-The Hindu Business Line Goyal meets industry associations to assess demand-supply situation, alternative plans Representatives of India’s edible oil industry met Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday to discuss ways to check the galloping prices of the cooking medium as disruption of supplies of sunflower oil due to the on-going Russia-Ukraine conflict threatens to make the situation worse. The meeting, called a day after the Union Food Secretary’s discussion with industry...

-IndiaToday.in Russia-Ukraine war news updates: The attack on Ukraine has jolted the oil market around the world as well as in India. The dark clouds over edible oil imports in India have come at a time when the retail prices of edible oil are already plateauing. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has jolted the crude oil market around the world and that is poised to raise petrol and diesel prices in India as...

-The Telegraph The FSSAI had set a Feb 5 deadline for public feedback on its proposed regulations that outline procedures through which GM foods can be imported in the country A citizen petitioner has through a legal notice asked India’s food authority to withdraw its draft rules on genetically modified foods, saying its proposals would breach environmental regulations and dilute food labelling requirements directed by the Supreme Court. The notice, sent on Friday...

-The Hindu Sri Lanka’s decision to ban imports on chemical fertilizers was not backed by scientific evidence There is consensus in the scientific community that organic agriculture could reduce crop yield. Quoting three global meta-data analysis, Meemkem and Qaim (2018) pointed out that on average, the yield reduction in organic agricultural systems could be 19-25%, depending on the crop and agro-climatic region. To switch to 100% organic agriculture, a country must have...

-Down to Earth Lack of planning, introduction of hybrid seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and weed killers are responsible for decline in pulses’ cultivation Pulses have an important place in our culture. But with imports increasing every day, they are getting too expensive for the poor. As a result, malnutrition is increasing. It is not that farmers do not grow pulses here due to lack of seeds and knowledge, but there is a lack...