JAIPUR: With monsoon approaching and farmers gearing up to sow the next crop, the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has a big challenge ahead to take possession of remaining acquired land for the ring road project.

As the clouds of uncertainty continue to hover over the project, even those farmers who had surrendered their lands are preparing to sow groundnut and bajra after rain this monsoon.

Implementation of the Prime Minister’s Rehabilitation Package for farmers in suicide-prone districts in the State has come a cropper.

The government has failed to spend allocations made for the payment of ex gratia amount to distressed families of farmers and distribution of certified seeds, according to an evaluation study. The study conducted by professors M J Bhende and P Thippaiah of the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore, has also noted that the government has disbursed the ex gratia amount to ‘rich farmers’ and not to the actual beneficiaries.

In April 2011, 20 farmers from Dhira Patra, Bukan Khanwala, Jhok Hari Har, Basti Natheshah and Sade ke Rahela villages of Ferozepur district in Punjab joined hands for group farming. They contributed Rs 60,000 each and formed Dhira Patra farmer help society. Fifteen more joined them soon. A little more than a year down the line, the group is farming on about 10,000 acres of land in this part of Punjab.

Fazilka: The sarpanch of Harnam Chand village is a man shattered. He and his six brothers own 50 acres of land in Shajrana village which has turned barren. Reduced to penury, the family has been forced to take land on contract to earn a livelihood. There was time when the family would cultivate cotton on their land and earn more than Rs 6,000 per acre, producing over 30 monds of cotton per acre.

MUMBAI: For 480-odd farmers of Virur village in Chandrapur district, it was a pleasant surprise and a big relief when Coal India Ltd hiked the compensation for land acquisition from Rs 44,000 to Rs 10 lakh per acre and also offered job to a family member. The company will now shell out around Rs 125 crore to these farmers for acquiring 1,497 hectare for exploration of coal blocks.

BHUBANESWAR: The Krushak Morcha of the BJP on Wednesday assailed the State Government for its failure to solve the farmers’ problems. Presiding over a meeting of the State functionaries of Krushak Morcha here on Wednesday, president of the farmers wing Mahesh Sahu said that the farmers are yet to get compensation for crop loss they sustained last year due to natural calamities.

Plans are afoot to increase the production of inland fish in the State to three lakh tonnes a year.

Presently, of the total 5.97 lakh tonnes of fish production in Tamil Nadu, inland fish production is only 1.72 lakh tonnes and marine fisheries is 4.25 lakh tonnes. To make available more fish seeds and advanced fingerlings from 7 cm to 10 cm stage, the capacity of fish hatcheries and fish-rearing centres across the State is being enhanced and additional infrastructure created. Catla, Rohu, Mrigal varieties of Indian major carp (kendai meen) and common carp are bred and reared at these centres.

LUCKNOW: The growing number of farmer suicides and water scarcity in Bundelkhand region is set to figure prominently in the coming session of national executive meeting of the BJP scheduled to be held on May 24 and May 25. Speaking to TOI, former BJP president Rajnath Singh, said, "Things for the most neglected, but much politicised region continue to be as worrisome as they were during the BSP rule and despite all assurances of changing the fate of Bundelas, Samajwadi Party is proving to be equally indifferent to their plight."

New Delhi: A part revival of the agricultural sector and the gamble to invest in the sofar ignored eastern states paying off has not brought the kind of gains UPA would have hoped for while entering the fourth year of its second term. Divergence within the government on how to deal with food and agriculture-related issues saw the UPA frittering away the gains of three consecutive good agricultural years which now portend a record harvest of 75 million tonnes.

: Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) will distribute the seed of New Rice For Africa (Nerica), a high yielding variety, for the first time to some 37,000 farmers during the upcoming Aman season.
The rice seed will be distributed in 83 upazilas of 30 districts.
According to the BADC officials the country will get an additional 18,000-20,000 tonnes yield by cultivating the high yielding and short duration variety of paddy.