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Mumbai, Jun 17 () German drug and agrochemicals major Bayer on Wednesday said it will support four lakh smallholder farmers across 17 states in India through its new global initiative 'Better Farms, Better Lives'. Through this initiative, Bayer will support 20 lakh smallholder farmers in Asia, Africa and Latin America, with free Better Life Farming care packages, the company said in a statement. These packages will be designed for farmers' local needs and will include a combination of Bayer's hybrid seeds, crop protection products, personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety and training materials. In India, the initiative will support 4,00,000 smallholder farmers in 204 districts across 17 states, spanning key crops such as rice, corn, vegetables and millet. Special focus will be given to women smallholder farmers and migrant labourers, who have returned to their villages and plan to take up farming in their small family farms, it said. In addition, Bayer will handhold farmers from sowing to harvest with advisory on crop, disease and pest management and help improve market access for their produce. "Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in ensuring food security for India, but the ongoing COVID-19 situation has impacted their ability to grow sufficient food for their families and communities. "Lockdowns and restrictions on movement have impacted access to seeds, crop protection inputs and labor," Bayer CropScience CEO and Global Lead for Bayer's smallholder farming initiatives D Narain said. This initiative aims to provide immediate additional support to smallholder farmers in the form of agri-inputs and advisory during this Kharif season and beyond, he said. "It will also strengthen the livelihoods of smallholder communities most impacted by COVID-19. In the long-term, we aim to help smallholder farmers achieve higher crop yields and use their farms as a source of sustainable income, rather than just a means to survive," Narain added. Bayer will distribute the care packages to smallholder farmers in India through its local networks of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) focused on agriculture. SM ABM ABM

COVID-19: Bayer to provide seeds, PPE to 4 lakh small farmers in India

This budget, the excise duty has been hiked by up to 6 % for cigarettes of all sizes. This wasn't expected at all. Still the shares of ITC Limited are going good because it's still below 10%. 
 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">Cigarette </a>smoking is injurious to health. This statutory warning has taken a toll on the tobacco farmers in India. And this budget the tobacco farmers of the country wants the government not to impose any more taxes on legal cigarettes. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">ALSO READ: WHAT CAN A COMMON MAN EXPECT THIS BUDGET</a> 
 
While the market is decreasing every other day as far as consumption is concerned, the Indian tobacco exports are also sluggish and this has resulted in 22 % decline in returns to farmers. 
 There are 96,865 registered tobacco farmers and many more that are not registered in India. Around 0.25% of India's cultivated land is used for tobacco production. Since the independence, the Indian government has supported growth in the tobacco industry. India has seven tobacco research centres that are located in Jeelugumilli, Andhra Pradesh, Kandukuru, Andhra Pradesh, <keyword id="52887" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Guntur">Guntur</keyword>, Andhra Pradesh, Kalavacherla, Andhra Pradesh, Hunsur, Karnataka., Vedasandur, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Dinhata, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">West Bengal</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">Rajamundry </a>houses the core research institute. The government has set up <keyword id="162734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tobacco-Board">Tobacco Board</keyword>, Guntur. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">ALSO READ: YOU CAN OWN A CAR LIKE THIS</a> 
 Guntur is also well known place for tobacco plantation. The <keyword id="672789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Tobacco-Research-Institute">Central Tobacco Research Institute</keyword> works under the aegis of Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Tobacco crop is cultivated in an area of 0.45 M ha (0.27% of the net cultivated area) producing ~ 750 M kg of tobacco leaf. India is the 2nd largest producer and exporter (in quantity terms) after China and <keyword id="6355226" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brazil">Brazil</keyword>, respectively. 
 Ahead of the Budget 2017, the <keyword id="3404445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="federation-of-all-india-farmer-associations">Federation of All India Farmer Associations</keyword> (<keyword id="3164346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="FAIFA">FAIFA</keyword>) wants to bring stability in farm prices of the crop. 
 The non-profit organisation representing farmers across the states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and <keyword id="6354766" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gujarat">Gujarat</keyword>, appealed to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">Finance Minister </a><keyword id="143010" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitely">Arun Jaitely</keyword>, to avoid “the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget">onslaught</a> of heavy taxation on legal cigarette industry” and help bring stability in farm prices of tobacco. 
 “We are very disturbed because of the declining off-take from domestic manufacturers … Regulatory overreach has created panic and strain on the FCV tobacco farmers in the country,” FAIFA General Secretary <keyword id="1407736" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Murali-Babu">Murali Babu</keyword> said in a statement. 
 
