-The New Indian Express NAGAPATTINAM: Ever tried traditional rice, the one that looks brownish-red? It may taste a bit different but it has immense health benefits. In fact, the biggest consumers of traditional rice breeds are private super specialty hospitals across major cities, which cater to dietary needs of patients, predominantly diabetics. Besides health benefits, the breeds - Maapillai Samba, Kavuni, Garudan Samba, Thanga Samba and Samba Mosanam - are said to...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: After deregulating vegetables last month, Delhi government has now proposed to deregulate khoya and fodder mandis. Both wholesale markets have been suffering losses for the past several years and officials said, with rapid urbanization of Delhi, there is no large-scale farming or dairy activity within the city to sustain them. The wholesale fodder market is located in Mangolpuri's Tikri Kalam area. V P Rao, special secretary...

-The Business Standard Market to help farmers directly reach wholesalers and retailers New Delhi: Deepak Sharma, a third-generation farmer in Jammu, will no longer have to pay steep commissions when he next visits Delhi to sell his produce, thanks to the new market in Alipur here. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Thursday laid the foundation stone of the Kisan Mandi in Alipur village for farmers like Sharma to sell fruit and vegetables...

-The Financial Express A mechanism is needed to compensate farmers for not exercising their right to sell productive land but continue to grow foodgrains. India finds itself in a piquant situation. While its population, and with it the number of poor, is growing, its cultivable land is not only shrinking, more worryingly, the economic returns of the agricultural use are diminishing vis-a-vis non-agricultural use. The situation may not be alarming right now,...

-The Hindu Kochi (Kerala): The State Horticulture Mission (SHM) is planning to implement organic farming and certification in 2,000 hectares in the State. The programme is to be implemented initially in the three districts of Idukki, Wayanad and Kasaragod during 2014-15, under the guidance of the National Horticulture Mission (NHM). Under the programme, financial assistance will be provided over a period of three years for groups of farmers covering an area of...