-Business Standard At present, the average crop insurance premium on pulses that a farmer has to pay ranges between 10 per cent and 12 per cent of the sum insured New Delhi: To provide a safety net to growers of pulses, which could also help boost production, the Centre's proposed new crop insurance policy has pegged the burden of premium on pulses at a moderate two per cent of the sum insured. Officials...

-The Indian Express The average rainfall across the country during June 1-September 22 has been 718 mm, which is 14 per cent less than the LPA of 839 mm. This year’s monsoon deficiency, likely to be around 13-14 per cent, could be listed among the five worst years in terms of rainfall, officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Pune said. In the last 40 years, the highest rainfall deficiency was recorded...

-The Indian Express It needs to restructure its agriculture, develop sustainable cropping patterns. Laxman Singh Rathore and his entire team in the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) need to be complimented for giving us sufficient warning, well in advance, about the likelihood of yet another year of deficit rainfall. Although it was not good news, the messenger kept its honesty and boldness in speaking the bitter truth. On April 22, in its...

-Livemint.com With barely weeks left for the to begin its retreat, it is emerging that India will close the year with a deficit much higher than what was initially forecast  Another year and another bad monsoon. What were the odds? The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast this year’s monsoon—like last year—to be below normal. At that time, we all hoped that the IMD had got it wrong—the economy was on the...

-The Financial Express Two years of bad rain makes even Punjab vulnerable When a Punjab is flagged as an area of some risk following bad rain, it is time to get seriously worried. The state may have, as ratings agency Crisil points out in its latest report on Indian agriculture, as much as 98.8% of its cropped area under irrigation, but with a 50.4% shortfall in rain last year and a likely...