-The Economic Times KOLKATA: Paddy farmers in the country may have to opt for community nurseries and direct seeding in case of insufficient rains by June 15, said Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI). Monsoon rains, which started a little late in Kerala on June 5, are yet to arrive in eastern India, the main area for rice cultivation. To review the crop situation, a team from the agriculture ministry will meet agricultural...

-PTI DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul has asked scientists of central research institutions in the state to come up with ways to encourage small farmers to begin organic farming. Paul made these suggestions to the scientists during his his visit to Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (CITH) and Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Mukteshwar to study the possibilities of benefiting local farming and animal husbandry through these central research institutions,...

-The Hindu Vishwas has collected 68 varieties of the fruit, which he grows in his farm Hassan: For the last 10 years, this 34-year-old farmer has been on a collection spree, not of priceless artefacts, but of different varieties of jackfruit. K.C. Vishwas, a native of Mudigere, has collected and grown 68 varieties in his farm near Dudda in Hassan taluk. “I have travelled almost 1.7 lakh km in my vehicle just to...

-The Hindu Growth of weeds controlled, less manpower needed Theni (Tamil Nadu): With distribution of subsidy for drip and sprinkler irrigation and propagation of advanced technologies, farmers having small land holdings in rain-fed areas have managed to raise crops this season and earn a decent income in Theni district. Major beneficiaries are horticulturists raising SAPota, mango, lemon, banana, guava, cashew, papaya, hybrid amla, drumstick and vegetables, and floriculturists raising jasmine, rose, tuberose and...

-Hindustan Times Good pre-monsoon showers— which have been either surplus or normal in nearly half of the country— have come as a boost for a crisis-ridden farm sector, bolstering prospects of sowing and easing some of the government’s worries.   The showers, aided by seasonal storms, have been sufficient to meet farmers’ requirements for planting key summer crops, prompting millions to head out to fields across states.   The rains have replenished 81 “nationally...