-The Hindu Business Line State govt package is inadequate, unfair and not quick enough, says farm sector Chennai: “When there is no water to drink, what can we say about irrigation?” asked K Venkatesan, a farmer near Vridhachalam. Whether canal dependent or bore well irrigated, all crops have withered, he said. Insurance compensation and the disbursement of the State government’s relief package have to be expedited, said farmers’ representatives. Farmers have to be fully...

-Hindustan Times Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh’s first “cashless” village is actually “waterless”, prompting villagers to adopt a novel initiative of sourcing water through rooftop water pipes from tubewells located in their agricultural fields 1,000 to 2,000 feet away. Thick black water pipes running over the rooftops and treetops in the village, coming from the agriculture fields might be mistaken as electric wires at first sight. “We don’t care about cashless status as our...

-Livemint.com/ Bloomberg A late El Nino may miss India’s monsoon season that runs from June through September, accounting for more than 70% of rain and watering more than half of all farmland New Delhi: India’s monsoon may escape the effects of a possible El Nino as the event that can bring dry weather to the world’s top cotton grower and second-biggest wheat and sugar producer. “Mostly it may not have any impact on...

-The Financial Express Kochi: Drought and high temperatures in the plantation regions of Kerala are likely to cause irreparable damage to the crops. Association of Planters of Kerala reports that the plantation sector is facing one of the worst drought conditions in last 115 years and crop production had reduced by 30% in tea, 14% in rubber, 60% in cardamom and 40% in coffee. Most of the agri-commodities are highly monsoon sensitive...

-The Economic Times PUNE / NEW DELHI: Present weather conditions indicate possibility of a Normal Monsoon in 2017, although there is a chance of a weak El Niño — a weather phenomenon associated with poor rains in India — emerging towards the end of the rainy season in September, the weather office has said. However, the monsoon forecast may not remain comfortable if El Niño makes an early appearance. Having briefly emerged from...