-Inclusion.in There is good news. And there’s bad news. The good news first. There’s been a bumper wheat crop and the granaries are overflowing. And the bad news? Where do we begin? A lot of that grain will rot. Millions will still remain hungry. Heavily in debt and distressed, farmers are committing suicide. Food prices are soaring. There’s more… Farmers don’t have money. Their land is too small and isn’t yielding much. Fertilisers and...

-PTI Methane gas generated from human waste could be used to light up bio-toilets developed by scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.  Acting on suggestions made by Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, the premier research agency is now working to provide lighting solution for the convenience of those who will use bio-toilets in darkness.  "We are finding out the means to do it as the rate of production of...

Punjab’s agricultural sector grew at 1.6 per cent during the 11th Plan against the national average of 3.41 per cent. The growth is tardy owing to near saturation in productivity. The rural debts in Punjab are estimated to be Rs 35,000 crore. The number of indebted rural households in Punjab is 66 per cent, third highest in the country after Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The Government of India’s debt...

-The Hindustan Times With delayed and scanty monsoon posing a threat to the agriculture output in the country, the Centre has reached out to states to lend a support to their contingency employment generation plans. Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has written to all chief ministers assuring them that his ministry is “open to a revision in current year’s labour budget” to meet any increased demand in employment (under MGNREGA) in...

-Live Mint Realized prices for the farm sector continue to soften even though the government has raised the minimum support prices by over 20% Like every year the government has hiked minimum support prices to help the farmers realize good returns in early June, but India’s rural growth story is expected to run out of steam because of falling realizations of farmers and limited policy support, according to a recent report by...