“Excessive increase in the excise duties on<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/budget/common-man-budget"> tobacco products</a>, cumulative increase of 118 per cent since 2012/13, leading to 22 per cent” has led to shrinkage in the legal cigarette volumes, FAIFA said. 
 (Image: <keyword id="76338" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reuters">Reuters</keyword>))

Excise duty in cigarette hiked. Tobacco farmers in india are struggling to make ends meet

Similar to other kinds of savings certificate, <keyword id="162207" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kisan-Vikas-Patra">Kisan Vikas Patra</keyword> can be described as a certificate purchased from India Post. Issued in the form of Savings Certificate, the amount invested in Kisan Vikas Patra will double in 100 months understood otherwise as 8 years 4 months. Earlier the Kisan Vikas Patra was launched by the India Post in 1988. This scheme was highly successful right from its inception. However, when a committee instituted by the government suggested that this scheme could be misused. Hence the government closed the scheme in 2011. The new government that formed in 2014 decided to re-launch Kisan Vikas Patra in 2014. One can purchase a Kisan Vikas Patra from a Post Office. The minimum amount that can be deposited in the scheme is Rs 1,000. There is no upper limit for the amount that can be deposited. An adult can purchase the certificate for himself or on behalf of a minor. Two or more adults can also purchase it jointly. The minimum period after which the Kisan Vikas Patra can be encashed is 2 and a half years. Kisan Vikas Patra Features and Benefits Long term Savings The Kisan Vikas Patra enables individuals save early with an amount as low as Rs 1,000. There is no upper limit for investing in Kisan Vikas Patra. The value invested in Kisan Vikas Patra will double in 100 months which is equivalent to 8 years and 4 months. Total security The tallest concern of every investor is the security of the investment made. Since the Kisan Vikas Patra is a government owned scheme, the returns are fixed and fully secure. Because the amount the individual will get on maturity is declared on the certificate itself, the individual can be assured that they can get the amount at the end of the term. Fixed interest rate The interest rate as per the Kisan Vikas Patra is fixed on the amount invested. This is a kind of government bond and hence it is completely secure. The individuals investing on it are assured of the doubling of the principal amount in a matter of 100 months. Loan collateral Kisan Vikas Patra can also be used as a collateral for availing of loans. It is accepted as a valid collateral by majority of banks and financial institutions for the purpose of issuing a loan. Non-Transferable The Kisan Vikas Patra benefits can be availed of only by the Kisan Vikas Patra certificate holder. If it has to be transferred in other person’s name, it can be done only if the postmaster permits it based on some formalities to be complied with. Tax benefits When the certificate holder wishes to encash the Kisan Vikas Patra, tax is not deducted at source. The disbursal of any amount on the certificate is fully tax exempted. The certificate holder must take the responsibility to pay the taxes applicable on the interest accrued over the term of the scheme. The amount invested in this scheme is completely exempted from wealth tax. Fixed Lock-in Period Kisan Vikas Patra comes with a fixed lock-in-period of two and a half years. If the certificate holder has any emergency needs, the money can be encashed after two and a half years along with the interest applicable for the period.

