-Financial Express A study by ICRIER researchers Ashok Gulati and Pritha Banerjee shows how problematic the fertiliser policy is—for farmers, industry, the environment and the government. India’s experience with fertilisers, in the later part of the Green Revolution, prompted it to adopt a policy of subsidising fertilisers. In 1977, the country had a total NPK (nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic) fertiliser consumption of 4.3 million metric tonnes (mmt) and per hectare usage...
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Ground Zero Sangrur: Farmers battle gaps in govt's subsidy cover -Shivam Patel
-The Indian Express The state government maintains that farm fires in Punjab contribute barely over 15 per cent to Delhi’s pollution. But officials in Sangrur admit there are problems, including the slow switch to “expensive” mechanical alternatives to stubble burning. Sangrur: To know why the National Capital is choking, visit Sangrur in Punjab — the district that recorded the highest number of farm fires in a single day this year. One of...
More »Crop residue burning: Why Happy Seeder isn't a happy proposition -Anju Agnihotri Chaba
-The Indian Express Stubble management machines, unlike tractors, lie idle for most time, making it an unviable investment “The machine works well, no doubt. But what’s the use if it runs for only 25-30 days and has to be parked in my shed for the rest of the year?” asks Palwinder Singh. The 50-year-old from Sahari village in Gurdaspur district and tehsil has not one, but three Happy Seeders. The first of...
More »Why farmers don't like direct cash transfers -Harish Damodaran
-The Indian Express The main reason for rejecting the DCT (as opposed to DBT) option was the belief that paying market price for fertilisers upfront would result in additional financial burden. More than three-fourths of Indian farmers like the new system of fertiliser subsidy linked to sales made to them by retailers being registered on point-of-sale (PoS) machines. This so-called direct benefit transfer (DBT) system, wherein the subsidy to fertiliser companies...
More »Women farmers focus of Rajasthan govt's new subsidy scheme -Rakesh Goswami
-Hindustan Times The scheme launched to give more subsidies to farmers will prefer women for benefits for gender mainstreaming in agriculture, said officials Jaipur: The Rajasthan government will focus on women farmers in a new subsidy scheme for livelihood improvement, said officials. The scheme launched to give more subsidies to farmers will prefer women for benefits for gender mainstreaming in agriculture, the officials added. The scheme will be run by the water resources department...
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