-Business Standard Increases duty on crude edible oils to 7.5% and on refined edible oils to 15% To protect the interests of farmers and provide a level-playing field to domestic oilseed processors, the government has raised the import duty on crude edible oil from 2.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent and that on refined edible oils from 10 per cent to 15 per cent. "Yes, the government had raised the import duties...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: The Intelligence Bureau has termed loan waiver and relief packages for distressed farmers as "short-term" measures and said the issue of farmer suicides needs a comprehensive solution. In a report to the Prime Minister's Office last week, the IB said farmer suicide is on a rise in Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Punjab. It also pointed to suicides by debt-ridden farmers in Gujarat, UP and Tamil Nadu...

-The Hindustan Times Despite paying as much as double the price, many health-conscious consumers who think they've gone organic really haven't. Information obtained by Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI) under the Right to Information Act proves that farms that claim to be organic regularly use chemical pesticides to protect their crops, yet market and sell their produce under the organic tag. Evidence of this practice came to light after information from...

-Business Standard Domestic regulators need to be stricter about quality violations to protect both Indian pharma exports as well as the country's image Even as major Indian drug companies continue to make news for impurities in the medicines they make and faulty - or if the USFDA is to be believed, falsified - data that many generate after testing of samples show quality problem, it seems strange that domestic authorities are silent...

-The Hindu Business Line   Two young women's organic business helps small farmers salvage their soil and livelihood Kolkata schoolmates Avantika Jalan and Rashmi Sarkar run Mana Organics, a social enterprise that helps small farmers improve soil fertility through chemical-free methods and navigate the country's complex food supply chain. Organic produce from its two projects in Tinsukia, Assam, and three villages in Madhya Pradesh are sold in New Delhi and Kolkata. Early days Registered as...