-The Hindustan Times The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), from February 6 to 8, is focusing on the theme ‘Attaining Energy, Water and Food Security for All'. The set of issues defining the importance of the theme can be gauged from an assessment of the situation that we are facing. There are 1.3 billion people who have no access to electricity, and over twice the number are dependent on the use...

A new report by National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) reveals that despite the nutritional value of millets, otherwise known as coarse cereals*, there has been a drastic reduction in the area under its cultivation from 36.34 million hectares in 1955-56 to 18.6 million hectares in 2011-12 thanks to the wrong agricultural and price policies adopted by the Government (see table 1, and the links below). Based on previous National...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: In a remark which may cheer agriculture scientists and farmers across the country and signal a change in stance, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the government should not succumb to "unscientific prejudices" against genetically modified (GM) crops. Responding to anti-GM activists who have been opposed to even scientific field trials of genetically engineered crops, Singh said his government remained committed "to promoting the use...

-The Hindustan Times New Delhi: Vegetable prices are likely to rise this week as wholesalers across the board have gone on strike protesting the Delhi government's decision to stop the 6% commission charged by distributors from farmers. Retailers in the city stated that even though they were selling at the previous rates on Monday, they would be forced to charge higher prices or not sell at all from Tuesday owing to the...

-The Hindu     Modified scheme benefits tenants and covers all food grain PUDUKOTTAI (Tiruchirapalli): Crop insurance scheme is being implemented as modified national agricultural insurance scheme in all the 13 blocks in Pudukottai district during 2013-14 based on the administrative sanction accorded by the Centre and approval by the State government. Under the scheme, weather-based crop insurance scheme and coconut palm insurance scheme are implemented at revenue-village-level for losses suffered due to nature's fury....