-The Times of India NEW DELHI: In its bid to push farming of pulses, the government is likely to increase the minimum support price (MSP) of the key kitchen item substantially. Sources said the MSP would be raised by Rs 200-300 per quintal in the case of gram or chickpea and lentil, which will be reaching the market from next month onwards. The sources said the assured price to farmers would also...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: It will be a 'do or die' situation for India's Basmati, which occupies pride of place in the country's agricultural trade, when the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) next week takes a call on granting 'GI' (geographical indicator) tag to the world famous long grain aromatic variety of rice. Chances of it getting the tag depends on whether India joins hands with Pakistan to...

-The Hindu Importers seek exemption from stock limits The Centre on Tuesday declared that the 82,462.53 tonnes of pulses seized in various States under the Essential Commodities Act would be made available in the open market within this week to augment supplies and arrest further hike in the prices of tur and urad dals. Rate not decided There was no word, however, on the rate at which these pulses will be made available in...

-Livemint.com Large dairy farms are critical for the next stage of India's white revolution Nagara (Anand): Sunil Patel hardly looks like a dairy farmer in his loafers, sleek glasses and cotton trousers. As he guides me to his farm of 110 cows through the narrow lanes of Nagara, a small village around 60 km from India’s milk capital, Anand, I notice most of the houses have piped natural gas connections. Nagara, like...

-The Hindu The system brought down input costs — two to four kg of seeds per acre against 30 kg needed for fertiliser-based, water-intensive farming A model evolved for applying traditional wisdom in farming has also helped in conserving indigenous paddy varieties that are under threat of extinction. The Biodiversity Rainfed Farming System, promoted by Rural Organisation for Social Education, a not-for-profit voluntary organisation, in four blocks of Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu,...