The governing body of a United Nations-backed treaty considered vital for the preservation and use of the world’s threatened plant genetic resources met in Bali, Indonesia, today to map out a future course in the face of food insecurity and climate change. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, adopted at the Conference of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001 and backed by 127...

India's vegetables production is estimated to have increased by over five per cent to 14.1 crore tonnes in 2010-11, Parliament was informed today. The country's vegetables production was 13.3 crore tonnes in 2009-10, Minister of State for Agriculture Arun Yadav said in a written reply to Lok Sabha. Cultivation of major vegetables including onion, Potato, brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower, peas and okra saw a rise during the period, he said. Giving details, he said...

Although finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had promised food security and inclusive growth in his budget speech last year, hunger continues to stalk over 300 million citizens of the country. India slipped to 67th place in the Global Hunger Index 2010 rankings of 122 countries prepared by International Food Policy Research Institute. An Oxford University report said that 410 million Indians live in poverty. While there may be nit-picking over the...

They want State Government to exempt their farm produce from duty A group of Punjab-based farmers on Monday said they are going to grow pulses and oilseeds on 5,000 hectares of land in Ethiopia and import their farm produce to India. “We will start cultivating 5,000 hectares of land in Ethiopia from September this year and plan to cultivate pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane and maize which are always in short supply (in India),”...

After feeding the country, the enterprising farmers of Punjab now want to try their hands in Ethiopia. The progressive farmers, mainly members of Poscon (Confederation of Potato Seed Farmers), are planning to take 2,000-5,000 hectares farmland on lease in Ethiopia for growing cash crops like oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane and maize. The delegation of the progressive farmers has twice visited Ethiopia on the invitation of Ethiopian government. Speaking to Business Standard, Poscon...