-TheWire.in "If everyone starts to impose export restrictions or to close markets, that would worsen the crisis," German Agriculture minister Cem Ozdemir told the news agency AFP. New Delhi: Agriculture ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialised nations on Friday, May 13 condemned India’s decision to ban unapproved wheat exports after the country was hit by a punishing heatwave. “If everyone starts to impose export restrictions or to close markets, that would...

-Down to Earth The full impact of the wheat ban on farmers will be known only in the next few days, say experts India’s sudden decision to ban wheat exports with immediate effect citing food security may prove costly for its farmers. Many of them have held back their crop in the hopes of getting higher prices in the coming weeks. The impact of this decision is already being seen in wheat mandis...

-Down to Earth New government report finds fewer indigenous individuals among these species, although experts blame non-registration of breeds as a reason. The origins of over half of India’s cattle, sheep, goats, horses, ponies, mules, donkeys and pigs are not known, according to a new report on the country’s livestock released by the government recently. The country’s water buffaloes too have fewer purebred individuals, although its camels still have that distinction according to...

-TheWire.in * The proposed Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill 2021 encourages a conducive environment for investments and to simplify the patent application process. * Farmers in India have historically been against any kind of IP rights – whether patents or plant variety protection over seed and planting materials. * In a confused mix of laws, the government also grants IP rights to BMCs for farmers’ varieties – formed under the Biological Diversity Act –...

-Newslaundry.com It also spent a total of Rs 490 crore on ads in 2021-22 alone. In 2020, the Delhi government announced with much fanfare a new strategy to tackle the issue of stubble burning – a bio-decomposer developed by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (Pusa). Newslaundry had reported how a pilot project was launched in 2020, allegedly covering 1,900 acres of farmland across 39 villages. Last October, the government announced it would spray...