-The Pioneer From the right farming techniques to efficient and not wasteful use of water for irrigation purposes, new and modern agricultural methods can help optimise production and save the environment from degradation At a time when a burgeoning population is putting immense stress on available resources, foodgrains production as a critical and life supporting resource is exceedingly finding itself on the back foot, thanks to a rapidly degrading environment. The state...

-Responding to Climate Change Forthcoming UN study could reveal median crop yields may fall by up to 2% per decade for the rest of century Scientists are gradually narrowing uncertainty over the impact of climate change on food production, pointing towards a more pessimistic picture. The degree to which people can adapt to climate change is part of a wider debate about the urgency of cutting carbon emissions. Adaptation is especially relevant to agriculture,...

-DNA Farmers' suicides are as much a consequence of indebtedness as the failure of the government to offer solutions to make agriculture a viable profession. Astring of farmers' suicides, in the aftermath of hailstorms and unseasonal rainfall over the past fortnight, in Maharashtra sheds light on the parlous state of Indian agriculture. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics tell us that over 2.8 lakh farmers have committed suicide since 1995. Though attempts...

-The Hindu Jardhar village comprises of nearly 26 small hamlets in Uttarakhand. Like hundreds of villages in the country agriculture is a major occupation here. But the village is known for more than just agriculture. It houses some of the country's best and ‘lost' ancient seed varieties. This is thanks to Mr. Vijay Jardhari, a small farmer and founder of seed saving movement called Beej Bachao Andolan (seed savers movement), who has managed...

-The Times of India HYDERABAD: Organic vegetables, which have become popular in the city as a healthy alternative to pesticide-sprayed, mass-produced veggies, are now burning a hole in the pockets of consumers. Priced earlier at three times the price of regular vegetables, organic ones now cost up to 10 times the rate at rythu bazaars in the city! According to a resident of Road No 13, Banjara Hills, who was introduced to...