-Financial Express Directions have been issued to ensure that all the cane in the area is crushed and if the sugar mill is not in a position to do this, the mill should coordinate with other mills in the neighbouring area. Maharashtra’s sugar commissioner has issued a notification warning sugar mills against shutting down operations without informing the Commissionerate and giving prior notice to farmers. The move comes in the wake of...

-The Hindu Business Line The textile industry’s vociferous demands will hit cotton farmers, who are facing the brunt of rising costs The recent rise in the price of cotton yarn seems to have hit the textile manufacturers hard, so, a large section of participants involved in value chain products of cotton has called on the government to take measures to arrest the price rise. While demanding higher taxes on cotton exports, they have...

-Down to Earth The state is considering rolling out its own insurance programme for farmers Maharashtra may follow several other big states and opt out Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the Narendra Modi government’s much-vaunted crop insurance scheme. India’s second-most populous state may replace the central scheme with its own — a step already adopted by states like West Bengal. Farmer groups have already flagged irregularities in PMFBY at a February 1,...

-TheWire.in Despite increasing allocated funds, the Union government has been unable to significantly improve penetration of crop insurance in terms of enrolled farmers and insured areas. India’s agriculture sector, which provides employment to more than 50% of the labour force and contributes about 17% of the gross domestic product, currently faces multiple challenges. Smaller land holdings, unfavourable climate changes events, dismal public and private investment, low monthly incomes, a high proportion of...

-DailyPioneer.com Under the ‘Millet Mission’ launched by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister to promote the production of minor millets, the target crop production area for next year (2022-23) has been set at 1.17 lakh hectares. At present the production area covers 69,000 hectares. Holding an Inter-Departmental Coordination Committee virtual meeting on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain asked the officials to prepare a detailed action plan for increasing the area of production of millets. Apart from...