-The Telegraph In the long term, the only real solution to rural distress is to shift labour to more productive segments of the economy It has turned into an open season for farm loan waivers. Less than a week after assuming office, Congress governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have announced the waiver of crop loans up to two lakh rupees per farmer. The Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, has thrown down...
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Farmers and others -Christophe Jaffrelot
-The Indian Express Will the kisan take care of interests of landless peasants as well? In the aftermath of the demonstrations by farmers in the name of agricultural prices and loan waiving, it is important to remember that village India also comprises of landless peasants who have nothing to sell on the market and have never gone to a bank. Their condition has deteriorated, too, as a result not only of the...
More »Bengal paddy farmers in lose-lose situation -Snehamoy Chakraborty and Pranesh Sarkar
-The Telegraph Market prices too low, and trucking product to procurement centres not viable Bolpur (Birbhum) and Calcutta: A paddy challenge has sprouted for Bengal’s farmers with market rates dipping and sales to the state government at the minimum support price running into hurdles. Sources said the price for a quintal of kharif (monsoon) paddy was hovering between Rs 1,450 and Rs 1,500 in the market, which leaves them with hardly any profit...
More »As glut hits prices in Maharashtra onion hub, farmers lose hope, brace for bleak new year -Kavitha Iyer & Parthasarathi Biswas
-The Indian Express By all accounts, 2018 has been a year of deep losses for Maharashtra’s onion growers. IT HAS been a couple of weeks since Sanjay Balkrishna Sathe, 44, sent Prime Minister Narendra Modi an online money order of Rs 1,064 — the proceeds from the sale of 750 kg of his “top quality” onions at the Niphad marketplace in Nashik, home to half of India’s onion crop. The money...
More »Vijoo Krishnan, joint secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), interviewed by Payel Majumdar Upreti (The Hindu Business Line)
-The Hindu Business Line People from different spheres and strata of life joined farmers at the Kisan Mukti March in Delhi last month From scientists, artists and doctors to lawyers, retired jawans and students, thousands came together to support a march by farmers in Delhi last month. The November 29-30 Kisan Mukti March to Parliament, organised by The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), an alliance of over 200 farmers’ organisations,...
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