-Bangalore Mirror ICAR researchers say subsidised electricity benefitting only medium and large Farmers Stating that the policy decision to provide free or subsidised electricity has been a key driver for widespread groundwater exploitation, estimates by ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Research Centre, Ballari, reveal that in Karnataka, groundwater depletion has forced Farmers to drill up to depths of 200 to 300 metres, costing about Rs 2.5-3 lakh for a successful...

-The Hindu Business Line Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is anticipating a significant drop in agricultural output as a result of the successive failures of the South-West and North-East monsoons in 2016. While the June-September season left a gaping rain deficit of 34 per cent, the October-December season that followed has proved even more disastrous, with a shortfall of 61 per cent. Significant variation Such a significant departure from the norm is causing an unprecedented crisis to...

-Livemint.com Crash in farm prices could accentuate bankruptcy, which was the biggest reason for farmer suicides in 2014 and 2015 After two successive years of drought, 2016 was turning out to be a relatively better year for Farmers till 8 November. The decision to scrap high-value currency notes, announced on that day, seems to have hit the farm sector the hardest. While credible and timely data on farm incomes and output is hard...

-The Hindu Business Line Bengaluru: Farmers in Karnataka, like their counterparts in other states who have been impacted by the drop in prices and cash shortage triggered by demonetisation, have another problem to contend with — crop loss on account of the failure of rains. It has been a kind of a triple whammy for Farmers in the region. Besides being forced to reap a lower kharif output on account of a...

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) election manifesto for 2014 Lok Sabha election says that if elected to the Centre, it will then "(p)ut in place welfare measures for Farmers above 60 years in age, small and marginal Farmers and farm labours", among other things. Despite the formation of a BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre in 2014, the latest available data on farm suicides from the...