-BusinessToday.in The big buyers should be allowed to make direct purchases with minimum or without requirement of any licensing or registration process, Centre's letter said to the states Union Agriculture ministry has asked state governments to allow bulk buyers, processors and big retailers to purchase agri-produce directly from farmers by bypassing the established mandi systems for at least three months. The directive is meant to achieve two objectives - to decongest mandis...

-TheNewsMinute.com CM also directed ministers and Task Force officials to ensure there is no shortage of food supplies in the state and to keep vigil on the prices of essentials. Andhra Chief Minister (CM) YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday instructed state officials to concentrate on agriculture, civil supplies and marketing departments to ensure that the farmers and people don’t face any issues during the COVID-19 lockdown. CM held a review meeting with...

-Mongabay.com * India’s ongoing lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus is threatening the agriculture sector as it overlaps with the time of harvest. * The lockdown has derailed harvest preparation and lack of agricultural labour to help in harvest and restrictions on transportation of produce despite being given waivers as essential services. * Farmer leaders and agriculture experts criticised the relief package announced by the government to aid farmers impacted by the...

-Livemint.com * 100-200 trucks are directly reaching retail vegetable market on the grounds and some 100 trucks are coming to APMC * prices of foodgrains and pulses are currently around 40% higher than normal days Mumbai: Every day close to 600 truckloads of vegetables, foodgrains and fruits converge from Gujarat, Delhi, Rajasthan and various parts of Maharashtra to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) centre at Vashi in New Mumbai, to feed the...

-Livemint.com * A prolonged lockdown will hurt farmers about to harvest the winter crop and the landless living on daily wages * Continued disruption in the food supply chain will eventually hit consumers if prices vary widely across regions. This uncertainty has also hit 70 mn households in rural India who own small dairies NEW DELHI: Baburao Sanap has no clue how to pull himself out of a big mess —he’s saddled with...