-The Times of India DEHRUDUN: The rich aroma and distinct taste of the Dehradooni Basmati may be a thing of the past as early as the next couple of years. The grain, which made the term 'Basmati' synonymous with good quality rice, is being edged out by other hybrid varieties as well as rapid urbanization which has shrunk the fields where it is grown. Confirming that the Dehradooni Basmati, known as...

-Down to Earth Chhattisgarh's much appreciated public distribution scheme is falling apart due to corruption and mismanagement As chhattisgarh prepares for panchayat election at the end of the year, the fate of ration card holders in the state is in limbo. During a verification drive in July-August, the state government found almost 1.3 million "unnecessary" ration cards in the possession of people. These cards have been taken back by the government and...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The government's efforts to promote 'khadi' are facing a trademark hurdle with the brand having been registered abroad, in countries such as Germany, as well as in India. After haldi and Basmati, this is the latest instance of infringement of intellectual property rights, which is essentially traditional knowledge. What makes the task more difficult for the government is that 'khaddar' and 'khadi' are common across the...

-The Indian Express For the last 10 years, farmers in India benefited from both increased production and higher price realisations - leading to rising rural incomes and declining poverty rates. That happy story may now be near its end - which could be the precursor to a renewed crisis in agriculture. The main reason is declining global prices for most agri-commodities (see Table 1). Over the last five-six months, corn, wheat and...

-The Times of India PRATAPPUR: Paddy grows in a dry patch on this farm. No fertilizers are used, the farm is not irrigated either. It is an experiment by seven farming enthusiasts who are trying to revive indigenous varieties and make them commercially viable in their villages. The dry paddy patch is small but the farm of about 4.8 ha grows more than 250 indigenous, organically grown varieties of paddy, pulses...