-Business Standard From occupying 3% of all sugarcane area in the state in 2012-13, the variety that now covers 52% New Delhi: India’s sugar sector is staring at an unprecedented glut, with production topping 31 million tonnes. Sugar is suddenly tasting bitter as mills are finding it difficult to pay Sugarcane Farmers in the politically sensitive state of Uttar Pradesh. At the heart of the surplus lies a new variety of sugarcane called CO-0238,...

-The Hindu Paddy and sugarcane are India’s most water-guzzling crops — using up over half of the country’s total irrigation water resources — but procurement policies and water and power subsidies are skewing profitability and distorting crop decisions, says a recent study done by agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, and Gayathri Mohan. It has been published as a working paper by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). The ICRIER...

-The Financial Express The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the continuation of the Agri-umbrella programme, ‘Green Revolution — Krishonnati Yojana’ for two more years. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the continuation of the Agri-umbrella programme, ‘Green Revolution — Krishonnati Yojana’ for two more years with an outlay of Rs 33,000 crore. The programme merged 11 schemes for a holistic and scientific approach towards...

-The Hindu Business Line New Delhi: Giving direct income support (DIS) to farmers — similar to what Telangana recently launched — may be a better option than the price deficiency payment (PDP) scheme or higher minimum support price (MSP) to address farm distress, according to a new study. Paying higher MSP based on cost-plus pricing would lead to market distortion. PDP schemes such as Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (BBY), which was in force...

-The Indian Express The two mills together have already crushed over 9.40 lakh tonnes (lt) of cane in the ongoing 2017-18 sugar season (October-September), but managing director Bajirao Tukaram Pawase expects the final figure to cross 12 lt. Aurangabad / Jalna (Maharashtra): March is over, yet crushing operations at the Samarth cooperative sugar factory’s two units in Jalna district’s Ambad and Ghansawangi talukas are still in full swing. The two mills together...