-The Financial Express Global rice trade doesn't operate on market principles. Rather, it is guided by politics, vested interests and weather Rice is a political commodity. Governments all over the world maintain regimentation on rice production and trade through price controls and subsidisation, tariffs, phytosanitary and environmental safety standards-sometimes in a whimsical manner. On July 6, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) notified investigations (to be completed by April 2015) on...

-The Hindu Business Line Hyderabad: Eminent agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan has said it is not right to put the entire blame on the GM (genetically modified) crops for the farm distress in the country. He said it is one of the several factors that affect the farm sector and requires a different approach to tackle it. "I am not defending anything but putting the entire blame on GM crops would be oversimplifying...

-The United Nations Although drought is a "silent killer" in Asia and the Pacific, access to scientific information and knowledge remain a challenge for many countries in the region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said today at a milestone forum on drought monitoring and early warning. "Over the past three decades, it is estimated that droughts in the region have affected more than 1.3...

-Financial Chronicle   Forecasts on possible monsoon behaviour are not very encouraging. There is a possibility of El Nino factors causing further problems. More recently, our farmers in parts of north and central India experienced the fury of hailstorms and heavy rains. Climate change further complicates the possibility of providing accurate advance estimates of monsoon behaviour. This is not only true in our country, but also around the world. California, for example,...

-Live Mint   Out-of-pocket payments for health are highest among all WHO regions and one-third of new annual poverty is healthcare related New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) will seek to provide access to health services for all in Southeast Asia and put in place robust healthcare systems in the region, the agency's regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said in a speech at a conference on Wednesday in Paro, Bhutan. Public health experts,...