-The Indian Express Congratulations to the IMD which sounded out the country on below-normal rainfall at 93 per cent of the LPA and then downgraded it to 88 per cent. Skymet’s forecast for 102 per cent of the long period average (LPA) of the southwest monsoon was wrong. On September 30, the monsoon ended at 86 per cent of the LPA, leading to a second consecutive season with deficient rainfall (mild...
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From plate to plough: Does anyone love the farmer? -Ashok Gulati
-The Indian Express The Union cabinet lacks a champion for agriculture Policymakers in the corridors of power in Delhi are feeling upbeat. There is recovery and resurgence in India’s stockmarkets. The Make in India campaign is getting more publicity and being noticed by foreign investors. FDI inflows are improving, and India’s ranking in the Ease of Doing Business index seems to be improving, as per some selective ratings. But agriculture, where almost half...
More »Dr Vandana Shiva, scientist and longtime activist against genetically modified BT seeds, interviewed by Pragya Singh
-Outlook Scientist and longtime activist against genetically modified BT seeds, Dr. Vandana Shiva, talks about why BT has a devastating fallout. A sudden pest attack has ruined cotton crops in large parts of Punjab, bringing biotech, or BT Cotton back into focus. Farmers who used bio-fertilisers in the Malwa region of the state are said to be safe from this latest pestilence. But those growing BT cotton have lost everything. There...
More »And now, a PDS jute bag scam -Devesh K Pandey
-The Hindu Government sources told The Hindu that at PDS packaging centres, new unbranded bags were being replaced with used ones. Jute bags meant for packaging of foodgrains under the Public Distribution System (PDS) allegedly provided their manufacturers — in league with some officials of procuring State government agencies, quality insurance inspectors and middlemen — an opportunity to siphon off thousands of crores in government revenue. So serious is the scam that the...
More »Deficit rain to prompt farmer influx into city?
-The Times of India THANE: With little hopes of revival of farmlands in Marathwada region, large-scale migration of farmers from these barren lands to second tier cities like Thane and Navi Mumbai can be expected in future, say experts in the field of migration. Scant showers this monsoon has filled the Marathwada dam up to just about 16%, providing hardly any relief to farmers here. As a result, Massive influx of farmers...
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