-The Indian Express Never before has India’s agricultural science community been as demoralised as now Everyone knows Indian agriculture is in deep crisis, impacting around 115 million farmers and an equal number of landless cultivators. Two consecutive bad monsoons and falling commodity prices have resulted in the imports of edible oils and pulses touching all-time-highs, even as its exports of agri-products — from basmati rice, soya meal, sugar, milk powder and...

-Livemint.com A growth-FIRst approach may work in the short-term, but India needs to prioritize sustainability simultaneously The Union Budget 2016-17, seeking to “transform India”, has been hailed for its emphasis on agricultural growth and sustainability. Symbolically, the finance minister put “agriculture and farmers’ welfare” FIRst in his nine-point agenda. The words “agriculture” and “farmer” found 20 and 32 mentions, respectively, in the budget speech, the highest in the last decade. On the...

-Deccan Herald Learning from the Sikkim experience, the Modi government on Monday announced bringing 5 lakh acres of rainfed land under organic farming over the next three years. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the allocation of Rs 412 crore for two schemes – Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Organic Value Chain Development in North East Region – that seek to promote organic farming. “The ‘Parmparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana’ will bring 5 lakh acres...

-Down to Earth But boost in agriculture budget not enough, say experts Sensing the prevailing agriculture crisis, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley announced in the Union Budget that budgetary allocation for the agriculture and farmers’ welfare ministry will be increased 45 per cent compared to last year. The government has set aside an allocation of Rs 35,984 crore which is Rs 11,000 crore more than that of last year. (See table)....

-Scroll.in The reservation protest wasn't a spur-of-the-moment agitation. It was a cynical political build-up that spilled over into the streets. Footprints of violence were everywhere in Chhavni Mohalla. A tractor trolley lay overturned right at the entrance of the residential colony in Jhajjar. A little inside, in the middle of the road, there was a gutted tractor. Small shops in a corner of the colony had been ransacked and burnt. The twisted...