This popular savings scheme from India Post can double an individual’s investment in 100 months

The <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> administration appears to be making India's farmers a key plank in the upcoming budget, just ahead of the country’s general elections. According to reports, it plans to give the country’s farmers cash handouts in the form of direct transfers as opposed to subsidies. It's a bold move that follows months of farmer protests and an agrarian crisis in the country. It is expected to benefit an estimated 146 million farmers, according to a report from <keyword id="6354731" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="state-bank-of-india">State Bank of India</keyword> (SBI). The estimate follows media reports that the government has also decided against another series of loan waivers in its upcoming interim budget. Instead, the government may opt to provide income support and interest-free loans to the farmers. Why cash transfer? On surface, the cash transfer scheme makes fiscal sense as it would help plug leakages in the transmission of subsidies. But there are a number of questions, not least of which is how feasible the scheme will be. How much does the government currently spend on subsidies and support for farmers? The government currently subsidised <keyword id="495738" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="crop-insurance">crop insurance</keyword>, interest on farm loans and fertilisers. As per a report published by the State Bank of India, the central government’s most recent budgetary allocation to subsidy and farmer support schemes totalled around ₹981 billion - which is roughly 2.9% of India’s GDP. With an estimated 146 million farmers who benefit from these subsidies, the cost per farmer comes to anywhere between ₹5,335 and ₹10,162 annually. The lower figure going to someone who avails of one scheme and the higher figure going to someone who benefits from all three - crop insurance, interest subsidies and fertiliser subsidy. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
 
 
	
 
	
 <div type="image" title="Table" msid="67657044" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Estimated government subsidies to farmers&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>























 That figure assumes that out of a total of 146 million farmers (as per Agriculture Census 2015-16), only 35% avail of crop insurance, 45% have bank accounts to avail of interest subsidies and 90% of all farmers receive fertiliser subsidies in some form or the other. Will all farmers get cash transfers? No. Landless farmers, who till someone else’s land, will be left out of the scheme. And that’s a high number in India. 56% of India’s rural households do not own any land, according to the last socio-economic caste census. Many states like Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala &amp; Tamil Nadu are yet to fully digitise land records. This will make it tougher to ensure that cash transfers reach all intended beneficiaries. SBI’s report estimates that the government may be able to reach up to 100 million farmers. How much farmers get via direct cash transfer, if approved? If the cash transfers reach 100 million farmers, the budgetary allocation will have to be around ₹1- ₹1.2 trillion. That works out to an average individual payment ₹10,000- ₹12,000 per farmer. At this cost, there will be no additional financial burden on the government. What is the flip side? Even assuming that the cash transfers reach a 100 million farmers, as per the SBI estimate, it leaves out at least one third of the beneficiaries who were availing one kind of subsidy or the other. This is likely to backfire unless the government is able to fine tune the system and make it efficient and more inclusive sooner than later.

