Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar recently alleged that Monsanto, the Union environment ministry’s genetic engineering approval committee (GEAC) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) had colluded to start trials of genetically modified maize in Bihar before clearance from the environment ministry and the state government. The charge is significant: Nitish says ICAR’s experimental farms in Bihar did not maintain the stipulated “isolation distance” from normal farmland, meant to...

India has inked 20 MoUs in the field of agriculture with U.S., Russia, Italy and others in the last three years for cooperation in research and development and capacity building, Parliament was informed today. Besides fostering bilateral partnership, India also entered into agreement in the farm sector in multilateral format. Broad based and inclusive multilateral cooperation is pursued through international organisations such as Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP)...

Orissa is awaiting the accreditation of its certification agency- Orissa State Seeds and Organic Products Certification Agency (OSSOPCA) for promoting organic farming in the state in a big way. “Our certification agency- OSSOPCA is under the process of accreditation of the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). This will be a major milestone for getting our organic areas under certification program for better market strategy. Post harvest technology...

Rita Sharma, Secretary of India's National Advisory Council (NAC), has been appointed to a new commission on climate change to be chaired by Britain's chief scientific adviser Sir John Beddington. The new Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change, has been set up by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research's Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security program (CCAFS). Sharma is among 13 members of the commission which, in...

As per the FAO Statistics 2009, the productivity of pulses in India is lesser than the advanced countries including China. Government has been implementing National Food Security Mission-pulses in 16 major pulses producing states in the country to enhance the production and productivity of pulses in the country. Besides, Accelerated Pulses Production Programme (A3P) was also launched from Kharif, 2010 as a part of NFSM-Pulses for demonstration of Production and Protection Technologies...