-The Statesman Agriculture is the source of livelihood for nearly 700 million people in India, representing a huge workforce. More than half the GDP of the rural economy is based on agriculture. It is not just a profession but a traditional occupation, a way of life. Agriculture is characterised by small and fragmented land holdings. Small (up to one hectare of land) and marginal (more than one ha and up to 2...
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Narendra Modi government's first year sees record farmer suicides -Yogesh Pawar
-DNA From May 20, 2014 to May 24, 2015 has seen as many as 1,306 farmers suicides, a 40% jump from last year. In the middle of the media blitzkrieg over the completion of a year in office of the Narendra Modi government comes the information that it is anything but 'achche din' in the farmer suicide country of Vidarbha. From May 20, 2014 to May 24, 2015 has seen as many...
More »Production of pulses down 64%, cereals 30% in state -Priyanka Kakodkar
-The Times of India MUMBAI: The state's production of pulses during 2014-15 is set to fall by as much as 64% and cereals by 30% on account of the drought and unseasonal rains over the last year which wrecked the kharif crop. Yields for the rabi or winter crop have also plummeted, raising concerns about the impact on prices. Maharashtra produces about 10% of the country's foodgrains. However, sowing over the last...
More »Saving agriculture from weather woes -Divya Pandey and Avinash Kishore
-Livemint.com The agriculture sector continues to be at risk from climate variability, be it drought or excessive rainfall Unseasonal rains and hailstorms in March and April caused severe damage to more than 10 million hectares of wheat, mustard, potato and other rabi crops. Independent estimates project damages to be as high as Rs.65,000 crore. In Haryana alone, standing crops in over 1.7 million hectares of land were affected. Unexpected rainfall late...
More »Debt, despair and death as farm crisis deepens -Sarbjit Dhaliwal
-The Tribune Grains Of Discontent: The damage to wheat crop due to untimely rain and hailstorm, followed by delayed payments, this rabi season has further stressed Punjab’s farmers. While the cost of farm inputs has risen manifold over the past few years, the profit margin is on a constant decline, thus making farming unviable. Unable to bear losses, several farmers have committed suicide in recent past As the day breaks, he enters...
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