Estimated growth in the sector has been attributed to normal monsoon this year along with water availability in reservoirs, which is 40-60% higher than last year. New Delhi: Amid the coronavirus lockdown across the country that brought economic activity to a near halt, the Modi government is expecting that agriculture sector could be a silver lining […]
Tag Archives: Agricultural distress
Coronavirus pandemic is ominous news for India’s rabi crops and farm-to-food chain
During the coronavirus crisis, income support platforms must be utilised by both state and the Centre. Social distancing should be a norm in wheat procurement mandis. As India goes into a 21-day lockdown, the Narendra Modi government has sought to reassure an anxious public that the country has multiple times the required reserve of food grains to […]
Covid-19 impact: State border curbs disrupt farm, food supply chain
Agri markets to remain closed till March 31 The clampdown imposed by the Government in controlling the spread of the dreaded Covid-19 has thrown the agri-supply chain in a state of disarray. The agri-markets have started downing their shutters for trading activities and are expected to stay closed till the end of this month. This […]
Punctured cover: India’s crop insurance scheme loses sheen
Three years and seven crop seasons after it was rolled out, nobody seems to be happy with the Centre’s flagship farm insurance scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. While the number of farmers enrolling under the scheme has gone down, insurance companies too are pulling out of it. Ahead of the 2019-20 crop season, three […]
World Bank study on PMGSY: ‘Rural roads scheme triggered shift from farm to non-farm employment’
PMGSY was rolled out in 2000 to provide access to all-weather roads in 1.78 lakh rural habitations across the country. A recent independent World Bank assessment of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) rural roads programme meant to establish ‘farm to market connectivity’ shows that the PMGSY roads, in fact, “triggered a shift from […]
How Union budget can aim to double farm income by 2022
New Delhi: In one of its first decisions after taking office on 30 May, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government extended its income support scheme for all farmers, regardless of the size of their landholding. Fulfilling this election promise will cost an estimated ₹90,000 crore every year. With the Union budget coming up on 5 July, attention […]