Explained: The cost of giving India's farmers cash instead of subsidies

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Indian <keyword id="45092" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="farmers">farmers</keyword> are protesting three laws that they fear will threaten their livelihoods and cost lives.</li><li>The laws deregulate the buying and selling of agricultural goods, leading farmers to fear they will be exploited by corporations.</li><li><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> has some of the highest farmer <keyword id="6356238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="suicide">suicide</keyword> rates in the world, and experts fear the crisis could worsen if the laws are not repealed.</li><li>India's government is in talks with farmers who continue to block road and rail routes across the country.</li></ul>Across India, farmers are demanding an end to new laws they say are not just threatening their livelihoods, but costing lives.Protests that erupted in the state of Punjab have spread throughout the country as farmers demand a complete rollback of the three laws that were passed in September. Collectively, the laws deregulate the buying and selling of agricultural goods, leaving farmers exposed to the uncertainties of an open market and potential exploitation by corporations.Meanwhile, record numbers of farmers in India are committing suicide, and experts fear the farming laws could drive even more people to the brink."The new laws that they have passed, we call them death warrants of farmers and laborers," farmer Kewal Singh of Punjab said.Agriculture sustains over 40% of the population in India. And as COVID-19 ravaged the country this year, it's farmers who have kept India's rural economy afloat. But the majority of farms are small, family-run operations, often at the mercy of loan sharks."This is the kind of farming community which is incredibly vulnerable to all kinds of uncertainties," said Vikram Patel, a professor at Harvard University's TH Chan School of Public Health. "Many of these farmers don't have any surety the banks demand in order to give them loans, so they borrow money from loan sharks, who are of course pretty ruthless. And if you pump your money back, well, they can be pretty dangerous to you or your family."India has some of the highest farmer suicide rates in the world, with more than 10,000 deaths each year, and numbers expected to have reached a record high in 2020. In Punjab, three to four farmer suicides are reported in the local <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> every single day.<div type="image" title="BIT_MMDD_Episode_V1.00_05_45_29.Still010" height="1080" width="1920" msid="80159631" hostid="261"></div>Nasseemo Kaur's son, 48-year-old Karamjeet Singh was among the deaths by suicide. He left behind a wife, son, and daughter."He worked as a laborer, but he could hardly earn anything," Kaur said. "He sold his land and crops. After this deed was done he thought that his life had no meaning, and he drank some pesticide.""We were collapsing under the weight of debt. We often used to cry, he used to say, 'What will we do? How will I marry my children? How will we sustain ourselves?'"Without her son to provide an income, another grieving parent, Naseemo Singh, is struggling to scratch a living."Now we all will have to work. This house has women. I am the old mother-in-law. I have a daughter-in-law and a daughter. We all will have to find some work for our sustenance," she said.She's now joined other grieving parents on the protest front lines to fight against laws they believe will only lead to more tragedy."I will not stop protesting for what is right," she said. "Without protest nothing is possible. Any rights that we aspire to attain will only come through protest."The new laws don't just affect the landowners and the land workers, but also the middle men who used to buy the produce at fixed prices.<h2><a href="https://www.facebook.com/313820309356251/videos/1866407880175013">See the full story on Business Insider Weekly »</a></h2>

India has a farmer suicide epidemic - and farmers are protesting new laws they fear will make things worse

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">ReutersSorted potatoes carried at the market yard of the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. May 16, 2012.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>PepsiCo, the owner of Lay's potato chips, is suing a small group of Indian farmers for growing a potato variety they say they belongs to them alone.</li><li>PepsiCo say they've had "exclusive rights" to the FL-2027 potato in India since 2016, and want four farmers to pay $143,000 each for growing it without permission.</li><li>Dozens of activists and farmers' unions have written to India's Department of Agriculture condemning the suit and accusing PepsiCo of intimidation. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>PepsiCo, the $177 billion owner of potato chip brand Lay's, has sued a group of farmers in India for growing a variety of potato they say they own the exclusive rights to.The company is seeking reparations of $143,000 each from four farmers accused of growing the <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US20050081269A1/en">FL-2027 potato</a>, which PepsiCo says it has had exclusive rights to in India since 2016, according to legal documents submitted to a district court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on April 11, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/25/business/pepsico-india-potato-farmer-lawsuit/index.html">and seen by CNN</a>."PepsiCo is India's largest process grade potato buyer and amongst the first companies to work with thousands of local farmers to grow a specific protected variety of potatoes for it," a spokesperson told CNN.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">ReutersRamon Laguarta, CEO of PepsiCo.</div></div></div>"In this instance, we took judicial recourse against people who were illegally dealing in our registered variety."PepsiCo says it's given permission to several hundred Indian farmers to grow the special potato before, but not to the farmers in the lawsuit.Two of the farmers are named as Fulchand Kachchhawa and Suresh Kachchhawa, both from near the city of Deesa, in the northwestern region of Gujarat.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Hollis JohnsonPepsiCo owns Lay's chips, as well as Gatorade and Quaker Oats.</div></div></div>PepsiCo say the growing of FL-2027 without permission is a rights infringement under Section 64 of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act 2001.Read more: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/giant-idaho-potato-hotel-boise-airbnb-2019-4">A giant potato in Idaho has been turned into an Airbnb, and you can rent it for $200 a night</a>Lawyers, activists, and farmers unions have rallied to the farmers' defence. More than 190 activists penned a joint letter to the Indian Department of Agriculture opposing the "false and untenable" lawsuit from the food and drink behemoth, <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/pepsico-india-lays-potato-farmers-gujarat-sued-1510090-2019-04-25">India Today wrote.</a> PepsiCo also owns brands such as Gatorade, Quaker Oats, and of course, Pepsi.Activists are also raising legal aid to help the farmers fight the case. One of the signatories, Kapil Shah of advocacy group Jatan, told CNN PepsiCo's actions were "against food sovereignty" and the "sovereignty of the nation.""We will fight it out, no matter how big the company," Shah said. "Pepsi has made a huge mistake."The case will be heard in Ahmedabad district court on Friday. PepsiCo did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twin-sisters-started-cigar-company-with-only-500-investment-2019-4">Twin sisters started cigar company with only a $500 investment - and now they're shipping nationwide</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

