The fertiliser ministry may seek more funds from the finance ministry to meet its subsidy obligations as it needs more than the allocated amount to take care of the rising subsidy bill, a top official said.  "We have already received 17,700 crore in addition to the budgetary allocation of around 50,000 crore. But we still need more funds, and the amount will be finalised in consultation with the finance ministry," said...

Observed changes in rainfall patterns and increased temperatures, particularly in the North-Eastern region, are the major projections on which Indian agriculture scientists are pegging their “mitigation and adaptation” plans in the farm sector in the absence of definitive long-term and area-specific data on climate change. Acknowledging that in India the “climate system is extremely complex and poorly understood in terms of extent, timing and impact”, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)...

-The Times of India   According to the study conducted by a botany student for her PhD thesis, highly protein deficient diet of Korku and Gond tribes in Central India is one of the reasons of malnutrition in them. Mostly these tribal people eat only locally available plant-based diets which are rich sources of carbohydrates, some minerals and vitamins but no proteins. Study suggests identification and consumption of locally available beans, mushrooms and...

If the Consumer Affairs Ministry had its say, imported Food grains and pulses containing hazardous foreign matter would have made its way on to the Indian platter. In fact, import of damaged grains too would have been a possibility - on the pretext of the country witnessing inadequate Food grains’ production. The Ministry, besides a number of importers, had called for a relaxation in the existing set norms for the import...

The 2012-13 Budget may not have to provide as big a jump in the Food subsidy bill as expected earlier. This is because of a series of measures initiated by the government to cut wastage and improve efficiency, Food minister KV Thomas has said. The measures that would bring down the need for funds include the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and the setting up of modern grain storage facilities, which...