-Down to Earth By 2030, rice and wheat are likely to see about 6-10 per cent decrease in yields Rising temperaTure affects flowering and leads to pests and disease buildup. Flood and excess rain over a short duration of time cause extensive damage to crops. Extreme weather events have caught attention of agrarian experts and scientists alike and they are now focussing on naTural farming to arrest the impacts of climate...

-Livemint.com While one estimate pegged Maharashtra’s Tur production at 1.17 million tonnes, another forecast a record yield of 2.35 million tonnes Mumbai: Maharashtra’s economic survey of 2016-17, which came out on 17 March, pegged the state’s total Tur (pigeon pea) yield at 1.17 million tonnes, based on estimates of the Pune-based agriculTure commissionerate. A fortnight later, the state’s agriculTure department put out revised estimates showing the March projection of Tur yield...

-Livemint.com Farmers commit suicides less often than non-farmers but they are more likely to commit suicides because of economic distress compared to others With an ongoing petition in the Supreme Court on farmer suicides , and a growing clamour for farm loan waivers across several states of the country, the debate on farm suicides in India seems to be heating up once again. Several commentators and researchers have claimed for long that farmers...

-Livemint.com Last year’s abundant rains in drought-prone Marathwada region, of which LaTur is a part, have helped farmers produce record amount of pulses Mumbai: LaTur is back on its feet and its pulse mills are running again, a year after an acute drought. The dry bed of the Manjra river, the water train from Sangli and the once ubiquitous water tankers have become things of the past. Last year’s abundant rains in Marathwada—a...

-Business Standard The programme will cover both water-scarce and flood-affected areas in India Ahmedabad: Ahead of the monsoon, the National Bank for AgriculTure and Rural Development (Nabard) will be reaching out to 100,000 villages with its water conservation programme. The Nabard will be working with villagers on better use of water for agriculTure and household purposes.   Amid a drought-like situation in several areas, the Nabard targets to help farmers extend water availability and...