The $177 billion owner of Lay's chips is suing small-time Indian farmers for growing a type of potato it claims exclusive rights over

<ul><li><keyword id="17106270" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kissangpt" source="Orion">KissanGPT</keyword> is a powerful <keyword id="6171891" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ai-chatbot" source="Orion">AI chatbot</keyword> designed to help <keyword id="59510" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="indian-farmers" source="Orion">Indian farmers</keyword> with their agricultural queries, providing real-time advice on crop cultivation, pest control, soil management, and more.</li><li>It is designed to bridge the information gap between farmers and experts, providing farmers with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed in their fields.</li><li>With its user-friendly interface and multilingual support, KissanGPT is proving to be a valuable resource for farmers across India, helping them to overcome the challenges of farming and achieve greater success in their fields.</li></ul>Amidst the popularity of AI tools like ChatGPT and others, a new AI-powered chatbot called <a href="https://kissangpt.com/">KissanGPT</a> has been launched to help Indian farmers. With India being an agricultural powerhouse, this AI chatbot could be a game-changer for farmers who rely solely on farming for their livelihood. KissanGPT is a ChatGPT-powered chatbot designed to assist farmers with their agricultural queries. It is available in multiple languages, including Hindi. KissanGPT can provide real-time advice on crop cultivation, irrigation, pest control, and other farming-related topics. Farmers can interact with the chatbot via their smartphones, making it an easily accessible and convenient tool for them to use. <div type="image" title="KisaanGPT" msid="99428615" hostid="261"></div> The developers behind KissanGPT, led by Pratik Desai, a computer scientist, hope that it will help bridge the information gap between farmers and experts and provide farmers with the knowledge and resources they need to increase profits. This AI chatbot is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to farmers across the country, regardless of their level of education or location. KissanGPT has already received positive feedback from farmers who have used it, with many saying that it has helped them to make better decisions about their crops and improve their yields. With KissanGPT, Indian farmers now have access to a powerful new tool that can help them to overcome the challenges of farming and achieve greater success in their fields. Farmers in India increasingly turn to KissanGPT, the AI chatbot designed to assist with agricultural queries to maximize their profits. The chatbot has been gaining popularity among farmers, who are using it to seek advice on which vegetables to plant for maximum profit. Farmers ask KissanGPT questions like ‘Which vegetable can be grown for maximum profit?’ and ‘What is the best crop to plant for high yields?’ The chatbot's AI-powered algorithms provide real-time advice and insights on crop cultivation, pest control, soil management, and other farming-related topics, enabling farmers to make informed decisions about their crops and improve their yields. Recently, KissanGPT was used to demonstrate how Indian squash could be used to earn up to 5 lakhs in profit. The chatbot provided farmers with information on the optimal conditions for growing Indian squash, the best time to plant, and how to market the vegetable effectively. With its user-friendly interface and multilingual support, KissanGPT is a valuable resource for farmers across India. As more farmers discover the benefits of using AI-powered tools like KissanGPT, we will likely see even greater adoption and impact in the agricultural sector. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The mind behind KisaanGPT" comment="subhead" text="The mind behind KisaanGPT">The mind behind KisaanGPT</cmsannotation> Pratik Desai, an experienced technology and product executive, has a mission to help Indian farmers overcome the challenges they face through the power of technology. With a background in electronics and communications and an MBA in technology and operations management, Desai has worked as a software engineer at top companies like IBM, Ericsson, and Motorola Mobility. Desai, has focused on building end-to-end IoT, mobile, and digital products and services that utilize the latest advancements in data mining, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. He recognizes that Indian farmers face many challenges, from getting the best prices for their crops to finding direct-to-market alternatives, and is determined to help them every step of the way. Desai's passion for empowering farmers stems from his roots in Gujarat, where he witnessed firsthand rural communities' struggles. His ultimate goal is to leverage technology to bring the benefits of advancements in software, hardware, cloud, and AI to farmers across India and help them achieve greater success in their fields. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/music-to-help-focus-home-design-many-tasks-that-ai-can-help-with/articleshow/99085155.cms">Music to help focus, home design &amp; many tasks that AI can help with</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/how-you-can-open-the-ai-chatbot-directly-from-macs-menu-bar/articleshow/98449632.cms#:~:text=Once%20you%20have%20downloaded%20the,simply%20click%20on%20'Open.'">ChatGPT just got more accessible: Here’s how you can open the AI Chatbot directly from Mac's menu bar</a>

