-Business Standard Assocham-Skymet report, however, says untimely rain likely to reappear in north India in 5-6 weeks India's southwest monsoon, which accounts for almost 80 per cent of the country's total precipitation, is expected to be normal this year, predicts a joint study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry and private weather forecaster Skymet. However, there would be pockets where the showers are expected to be deficient. These include Himachal Pradesh,...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: A strong political fight has erupted between the government and the opposition parties over providing relief to farmers suffering crop loss due to unseasonable rains and hailstorm. Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the opposition of spreading lies on the land acquisition bill, Congress hit back and accused Modi of somersault on farmers' issue. Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, said farmers...

-Livemint.com Farm-loan waivers are costly palliatives that cause long-term damage Every decade or so India's farmers finds themselves in distress. Crop prices plunge, debts mount and if there is real bad luck, the monsoon fails. Soon enough farmers begin committing suicides and in the din of noise about agrarian distress the government of the day takes some steps. They are no more than palliatives and end up doing more harm than good. Please...

-Frontline If Budget 2015 is any indication, the Modi government is going beyond what could be called benign neglect of agriculture to policy moves that are likely to harm its viability. IT is scarcely surprising that farmers are upset with the Narendra Modi government. Indeed, the rosy dreams created by that famous campaign advertisement of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), when farmers spoke of the high crop prices and better cultivation conditions...

-The Hindu Business Line New Delhi: prices of vegetables and pulses are set to shoot up after unseasonal rain damaged over 50 lakh hectares of standing crops across the country, putting enormous strain on household budgets. Consumers will have to pay more for potatoes, carrots, cabbages, mustard and almost all the pulses over the next few weeks. Rain in northern, central and western parts has caused widespread damage to crops in Punjab,...