deadline and it was decided during a review meeting on Tuesday that the chief secretary Basudeb Banerjee and additional chief secretary (agriculture) Sanjeeb Chopra will oversee so that all the 186 sabji mandis turn operational soon.

NUAPADA: Irrigation projects (IPs) in Bargarh have not only failed in terms of irrigation but also do not provide succour to villagers who depend on it for domestic water needs. There are five IPs under Nuapada irrigation division namely Sundar, Saipala, Jonk and Dumerbahal and Jharbandh of Bargarh. Water level in three of these projects was less than dead storage level since May 1 while there was some water left in the remaining two.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh expressed its interest in using the expertise of Israel in development of agriculture, irrigation, horticulture, energy, science and technology, smart cities and other sectors, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in a meeting with Israeli ambassador Daniel Carmon here on Tuesday.

As it happens, the crucial breakthrough may not take place in cities at all, but on farms. If emerging nations like India want to replicate China's success, they first have to improve their agricultural productivity.

Even as chilli farmers are in distress, both the TRS and BJP are accusing each other on the plight of farmers, said TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy. He was addressing a public meeting here on Saturday.

A report on sugar price policy for 2015-16 by union agriculture ministry had highlighted that Maharashtra’s sugarcane cultivation, which is less than 4% of the total cropped area, consumes 70% of water needed for irrigation.

Permaculture is a system of agricultural and social design principles centered around simulating or directly utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems. So, how is it different from conventional agriculture? Conventional farming is about monocropping – one crop, one yield. Alternatives are more about diverse yields.

Food security has improved around the globe over the past five years, but hunger and food insecurity still persist. On its part, India continues to battle huge challenges with regards to its agriculture output. Despite the country’s ‘Jai-Kisaan’ clarion call since the 1960s, Indian farmers have had to surmount huge odds in their bid to eke out a respectable livelihood and feed the nation. And this is reflected in the 2016 Global Food Security Index that is not very flattering to India.

A new report examining 25 years of India’s economic liberalisation says exclusion of a large section of Dalits and Muslims have not gained adequately from the growth unlike more influential empowered sections of the society.

Middlemen who vandalised the e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) facility at Khammam agriculture market yard have been allowed to go scot free and chilli farmers are being victimised instead, BJP State president K. Laxman said.

New Delhi, May 11: India needs to double or triple its investment in agricultural research if it has to reach to anywhere close to what China has achieved on the farm front, the head of an international food policy institute said here on Thursday.

Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh, has written a letter to the all Chief Ministers of the States/UTs on Monday, for the review of the state of preparedness in managing any weather related contingency if any in advance so that the possible adverse impact of sub-par rainfall on the farmers can be mitigated.

While politicians are busy earning brownie points through waving off farmer loans, the farmers in Maharashtra's Pune and Ahmednagar districts have a different story to tell.

NEW DELHI: Central government on Monday asked states to review their preparedness for the upcoming Kharif (summer crops) season so that they can take contingency measures on time in case prediction of normal monsoon goes wrong. Though the country's national weather forecaster - India Meteorological Department (IMD) - has predicted normal monsoon this year, it will be able to come out with an update of time and region-specific distribution of rainfall early next month.