Farmers

Condition critical, say doctors as farmer Dallewal's fast enters Day 27

As Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's fast-unto-death entered its 27th day on Sunday, doctors termed his health condition "critical". Doctors attending to him at the Khanauri border protest site reiterated that Dallewal is at the risk of cardiac arrest and multi-organ failure. Dallewal, 70, has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP on crops. A statement issued by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha said following the advice of doctors, the veteran farmer leader did not come on stage on Sunday. Due to the continuous hunger strike for 27 days, his immunity has become very weak, putting him at the risk of infection, the statement said. "His hands and feet were cold. Starvation is adversely affecting his nervous system, and vital organs like liver and kidneys," a doctor who examined Dall

Israeli forces preventing Syrian villagers from accessing their fields

Israeli forces have set up a position in an abandoned Syrian army base in the village of Maariyah and prevented local farmers from accessing their fields, residents said Thursday. Associated Press journalists who visited the area saw the Israeli troops from a distance and watched a local resident waving a white flag approach to speak with them. The village, on the western edge of Syria's southern Daraa province, is near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, but outside of a buffer zone in the Golan established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel. Abdel Raouf Issa, a resident of Maariyah, said the Israeli military had penetrated about 1 kilometre into the village and is demanding that we hand over all weapons to the occupation. We told them that we have no weapons at all. They prevented us from farming. They prevented us from moving, he said. We call on the United Nations to remove the occupation as soon as possible. Kamal Saleh Damara, a local official in the vill

Parliamentary panel calls for legal guarantee of MSP to protect farmers

A parliamentary panel on Tuesday recommended the government implement a legally binding minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, arguing that such a measure could significantly reduce farmer suicides and provide crucial financial stability. The Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, headed by Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, submitted a comprehensive report to Parliament highlighting the potential benefits of a legally guaranteed MSP. "The committee strongly recommends that the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare declare a roadmap for implementing MSP as a legal guarantee at the earliest," the report stated. Currently, the government fixes MSP for 23 commodities based on the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommendations. The panel argued that a legally binding MSP would not only safeguard farmers' livelihoods but also promote rural economic growth and enhance national food security. The committee's k

Cong fuelled water disputes between states, did little for farmers: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Congress, saying they talk big in the name of farmers but neither do anything for them nor let others do it. The delay in the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) is a direct proof of the intention of the Congress, he said. "The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) was delayed for so long by the Congress, this is also a direct proof of the Congress' intentions. They talk big in the name of farmers but neither do they do anything for the farmers themselves nor do they let others do it," he said addressing a public meeting in Dadiya in Jaipur. He was addressing 'the Ek Varsh-Parinaam Utkarsh' to mark completion of one-year of Rajasthan government during which he inaugurated and laid foundation stone for 24 projects related to energy, road, railways and water worth over Rs 46,400 crore. The prime minister said the Pravati, Kalisindh, Chambal project will provide irrigation water as well as drinking water to 21 districts of ..

Focus on cutting unnecessary expenses, boosting income: MP CM Mohan Yadav

A key aspect of the government's efforts has been reducing non-essential expenditure to strengthen the state's income and facilitate holistic growth

RBI raises collateral-free agricultural loan limit to Rs 2L to aid farmers

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has enhanced the collateral-free loan limit for farmers from Rs 1.6 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, effective January 1, 2025, a move aimed at supporting small and marginal farmers amid rising input costs. The new directive instructs banks nationwide to waive collateral and margin requirements for agricultural and allied activity loans up to Rs 2 lakh per borrower. According to the agriculture ministry, the decision comes in response to the rising input costs and the need to improve credit accessibility for farmers. "This measure will significantly benefit over 86 per cent of farmers who are small and marginal landholders," the statement said. Banks have been instructed to implement the guidelines swiftly and ensure widespread awareness about the new loan provisions. The move is expected to facilitate easier access to Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans and complement the government's Modified Interest Subvention Scheme, which offers loans up to Rs 3 lakh at a 4 per ce

Farmers' group to proceed 'peacefully' towards Delhi, says Sarwan Singh

Farmer leader Pandher stated that the government must arrange a talk if it is serious about resolving the matter

Centre not fulfilling promises made to farmers, says leader Sarwan Singh

He informed that a group of 101 farmers, will march towards Delhi on December 14

Green Revolution's unintended fallout: Deepening of India's farming crisis

The programme spared India from famine and the humiliation of its ship-to-mouth existence from Public Law or PL480 wheat shipments from the US

