-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The Centre has initiated moves to withdraw its controversial May 23 notification banning sale of cattle for slaughter in livestock markets and will bring an amended version specifying dos and don'ts intended to prevent cruelty to animals and address safety and hygiene issues. The environment ministry has written to the law ministry seeking its view on withdrawal of the notification so it can bring an amended...

-The Financial Express By setting the target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022, the prime minister has clearly signalled a transition in agri-food policy from an excessive emphasis on foodgrain production towards improving welfare of the farming community. Given the continued excessive employment pressure, proliferation of small landholdings and growing agrarian crisis, this move is indeed an important change in the policy landscape. Doubling farmers’ income, however, requires identification of high-income...

-The Telegraph New Delhi: An NGO claimed on Monday that several fast-food multinationals had set timelines abroad to eliminate from their food chain chicken exposed to unnecessary antibiotics but remain silent about their plans in India. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said it had found that some global giants had eliminated or would eliminate chicken exposed to medically important antibiotics in other countries. The CSE said it had sought responses from...

-Livemint.com In India, 9 million people left farming between 2001 and 2011 largely due to distress, not because industry invited them, says Shyam Khadka, India’s representative at the FAO Shyam Khadka, India’s representative at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, says more Indians are moving out of agriculture due to distress and not because the manufacturing sector is inviting them. In an interview, Khadka calls for converting food...

-Livemint.com Drastic fall in ownership of male cattle in rural India is testimony to the benefits of farm mechanization in agriculture New Delhi: Delivering his customary Vijayadashami speech, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat advised farmers to adopt “cow-based farming” practices as a way out of poverty. “When we talk about farming with less capital, organic in nature, naturally the point is raised that the large number of farmers in our...