-The Hindu Business Line Bihar village gives up fertilisers/ pesticides for eco-agriculture On World Environment Day last year — which happened to be one of the hottest summer mornings — as we stood on the main road roughly a kilometre from Kedia village, in the Jamui district of Bihar, we heard loud voices in the distance. Soon we found 50-60 children marching and shouting in unison, ‘Jeevit maati... jeevit khet!’ (alive is the...

-Down to Earth A parliamentary standing committee blamed Agriculture Ministry’s skewed policy for the inequality in fertiliser usage The parliamentary standing committee on agriculture has recommended formation of a “Pesticide Development Authority” to ensure balanced use of chemical fertilisers in the wake of declining agricultural productivity. The 29th report, called “Impact of chemical fertilizers and Pesticides on agriculture and allied sectors in the country”, was tabled in Parliament by the committee. The...

-The Asian Age Bhubaneswar: Traditionally-cultivated minor millets are the major sources of sustenance for lakhs of tribals and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers living in southern and western parts of Orissa. Over 170 varieties of millets are cultivated in the hilly and forested areas in the state. Some of the prominent minor millets largely cultivated in Orissa include sorghum (jawari) spiked millet (Bajra) and finger millet (Ragi/Mandika), among others. The nutritional value of the minor...

-The Hindu Business Line Both the UDF and LDF now swear by organic farming, and have listed it prominently in their manifestoes. Kochi: Organic farming is growing big in the Kerala Assembly election campaign. Both the ruling UDF and opposition LDF now swear by organic farming, particularly of vegetables and fruits, and have listed it prominently in their manifestoes. On the one hand, the UDF is promising heavy subsidies and an Organic Farming...

-TheHansIndia.com * Excessive use of chemical fertilisers on vegetables and fruits is causing cancer to the consumers * 4,500 farmers are cultivatingin 15,000 acres in organic zones of 10 clusters in 8 mandals Raptadu (Anantapur): The district is in for a major organic revolution with the department of Agriculture taking the lead and initiative to wean away farmers from excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides and the disastrous effects of chemical residues on...