-Business Standard Huge arrivals from Gujarat and MP increase supply; farmers fear higher spoilage on rise in temp Mumbai:  Vegetables prices crashed in the last two weeks due to farmers’ rush for sale on fears of high spoilage due to sudden rise in temperature across the country. Data compiled by the government owned National Horticulture Board (NHB) showed cauliflower in the wholesale Mumbai mandi slumped by a staggering 25% since March 17 to...

-The Hindu Business Line Aadhaar does more damage than good in welfare programmes It is widely believed that Aadhaar-Based Biometric Authentication (ABBA) is necessary to improve the delivery of welfare programmes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), Public Distribution System (PDS), social security pensions, and so on. This is a misconception. We have been studying these programmes for a decade, focusing mainly on the source of leakages and...

-The Economic Times West Bengal government has firmed up plans to provide assistance to farmers to enable them to grow 800 varieties of aromatic rice, many of which are rarely grown nowadays. Among the aromatic varieties identified for special treatment are kanakchur, randhuni, chandrachur, radhatilak, badshahbhog and kerala sundari. Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya in Kalyani is playing a major role in identifying the varieties of rice, as well as finding out ways...

-Hindustan Times Dhanaura (Bulandshahr): Every Wednesday, until two weeks ago, farmers from Dhanaura, adjoining villages and beyond would sell at least 500 spent (no longer productive) buffaloes to meat traders at this licenced weekly market in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, about 80 km from Delhi. Not anymore. On March 29, the second Wednesday since the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government launched its crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses, it was not business as usual at...

-The Indian Express A new 125-day rice variety promises to provide some respite to Punjab farmers, depleting aquifers Ludhiana: A new variety maturing within 125 days, yet yielding nearly as much as those now grown over 135-160 days, could provide the ultimate solution to Punjab’s woes stemming from farming of water-guzzling paddy. Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has released a paddy variety PR-126 that gives an average of 30 quintals per acre. This is...