-Firstpost.com Chandigarh: With extensive rice farming in Punjab taking an increasing toll on groundwater reserves and soil health, government agencies are now asking farmers to diversify into profitable allied trades including dairy and pig farming and fisheries. Farmers are also being asked to cultivate crops other than paddy. Farmers in different parts of the state have started growing other, more profitable crops alongside rice. In a break with the fertiliser and pesticide-driven...

-India Climate Dialogue It does not depend on erratic electricity supply from the grid Sandeep Alse, a farmer who grows fruits and vegetables in Marathwada, a drought-prone region in Maharashtra, found it difficult to reach the market with his produce on time, due to poor infrastructure. The lack of cold storage facility in the vicinity added to his woes and much of his harvest was spoiled, making it difficult for him to...

-Livemint.com The issue of frequent hikes in fuel prices is a matter of debate and concern, law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said after a Union cabinet meeting New Delhi: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government on Wednesday signalled its intent to stay the course on fuel pricing reforms and said that it was working toward a “long-term solution”. This comes against the backdrop of an international crude oil price rally, with...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: There’s no respite in sight for fuel consumers as pump prices remain on a record-breaking spree as crude clambers towards $80(approximately Rs 5,314) a barrel-mark in a market edgy over US bailing on Iran nuclear deal, outages in Venezuela and uptick in demand. Petrol and diesel prices scaled new peaks on Tuesday as benchmark crude rose to $75(approximately Rs 5,000)a barrel, its highest since November 2014. In...

-The New Indian Express Something remarkable happened when the farmers came marching to Mumbai recently. Instead of greeting them with hostility, Mumbaikars welcomed them with affection, food and water. This change in attitude was triggered by the farmers’ extraordinary discipline and their efforts to ensure minimal disruption to the Mumbaikars’ routines. Even hard-boiled journalists acknowledged, for a brief moment, urbanites had realised  our farmers and adivasis were indeed facing difficult times. The...