-The Times of India Bhubaneswar: The livestock population of the state, including cattle, buffalo and goat, saw a sharp drop of 5.59% between 2000 and 2012, government data has revealed. Donkeys have provided the lone saving grace, registering a growth. This corroborates Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh's remark on sharp decline in livestock population at a review meeting here on Saturday. "Except donkeys, the population of all animals has declined in...

-Frontline The new crop insurance scheme introduced by the NDA government in an election year does not provide for a comprehensive coverage of all crops, against all forms of damage and at all stages of the crop cycle. IN AN election year, it is but natural that incumbent governments will introduce welfare policies and schemes. But the problem is that distribution of such largesse in a neoliberal dispensation can only be...

-Frontline Former psephologist Yogendra Yadav, now a member of the political collective Swaraj Abhiyan, recently toured India’s drought-affected districts. He called it a Samvedna Yatra. During the tour, he took note of the agony in rural areas affected by what he calls “one of the worst droughts in independent India” The drought, according to him, has left farmers and the larger rural community in extreme distress, leading to damaging changes in...

-PTI NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over the sustainability of small farms, Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh on Saturday said 91 per cent of the total farm holding would belong to small and marginal farmers by 2030. According to the Agriculture Census, the total number of operational holdings in India numbered 138.35 million with an average size of 1.15 hectares. Of the total holdings, 85 per cent are in marginal and small farm...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: India's share in global floriculture trade may not be significant but the country has, of late, shown enough potential to eventually turn itself as a favourite destination of flower importers in near future. Surprisingly, the small land-holding pattern, considered a handicap for the country's agricultural production, comes as an advantage in floriculture due to its 'low volume high value' character. Since the sector has huge export...