From fields to screens: KissanGPT, the AI chatbot helping Indian farmers maximize their profits

<ul><li>Political parties are promising massive financial support for farmers ahead of elections</li><li>Congress president Rahul Gandhi has raised the stake by offering farm loan waiver across India</li><li>The economic distress in rural India has become a political issue </li></ul> India is headed for an election in the upcoming summer and political parties are placing their bids to bag the biggest and the most distressed section of the country's polity-- the farmers. Both the ruling government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its biggest national rival, the Indian National Congress (INC), are raising the stakes at every turn to woo the country's rural votes. Congress president Rahul Gandhi pre-empted a move by the Narendra Modi government by promising a minimum income guarantee for the country's farmers, but without any details, just days before the annual budget. So, when the ruling government took the stage on February 1, to announce the budget, it offered a minimum income of ₹6,000 a year to the country's small and marginal farmers. Within a couple of days, Gandhi raised the bar one more time and offered a pan-India loan waiver for farmers. "I have said that if the Congress party forms a government in Delhi, we will do what we did in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in the entire country," Gandhi <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rahul-gandhi-signals-will-waive-farm-loans-across-country-5567456/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">said</a> at a political rally on February 4. "You didn’t do anything in the four-and-a-half years, you didn’t waive the loans of farmers," he said accusing the government. Farmers matter India's rural distress has been worsening over the last few years. The farm sector supports about half of the country's population and makes less than a fifth of the gross domestic product (GDP). Despite good monsoons and good crop output, the farmers have been struggling to make ends meet. The prime minister promised in 2017 that the government would ensure the farmers' income doubles in the following five years, but the crisis has only worsened since then. A report of the Committee on Strategy for Doubling Farmers' Income by 2022 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/you-may-pay-a-steep-price-but-does-the-farmer-make-any-money--62364">stated </a>that “The WPI (wholesale price index) of food articles was lower than that of agricultural inputs for most years, indicating that farmers received lower market prices for agricultural commodities than the prices paid for the purchase of inputs.” Meanwhile, rural wage growth has slowed down significantly while the debt has been piling up. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype=""><cdata><![CDATA[
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 Over 12,000 farmers committed suicide in 2015 mostly due to bankruptcy and indebtedness, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/no-data-on-farmer-suicides-since-2016-agriculture-minister-informs-lok-sabha-1978933.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">No similar record</a> has been published since then. India's farmers are still at the mercy of local moneylenders as opening of new bank accounts has not led to more loans. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype=""><cdata><![CDATA[
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 In 2017, some of the farmers from the southern state of Tamil Nadu protested in the national captial New Delhi by drinking urine and eating <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tamil-nadu-farmers-suspend-stir-till-may-25/articleshow/58328430.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">faeces</a>. In <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/why-maharashtras-farmer-are-protesting-and-why-mumbaikars-are-supporting-them-10-points/articleshow/63263394.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">2018</a>, nearly 50,000 farmers marched for five days on foot, 180 kilometres from Nasik in Maharashtra to the state capital, Mumbai, demanding rights over the land they till. The opposition has been able to sway the unrest in some states by offering farm loan waivers. In Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the rural outrage was a big factor in the incumbent governments getting voted out in December 2018. The government is aware of the political risks of not assuaging the concerns of the farmers. So aside from assuring minimum income to the small farmers, the latest budget also proposed to allocate a record amount for the rural employment guarantee scheme. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype=""><cdata><![CDATA[
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 Currently, the total central and state subsidies going for agriculture sector are <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/farm-loan-waivers-can-derail-india-s-growth-story/story-6anu1JCiDtN9RxIvtLuyTM.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">estimated</a> to be over ₹2.2 trillion, constituting close to 10% of agricultural GDP and 12% of average farm income, Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand wrote in the Hindustan Times last month. However, at this point, the last bid has come from the opposition, once again in the form of a farm loan waiver. Will the Modi government seeking re-election raise one more time? SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/what-is-minimum-income-guarantee-and-how-it-may-work/articleshow/67727733.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">What is minimum income guarantee and how it may work</a>

