-The Business Standard Making the agriculture growth story sustainable Finance Minister P Chidambaram's claim in his interim Budget speech of "stellar performance" of the agriculture sector is based on numbers, though it needs to be analysed from different perspectives to get a true picture. There is no doubt that agricultural gross domestic product may grow by 4.6 per cent this year. The past 10 years' average, too, may work out close to...

-The Hindu A farm whether in one acre or a few acres must encompass as many crop varieties as possible and also some animals to be remunerative. "Monocropping (growing only one crop) is now a fading practice among several farmers since they are realising that for their economic safety and better returns it is important to grow additional crops. "In some areas in Madhya Pradesh farmers grow a main crop in a...

-Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Agriculture) India is likely to produce record 263.2 million tonne foodgrains this year (includes kharif 2013 and rabi crops in the field at present). The earlier foodgrain production record of 259.3 MT was achieved in 2011-12. As per the latest crop sowing data available, major crops have been sown in more area than in rabi last year. Wheat has been sown in 315.3 lakh hectare...

-The Hindu     It is believed that people consuming dairy products, vegetables and fruits containing the drug are hit by irreversible hormonal imbalance The government has banned the retail sale of the controversial hormone drug Oxytocin by pharmacies to curb its misuse by dairy owners and farmers who use it boost milk production and plump up the size of vegetables and fruits. It is believed that those consuming such dairy products and vegetables...

-The Financial Express Price-policy initiatives and technological innovations show promise, given the record output of pulses in 2013 Rising incomes and urbanisation, unfolding globalisation and changing tastes are leading to diversified consumption baskets. There is greater uptake of dairy products, meat, vegetables and fruits among Indian consumers while the converse is true for cereals and pulses. Amidst these, protein consumption has taken a hit while fat intake has been rising. A recent...