-The Hindu   There is a need for promotion of local varieties on a commercial scale, says expert Adilabad (Andhra Pradesh): Telangana government's commitment towards making the State a seed hub in the country has come at a juncture when commercial crops such as cotton have failed the farmers' expectations, but is witnessing a sharp increase in demand for organic and indigenous variety of food grains in the country. "The time seems to be...

-The New Indian Express   Back in 1989, the area near Chennakothapalli village of Anantapur (the second driest area in India) in Andhra Pradesh was a wasteland. Till C K Ganguly (Bablu) and Mary Vattamattam chanced upon it in 1991 and saw its immense potential to blossom into a green paradise. The couple, along with friend John D'Souza, then bought 32 acres of this barren land. Inspired by Japanese author Masanobu Fufuoka's seminal...

-The Hindu GHUMNOOR (ADILABAD Dt.): In what could be the first step towards a welcome reversal of current farming practices in the Agency areas, a hotelier from Hyderabad, Ram Babu, has tied up with tribal farmers of Ghumnoor in Sirpur (U) Mandal of Adilabad for the purchase of indigenous varieties of millets. Instead of sowing the vexatious Bt cotton, the farmers will now cultivate local varieties of foodgrains in a part of...

-The Hindu Khammam (Andhra Pradesh): Efforts by Association for Social and Humanise Action (ASHA), a Chintur-based NGO, to conserve the local varieties of traditional crops and promote community-based sustainable agricultural practices has earned the appreciation of the Andhra Pradesh State Bio-diversity Board (APSBB). ASHA has been engaged in efforts to conserve the local varieties of food crops such as paddy and millets by organising awareness programmes in collaboration with reputed organisations such...

-Down to Earth Most suicides among orchard farmers, say observers As many as 101 farmers have committed suicide in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra since the devastating hailstorms in March this year. This sudden spurt of suicides has raised concerns as to whether this arid region is heading for an agrarian crisis similar to that of Vidarbha. A whopping 71 suicides have been reported in the month of March 2014, close on the...