-TheWire.in Out of the 144 recorded farmer suicides, over 40 were from outside the Cauvery delta region. Observers and farmers directly attribute demonetisation as one major factor behind the suicides. Tamil Nadu is facing one of its worst agrarian crises since independence. All of the state’s 32 districts have been officially declared as ‘drought-affected’.  In a statement issued on January 10, chief minister O. Panneerselvam announced that the move was necessitated following...

-The Hindu Business Line Kirana and tea shops are doing better than businesses that involve discretionary spending The Micro-finance industry (MFI) is cursed and blessed at the same time. When there were indications that the micro-finance sector is overheating, with high growth rates, multiple lending and oppressive loan recovery practices, the withdrawal of specified bank notes (SBN) hit them. There were reports of stress from Uttar Pradesh and it appeared that there...

-Livemint.com Sowing of wheat, the main winter or rabi crop, 0.9% lower than the normal area of 25.8 million hectares; rice sowing lagging by 33% New Delhi: Sowing of winter crops is 81% complete and overall planting is close to the normal acreage for this time of the year, shows data released by the farm ministry on Friday. Sowing of rice has been affected due to a deficit in the north-east monsoon in...

-Deccan Chronicle Residue exceeding permissible levels found in 100 out of 1,920 samples. Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana account for a hefty 24 per cent share of pesticide consumption in the country. The two states are grappling with increased pesticide residue in food commodities, while pesticides can help repel insects, pests and other diseases, their excessive/irrational use can lead to health hazards, ecological disturbance and disruption, increased pesticide resistance, etc. The adverse...

-The Hindu Business Line UN study says climate change hits the poor hardest New Delhi: Do women hold the key to dealing with one of the most scorching impacts of climate change — food insecurity. According to a UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs study, titled ‘Climate Change Resilience: An Opportunity for Reducing Inequalities’, eliminating gender inequalities could increase agricultural output by as much as 4 per cent, reducing the number of...