There is a bidding war for farmer votes in India

New Delhi, Dec 11 () US retail giant Walmart and Flipkart on Wednesday said they will jointly invest in Bengaluru-based business-to-business (B2B) supply chain company, Ninjacart.
The three partners aim to help ensure better access to high-quality fresh produce for retailers and consumers across India while also creating economic opportunities for farmers, a statement said. 
 The company however did not disclose the financial details of the transaction.
 "Partnering with Ninjacart will help Walmart and Flipkart strengthen direct sourcing of fresh produce for Walmart India's Best Price B2B cash-and-carry stores and Flipkart's online grocery business Supermart," it added. 
The investment will also support Ninjacart to expand its customer base, reach new cities and gain exposure to global best practice to enhance the efficiency of the local fresh produce ecosystem, the statement added.
 Ninjacart was founded by Thirukumaran Nagarajan, Kartheeswaran K K, Ashutosh Vikram, Sharath Loganathan and Vasudevan Chinnathambi in 2015.
In the past, Ninjacart has raised money from funds such as Tiger global, Accel partners, Steadview Capital, Syngenta Ventures, Qualcomm ventures and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. 
 Ninjacart connects farmers to retailers via a network of more than 200 collection centres and 1,200 warehouses across India. It moves over 1,400 tonnes of fresh produce per day.
It has over 44,000 farmer suppliers and a customer base of 60,000 kirana stores and restaurants across seven cities. 
"Developing Flipkart Supermart over the past year, we have focused on creating the right infrastructure, supporting local farmers, producers and food processors, and building sustainability into the ecosystem," Flipkart Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said. 
 Thirukumaran Nagarajan, CEO and Co-founder of Ninjacart, said with the support of Flipkart and Walmart, the company sees new possibilities to improve the lives of its farmers, retailers and restaurant partners.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of the month. 
 "Ninjacart's focus on direct-from-farm sourcing resonates well with Walmart's commitment to supporting farmers in India. We are working towards our commitment of sourcing 25 per cent of produce in our Best Price cash-and-carry stores directly from farmers by 2023," Walmart India President and CEO Krish Iyer said.
The investment, he said, will help accelerate market access for farmers and reduce transportation costs. SR DRR

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