-IndiaSpend.com Punjab has amongst the highest use of fertilisers, pesticides and large machinery, including government support for chemical farming, making it difficult to transition to organic and natural farming. Chandigarh: When Ashok Kumar, 63, started doing organic farming on three acres of his farm in Sohangarh Rattewala village in Punjab's western Ferozepur district in 2012, the benefits of good health and a cleaner environment were foremost on his mind. Besides growing food...

Door-to-door and village-to-village surveys carried out by researchers of the Department of Economics and Sociology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana detected a total of 9,291 suicides that were committed by farmers in six districts of Punjab during the period from 2000 to 2018. Situated in the Malwa region of Punjab, which is known for cotton farming and the prevalence of cancer among its population, Sangrur (2,506) witnessed the highest number of...

-IndiaToday.in Higher import values of crude and petroleum products, coal, coke and electronic goods have contributed to the rise India’s trade deficit—the difference between the value of its imports and exports—rose to a record $25.6 billion this June (about Rs 2 lakh crore), almost three times the figure for the same month last year ($9.61 billion, or about Rs 76,000 crore). The spike was primarily driven by the import cost of petroleum,...

-Newsclick.in "The recent changes in GST will not benefit primary producers or consumers who are already reeling under high inflationary pressure," said Ashok Dhawale. Coming down heavily on introducing the Good and Services Taxes (GST) on dairy products, the farmers' organisations on Saturday said that it would prove to be a “death knell” for small dairies and farmers who have been barely managing the rising input costs.  Ashok Dhawale, President, All India Kisan...

-The Telegraph The ban, which comes into effect from July 1, faces challenges at several levels, from enforcement to a lack of viable alternatives to plastic products. Kochi: Plastic forks and spoons that come along with your food through your online food delivery platforms; earbuds with plastic stems; thermocol sheets that are used widely in decorations – these are some of the many single use plastics (SUPs) that have banned by the...