-The Financial Express By setting the target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022, the prime minister has clearly signalled a transition in agri-food policy from an excessive emphasis on foodgrain production towards improving welfare of the farming community. Given the continued excessive employment pressure, proliferation of small landholdings and growing agrarian crisis, this move is indeed an important change in the policy landscape. Doubling farmers’ income, however, requires identification of high-income...

-Livemint.com Five months after a Rs34,022-crore farm loan waiver announced by the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP govt, farmer suicides continue in Maharashtra Mumbai: Five months after a Rs34,022-crore farm loan waiver, farmers continue to take their lives in Maharashtra. As per the data reported by the six divisional commissionerates across the state, 2,414 farmer suicides were reported in the state between 1 January and 31 October. The Amravati division, which accounts for five districts...

-The Indian Express Governments have not acted on recommendations of committees on farmer welfare How many more farmers must die before the prime minister condescends to take notice? How many rats must the protesting Tamil Nadu farmers at Jantar Mantar eat before the government acts? How many more fake farm loan waiver schemes will be announced before the cabinet realises that farmers cannot be fooled anymore? Despite 300,000 farmers taking their lives...

-The Indian Express The protesting farmers from various states across India are demanding implementation of Swaminathan Committee's recommendations, lower input costs, farm loan waiver and fair price for farm produce among other things. New Delhi: Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav on Tuesday said that the “prevailing agrarian crisis in the country is not by accident but is policy and politics driven”. Speaking to indianexpress.com during a farmers’ protest in the national capital,...

-The Hindu Business Line Mumbai: The flow of agricultural credit may have increased from ?96,000 crore in 2004 to ?10 lakh crore now; about 18,000 new rural branches have been set up and yet there is an agrarian crisis because of definitional dilusions as well as diversion of funds from the needy small farmers, Professor Ramakumaar, Agro Economist, Tata Insitute of Social Sciences (TISS), said on Monday. He was speaking at...