Every farmer’s grievance/ crop failure is a wound the nation must feel. The ongoing review of Paraquat Dichloride and Glyphosate, prompted by the reports of severe poisoning in Telangana, deserves both compassion and clear and rational scientific reasoning.
Farmers in Odisha will now reap the benefits of crop insurance coverage free of cost for up to five acres under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for the Kharif 2026 season, with beneficiaries required to pay only Re 1 per plot towards account validation.
Punjab's canal expansion plans have come under the spotlight as widespread power cuts disrupt paddy transplantation, triggering farmer protests across the state.
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said that eastern India, enriched with fertile soil, abundant water resources, and a favourable climate, is poised to become the growth engine of India’s next agricultural revolution.
A sharp increase in petrol and diesel prices in Punjab has raised concerns over rising transport costs, agricultural expenses and a possible spike in essential commodity prices.
He said that making bio-fuels is a very important target for the nation to protect the environment and ecological aspect, while it is also aimed at reducing the burden of importing fossil fuels.
Warning firms engaged in production of counterfeit fertilizers and pesticides, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the central government is taking strict action to protect farmers’ interests, and the offenders would be dealt with strictly.
Giving more information in this regard, an official spokesperson said that the e-Bhoomi (Purchase of Land Voluntarily offered to Government for Development Projects Policy), first notified in 2017 and revised on July 9, 2025, replaces the controversial practice of compulsory land acquisition under the 2013 Central Act.
According to the Agriculture Department officials here on Wednesday, fertilizer sales during the Kharif season have exceeded last year’s levels, with 29.52 lakh metric tons sold from April 1 to August 12, 2025, compared to 24.80 lakh metric tons in the same period of 2024.
The meeting was also attended by Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary, Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, ICAR Director General ML Jat, and representatives from various states.
