Ban request only from Kerala and Karnataka, says Manmohan Singh He will go to Kasaragod during next Kerala visit CPI(M), DYFI members stage protests in Delhi As Kerala observed “Anti-Endosulfan Day” on Monday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reportedly told the State's Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala that the Centre would consolidate opinions from various States before deciding on the requests for a nationwide ban...

Alternative too may pose health problems But most are not persistent in environment Several alternatives exist for Endosulfan in the country though those opposing its ban ignore that. An expert committee of the Central government had listed alternatives to Endosulfan for 47 out of 55 pests affecting 29 crops in Orissa in 2008-09. The Pesticide Action Network (PAN) International has pointed out this in a submission to the Stockholm Convention POPs Review Committee...

Exceeding 235 million tonnes, it has been the highest since Independence India's food production crossed 235 million tonnes during 2010-11 as per the latest estimates and this is the highest since Independence, S. Ayyappan, Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, said on Saturday. The previous highest production, at nearly 233 million tonnes, was achieved in 2008-09, while the output declined to around 218 million tonnes during 2009-10, he said interacting...

According to the third advance estimate, India’s foodgrain production in the current farm year (to end in June 2011) will be a record 235.88 million tonnes, including an all-time high wheat output of 84.27 million tonnes against 81.47 million tonnes projected earlier. Ahead of the wheat harvest, the country had buffer foodgrain stock of 47 million tonnes at the start of 2011 in the central pool. A buffer close to double...

The case of each areca grower who has taken loans from cooperative societies or banks will be studied individually to determine whether the farmer is genuinely unable to repay the loan. This decision was taken at a meeting of areca growers with Deputy Commissioner Subodh Yadav and officials of various departments on Thursday. Mr. Yadav made the suggestion after listening to a delegation of farmers, most of them members of the Karnataka...