With the continuous high prices of pulses a major worry, the Centre has reoriented its strategy from this kharif season, with farmers being given incentives to go for mechanisation through custom hiring of tractors, ridge and furrow planters, and Rotavators (rotary tillers). Farmers are also being encouraged to take up inter-cropping, adoption of new technologies, integrated nutrient management, better seeds, and drip and sprinkler irrigation. Farmers in 60,000 identified villages in major...

The Orissa government today confirmed that at least 45 companies had been allowed to draw water from rivers, seeking to balance the demand for industry and that of farmers who fear their source of irrigation might dry up. The state government has so far signed memoranda of understanding with 86 companies, of which 45 have been given the right to draw water. Many of the companies deal in power generation, for...

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has decided to initiate steps to ensure better production of rice in Jharkhand through implementation of the system of rice intensification (SRI) in villages. It has decided to rope in NGOs for starting the project across the state. At present, the state has a paddy yield of about 1.5 tonne per hectare per season, which can be doubled with the help...

The steady progress of the monsoons ought to refocus policy attention on India's deeply stressed water economy . There are fast rising demands on water resources generally, together with poorly governed supply systems, with the result that overall balances are precarious. What is worse, there's increasingly reckless mining of groundwater, and aquifer depletion is concentrated in many of the most populated and economically significant areas. Now, we have a highly...

It is a double whammy for farmers of Indravati irrigated pockets of Kalahandi. If delay in release of water into the canals was not enough, the administration is yet to arrange for proper marketing facilities for procurement of Dalua (summer) paddy. The monsoon is knocking at the door but farmers are yet to harvest their crops. Besides, no marketing facilities have been provided for the already harvested paddy raising apprehension...