-PTI New Delhi: Foodgrain output in the ongoing 2017-18 kharif season is likely to surpass last year’s record of 138.04 million tonnes due to higher acreage and a good monsoon for the second straight year, Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak said today. So far, more than 80 per cent of the sowing of Kharif Crops — paddy, pulses, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane and jute — has been completed and planting will continue in...

-Livemint.com Under the flagship crop insurance scheme Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Rs5,875 crore, or just 45%, has been paid to farmers, agriculture ministry data shows New Delhi: Farmers who suffered crop losses in 2016-17 are yet to receive insurance compensation for 55% of estimated claims under the flagship Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), shows latest numbers from the agriculture ministry. The data shows that insurance companies collected Rs22,338 crore in 2016-17...

-The Indian Express For farmers, a uniform 2 per cent premium rate on sum insured (SI) for all kharif or monsoon season foodgrains and oilseeds, while 1.5 per cent for rabi winter crops and 5 per cent for annual commercial and horticultural crops, is the lowest they can hope for. The country couldn’t possibly have, at least on paper, a better agricultural crop insurance scheme than the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima...

-Centre for Science and Environment New Delhi: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released here today the first detailed independent evaluation and analysis of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) – government’s flagship national agricultural insurance programme. Across the world, agriculture insurance is recognised as an important part of the safety net for farmers to deal with the impacts of extreme and unseasonal weather due to climate change. Releasing the report...

-Livemint.com Kharif sowing has been completed in 56.3 million hectares, 8% higher than the area planted by this time last year, and 12% higher than five-year averages New Delhi: Cultivation of rain-fed Kharif Crops has been completed in over 53% of the total area planted during the season, showed data released by the agriculture ministry on Friday. So far 56.3 million hectares have been planted under different crops, 8% higher than the area...