-The Times of India VIJAYAWADA: The agriculture sector in Andhra Pradesh is in the throes of a major crisis. Notwithstanding the claims of chief minister Chandrababu Naidu that his government has won the war on drought by deploying rain guns and taking up drought-mitigation measures, the kharif season -- which has just ended -- has been a big dampener for the farming community. What is shocking is that crop acreage in the...

Expanding irrigation network in the country is considered as essential to raise agricultural production in the face of increased frequency of droughts. However, a newly released report from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare shows that there has actually been a fall in the growth rate of net irrigated area during the recent two decades. The report entitled State of Indian Agriculture 2015-16 reveals that the growth rate in...

-Business Standard 100 of them will have special facilities for skill development The central government will establish at least one Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK, agriculture science centre) in each of the 646 districts in country. Of this, 100 will have special facilities for skill development, while an equal number will be converted into Pulses and oilseeds hubs, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Wednesday. Addressing agriculture scientists, farmers, and technicians from KVKs...

-Business Standard Mumbai: Maharashtra will have to wait more for the proposed law to regulate prices of Pulses. The Centre has sent back the state's draft Bill, questioning the very need of such a law when the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 already provides stringent provisions to curb hoarding and control prices. The Centre has also questioned why the provision for imprisonment, in case of violation, is lower than the Essential Commodities...

-Livemint.com Spoilage and pilferage are not something the country can afford given its low ranking in the hunger index The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently approved a proposal to restructure around Rs30,000 crore of food credit given to Punjab state agencies, allowing for the conversion of cash credit into a 20-year loan at a lower interest rate. The central bank also sanctioned a cash credit limit of Rs26,000 crore for this...