-IPS News SUNDARBANS: November is the cruelest month for landless families in the Indian Sundarbans, the largest single block of tidal mangrove forest in the world lying primarily in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. There is little agricultural wage-work to be found, and the village moneylender's loan remains unpaid, its interest mounting. The paddy harvest is a month away, pushing rice prices to an annual high. For those like Namita Bera,...

-The Hindu Business Line   Two young women's organic business helps small farmers salvage their soil and livelihood Kolkata schoolmates Avantika Jalan and Rashmi Sarkar run Mana Organics, a social enterprise that helps small farmers improve soil fertility through chemical-free methods and navigate the country's complex food supply chain. Organic produce from its two projects in Tinsukia, Assam, and three villages in Madhya Pradesh are sold in New Delhi and Kolkata. Early days Registered as...

-The Telegraph More than 200 agro-meteorologists from various parts of the country attending an IMD review meeting at Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) maintained that accurate weather and climate information passed on by the Met department had helped farmers in a big way. Addressing the 8th annual review meeting of India Meteorological Department, BAU vice chancellor George John said weather forecast-based agro-advisory services of IMD and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) had...

-The Hindu It will be tabled in the winter session of the legislature Bengaluru (Karnataka): To regulate the prices of Bt cotton seeds in the State, the government is planning to introduce a Karnataka Cotton Bill, 2014, at the State legislature session to be held in Belagavi in December. The Bill envisages the constitution of an authority headed by the Director of the Agriculture Department for fixation of prices of Bt cotton seeds...

-Outlook Bhopal: India should continue with non-GMO (genetically modified) soybean in the larger interest of farmers and environment, experts said here today. "Non-GMO soya is the pride of India. Value added soy products including soybean meal are fetching premium price in the international market for being authentic non-GMO soy products. It is a win-win situation for all stakeholders in the value chain," Ruchi Soya Industries founder and MD Dinesh Shahra told reporters...