-The New Indian Express BHUBANESWAR: It seems to be raining misery on Odisha’s Farmers this year. Already reeling under the burden of drought and pest attack, the damage to crop caused by unseasonal rain has now added to their woes.The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC)’s office on Monday calculated that at least 3,84,018 hectare crop area under cultivation have suffered damage above 33 per cent due to rains. At least, 12.49 lakh...

-The Hindu Business Line Mumbai: Astride soyabean sacks, 33-year-old market intermediary Parmeshwar Suryavanshi is literally at the top of his game.   Suryavanshi belongs to the set of middlemen, locally called Adityas, at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC)-controlled marketyard at Latur in Maharashtra. Below MSP prices When he raises his voice to call out bids, he also raises prices of soyabean though not quite enough to reach the minimum support price (MSP) of ?3,050/quintal....

-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...

-Down to Earth Death of cotton Farmers due to pesticide poisoning in the Vidarbha region raises vital questions about the government's attitude towards regulation of toxic pesticides One more evil has reared its ugly head in Maharashtra’s arid Vidarbha region, which has so far been infamous for farmer suicides. Some 35 Farmers in the region have died of pesticide poisoning in last four months. Most of them were working in cotton and...