-Hindustan Times In its situation update on Thursday, FAO said early migration of spring-bred locust swarms from southwest Pakistan to Rajasthan occurred in May before the monsoon, and some swarms travelled to northern states for the first time since 1962. Jodhpur/ Jaipur/ Bhopal: India might face another attack of crop-munching desert locusts in July, the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) has warned amid an ongoing outbreak that has prompted...

In the midst of COVID-19 lockdown, desert locust swarms have been seen in parts of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh in the second half of May 2020. The recent attacks by desert locust swarms have caused massive crop damage, depletion in the stock of cattle fodder and destruction of green vegetation in these states. As on 25th May, 2020, over half of Rajasthan’s 33 districts were...

-Livemint.com * But the marginal increase is unlikely to cheer farmers hit by falling prices * The increase in MSP ensures that farmers will receive a price between 50% to 83% over their production costs, agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar says NEW DELHI: The central government on Monday announced minimum support prices (MSPs) of 14 kharif crops, planting for which will begin shortly with the progress of the annual monsoon. MSPs of major rain-fed...

-Livemint.com Global warming, winter storms in the Arabian peninsula and pre-monsoon rains, all played a part As readers of this column will know, I host a weekly podcast called the Mint Climate Change Tracker which looks at the challenges posed by a rapidly heating planet. The second season began on 15 May with a new focus. Each episode now features an expert who helps demystify issues related to national and global conversations...

-Hindustan Times According to the Central Ground Water Board’s 2019 report, state tops the country in over-exploitation of groundwater at 79% Patiala: The proposed reduction in the area to be covered under traditional water-guzzling paddy in Punjab this year due to labour shortage is likely to give some respite to already depleting groundwater table in the state. As per the target set by the state agriculture department, the department is expecting to reduce...