-Scroll.in In a harvest-less January, the state's farming community can only count its losses. We’re here to ensure the well-being of Tamil Nadu’s farmers. That refrain was heard repeatedly last week as protestors across the state demanded that the ban on the bull-taming sport of jallikattu. The exertions through which the bulls were put, allowed farmers to identify the most virile animals, the argument went, and was vital for ensuring the survival...

-The Economic Times PUNE: As 2016 proved to be the hottest year in recent times, MS Swaminathan, the architect of India's Green Revolution, thinks that it is time for India to take anticipatory action to insulate major crops from adverse impact of high mean temperature. The veteran expressed his concerns about rising temperature trends and gave suggestions for securing the country's food security with a series of tweets. "Having seen the hottest year...

-TheWeekendLeader.com Chennai: In Tamil Nadu, former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s posthumous omnipresence is best reflected in the success of the 657 Amma Unavagams (canteens) that serve piping hot fare at unbelievably low rates to anyone who walks in looking for a satisfying meal.   These canteens provide barrier free access and are managed efficiently by a dedicated, diligent and disciplined army of women. Some even wake up at the crack of dawn and start...

-The News Minute Rice Diversity Blocks in Kerala and five other states preserve over 1,000 indigenous varieties of rice that were at risk of being lost. In the Indian subcontinent, the birthplace of paddy, the colours of the crop’s many varieties are as diverse as the land, its people, languages, cultures, costumes, dialects and so on. But most of that variety was lost, when farmers were asked to forgo indigenous varieties...

-TheHansIndia.com Driven by conservation concerns about the huge pressure on the water resources in the country, there is a growing debate in India about the feasibility of cultivating paddy crops. Such apprehensions are based on the premise that paddy consumes huge quantum of water and consequently it is proving to be a drain on depleting water resources in India. On an average, 2,500 liters of water is required for producing one kg...