-Mumbai Mirror A behind the scenes look at what’s driving the region’s return to traditional paddy techniques. It’s certainly not the global shift towards organic cultivation. A recent study conducted by Harvard University has established that consuming just one cup of white rice (polished rice) a day can put you at risk of diabetes, regardless of your nationality or whether you have a family history of the disease. Bhairav Saini lives in...

-Hindustan Times Ever since the goods and services tax (GST) was brought to force, there has been a 60% fall in the demand for plywood, owing to the tax rate of 28% on furniture goods. Situated on the outskirts of Ludhiana city in Hambran, is a small plywood manufacturing unit. Until last month, the manufacturing unit had a 110-strong workforce. But now the owner, Wazir Sood, has temporarily laid off 70 workers....

-The Hindu Business Line Varied production costs, low-grade produce, limited surplus are key factors Farmers across many States, including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, are up in arms demanding implementation of the National Commission on Farmers report, which suggested fixing the minimum support price (MSP) for crops 50 per cent above the cost of production. But the MSP of many crops already has a built-in profit margin of 40-50 per cent. So, what is...

-The Indian Express The protest march will reach ‘Jantar mantar’ in Delhi on July 18 and will focus on only two main issues — “total loan waiver for all farmers and providing one-and-half times more price of the total production cost of the crop”. Jalandhar: Despite Punjab government’s loan waiver announcement, four farmers’ organisations from Punjab have decided to participate in the national-level protest under the banner of Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sangharsh...

-The Hindu Business Line Area under oilseeds and cotton up; pulses acreage slides New Delhi: Notwithstanding a sluggish monsoon and farmer unrest in different parts of the country, agriculture is picking up momentum, with all crops other than pulses showing an upswing in the sowing area. According to data released by the Union Agriculture Ministry on Friday, there has been a 10 per cent increase in the area under cultivation so far, with...