In the month of January this year, more than 100 homeless persons died (please click here and here to access) in Delhi-NCR due to cold wave like conditions. Although a Delhi-based non-government organisation (NGO) Centre for Holistic Development (CHD) made that claim, and therefore asked the Chief Minister of Delhi to make proper arrangements for the homeless poor during winters, the officials of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB)...

-The Hindu Business Line Favourable weather, soil moisture aid higher acreage Contrary to the initial expectations farmers across the country have brought more area under the rabi pulses crop, mainly chickpea or chana this season. Chickpea acreage has increased to a new high with record sowing in Maharashtra and Gujarat, while the traditionally largest producing State of Madhya Pradesh has seen a marginal increase in area. Please click here to read more.  ...

-The Hindu Business Line Sowing of all rabi crops increased to 664.59 lh The rabi acreage this year is 8 lakh hectares (lh) higher so far, from the corresponding period last year, and with conducive weather continuing, there may not be concerns on yield, and potentially help the country to have another year of bumper harvest. Please click here to read more.  ...

-Foundation of Agrarian Studies Crop loss is a common characteristic of agricultural households in rural India. Various factors cause crop losses such as the abnormal behaviour of monsoon, i.e. excessive rainfall or drought, cyclones, lightning, storm, diseases, insects, animals, and so on. Crop insurance acts as mechanism to cope with the problem of crop loss, specifically to reduce the impact of income loss for the agricultural households. This blog will draw a...

-The Hindu Business Line There is no guarantee farmers’ income will rise as the methodology for estimating cost of production is outdated, defective Although the farmers’ agitation that lasted over one year was finally called-off, their demand for a law guaranteeing minimum support prices (MSP) for crops is continuing. Can the MSP be legalised in a country that produces about 1,000 million tonnes of agri-commodities? If so, who will benefit from it?...