The genetic diversity of the plants that we grow and eat and their “wild relatives” could be lost forever, threatening future food security, unless special efforts are stepped up to not only conserve but also utilize them, especially in developing countries. This is one of the key messages of the second report on The State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, launched today by FAO.   The...

Farmers from Vidarbha and Marathwada regions will hold Maharashtra's first 'Kapus Parishad' (Cotton Conclave) here Oct 26 where they will demand higher prices for cotton, an activist said here Sunday. Organised by NGO Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), the conference will seek the government's intervention in increasing the prices of raw cotton from the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs.3,000 per quintal to Rs.4,500 per quintal. 'Cotton is the biggest cash crop...

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and the farm lobby reacted sharply today to the Centre’s announcement of the Minimum Support Price for Wheat. The Centre yesterday had announced a nominal hike of Rs 20 in the MSP, fixing it at Rs 1,120 per quintal. Describing it as a ‘stab in the back’, the Punjab CM claimed that the MSP fixed for wheat is lower than the rate at which the...

Asia Pacific nations agreed on Sunday to boost the region’s agricultural productivity through technology transfer and information sharing as climate change and a fall in arable land threaten future food supplies. The 21-member countries of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) also called for “responsible” agricultural investment as rising acquisition of farmland in developing countries by other nations to ensure their own food supplies is causing friction with local people. “Climate change...

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...