The government has decided to throw its might behind private purchases of farm land overseas to ensure food security for India.  The agriculture ministry has sought views from other ministries on an institutional mechanism to extend sovereign support to India Inc's acquisition of farm land abroad that could include guaranteed buyback of harvest from the cultivation overseas.  Agriculture secretary PK Basu said that the proposal is in a nascent stage. "We had...

-The Hindu The focus of agriculture will shift from primary to secondary farm activities in the 12th Five Year Plan, S. Ayyappan, Director General Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said here on Saturday. Speaking to the reporters after inaugurating a hostel for girls in the Institute of Food and Dairy Development of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) at Koduvali near Red Hills, Dr. Ayyappan said secondary agriculture...

-Pragativadi.com The Odisha government on Thursday declared 13,032 villages, which suffered a crop loss of 50 percent, in 19 districts as drought affected and announced a special package for farmers.  The drought areas are spread over 133 blocks and 156 wards of 34 urban local bodies in 19 of the 30 districts of the state, revenue and disaster management minister Surya Narayan Patra told reporters here after attending a high-level review meeting...

-PTI State agriculture marketing boards today said FDI inmulti-brand retail will harm farmers, particularly small and marginal peasants. "Farmers are certainly going to be affected if FDI into multi-brand retail is given a go-ahead. It will mainly cause concerns to small and marginal farmers who have less than four hectares of land," the National Council of State Agricultural Marketing Boards (COSAMB) Managing Director S S Randhawa said while addressing a farmers' meet...

Nine gram sewaks have committed suicide in past one year due to work stress Gram sewaks in Maharashtra have refused to give in to the high-handedness of the administration for the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) so that it can be projected as a success. Instead, they have decided to approach the high court to press for their demands like formation of a separate independent agency for the...