-Business Standard Despite two consecutive years of deficient rains, farm growth was positive in Q2 of 2015-16 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) might have decided to drop the use of the word “drought” from its nomenclature, but even if it had not done so, it would have hardly made a difference. Studies show that Indian agriculture has, over the years, developed an inherent resistance to drought. The share of agriculture in the overall...

-Hindustan Times Birhor Tola (Ranchi): A 45-year-old tribal villager, Paklu Birhor, and his companions forage a forest in the Jonha valley, barely 40km from the Jharkhand capital, every day at the crack of dawn for wild edible roots and herbs. On a lucky day, they return home with game — rabbit, monkey, boar or birds. They count themselves fortunate if they stumble upon the carcass of a wild or domestic animal. These...

-Nezine.com A progressive farmer in Assam’s Goalpara district is leading a mission to grow black Rice in the State A farmer from Assam‘s Goalpara district has created history of sort by not only successfully cultivating a black Rice variety called Oryza Sativa but has also initiated more than 200 othersinto it. This year, the progressive farmer, Upendra Rabha, of the district’s Amguripara area, helped grow black Rice in 500 bighasof land along...

-The Hindu ADILABAD: Anyone wanting to witness the intrinsic relationship between education and food security in low income and poverty ridden areas should visit the backward Sirpur Assembly constituency in the Adilabad district of Telangana. Provision of mid-day meals at government junior colleges here for the last 20 days has resulted in improved attendance of students thereby enhancing the scope for them to perform better in exams. “You do not need to...

-The Indian Express The farmers are under severe stress, with profitability in farming falling alarmingly. FY17 budget must boldly address the agriculture crisis. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his team are beginning pre-budget consultations with various stakeholders for the upcoming FY17 budget. Generally, the consultations start with agriculture, slated for January 4. It’s good practice and courteous to invite farm experts and farmers’ representatives. Often, one finds these meetings full of anguish...