In its zeal to make low-priced food available to as many as possible, the majority on the National Advisory Council may deal a mortal blow to farmers and output, warn farmer groups. The proposal to distribute low-priced foodgrain to 80 per cent of the rural population has nothing in it to incentivise cultivation. Vijay Jawandhia of the Shetkari Sangathana says the least the NAC could have done was to recommend that...

Even as the nation celebrated Dussehra, families of distressed farmers of Vidarbha  were mourning. Seven debt-ridden farmers, primarily cotton-growers, ended lives on the eve of Dussehra. The toll has risen to 30 in October and 622 farmers have killed themselves since January this year. The deceased include Waman Awari, Vijay Dandage, Dhyaneshwar Choudhari (all from Yavatmal district), Prabhakar Wakte (Akola), Ladhu Madavi (Chandrapur), Bhiagirath Pathorkar (Amravati) and Raju Lahorkar (Washim district). According...

Two walls of extremes are closing in fast on mankind. The spectre of climate change threatens agriculture, especially in developing countries where farming is dominated by smallscale farmers heavily relying on rainfall. Along with this, is the scourge of burgeoning population, which is likely swell to 9 billion in the next 40 years. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), about 14% of the 6.5-billion world population are affected by...

On the eve of the World Food Day, hundreds of farmers belonging to the Kisan Swaraj Yatra made a bonfire of genetically modified seeds at Jalna on Friday to symbolically oppose the corporatisation of seeds and to encourage farmers to retain seed diversity. “We want to put out a message to fellow Indian farmers to acknowledge, appreciate and understand our own breeding abilities and improve on it, to avoid getting trapped...

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's crusade against genetically modified or Bt food will get a political fillip as well. Parliament's Standing Committee on Agriculture, currently studying the pros and cons of allowing Bt brinjals or other genetically modified foods, is likely to oppose these on various grounds. The parliamentary panel will give its report during the monsoon session. After holding meetings with various interest groups, the members feel it will not be...