-The Times of India COIMBATORE: Horticulture production has surpassed production of food grains in the country for the first time and the Central Government is likely to create further growth in horticulture to ensure that the country can access a balanced diet, said agriculturists at the inauguration of the Indian Horticulture Congress here on Thursday. Field crops like rice, wheat and maize contribute to only 30% of the agriculture production in the...

-The Hindu Business Line Now that the gains from the first round have petered out, we need to embrace biotech to boost farm productivity As India seeks to ignite the next agrarian revolution, it must try and absorb some of the lessons of the Green Revolution. Currently, agricultural productivity and growth vary from State to State, resulting in regional disparities. Through targeted policymaking, investment in rural infrastructure and research, and ongoing support...

-The Hindu Business Line Output data is unreliable, which leaves us unprepared for shortages. And, farming practices are primitive The price of potatoes is once again moving up, largely due to the demand-supply gap in the market-place. The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) that was asked by the Ministry of Civil Supplies to explore the possibility of importing potatoes from Russia, China and Egypt, procured 3,500 tonnes of potatoes...

-CNN-IBN Kerala: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme had helped women improve their social and economic status, according to a study by a university. The study by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) showed that 97.3% of workers under the scheme are women. Conducted as part of a project on Impact Assessment Study of MGNREG scheme in Alappuzha District, the study was funded by Kerala State Institute of Rural...

-Down to Earth Report released by US-based non-profit indicates that 2 billion people in the world suffer from hidden hunger, affecting their health and productivity India has improved its ranking in the new Global Hunger Index report released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a Washington-based global non-profit. The country has been ranked at 55 among 76 countries, above Bangladesh (ranked 57) and Pakistan, (also ranked 57). But Nepal and...