Bayer has partnered with United India Insurance to introduce Alivio, a new digital crop insurance service. This innovative solution uses satellite technology and advanced computer models to protect crops like corn and potatoes. Unlike older insurance plans, Alivio offers protection based on specific field conditions and crop growth stages. Alivio, meaning “relief” in Spanish, is…
The Indian government is actively promoting the use of nano-fertilisers during the current Rabi sowing season. This push is driven by worries about the supply of traditional granular fertilisers. Demand for conventional fertilisers has increased significantly, alongside a rise in the area of land being cultivated this year. Official figures show a substantial jump in…
Farmers in India will receive better protection for their crops starting from the 2026 Kharif season. The Union Agriculture Ministry has updated the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to include crop losses caused by wild animal attacks and paddy inundation. This change addresses long-standing demands from farmer groups who have suffered significant losses from…
A recent report highlights a significant number of workers, approximately 2.7 million, have been removed from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) database between October 10 and November 14 this year. This figure is substantially higher than the 1.05 million new names added during the same period. The substantial increase in removals…
India is updating its laws on plant varieties and farmers’ rights. The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, created in 2001 to meet World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, is undergoing changes. The law first came into effect in 2005 and was partially updated in 2006. It was last amended in 2021. The…
India-US trade offs ?
The Supreme Court of India has delivered a landmark judgment affirming the rights of tribal communities and forest dwellers within areas declared as Wildlife Sanctuaries. The Court ruled that their rights, protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WPA) and the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA), remain valid even after an area is designated as…
India’s development model today rests on a fragile but politically convenient formula: chemicals for farmers, cash for voters.It is a system designed not to solve problems, but to manage them till the next election cycle. At the heart of this lies a political economy where fertilizer lobbies, agricultural subsidies, and now large-scale pre-election cash transfer schemes like Ladli/Ladki Behna define…
The Union Department of Fertilisers has taken strong action against unfair practices in the fertiliser market. They have cancelled or suspended over 4,200 licenses and registrations belonging to fertiliser distributors. These actions were taken because of black marketing, hoarding, and diverting fertiliser stocks away from farmers. This is a significant effort to protect farmers and…
