-Business Today What does the proposed food security law mean for the government's finances? Most days, around half a dozen middleaged men in Tamil Nadu's Nemam village head for a slushy pond. They are farm labourers who have had little work for the past few months because of a drought in their Tiruvarur district. As an alternative they catch fish, but the income from it is not enough to survive on. "But...
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Bhutan set to plough lone furrow as world's first wholly organic country -John Vidal and Annie Kelly
-The Guardian By shunning all but organic farming techniques, the Himalayan state will cement its status as a paradigm of sustainability Bhutan plans to become the first country in the world to turn its agriculture completely organic, banning the sales of pesticides and herbicides and relying on its own animals and farm waste for fertilisers. But rather than accept that this will mean farmers of the small Himalayan kingdom of 1.2 million people...
More »No change in global food prices after months of decline, UN agency says
-The United Nations World food prices are steady after three months of decline with increased prices for oil and fats balancing out lower cereal and sugar prices, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today said. FAO’s Food Price Index – which measures monthly changes in international prices of a basket of meat, dairy, cereals, oils and fats, and sugar – remained at 210 points in January, same as in December. The...
More »Foodgrain Output to Fall by 3.5% Due to Drought
-Outlook Country's foodgrain production is estimated to decline by 3.5 per cent to 250.14 million tonne in 2012-13 crop year as poor rains have hit rice and coarse cereal crops, but the government said the output will be enough to meet the demand. The foodgrain production was a record 259.32 million tonne in 2011-12 crop year (July-June). "We had produced about 260 million tonne foodgrains last year. This year, we have crossed 250...
More »PDS purchases up sharply between 2004-05 and 2009-10
-PTI There was sharp rise in purchase of cereals, sugar and kerosene from Public Distribution System (PDS) between 2004-05 and 2009-10, a government survey said. According to National Sample Survey Organisation's 66th round, the percentage of households reporting consumption of rice from PDS rose sharply from 24.4 percent to 39 percent in rural areas. The percentage of such families consuming rice increased from 13 percent to 20.5 percent during the period. The increase...
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