IN GREEN-LIGHTING the new “nutrient- based” fertiliser policy, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee pulled off a political coup, overriding the objections of the once-powerful UPA allies, DMK and NCP. What’s more, it is those very critics who will be responsible for the actual delivery of benefits to farmers under the new scheme — which is a tall order. With Mamata Banerjee’s TMC putting in only a token caveat, the reservations of Union...
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See, No Powder by Madhavi Tata
* State-promoted organic farming has picked up in a big way in Andhra Pradesh * The CMSA programme was initiated in 2004 across a mere 400 acres in 12 villages. * Today, it covers 17 lakh acres in over 4,000 villages in the state. The number of farmers participating in CMSA has risen to more than 6 lakh. Call it going back to the roots. Or call it giving the...
More »Farmer suicide rate: 5 a week by Sanjeev Kumar Patro
The bane of farmers’ suicides has taken Orissa in its vice-like grip with five ending their lives in every seven days. The trend has grown by over six per cent in 2008 as the State has climbed the ladder at a notoriously fast pace to rank 12th of the 28 states with most farmer deaths, the statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau has revealed. The growth is over 40...
More »Pawar honours small and marginal farmers by Gargi Parsai
Faceless farmers who, by dint of hard work and enterprise, fought against odds to make a difference were recognised at a quiet ceremony here on Friday, the day Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presented the budget in Parliament. Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar took over an hour to distribute the awards and trophies to the small and marginal farmers from all parts of the country in the presence of Union Minister of...
More »Smart fertiliser subsidy signals bold farm reform by Swaraj Thapa, Ravish Tiwari
In a bold move that will not just prune the humongous fertiliser subsidy bill but also change the face of agriculture, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, aided by several Cabinet colleagues, today brought in a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) regime. This will incentivise companies to innovate beyond a handful of products sold in the market presently and offer farmers choice based on soil needs. This is expected to trim the subsidy bill...
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