Farmers protest suspended, currency notes under Rajya Sabha MP's seat, MPC & more

Farmers' march to Delhi today: Key highlights

ITC to increase FPOs to 4,000 in next 4 years linking one crore farmers

ITC is expanding its network of FPOs, further aiming to connect one crore farmers in the next 4-5 years and scaling up sourcing of fruits and vegetables through this platform, said its Agri Business Division CEO S Ganesh. ITC, present in around 22 states through FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations) and working on 20 crops, has plans to expand and deepen it further in states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Bihar. Besides, ITC is working on expanding the reach of its super app MAARS -- a phygital' initiative with FPOs through which it is providing personalised advisories to farmers from weather forecast to sales of crops at mandi prices, supply of seeds and fertiliser and services as soil testing to helping them get credit from banks. Through MAARS (Metamarket for Advanced Agriculture Rural Services), ITC is also enhancing agricultural practices to small farmers through technology aggregation, AI-enabled solutions, AgTech and an e-marketplace for commodities

Farmers' protest, Cyclone Fengal, windfall tax, Joe Biden pardons Hunter & more

Chouhan calls for strict action against sale of spurious seeds, fertilisers

He pointed out that "farmers often complain about receiving poor-quality inputs, resulting in significant losses"

Govt to soon provide long-term finance via PACS to empower farmers: Shah

Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the government will soon provide long-term finance through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to further empower the farming community. Speaking at the National Federation of State Co-operative Banks Ltd (NAFSCOB)'s Diamond Jubilee Celebration, Shah also directed the National Federation of State Co-operative Banks to prioritise making PACS more viable, transparent, and modern. The minister stressed the strengthening of the spirit of cooperation while expressing concern over the "dilution" of this spirit in state and district-level cooperative banks in many places. "We will provide long-term finance through PACS...We will start this soon. This will further empower farmers," Shah said, addressing NAFSCOB's Diamond Jubilee Celebration. Currently, PACS provide short-term finance to the farmers. Urging the NAFSCOB to play a bigger role in strengthening the cooperative banking sector, Shah said its work is "not just about holding

Trump picks Brooke Rollins for agri secy, praises her work for US farmers

Following her nomination, Rollins expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, stating that it will be the honour of her life to advocate for America's farmers and agricultural communities

Farmers from Shambhu border threaten to resume march towards Delhi on Dec 6

To intensify agitation, start fast unto death from Nov 26, demanding legal MSP

Indian Americans develop AI-based app for farmers in Caribbean nations

A group of Indian Americans has developed an app that provides AI-driven insight to farmers for making better farming decisions. Launched at the InvestSmart Caribbean Summit in Washington DC last week, the LetZFarm App is being put to use in the Caribbean Island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It has been developed by Massachusetts-based Abris Inc in collaboration with the Carbon Zero Institute of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a smart agricultural farmer's companion app that helps the farmer through AI-driven insights to make better farming decisions. It helps them from a food security perspective, and also it helps them to combat climate change. That means to adapt to the changing environmental conditions, Priya Samant, CEO and co-founder of Abris Inc, told PTI. Our goal is now to go to different Caribbean nations. We are already in talks with Guyana and other nations, she said. It's a very scalable app. Our roadmap is to make this a one-stop solution for the farmers. This is what we .

French farmers escalate protests against EU-Mercosur trade agreement

French farmers escalated protests on Monday against the European Union-Mercosur trade agreement, citing fears of unfair competition. Backed by their government, they argue the deal would threaten their livelihoods by allowing a surge of South American agricultural imports produced under less stringent environmental standards. In Beauvais in northern France, dozens of farmers with about 50 tractors disrupted traffic before walling up a government office tasked with enforcing environmental standards. The protesters dumped manure and tires in front of the building and moved to the local prefecture, where they set up a noisy camp with firecrackers. "The government slept on its agriculture, so we won't let them sleep," said Regis Desrumaux (54), head of the FDSEA Oise farmer's union. "Last year, we protested for the same reasons -- too much paperwork, overly strict norms, not enough help from the state. Now, with unfair competition from South American products boosted with hormones and ..

How Punjab farmers outwit Nasa satellites in stubble-burning crackdown

Punjab farmers have found a way to outwit Nasa satellite surveillance in the ongoing stubble-burning crisis by strategically timing their fires