In 2010, subject to government approvals, Indian farmers will seed their fields with transgenic brinjals—brinjals with a genetic variant that, courtesy Monsanty-Mahyco Ltd and a clutch of agricultural universities, protect them from insects. But 14 years ago, Polumetla Ananda Kumar successfully planted the first Indian transgenic brinjals in a field in west Delhi. Then he promptly burnt the entire crop to the ground. Kumar, head of the National Plant Biotechnology Centre at...
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Genetic Engineering: Instrument of Western Agribusiness to Control India’s Food and Farming System by Bharat Dogra
The recent high-pressure tactics to introduce genetically engineered food crops in India are another rude reminder that Western agribusiness companies have a deeprooted strategy to obtain a stranglehold on India’s food and agriculture system. In a review of recent trends titled ‘Food Without Choice’ (The Tribune, November 1) Prof Pushpa M. Bhargava (who was nominated by the Supreme Court in the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee to protect safety concerns), an internationally...
More »Pawar rules out rice imports by Gargi Parsai
Stocks exceed the buffer norm despite dip in production ‘FCI machinery should be geared up’ The Union government on Wednesday ruled out the likelihood of rice imports on its account, as stocks were more than the buffer norm despite an expected dip in production due to drought in the kharif season. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the annual general meeting of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, Union Agriculture and Food...
More »Climate change will hit small farmers most: Pawar by Gargi Parsai
Small and marginal farmers would be the worst sufferers of climate change, Union Minister for Agriculture and Food Sharad Pawar said here on Wednesday. “In the wake of water scarcity, erratic rainfall and changing temperature regimes, in addition to prevalent diseases and threat of new race of wheat stem rust Ug99, small and marginal farmers will be challenged. With the cost of cultivation already high, even a slight reduction in productivity...
More »'The level of violence has gone up tremendously in Chhattisgarh'
Even after spending more than two years in prison on charges of being a Naxal supporter under the draconian Chhatisgarh Special Public Security Act, Dr Binayak Sen's enthusiasm for speaking for the rights and the wellbeing of the tribals in Chhattisgarh has not diminished one bit. Out on bail since May 25, 2009 -- he was arrested in May 2007 -- Dr Sen was in Mumbai recently to speak at a...
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