-The Hindu Business Line   Farmers don't get premium for their produce in the initial stages during transition to this agriculture Development of organic agriculture as an alternative tool to address the ill-effects of chemical-based cultivation practices is a recent phenomenon in India. It had achieved dramatic progress in the beginning but could not maintain the pace. The growth of organic agriculture in India has been accomplished by three categories of farmers. The first...

-Livemint.com Odisha, MP among those saying the move may compromise food security in some of the nation's poorest parts New Delhi: Plans by the centre to initiate cash transfers to poor households under the public distribution system (PDS) may run into trouble, with some states-notably Odisha and Madhya Pradesh-raising objections on the grounds that such a move may compromise food security in some of the poorest parts of the country. The states'...

-The Financial Express The government has decided to dispense with "levy rice", a mandatory system under which rice millers also undertake rice procurement for the public distribution system by buying paddy directly from the farmers, effective the next marketing season starting October. The system, introduced way back in 1978, is set to be withdrawn as the government felt that a lack of effective supervision often allowed the millers to avoid paying minimum...

-The Hindu Vijayapura (Karnataka): The desire of the people of North Karnataka to have Jowar under Public Distribution System (PDS) is not going to be met this year too owing to acute shortage of Jowar in the market. "In all likelihood, the people of NK will not get their staple diet in their monthly ration because of the unavailability of adequate quantity of Jowar for procurement", said Dinesh Gundurao, the Minister for...

-Hindustan Times The government's fiscal management plan in the budget could see a roadmap on extending the controversial cash transfer schemes from just entitlements to subsidies, a move that could add fuel to the already surcharged atmosphere over the land acquisition bill. The finance ministry has issued instructions to bring all Central schemes having a financial component under the direct benefit transfer (DBT) from April, apparently to plug leakages and to keep...