-The Hindu KANHANGAD, Kerala: The Akshara Purusha Swayam Sahaya Sangham, a self-help group here, once again scripted a success story by reaping a rich harvest of sweet potatoes from a barren paddy field at Kushal Nagar. A six-member team under the self-group reaped nearly 60 quintals of sweet potatoes from a 1.5-acre paddy field that lay barren for years. Having reaped a rich harvest of vegetables a few months ago, the team this...

-Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Information & Broadcasting) Shri Bimal Julka, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting presented the 3rd National Community Radio Awards here today. The list of awardees is as under. i) Most Creative /Innovative Programme Content Awards 1) Yerlavani Community Radio, run by Yerala Projects Society, Sangli, Maharashtra, for its programme, "Changes in cropping and agricultural practices as per environmental change" 2) Community Radio JU, Run by Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West...

-The Times of India UDAIPUR: Despite restrictions on growing BT Cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) in the state, mass cultivation of the crop has been reported at various tribal-dominant tehsils in Udaipur adjoining Gujarat. BT cotton is a genetically modified (GM) variety of cotton which produces an insecticide that has been restricted for cultivation in the state due to harmful effects like causing skin diseases and allergies in farmers producing it. Studies reveal that...

-The Economic Times PUNE: India is still the largest producer of organic cotton in the world, accounting for two-third of the global organic cotton production. But, the total organic fibre production of the country has fallen by close to 50% as global brands shift to Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). A marketing-driven green alternative to conventional cotton grown using chemicals, BCI is growing rapidly and getting premium over the conventional cotton. From...

-The Business Standard To get priority under CSR, new policy envisages major role for private sector The government has decided to accord agro forestry equal status with agriculture by setting up a national-level board to promote national agro forestry policy. Besides agro forestry is proposed to be treated as priority area under Corporate Social Responsibility programmes (CSR) and thus the policy envisages a major role for the private sector. To this effect a...