The cultivable land in India has shrunk marginally by 0.43% to 182.39 million hectare in last five years. This is due to shift in area for non-agricultural purposes such as buildings, road and railways among others. The total agricultural land in 2003-04 was 183.19 million hectares against 182.39 million hectare in 2008-09, a fall of 0.80 million hectare, according to the government data. Major foodgrains producing states like Punjab, West Bengal, Bihar and...

The issue regarding the seemingly poor response to the national rural employment guarantee scheme ( NREGS) of the central government dominated the proceedings of the gram sabha of the Chandor village panchayat held on Sunday. It was pointed out that several cardholders under the UPA government's flagship project had later failed to undertake the work allotted to them, thus crippling the progress of the scheme in the village. The program officer...

To facilitate larger lease holdings of land for agro-based units The amendment allows the lease period for 15 years instead of five years Accounts of the panchayati raj institutions placed under the purview of CAG Rajasthan has amended its tenancy laws to facilitate larger lease holdings of agricultural land for longer periods by entrepreneurs who are interested in setting up agro-based products. The move takes into account the big potential the State has...

Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has generated maximum employment opportunities in Haryana because of the maximum utilisation of fund allocated under the scheme by the state government . While reviewing the development works undertaken under the scheme at a special meeting at Jind financial commissioner and principal secretary, development and panchayats department P Raghavendra Rao said on Wednesday. Rao said that the state government had also constituted a high-level...

A national body on maize today expressed concern over the government move to withdraw field trials for Bt-maize and said the decision could threaten the crop's overall development and hit small farmers. "The decision puts at risk the future success of small and marginal Indian farmers, particularly maize farmers, who toil to meet the escalating demand of maize in the country," said Indian Maize Development Association (IMDA). "We have achieved higher...