The fraught issue of introduction of Bt Brinjal has been shelved but all eyes are now set on the controversial Seed Bill 2010, likely to be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament beginning July 26. The bill aims to regulate the quality of seeds for sale, import and export and to facilitate production and supply of seeds of quality, but fails to address a crucial issue — seed pricing....
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States, companies keen to bring farmers in agri-insurance net
With global warming now becoming a permanent fixture in the Indian agriculture landscape, state governments and insurance firms are rushing to provide crop insurance for farmers. Take the case of Rajasthan, which is now looking at extending agri-insurance cover across its 33 districts this year compared to 26 last year. Ditto with Himachal Pradesh and Haryana which would run the Rashtriya Krishi Bima Yojana from this kharif onwards. The cover...
More »Crop Insurance Claims Settlement Crosses Rs. 15,500 Crore Mark Benefitting Over 4 Crore Farmers
Crop insurance claims settlement has crossed Rs. 15,500 crore mark, benefitting over 4 crore farmers in the country. Crop insurance claims worth Rs. 15,521 crore have been settled as on 24.06.2010. With Rs. 3041 crore, Gujarat is on the top followed by Andhra Pradesh (Rs.2600 crore), Maharashtra (Rs. 1481 crore), Karnataka (Rs. 1406 crore) and Bihar Rs. (1236 crore). From Rabi 1999-2000 to Kharif 2009, 4.27 crore farmers have benefitted...
More »Organic wheat farming receives govt backing, attracts growers by Charanjit Ahuja
Over 11,000 acres of land has been brought under organic farming in Punjab and Haryana under a scheme sponsored by the Union Government. While 6,050 acres has so far come under organic farming in Punjab, Haryana too is not lagging behind as 5,000 acre has been brought under organic farming. To promote organic farming in Punjab and Haryana, farmers are being provided technological inputs including training and farm-level advisory services according...
More »Food, fuel and farms
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have warned that farm commodity prices, especially foodgrains, may rise by as much as 40 per cent by the end of this decade. This warning must be taken seriously given its implications for food insecurity. FAO’s Agricultural Outlook 2010-2019 projects prices of wheat, coarse grains and dairy products rising by 15 to 40 per cent...
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