-The Hindu     Representatives of more than 100 farmers' organisations release a charter of demands Although the time for freebies is over as Lok Sabha elections have been announced and the model code of conduct is in place, more than 20 lakh farmers across the country have sought assurance from political parties for a minimum income security for agriculture households. The income guarantee must reflect "inter-sectoral parity" which should match the salary of a...

-The Hindu There is a general view that agriculture is not a remunerative profession. But for those who continue to do farming, there seems to be no choice. Either they leave the fields fallow or sell the lands for quick money. "Reasons for being unremunerative are many like high cost of inputs, inability to break even in profit, marketing etc. But in spite of all these problems there are people like...

As the challenge of global warming looms large, the importance of climate resilient agriculture (CRA) gets recognized by both scientific and farming communities. Countries like India are expected to be intensely affected by climate change since majority of the population is primarily dependent on agriculture for livelihood. CRA, encompassing adaptation and mitigation strategies and the effective use of biodiversity at all levels-genes, species and ecosystems-should, therefore, be India's response towards...

-Down to Earth The National Agroforestry Policy 2014 can substantially reduce poverty in rural India AFTER becoming the first country in the world to frame an agroforestry policy, India has gone ahead and allocated Rs 444 crore to promote agroforestry in the country. The National Agroforestry Policy 2014, announced on February 10, has the potential to substantially reduce poverty in rural India and revive agroforestry industry. Agroforestry is a farming practice in which...

-The Hindu     "We have at last found a solution to labour shortage. I am hopeful of sustainable farming" Chennai: Not long ago, farmers of Kavanthandalam, a village about 10 km from Uthiramerur of Kancheepuram district and situated along Cheyyar river, were extremely worried about the future of farming in their area. Labour shortage was their main problem. Though this feature was nothing unique, the problem got compounded, given the proximity of the village...