-The Hindu Business Line Panel has recommended renaming the National Bee Board as the Honey and Pollinators Board under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. There is a need to recognise honeybees as inputs to agriculture and consider landless beekeepers as farmers, according to the Beekeeping Development Committee (BDC), which released its report on Wednesday. It has further suggested that training and development of beekeepers should be provided by state governments. In...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Central Pollution Control Board has sent a showcause notice to National Highways Authority of India for flouting construction and demolition waste management rules at two sites — Delhi-Meerut Expressway, UP Gate to Dasna, Ghaziabad, and around the Ghazipur landfill. NHAI has been asked to explain “why the project activities, including all civil works and construction and demolition activities, should not be stopped at (the) above site”...

-The Economic Times The government must extend benefits of the PM Kisan scheme to landless farmers and farm workers, said Ajay Vir Jakhar, chairman of the Bharat Krishak Samaj. Promote agri- startups particularly in rural regions, expand micro-irrigation, treat solar energy as third crop to augment income of farmers and enact labour reforms to push creation of off-farm jobs, were few of the suggestion which representatives of the agricultural and rural development...

-Economic and Political Weekly The changes in Odisha’s agriculture made paddy production a losing proposition, especially for the small farmers who leased in land. Substantial decline in farm income caused by exploitative land lease arrangements, denial of access to a regulated market, crop failures, increased cost of cultivation, and indebtedness pushed these farmers into severe economic hardship and an inhospitable social environment, which ultimately led to their suicides. Please click here to read more....

-The Economic Times   Forecast of a normal monsoon and extension of PM Kisan scheme likely to boost rural income, say cos.   NEW DELHI| MUMBAI: Rural demand for groceries and daily essentials, which showed signs of slowing in the past three quarters, could revive after New Delhi extended the assured income support (PMKisan) scheme for farmers. Expectations that rains would be normal this monsoon season should also lift buying power in the...