FAO has warned that 2011 may witness a global food crisis. Proactive action is needed to meet the challenge of price volatility, chronic hunger, agrarian despair and climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has alerted developing countries about possible steep rises in food prices during 2011, if steps are not taken immediately to increase significantly the production of major food crops. According to FAO, “with...

Rajasthan Energy Minister Jitendra Singh has said that farmers waiting for electricity connections would be given agricultural power connections on priority and the “entire backlog” across the State would be cleared by this month-end. Addressing a review meeting at the Vidyut Vitaran Nigam headquarters in Jodhpur on Thursday, Mr. Singh said the prompt release of power connections would facilitate proper irrigation of rabi crops. “We wish to maintain the pace of agricultural...

After a significant jump in retail price of potato in the last two weeks due to disruption of supplies on account of heavy rain in northern India, prices are all set to fall because of huge stocks with traders in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the two biggest potato producing states and expected arrival of the new crop from Punjab next month. Traders in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, who were...

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday said that the kharif production at 114.63 million tonnes for 2010-11 crop year was “comfortable.” “The output is better than last year which was a drought year, but lower than 2008-09, which was a normal year.” “The kharif production looks good. Area under crops such as paddy, pulses, cotton and sugarcane is more than last year,'' he told journalists after the Agriculture Ministry released the...

It is a double whammy for farmers of Indravati irrigated pockets of Kalahandi. If delay in release of water into the canals was not enough, the administration is yet to arrange for proper marketing facilities for procurement of Dalua (summer) paddy. The monsoon is knocking at the door but farmers are yet to harvest their crops. Besides, no marketing facilities have been provided for the already harvested paddy raising apprehension...