-The Hindu Weeds are the biggest problem in crop production. Nearly 30 to 50 per cent of yield loss is due to weeds. These unwanted plants remove nearly 25 to 60 per cent of nutrients from the soil making them unavailable for plants and also act as host for several pests and infestations. Weed management is a big problem mainly because of labour shortage. Agricultural activity in India is largely labour based...

-The Hindu Everything else can wait but agriculture cannot, said Jawaharlal Nehru. This should have been the talisman for India’s progress. Yet, successive governments have failed to accord agriculture the priority it deserves. The tragic suicide of a farmer during an Aam Aadmi Party rally in New Delhi has brought to the fore the agrarian crisis facing India. Official records reveal that more than 2.96 lakh farmers have ended their lives...

-The Times of India New Delhi: Discharging its annual duty, the Centre has revised the wages under the job guarantee scheme that range from a minimum of Rs two to a maximum of Rs 17 for a day's labour. In percentage terms, the hike ranges between 2%-10%. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh stand at the bottom of the ladder with the hike under MGNREGA being a meagre Rs 2, increased from Rs 157...

-The Telegraph Bhubaneswar: The state government has opposed the Shanta Kumar Committee's recommendation for direct cash transfer through the public distribution system (PDS) instead of subsidised food grain supply to the beneficiaries. Officially, the state's opposition is based on the argument that cash transfer would affect farmers, as procurement from them would stop. However, sources said the state was worried about the move's fallout on its scheme providing rice to the poor...

-ABPLive.in In the midst of the widespread damage to standing crops from unseasonal rains, a National Crop Income Insurance Scheme has been introduced on a pilot basis. What is being perceived as a long-term solution to the prevailing agrarian crisis, and is being pushed as an insurance against weather-related disasters as well as provide an assurance against any income shocks will only end up acerbating the crisis. The cure being suggested is...