There has been a significant pick up in credit flow to industry, services and personal loan segments during the current financial year. However, credit flow to agriculture has declined further, data released by the Reserve Bank of India as part of Macroeconomic and Monetary Developments Second Quarter Review 2010-11 shows. While credit flow to industry was highest at Rs 1,07,386 crore, credit flow to agriculture contracted by Rs 13,481 crore during...

Farmers who grow the well-known Bhalia wheat variety in the southern Ahmedabad district are getting ready to resist plans for a chemical park in their premises — a project they had fended off 13 years ago. A public hearing for the Bhal Industrial Park, slated to house 500 chemical units among a total 712 units, will be held on Friday. Kantri Makwana, a farmer from Pishavada, a village which falls within a...

A patent is an artificial property right; it is created by the government, and would not exist if there were no government or if it did not grant patents. It is then for the government to decide whether to grant a patent or not. But a government would not normally make the decision arbitrarily; it would follow some rules. The rules universally followed are novelty, non-obviousness and commercial value. A...

Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have demanded a subsidy for practising eco-friendly measures to tackle India's soil degradation crisis, environmental group Greenpeace India said Saturday. The farmers held a public hearing in this Madhya Pradesh town to review the major soil health management support systems of the central government and its capability to solve the soil degradation crisis. Several agriculture experts, government officials, politicians and representatives of civil society attended the hearing held...

Farmers in Bagli village of Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh will organise a public hearing on Oct 8 on the harmful impact of chemical fertilizers on soil. Several agriculture experts, government officials, politicians and representatives of civil society are expected to attend the hearing. The public hearing is part of the 'Living Soils' campaign launched by Greenpeace India to highlight soil health and its relevance to food security. 'The hearing will review the...