-The Financial Express While the Central Statistical Organisation has estimated “agriculture and allied services” to grow 4.1% in FY17, Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand expects the growth rate to be a handsome 7%. Chand spoke to FE’s Prasanta Sahu and Sandip Das on critical factors that need to be addressed to ensure at least 4% annual growth over the next 15 years. * How do you foresee the direction of the agricultural...

After facing intense criticisms from various sections of the society following its policy of demonetisation during November-December, 2016, the NDA government has finally something solid to cheer about. Riding on the back of a normal monsoon, gross foodgrain production is likely to reach a record level of about 272.0 million tonnes in the crop year 2016-17. As per the second advance estimates of foodgrain production, which has been released by...

-The Financial Express Higher output of rice, wheat and pulses to soften retail prices Supported by normal monsoon last year and more than normal kharif and rabi sowing, the country’s foodgrain production in 2016-17 crop year is estimated to increase by 8% from the previous year to record 272 million tonne (mt). According to the second advance estimates of production of major crops — rice, pulses, oilseeds, cotton and sugarcane for the crop...

-Business Standard Advisory will also have information on the type of crop needing to be sown, depending on irrigation India Meteorological Department (IMD) plans to change its weather advisory service for farmers, linking it to a dynamic crop calendar of each district, based on the onset and progress of the monsoon. The advisory will also have information on the type of crop needing to be sown, depending on irrigation and rain in that...

As opposed to what has been said officially about the positive impact of demonetisation on rabi sowing, acreage actually declined in 2016-17 as compared to a normal year. Let us see why this has been so. On New Year’s Eve, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation post-demonetisation, among other things, said: “...Friends in the last few weeks, an impression was sought to be created that the agriculture sector...